(Vienna, 05 June 2026) Trinh Phan-Canh, a PhD graduate of the Medical University of Vienna, has been awarded the Austrian Microbiology Prize 2026 by the Austrian Society for Hygiene, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine for his work published in Nature Microbiology on the survival mechanisms of the fungal pathogen Candida auris.
The award-winning study was conducted with the participation of MedUni Vienna in close collaboration between the research groups of Adelheid Elbe-Bürger from the Department of Dermatology at MedUni Vienna and Karl Kuchler from Max Perutz Labs Vienna. Trinh Phan-Canh was the lead author of the publication and carried out the work as part of his PhD research at MedUni Vienna.
The study focuses on the multi-resistant fungus Candida auris, which is considered a significant health risk worldwide and can spread rapidly, particularly in clinical settings. The research demonstrated for the first time that Candida auris utilises a CO₂-based metabolic strategy to survive on the skin and better tolerate the effects of antifungal therapies. In doing so, the team identified several potential targets that could be utilised for new therapeutic approaches in the future.
The ÖGHMP awards the Austrian Microbiology Prize for outstanding scientific work in the field of microbiology. The award ceremony took place on 19 May 2026 as part of the 39th Annual Conference of the ÖGHMP. Trinh Phan-Canh has since taken up a postdoctoral position in the USA.