Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology (Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine)
Position: PHD Student
T +43 1 40160 38244
edwin.kniha@meduniwien.ac.at
Keywords
Entomology; Molecular Biology; Parasitology; Phylogeny; Phylogeography; Zoonoses
Research group(s)
- Molecular parasitology
Head: Julia Walochnik
Research Area: Acanthamoeba infections, amoebae as hosts for bacteria, vector-borne parasites, molecular phylogeny
Members:
Research interests
My current research interests include the clarification of the current and prospective distribution of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Austria and their relevance as vectors of the protozoan parasites Leishmania spp. (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), the causative agents of leishmaniasis. Furthermore, I am interested in up-to-date topics and questions of medical entomology.
Techniques, methods & infrastructure
My expertise comprises morphological and molecular identification of medically relevant arthropods, light- and fluorescence microscopy. PCR and in-house Sanger sequencing.
Phylogenetic analysis including sophisticated handling of various softwares (ClustalX, GeneDoc, MEGAX, BEAST, DNAsp, Popart).
Grants
- Phylogeography of Austrian sand fly populations - where do they come from and where will they go? (2019)
Source of Funding: OeAW (Austrian Academy of Sciences), DOC-fellowship
Principal Investigator
Selected publications
- Kniha, E. et al., 2019. Phlebovirus seroprevalence in Austrian Army personnel returning from missions abroad. Parasites & Vectors, 12(1). Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3674-6.
- Kniha, E. et al., 2020. Leishmania spp. seropositivity in Austrian soldiers returning from the Kosovo. Wiener klinische Wochenschrift, 132(1-2), pp.47. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00508-019-01598-5
- Kniha, E. et al., 2020. Die Verbreitung von Sandmücken (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) und deren Relevanz als Überträger von Krankheitserregern des Menschen in Mitteleuropa. Entomologica Austriaca, 27, pp.65. https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/ENTAU_0027_0065-0089.pdf