Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology (Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine)
Position: Research Associate (Postdoc)
ORCID: 0000-0002-6875-7056
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
- Vector-borne diseases in the Einsatzgebieten des Österreichischen Bundesheeres: Kosovo und Bosnien und Herzegowina (BIH) (2021)
Source of Funding: FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency), FFG FORTE
Principal Investigator - 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. Integrative Approach to Phlebotomus mascittii Grassi, 1908: First Record in Vienna with New Morphological and Molecular Insights. Pathogens, 9(12), p.1032. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9121032.
- Kniha, E. et al., 2021. Phlebotomus (Adlerius) simici NITZULESCU, 1931: first record in Austria and phylogenetic relationship with other Adlerius species. Parasites & Vectors, 14(1). Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04482-8.
- Kniha, E. et al., 2021. Ecology, seasonality and host preferences of Austrian Phlebotomus (Transphlebotomus) mascittii Grassi, 1908, populations. Parasites & Vectors, 14(1). Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-021-04787-2.