Dr. Mohammadali Khan Mirzaei

VICE HEAD OF THE RESEARCH UNIT

ORCID: 0000-0003-2801-4474

Dr. Mohammadali Khan Mirzaei's research integrates experimental and computational approaches to gain a deep understanding of complex phage-host interactions with the aim of developing next-generation therapeutics to treat multi-drug resistant infections and engineer the human microbiome. To achieve this, he develops and combines a diverse array of methodologies, including single-cell techniques, -omics approaches, metabolic labeling, and model systems.

Curriculum Vitae

Since 05/2022               Vice head of the research unit/ Team leader at the Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München and Technical University of Munich, Germany

06/2019-05/2022           Senior postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München and Technical University of Munich, Germany

Research topic: Novel phage-based therapeutics for treating multi-drug resistant infections and engineering the human microbiome

05/2016-04/2019          Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Microbiology and Imunology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Research topic: Phage-bacteria interactions in the human gut and their role in health and disease

12/2011-03/2016           Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden 

Thesis: The efficacy of bacterial viruses against multi-resistant Escherichia coli: from isolation to Pharmacology

09/2009-10/2011           M.Sc. in Molecular life sciences at the Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

Thesis: Isolation and characterization of phages against multi-resistant Escherichia coli   

Selected publications:

Khan Mirzaei M, and Maurice CF. (2017) Ménage à trois in the human gut: interactions between host, bacteria and phages. Nat Rev Microbiol. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro.2017.30

Khan Mirzaei M, et al. (2020). Bacteriophages regulate gut bacterial communities from stunted children in an age specific manner. Cell Host Microbe. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2020.01.004

Khan Mirzaei M, and Deng L. (2022) New technologies for developing phage-based tools to manipulate the human microbiome. Trends Microbiol. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.04.007. 

Sinha A, Li Y, Khan Mirzaei, M, et al. (2022) Transplantation of bacteriophages from ulcerative colitis patients shifts the gut bacteriome and exacerbates the severity of DSS colitis. Microbiome. doi: 10.1186/s40168-022-01275-2

Ramaboli M, Ocvirk S, Khan Mirzaei M, et al. (2024). Diet Changes due to Urbanization in South Africa are Linked to Microbiome and Metabolome Signatures of Westernization and Colorectal Cancer. Nat Commun. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46265-0