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Dr Wieland MeyerAssociate Professor Dr. rer. nat. Wieland Meyer

Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory at the Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology

 

A/Prof. Wieland Meyer is head of the Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory at the Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology in the Department of Medicine, Western Clinical School, of the University of Sydney at the Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead, NSW.

 

He graduated in Genetics with a Diploma in Biology (MSc, suma cum laude), from the Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany in 1986 and went on to complete his PhD (suma cum laude), at the same University in 1992. He undertook his postdoctorial studies at the Department of Microbiology at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA (1992-1995), before he established the Molecular Mycology Laboratory at Westmead Hospital in 1995 and the Australian National Molecular Mycology Reference Laboratory. He was the vice-president (1998-2002) and president (2002-2005) of the Australasian Mycological Society. He is the Convenor of the Mycology Special Interest Group of the Australian Society for Microbiology since 2002 and the vice-president of the International Mycological Association (IMA) since 2006.

 

He has written extensively (more than 90 papers and three books) on molecular epidemiology, population genetics, phylogeny, virulence and molecular identification of pathogenic fungi (including: Aspergillus and Scedosporium), especially yeasts of the genera Candida and Cryptococcus

 

Please visit our laboratory web site www.mycologylab.org.

Research Interests

 

A/Prof. Meyer has a long standing interest in understanding epidemiology, phylogeny and speciation in pathogenic fungi.

He developed PCR-fingerprinting as a typing technique for fungal isolates in 1990 and published a book on DNA fingerprinting in plants and fungi in 1995 (CRC Press).

 

His research is focussing on the phylogenetic analysis of pathogenic fungi mainly from the genera Candida, Cryptococcus and Scedosporium, the development of fast, simple and reliable molecular identification techniques for human fungal pathogens, and the understanding of fungal virulence determinants (such as the phospholipase PLB1) on a molecular level.


He works with a small team of PhD and honours students and research stuff. He has collaborations with laboratories worldwide. His work is supported by national peer-reviewed and pharmaceutical grants.

 

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Publications

 

- 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 -

 

2009

  • Balajee SA, Borman AM, Brandt ME, Cano J, Cuenca-Estrella M, Dannaoui E, Guarro J, Haase G, Kibbler CC, Meyer W, O'Donnell K, Petti CA, Rodriguez-Tudela JL, Sutton D, Velegraki A, Wickes BL. Sequence-based identification of Aspergillus, fusarium, and mucorales species in the clinical mycology laboratory: where are we and where should we go from here? J Clin Microbiol. 2009 Apr;47(4):877-84. Epub 2008 Dec 10. Review. PubMed PMID: 19073865; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2668331. [Abstract]
  • Harun A, Gilgado F, Chen S, Meyer W (2009) : Environmental isolation of Scedosporium species from the greater Sydney region – a link to the emergence of infections in Australia? Microbiology Australia. 30(2): 98-102. [Abstract]
  • Harun A, Perdomo H, Gilgado F, Chen SC, Cano J, Guarro J, Meyer W. Genotyping of Scedosporium species: a review of molecular approaches. Med Mycol. 2009 Jun;47(4):406-14. Epub 2008 Dec 12. Review. PubMed PMID: 19085455. [Abstract]
  • Castañón-Olivares LR, Martinez KM, Cruz RM, Rivera MA, Meyer W, Espinosa RA, Martinez RL, Santos GM. Genotyping of Mexican Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii isolates by PCR-fingerprinting. Med Mycol. 2009 Mar 20:1-9. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 19306218. [Abstract]
  • van Hal SJ, Gilgado F, Doyle T, Barratt J, Stark D, Meyer W, Harkness J. Clinical significance and phylogenetic relationship of novel Australian Pneumocystis jirovecii genotypes. J Clin Microbiol. 2009 Jun;47(6):1818-23. Epub 2009 Apr 15. PubMed PMID: 19369437; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2691111. [Abstract]
  • Blyth CC, Chen SC, Slavin MA, Serena C, Nguyen Q, Marriott D, Ellis D, Meyer W, Sorrell TC; Australian Candidemia Study. Not just little adults: candidemia epidemiology, molecular characterization, and antifungal susceptibility in neonatal and pediatric patients. Pediatrics. 2009 May;123(5):1360-8. PubMed PMID: 19403503. [Abstract]
  • Meyer W, Aanensen DM, Boekhout T, Cogliati M, Diaz MR, Esposto MC, Fisher M, Gilgado F, Hagen F, Kaocharoen S, Litvintseva AP, Mitchell TG, Simwami SP, Trilles L, Viviani MA, Kwon-Chung J. Consensus multi-locus sequence typing scheme for Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. Med Mycol. 2009 Jun 12:1-14. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 19462334. [Abstract]
  • Ngamskulrungroj P, Gilgado F, Faganello J, Litvintseva AP, Leal AL, Tsui KM, Mitchell TG, Vainstein MH, Meyer W. Erratum. PLoS One. 2009 Jul 15;4(7). doi: 10.1371/annotation/3037bb69-1b8e-4d99-b169-afdf4b74ace2. PubMed PMID: 19701466; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2727523. [Abstract]
  • Heath CH, Slavin MA, Sorrell TC, Handke R, Harun A, Phillips M, Nguyen Q, Delhaes L, Ellis D, Meyer W, Chen SC; Australian Scedosporium Study Group. Population-based surveillance for scedosporiosis in Australia: epidemiology, disease manifestations and emergence of Scedosporium aurantiacum infection. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2009 Jul;15(7):689-93. Epub 2009 Jun 22. PubMed PMID: 19549223. [Abstract]
  • Chen SC, Marriott D, Playford EG, Nguyen Q, Ellis D, Meyer W, Sorrell TC, Slavin M; Australian Candidaemia Study. Candidaemia with uncommon Candida species: predisposing factors, outcome, antifungal susceptibility, and implications for management. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2009 Jul;15(7):662-9. Epub 2009 Jul 15. PubMed PMID: 19614718. [Abstract]
  • Ulrich K, Ngamskulrungroj P, Meyer W (2009): Genetic variability of Cryptococcus gattii after passage through a rat infection model. Australasian Mycologist, 28: 20-23.
  • Ngamskulrungroj P, Meyer W (2009): Comparison of the melanin production between the two Vancouver Island Outbreak Cryptococcus gattii genotypes VGIIa and VGIIb. Australasian Mycologist, 28: 9-15.
  • Ngamskulrungroj P, Himmelreich U, Breger JA, Wilson C, Chayakulkeeree M, Krockenberger MB, Malik R, Daniel HM, Toffaletti D, Djordjevic JT, Mylonakis E, Meyer W, Perfect JR. The trehalose synthesis pathway is an integral part of the virulence composite for Cryptococcus gattii. Infect Immun. 2009 Oct;77(10):4584-96. Epub 2009 Aug 3. PubMed PMID: 19651856. [Abstract]
  • Lucas S, da Luz Martins M, Flores O, Meyer W, Spencer-Martins I, Inácio J. Differentiation of Cryptococcus neoformans varieties and Cryptococcus gattii using CAP59-based loop-mediated isothermal DNA amplification. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2009 Aug 20. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 19694768. [Abstract]
  • Santos WRA, Meyer W, Wanke B, Costa SPSE, Trilles L ,Nascimento JLM, Medeiros, R, Morales BP, Bezerra CCF, Macêdo RCL, Ferreira SO, Barbosa GG,  Lazéra MS. (2008): Primary endemic cryptococcosis gattii by molecular type VGII in the state of Pará, Brazil, Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. 103(8): 813-818. [Abstract]
  • Trilles L, Lazéra dos Santos M, Wanke B, Vasconcelo-Oliveira R, Gonçalves-Barbosa G, Penarrieta-Morales B, Meyer W (2008): Regional pattern of the molecular types of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in Brazil. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 103(5): 455-520. [Abstract]
  • Ngamskulrungroj P, Sorrell TC, Chindamporn A, Chaiprasert A, Poonwan N, Meyer W (2008): Association between fertility and molecular sub-type of global isolates of Cryptococcus gattii molecular type VGII. Medical Mycology 46(7) : 665-673 [Abstract]
  • Faganello J, Dutra V, Boldo J, Schrank A, Schrank IA, Meyer W, Vainstein M (2009): Identification of genomic differences between Cryptococcus gattii and Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii by Representative Difference Analysis. Medical Mycology, 47(6): 588-595. doi: 10.1080/13693780802272148. [Abstract]

 

2008

  • Kaocharoen S, Wang B, Tsui KM, Trilles L, Kong F, Meyer W (2008): Rolling circle amplification as a rapid and sensitive method for species identification within the Cryptococcus species complex. Electrophoresis 29: 3183-3191 [Abstract]
  • Hanafy A, Jover-Botella A, Katsu M, Iida S, Kogure T, Gonoi T, Mikami Y, Meyer W (2008) Multilocus Microsatellite Typing for Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii. Medical Mycology, 46(7):685-96. [Abstract]
  • Karaoglu H, Lee CMY, Carter D, Meyer W (2008) Development of polymorphic microsatellite markers for Cryptococcus neoformans. Molecular Ecology Notes, Vol. 8 Issue 5 , 947 - 1168 . [Abstract]
  • Tsui CKM, Daniel HM, Robert V, Meyer W (2008) Reexamining the phylogeny of clinically relevant Candida species and allied genera based on multigene analyses. FEMS yeast research. FEMS Yeast Research Vol 8 Issue 4 , Pages 511 - 666. Published article online: 30-Jan-2008 doi: 10.1111/j.1567-1364.2007.00342. [Abstract]
  • Delhaes L, Harun A, Chen SCA, Nguyen Q, Slavin M, Heath CH, Maszewska K, Halliday C, Robert V, Sorrell TC, The Australian Scedosporium (AUSCEDO) Study Group & Meyer W (2008): Molecular typing of Australian Scedosporium isolates reveals genetic variability and a substantial number of S. aurantiacum. Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases 14(2): 282-290. [Abstract]

 

2007

  • Escondón P, Ngamskulrungroj P, Meyer W, Castañeda E (2007): In vitro mating of Colombian isolates of the Cryptococcus neoformans speciies complex. Biomedica 27 (2): 308-314 [Abstract]

  • Meyer W (2007): The emergence of Cryptococcus gattii VGII as a super killer? Microbiology Australia 28 (2): 70-71

2006

  • Ribeiro AM, Rosa e Silva, LK, Schrank IS, Schrank A, Meyer W, Henning Vainstein M (2006): "Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans serotype D from Eucalypts in South Brazil" Medical Mycology, Medical Mycology, 44:707-713. [Abstract]
  • Kluger, E, Karaoglu, H, Krockenberger, M, Della Torre, P, Meyer, W, Malik, R. Recrudescent cryptococcosis, caused by Cryptococcus gattii (molecular type VGII), over a 13-year period in a Birman cat. Medical mycology : official publication of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. 2006; 44:561-6 [Abstract]
  • Escandon, P, Sanchez, A, Martinez, M, Meyer, W, Castaneda, E. Molecular epidemiology of clinical and environmental isolates of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex reveals a high genetic diversity and the presence of the molecular type VGII mating type a in Colombia. Fems Yeast Research. 2006; 6:625-635 [Abstract]

2005

  • Campbell, L, Currie, B, Krockenberger, M, Malik, R, Meyer, W, Heitman, J, Carter, D. Clonality and recombination in genetically differentiated subgroups of Cryptococcus gattii. Eukaryotic cell. 2005; 4:1403-9 [Abstract]
  • Karaoglu, H, Lee, C, Meyer, W. Survey of simple sequence repeats in completed fungal genomes. Molecular Biology and Evolution. 2005; 22:639-649 [Abstract]

2004

  • Kidd, S, Hagen, F, Tscharke, R, Huynh, M, Bartlett, K, Fyfe, M, Macdougall, L, Boekhout, T, Kwon-Chung, K, Meyer, W. A rare genotype of Cryptococcus gattii caused the cryptococcosis outbreak on Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2004; 101:17258-63 [Abstract]
  • Igreja, R, Lazéra, M, Wanke, B, Galhardo, M, Kidd, S, Meyer, W. Molecular epidemiology of Cryptococcus neoformans isolates from AIDS patients of the Brazilian city, Rio de Janeiro. Medical mycology : official publication of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. 2004; 42:229-38 [Abstract]
  • Meyer, W, Meyer, W. Molecular tools for fungal identification form clinical specimens. Pfizer Spectrum. 2004; 4:2-3
  • Katsu, M, Kidd, S, Ando, A, Moretti-Branchini, M, Mikami, Y, Nishimura, K, Meyer, W. The internal transcribed spacers and 5.8S rRNA gene show extensive diversity among isolates of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex. FEMS yeast research. 2004; 4:377-88 [Abstract]
  • Meyer, W, Mahoney, D, Gams, W, Meyer, W, Starink, M. Umbelopsis dimorpha n.sp., a link between U. vinacea and U. versiformis. Mycological Research. 2004; 108:107-111. [Abstract]
  • Meyer W (2004): "Molecular techniques for the identification of pathogenic fungi" Proceedings of the 2003 Mycology Master Class Hamilton Island - Pfizer, ASM, Melbourne, Australia: 34-37

2003

  • Lachance MA, Daniel HM, Meyer W, Prasad GS, Gautam SP & Boundy-Mills K (2003): The D1/D2 domain of the large subunit rDNA of the yeast species Clavspora lusitaniae is unusually polymorphic. FEMS Yeast Research 4 (3): 253-258
  • Kiesling Casali, A, Goulart, L, Kmetzsch Rosa e Silva, L, Medeiros Ribeiro, A, Almeida Amaral, A, Hartz Alves, S, Schrank, A, Meyer, W, Henning Vainstein, M. Molecular typing of clinical and environmental cryptococcus neoformans isolates in the Brazilian state Rio Grande do Sul. Fems Yeast Research. 2003; 3:405-415
  • Daniel, H, Meyer, W. Evaluation of ribosomal RNA and actin gene sequences for the identification of ascomycetous yeasts. International Journal Of Food Microbiology. 2003; 86:61-78
  • Meyer, W, Gams, W. Delimitation of umbelopsis (mucorales, umbelopsidaceae fam. nov.) based on ITS sequence and RFLP data. Mycological Research. 2003; 107(3):339-350
  • Meyer, W, Casteneda, A, Jackson, S, Huynh, M, Casteneda, E. Molecular typing of IberoAmerican Cryptococcus neoformans isolates. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2003; Vol 9, No. 2:189-195
  • Kidd, S, Sorrell, T, Meyer, W. Isolation of two molecualr types of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii from insect frass. Medical Mycology. 2003; 41:171-176
  • Latouche, G, Huynh, M, Sorrell, T, Meyer, W. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the phospholipase B (PLB1) gene for subtyping of cryptococcus neoformans isolates. Applied And Environmental Microbiology. 2003; Vol 69, No. 4:2080-2086

2002

  • Daniel H-M. & Meyer W (2002): Molecular phylogeny applied to Candida species and related ascomycetous yeasts (Summary Daniel H-M PhD thesis) Yeast- A Newsletter for persons Interested in Yeast LI(II): 37
  • Meyer W (2002): Molecular Identification of Pathogenic Fungi. Microbiology Australia 23(3): 40-41
  • Carter D and Meyer W (2002): Medical Mycology. Microbiology Australia 23(3): 3
  • Chen, S, Halliday, C, Meyer, W. A review of nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests for systemic mycoses with an emphasis on polymerase chain reaction-based assays. Medical Mycology. 2002; 40:333-357
  • Malik, R, Alderton, B, Finlaison, D, Krockenberger, M, Karaoglu, H, Meyer, W, Martin, P, France, M, McGill, J, Lester, S, O'Brien, C, Love, D. Cryptococcosis in ferrets: a diverse spectrum of clinical disease. Australian Veterinary Journal. 2002; 80:749-755
  • Latouche, G, Sorrell, T, Meyer, W. Isolation and characterisation of the phospholipase B gene of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii. Fems Yeast Research. 2002; 2:551-561

2001

  • Chen, S, Halliday, C, Meyer, W. A review of nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests for systemic mycoses with an emphasis on polymerase chain reaction-based assays. Medical Mycology. 2001; 40:333-357
  • Kidd SE, Hitchcock C, Marszewska K, Balakrishnan P, Hunt C, Rajendran P, Usha AR, Thyagarajan SP, Sorrell TC & Meyer W (2001): Molecular epidemiology of clinical and environmental isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans from Tamil Nadu, India, The Australian Mycologist 2001, 20(3) 105-114
  • Meyer W, Maszewska K & Sorrell TC (2001): PCR-fingerprinting a convenient molecular tool to distinguish between Candida dubliniensis and Candida albicans. Medical Mycology 39: 185-193
  • Daniel HM, Sorrell TC & Meyer W (2001): Partial Sequence Analysis of the Actin Gene and its Potential to study the Phylogeny of Candida Species and their Teleomorphs. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51: 1593-1606

2000

  • Boekhout T, Theelen B, Diaz M, Fell JW, Hop WCJ, Abeln EA, Dromer F & Meyer W (2000): Hybrid genotypes in the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. Microbiology. 147:891-907
  • Ellis, D, Marriott, D, Hajjeh, R, Warncock, D, Meyer, W, Barton, R. Epidemiology: surveillance of fungal infections. Medical Mycology. 2000; 38:173-182

 

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Contact Details

Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory
CIDM, ICPMR, Level 3, Room 3114A
Westmead Hospital
Darcy Road Westmead, NSW, 2145

T +61 2 98456895

F +61 2 98915317

E w.meyer@usyd.edu.au

 

Lab Members

 

Senior Staff Specialist

Sharon Chen MD/PhD
T +61 2 98457766

Postdoc

Fabian Carriconde PhD

T +61 2 984556332 or 567792

 

 

Research Assistants

Krystyna Maszewska
T +61 2 98457792 or 55258


PhD students

Azian Harun MD

T +61 2 98457792 or 56346

 

Sirada Kaocharoen

T +61 2 98457792 or 56332

 

Mojgan Amin-Nejad
T +61 2 98457792 or 56332

 

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