Microbiologist
Email daniel.pletzer@otago.ac.nz
Twitter @pletzerlab
Webpage Pletzer Lab
ORCID 0000-0001-5750-7505
ResearcherID G-5737-2013
2011-2014 PhD (Jacobs University Bremen, Germany), 2009-2011 MSc (Jacobs University Bremen, Germany) 2006-2009 BSc (University of Applied Sciences Hagenberg, Austria)
Year of appointment: 2019
Previous academic positions
- 2015-2019 Postdoctoral Research Fellow (University of British Columbia, Canada)
- 2014-2015 Postdoctoral Fellow (Jacobs University Bremen, Germany)
Teaching roles
- MICR 360 Research Perspectives
- MICR 461 Molecular Microbiology
- MICR 463 Trends in Microbiology
- MICR 490 Dissertation
Current research
Our research is focused on recalcitrant ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) pathogens; especially hard-to-treat clinical isolates involved in multidrug resistance, biofilm infections and persistence. We are especially interested in bacteria that have been categorized as "critical" priority pathogens by the World Health Organization. This includes multidrug resistant organisms that cause severe and often deadly infections and therefore pose an enormous threat in hospitals.
To address this issue, our research focuses on fighting infectious diseases and tackling antimicrobial resistance using innovative and interdisciplinary approaches.
Our lab seeks to:
- Understand how microbes cause disease
- Fight antimicrobial resistance with novel nanomedicines
- Develop new antimicrobial strategies
Visit the Pletzer Lab website for more information.
Pletzer Lab 2023
Postdoctoral Fellows and staff
Dr Sam Wardell
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr Ian Liddle
Postdoctoral Fellow
(Co-supervised by Associate Professor Allan Gamble)
Dr Anupriya Gupta
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr Shilpa Nair
Assistant Research Fellow
(Co-supervised by Dr Fellner)
Postgraduate students
PhD students
Saffron Whitta
PhD student
Maddie Hardie Boys
PhD student
Rory Smith
PhD student
Tasbiha Gul
PhD student
Robiul Shanto
PhD student
Prasanga Madhushani
PhD student
Kathy Sircombe
PhD student
(Co-supervised by Professor Sarah Hook, Associate Professor Allan Gamble)
Simon Su
PhD student
(Co-supervised by Professor Sarah Hook, Associate Professor Allan Gamble)
Meera Kabiraz
PhD student
Haziq Aslan
PhD student
(Co-supervised by Dr Fellner)
You Xiangyan
PhD student
(Co-supervised by Dr Fellner)
Prodip Baral
PhD student
(Co-supervised by Professor Das)
MSc students
Adrian Smith-Beech
MSc student
(Co-supervised by Dr Fellner)
4th-Year students
- Mark Lemzin-Abdrashitov – BSc(Hons)
- Janaya Stevenson – BSc(Hons)
Recent graduates
PhD students
- Dr Deborah Yung, PhD Microbiology – 2024
- Dr Catherine Ross, PhD Pharmacy – 2023
- Dr Minati Choudhury, PhD Dentistry – 2023
Current location: International Medical University Malaysia
MSc students
- Alana Hampson, MSc Microbiology – 2023
4th-Year students
- Maddie Hardie Boys, BBiomedSc(Hons) – 2023
- Rory Smith, BMedSc(Hons) Medicine – 2023
- Stella Zhang, PGDip Microbiology – 2023
- Meg Vallabh, BBiomedSc(Hons) – 2023
- Shuying Wee, BBiomedSc(Hons) – 2022
- Jess Henricks, BSc(Hons) Microbiology – 2022
- Tiu Cullen, BSc(Hons) Microbiology – 2022
- Bianca Tawatao, BSc(Hons) Microbiology – 2022
- Claude Vincent, BSc(Hons) Microbiology – 2021
- Finn Dusterwald, DipSci Genetics – 2021
- Deborah Yung, BSc(Hons) Microbiology – 2020
- Alana Hampson, BSc(Hons) Microbiology – 2020
- Sophie Qiu, BBiomedSc(Hons) – 2020
Postgraduate opportunities
Did you just finish your BSc degree, and are you interested in a Honours or Masters project? We always have a lot of ongoing exciting projects – just reach out to hear more about what is available.
Email daniel.pletzer@otago.ac.nz
Web Pletzer Lab
Interested in a PhD? Candidates with a BSc(Hons) or MSc degree are highly encouraged to apply if their research interest and experience matches any of the following themes: Microbiology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Genetics, or Bioinformatics.
All PhD candidates must be eligible for admission to the University of Otago and apply for a PhD scholarship. The scholarship is available to both domestic and international students. International students should have a look at the International Office for entry requirements and contact the lab beforehand.
If you are interested in joining our lab, please send a cover letter including current research interests, a CV including all published work, a summary of previous research (if applicable), full academic transcripts, and contact information for two-three references.