Fields of Interest: Development and evaluation of novel methods for virological laboratory diagnosis; HIV; opportunistic viral infections; emerging viral diseases

Wolfgang Preiser was born in 1965 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He studied medicine at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and University College London, U.K. After graduating, he joined the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the Diploma course in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) in 1992.

After an initial clinical post as a junior doctor in Neurology, he commenced his specialist training in Medical Virology at the Institute for Medical Virology, J. W. Goethe University in Frankfurt, and at the Department of Virology, University College London Medical School.

Between 1995 and 1999, he worked as Lecturer / Honorary Senior Registrar at the Department of Virology, University College London Medical School (Head: Prof. Richard S. Tedder). After passing the college specialist exams, he qualified for Membership of the Royal College of Pathologists London (MRCPath) in 2000. He is also recognised as specialist for Microbiology and Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases in Germany.

Subsequently he rejoined the Institute for Medical Virology (Director: Prof. Dr. Hans Wilhelm Doerr) with associated travel clinic and yellow fever vaccination centre in Frankfurt am Main as Consultant Virologist.

Amongst his research interests are the development of novel methods for virological laboratory diagnosis, particularly quantitative viral genome detection. He completed his medical doctorate (Dr. med.) in 2000 with the research monograph "Development of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the detection of cytomegalovirus genome".

Other scientific interests are the measurement of virus-specific cellular immunity, virological diagnostic methods in HIV-infected patients, including resistance testing, as well as tropical and emerging viruses. He served as a temporary advisor to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on SARS in China in 2003 and collaborated scientifically with the Projet de Recherche sur les Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée.

In July 2005, Wolfgang Preiser completed his major research thesis and was awarded the Habilitation (Degree of Dr. med. habil.) and the venia legendi by the Medical Faculty of J. W. Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.

He is author of numerous original scientific papers published in internationally recognised journals, review articles, book chapters and books. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London and member of the European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV), the Deutsche Tropenmedizinische Gesellschaft (DTG), Gesellschaft für Virologie (GfV) and Society for General Microbiology (SGM).

In 2005, Wolfgang Preiser was appointed Professor and Head of the Discipline of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University / National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) Tygerberg in South Africa.


Wolfgang Preiser
Prof. Dr. med. Dr. med. habil. Wolfgang Preiser DTM&H MRCPath

Professor and Head: Discipline of Medical Virology
University of Stellenbosch and NHLS
Faculty of Health Sciences, Tygerberg Campus
PO Box 19063, Tygerberg 7505, SOUTH AFRICA

Tel: +27 21 938 9353 or 9354
Fax: +27 21 938 9361
E-mail: preiser@sun.ac.za

Internet: http://www.sun.ac.za/virology/dept/default.htm
contact: Mrs Sal van Zyl E-mail: sal@sun.ac.za

Claassen M, van Zyl GU, Korsman SN, Smit L, Cotton MF, Preiser W
Pitfalls with rapid HIV antibody testing in HIV-infected children in the Western Cape, South Africa.
J Clin Virol. 2006 Sep;37(1):68-71. Epub 2006 Jul 27.
Abstract

Throsby M, Geuijen C, Goudsmit J, Bakker AQ, Korimbocus J, Kramer RA, Clijsters-van der Horst M, de Jong M, Jongeneelen M, Thijsse S, Smit R, Visser TJ, Bijl N, Marissen WE, Loeb M, Kelvin DJ, Preiser W, ter Meulen J, de Kruif J
Isolation and characterization of human monoclonal antibodies from individuals infected with West Nile Virus.
J Virol. 2006 Jul;80(14):6982-92.
Abstract

ter Meulen J, van den Brink EN, Poon LL, Marissen WE, Leung CS, Cox F, Cheung CY, Bakker AQ, Bogaards JA, van Deventer E, Preiser W, Doerr HW, Chow VT, de Kruif J, Peiris JS, Goudsmit J
Human monoclonal antibody combination against SARS coronavirus: synergy and coverage of escape mutants.
PLoS Med. 2006 Jul;3(7):e237.
Abstract

Drosten C , Panning M , Drexler JF , Hansel F , Pedroso C , Yeats J , de Souza Luna LK , Samuel M , Liedigk B , Lippert U , Sturmer M , Doerr HW , Brites C , Preiser W
Ultrasensitive monitoring of HIV-1 viral load by a low-cost real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay with internal control for the 5’ long terminal repeat domain.
Clin Chem. 2006 Jul;52(7):1258-66. Epub 2006 Apr 20.
Abstract

Sturmer M, Preiser W, Gute P, Nisius G, Doerr HW
Response to ’Single phylogenetic reconstruction method is insufficient to clarify relationships between patient isolates in HIV-1 transmission case’ by Jenwitheesuk and Liu.
AIDS. 2005 Apr 29;19(7):741-3; author reply 743-4.


van den Brink EN , Ter Meulen J , Cox F , Jongeneelen MA , Thijsse A , Throsby M , Marissen WE , Rood PM , Bakker AB , Gelderblom HR , Martina BE , Osterhaus AD , Preiser W , Doerr HW , de Kruif J , Goudsmit J
Molecular and biological characterization of human monoclonal antibodies binding to the spike and nucleocapsid proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus.
J Virol. 2005 Feb;79(3):1635-44.
Abstract

Sturmer M , Preiser W , Gute P , Nisius G , Doerr HW
Phylogenetic analysis of HIV-1 transmission: pol gene sequences are insufficient to clarify true relationships between patient isolates.
AIDS. 2004 Nov 5;18(16):2109-13.


ter Meulen J , Sakho M , Koulemou K , Magassouba N , Bah A , Preiser W , Daffis S , Klewitz C , Bae HG , Niedrig M , Zeller H , Heinzel-Gutenbrunner M , Koivogui L , Kaufmann A
Activation of the cytokine network and unfavorable outcome in patients with yellow fever.
J Infect Dis. 2004 Nov 15;190(10):1821-7. Epub 2004 Oct 12.
Abstract

ter Meulen J, Bakker AB, van den Brink EN, Weverling GJ, Martina BE, Haagmans BL, Kuiken T, de Kruif J, Preiser W, Spaan W, Gelderblom HR, Goudsmit J, Osterhaus AD
Human monoclonal antibody as prophylaxis for SARS coronavirus infection in ferrets.
Lancet. 2004 Jun 26;363(9427):2139-41.
Abstract

Sturmer M, Berger A, Preiser W
HIV-1 genotyping: comparison of two commercially available assays.
Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2004 May;4(3):281-91.
Abstract

Drosten C, Chiu LL, Panning M, Leong HN, Preiser W, Tam JS, Gunther S, Kramme S, Emmerich P, Ng WL, Schmitz H, Koay ES
Evaluation of advanced reverse transcription-PCR assays and an alternative PCR target region for detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus.
J Clin Microbiol. 2004 May;42(5):2043-7.
Abstract

Preiser W, Doerr HW, Buxbaum S, Rabenau HF, Baatz H
Acute retinal necrosis six years after herpes simplex encephalitis: an elusive immune deficit suggested by insufficient test sensitivity.
J Med Virol. 2004 Jun;73(2):250-5.
Abstract

Schmidt M, Brixner V, Ruster B, Hourfar MK, Drosten C, Preiser W, Seifried E, Roth WK
NAT screening of blood donors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus can potentially prevent transfusion associated transmissions.
Transfusion. 2004 Apr;44(4):470-5.
Abstract

Sturmer M, Doerr HW, Preiser W
Variety of interpretation systems for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genotyping: confirmatory information or additional confusion?
Curr Drug Targets Infect Disord. 2003 Dec;3(4):373-82.
Abstract

Berger A, Drosten Ch, Doerr HW, Sturmer M, Preiser W
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)--paradigm of an emerging viral infection.
J Clin Virol. 2004 Jan;29(1):13-22.
Abstract

Just-Nubling G, Korn S, Ludwig B, Stephan C, Doerr HW, Preiser W
Primary cytomegalovirus infection in an outpatient setting--laboratory markers and clinical aspects.
Infection. 2003 Oct;31(5):318-23.
Abstract

Breiman RF, Evans MR, Preiser W, Maguire J, Schnur A, Li A, Bekedam H, MacKenzie JS
Role of China in the quest to define and control severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Emerg Infect Dis. 2003 Sep;9(9):1037-41.
Abstract

Drosten C , Preiser W , Gunther S , Schmitz H , Doerr HW
Severe acute respiratory syndrome: identification of the etiological agent.
Trends Mol Med. 2003 Aug;9(8):325-7.


Drosten C, Gunther S, Preiser W, van der Werf S, Brodt HR, Becker S, Rabenau H, Panning M, Kolesnikova L, Fouchier RA, Berger A, Burguiere AM, Cinatl J, Eickmann M, Escriou N, Grywna K, Kramme S, Manuguerra JC, Muller S, Rickerts V, Sturmer M, Vieth S, Klenk HD, Osterhaus AD, Schmitz H, Doerr HW
Identification of a novel coronavirus in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.
N Engl J Med. 2003 May 15;348(20):1967-76. Epub 2003 Apr 10.
Abstract