Infection Immunology
Infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites still represent a key global health problem, aggravated by the increasing number of multi-resistent pathogens. In order to develop appropriate therapies and vaccination strategies, it is therefore of enormous importance to better understand the basic mechanisms underlying the various infectious diseases.
In our group we are investigating several key aspects of infection biology. This includes a better understanding of host-pathogen interactions and the mechanisms that activate and regulate the infection-induced immune response. In addition, we explore the genetic background and the molecular processes of infection-associated immune responses and, most importantly, we search for novel ways of modulating the immune response, which finally aims to translate the findings of this basic research into clinical applications.
Positions held
2018 (Dec.) to date W3-Professor and Director, JGU Mainz, Med. Microbiology & Hygiene, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz
2008 – 2018 (Dec) W3-Professor of Infection Immunology, Director, Institute of Infection Immunology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research / Hannover Medical School (MHH)
2015 -2018 Guest Professor Microbiology and Infection Immunology, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de Cordoba, Argentina
2010 - 2015 Head of Medical Microbiology Clinic, MVZ UroMik, Salzgitter Bad
2002 - 2008 Group leader and specialization in Medical Microbiology (Residency), Institute f. Medical Microbiology, Immunology & Hygiene, Technical University Munich
1999-2002 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Postdoctoral Fellow, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, NY University Medical Center, New York
1997-1999 Postdoctoral Fellow and Residency, Institute f. Med. Microbiology, Immunology & Hygiene, TU Munich
1996-1997 Internship (“AiP”) and Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute f. Med. Microbiology, Immunology & Hygiene, TU Munich
Education
2008 Board Approval Fellow in Clinical Microbiology and Infection Epidemiology
Habilitation, Institute f. Med. Microbiology, Immunol.& Hygiene, TU Munich
1997 Approbation as a doctor of human medicine
1996 MD in Medicine with Prof. Dr. med. S. Bhakdi, JGU Mainz
1994 –1995 Studies of Human Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich
1989 –1994 Studies of Human Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Selected publications by Tim Sparwasser
Carriche, G.M., L. Almeida, P. Stuve, L. Velasquez, A. Dhillon-LaBrooy, U. Roy, M. Lindenberg, T. Strowig, C. Plaza-Sirvent, I. Schmitz, M. Lochner, A.K. Simon, and T. Sparwasser. 2020. Regulating T cell differentiation through the polyamine spermidine. J Allergy Clin Immunol
Mamareli, P., F. Kruse, C.W. Lu, M. Guderian, S. Floess, K. Rox, D.S.J. Allan, J.R. Carlyle, M. Bronstrup, R. Muller, L. Berod, T. Sparwasser*, and M. Lochner*. 2020. Targeting cellular fatty acid synthesis limits T helper and innate lymphoid cell function during intestinal inflammation and infection. Mucosal Immunol.*equal contribution
Raud B, Roy DG, Divakaruni AS, Tarasenko TN, Franke R, Ma EH, Samborska B, Hsieh WY, Wong AH, Stuve P, Arnold-Schrauf C, Guderian M, Lochner M, Rampertaap S, Romito K, Monsale J, Bronstrup M, Bensinger SJ, Murphy AN, McGuire PJ, Jones RG, Sparwasser T*, and Berod L*. 2018. Etomoxir Actions on Regulatory and Memory T Cells Are Independent of Cpt1a-Mediated Fatty Acid Oxidation. Cell Metab 28:504-515 e507.*equal contribution
Berod, L., C. Friedrich, A. Nandan, J. Freitag, S. Hagemann, K. Harmrolfs, A. Sandouk, C. Hesse, C.N. Castro, H. Bahre, S.K. Tschirner, N. Gorinski, M. Gohmert, C.T. Mayer, J. Huehn, E. Ponimaskin, W.R. Abraham, R. Muller, M. Lochner, and T. Sparwasser. 2014. De novo fatty acid synthesis controls the fate between regulatory T and T helper 17 cells. Nat Med 20:1327-1333.
Pace, L., A. Tempez, C. Arnold-Schrauf, F. Lemaitre, P. Bousso, L. Fetler, T. Sparwasser, and S. Amigorena. 2012. Regulatory T cells increase the avidity of primary CD8+ T cell responses and promote memory. Science 338:532-536.