20.07.2026
New Research Group strengthens Functional Microbiome Research at FZB
Prof. Dr. Amelia Barber has accepted the call to the W3 professorship for “Functional Microbiome Research in Chronic Lung Diseases” and since July 2026 is establishing a new research group at the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center (FZB). With her expertise in fungal and microbiome research, she expands the scientific profile of FZB and builds a bridge between infection and chronic lung disease research.
Through the joint appointment with Kiel University (CAU), research at the interface of microbiomes, immune responses, and lung diseases will be further strengthened. The appointment also advances the established FZB bridging topic of „Functional Microbiome Research“ and creates new connections between the priority research areas „Infection“ and „Chronic Lung Diseases“.
Amelia Barber brings extensive international experience in mycology and infection research to Borstel. After completing her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Utah, USA, she conducted research at the Leibniz-HKI and the University of Würzburg before establishing independent research group at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena within the Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse”. Her research focuses on the genomics of fungal pathogens, the emergence of antifungal resistance, and the evolution of microbial virulence.
A major focus of Amelia Barber’s research is the environmental fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. This opportunistic pathogen can cause invasive pulmonary infections and also plays an important role in chronic lung diseases. „I am happy that I can bring fungi to FZB because I think they fit incredibly well within the scope of the institute!“ says Amelia Barber. „Fungi are increasingly important causes of invasive and chronic lung disease. They are prodigious producers of spores, so exposure to fungi is simply unavoidable. It’s estimated that we breathe in between 1 and 10 fungal spores every time we inhale.“
The increasing importance of fungal diseases is also linked to advances in modern medicine. „Most fungi are ‘opportunistic’ causes of disease. This means that if you are healthy, your body does an excellent job of protecting you from our constant exposure to fungi. However, treatment with immunosuppressive drugs, chemotherapy, organ transplantation as well as structural or inflammatory lung diseases make you susceptible to ‘secondary’ fungal disease.“, explains Amelia Barber.
With her research, Amelia Barber connects the priority research areas „Infection“ and „Chronic Lung Diseases“ at FZB: „My group has thus far mostly studied fungi as causes of invasive, acute lung infection, but fungi are also important triggers of asthma and can exacerbate other chronic lung diseases such as COPD and CF. I am excited to go more into these areas together with researchers in Priority Area Chronic Lung Diseases.“
Amelia Barber is pleased that several members of her team from Jena are joining her in Borstel and supporting the establishment of the new research group. At the same time, she is looking for additional team members to further build up the group at FZB. One particular challenge is the transfer of the group’s extensive strain collection containing more than 1,500 fungal strains from environmental and clinical sources, which are currently stored at -80 °C and need to be safely transferred to Borstel.
We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Amelia Barber to the Research Center Borstel and wish her a successful start. Alongside establishing her research group and pursuing her scientific goals, we hope she will also find time to enjoy her passion for cycling and hiking. The beautiful region around Borstel offers many opportunities to explore the landscape and quickly feel at home.