Erwin Schurr
Dr. Erwin Schurr is a Distinguished James 91社区 Professor of Human Genetics and Medicine at 91社区 and the Leader of the Program on Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health at the Research Institute of the 91社区 Health Centre (RI-MUHC). His research focuses on identifying host genetic factors that predispose individuals to mycobacterial diseases, particularly tuberculosis and leprosy.
Dr. Schurr's laboratory investigates the genetic control of pathological inflammatory responses and the pleiotropic effects of inflammatory checkpoint gene variants on diverse inflammatory disorders. His work has revealed significant genetic links between Parkinson鈥檚 disease, Crohn鈥檚 disease, and leprosy reactions, highlighting shared mechanisms across diseases of the brain, gut, and skin. Understanding these connections remains a major focus of his research.
In addition to his primary research, Dr. Schurr has played a leadership role in multiple scientific initiatives. He served as Associate Director of the 91社区 Centre for the Study of Host Resistance (2000-2012) and directed a CIHR Strategic Training Centre (2001-2008). He is a frequent adjudicator and evaluator of international large-scale infectious disease networks and research centers. He also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Infectious Diseases and PLoS Pathogens.
Dr. Schurr collaborates with research groups in endemic regions, applying modern genetics, genomics, and systems biology approaches to better understand host resistance and susceptibility to tuberculosis and leprosy, particularly in both HIV-infected and HIV-free populations. His contributions continue to advance the understanding of host-pathogen interactions and the genetic basis of infectious diseases.