Hendrik Szurmant, PhD

Background

Dr. Szurmant received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2004, following a Diplom (equivalent to an M.S.) in Biochemistry from Universität Leipzig, Germany, in 1999. After completing his doctoral studies, Dr. Szurmant pursued postdoctoral research at The Scripps Research Institute, where he focused on bacterial signal transduction and antimicrobial resistance. With a passion for understanding the mechanisms of pathogenic bacteria and their resistance to antibiotics, Dr. Szurmant's current research explores the physiology of bacteria and the co-evolution of protein-protein interactions, aiming to identify new drug targets to combat multi-drug-resistant superbugs.

Research Interests

Currently a Professor at Western University of Health Sciences, Dr. Szurmant leads the Longitudinal Biochemical and Clinical Research Track and directs courses on infectious diseases, microbiology, and research-related topics. His research is highly interdisciplinary, integrating structural biology, genetics, molecular bioinformatics, and biophysics to study bacterial two-component systems and their potential as targets for novel antimicrobial therapies. Dr. Szurmant's work with osteopathic medical students has also led him to become involved with osteopathic medical research with an emphasis on how OMT can aid in improving the vaccine response to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.