Erwin Schurr

Erwin Schurr obtained his Ph.D. from the Institute of Biophysics and Radiation Biology at the Albert-Ludwigs University in Freiburg/Br, Germany. He then did his postdoctoral studies in molecular genetics with E. Skamene and P. Gros at McGill University. In 1991, he joined the McGill Centre for the Study of Host Resistance and the Faculty of Medicine at McGill as Assistant Professor. He is a James McGill Professor of Human Genetics and Medicine at McGill University, and a member of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. His main research interest is the identification of host genetic factors predisposing to tuberculosis and leprosy; research that is supported by both national and international funding agencies. He has published extensively on the identification of genetic host susceptibility factors in both leprosy and tuberculosis. He has established field sites in several endemic countries for genetic epidemiological studies of tuberculosis and leprosy and is involved in projects aiming to develop effective low cost tools for the control of both diseases. His current research focus is on the identification of the genetic variants that confer resistance to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the use of genetic findings to instruct public health policy.