Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
Fungal infections affect billions of people every year, often causing lethal disease in immunocompromised individuals. Of particular concern are invasive fungal infections, estimated to kill one and a half million people annually. Cryptococcus neoformans infections cause almost half of all deaths due to fungal infection. Even with access to the best available antifungals, Cn mortality rates of 20-40% remain unacceptably high. Although natural immunity to fungal infection is quite efficient in immune replete humans, disease in immune deficient individuals is often a complex interaction between failure to control fungal replication and an inappropriate immune response. My research program focuses on understanding how Cryptococcus changes its morphology and interacts with the immune system to cause disease, with the goal of developing better treatment strategies that improve patient survival.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, North Carolina, State Univerisity
Award Date: Jun 1 2007
Research Interest Keywords
- Microbiology
- Infectious diseases
- Mycology
- fungal morphogenesis
- Cell biology
- Molecular biology
- Genetics
- Genomics
- pathogenesis of fungal infections
- host-pathogen interactions
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Continuum of Immune Responses to Cryptococcus neoformans
NIH Nat'l Inst of Allergy & Infect Dis
4/6/23 → 3/31/28
Project: Research project
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The Minnesota IRACDA Program
Greenstein, D. I., Lane, A. K., Nielsen, K. & Wright, R.
NIH NIGMS NATL INST OF GENERAL
9/1/22 → 8/31/27
Project: Research project
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Genomic Research Capacity Building for Cryptococcosis Translational Studies
NIH NAT INST OF NEURO DISORDERS & STROKE
9/1/20 → 7/31/25
Project: Research project
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HLA Alleles and the Progression of Human Cryptococcosis
NIH Nat'l Inst of Allergy & Infect Dis
6/15/20 → 5/31/24
Project: Research project
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Impact of Cryptococcus Titan Cells on Pathogenesis
Nielsen, K., Berman, J. G. & Jenkins, M.
NIH Nat'l Inst of Allergy & Infect Dis
4/25/18 → 3/31/24
Project: Research project
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Importance of Clinical Isolates in Cryptococcus neoformans Research
Jackson, K. M., Ding, M. & Nielsen, K., Mar 2023, In: Journal of Fungi. 9, 3, 364.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access1 Scopus citations -
Cryptococcus neoformans Genotypic Diversity and Disease Outcome among HIV Patients in Africa
Kassaza, K., Wasswa, F., Nielsen, K. & Bazira, J., Jul 2022, In: Journal of Fungi. 8, 7, 734.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access1 Scopus citations -
Lack of Association between Fluconazole Susceptibility and ERG11 Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Cryptococcus neoformans Clinical Isolates from Uganda
Atim, P. B., Meya, D. B., Gerlach, E. S., Muhanguzi, D., Male, A., Kanamwanji, B. & Nielsen, K., May 2022, In: Journal of Fungi. 8, 5, 508.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access4 Scopus citations -
MinION Whole-Genome Sequencing in Resource-Limited Settings: Challenges and Opportunities
Wasswa, F. B., Kassaza, K., Nielsen, K. & Bazira, J., Dec 2022, In: Current Clinical Microbiology Reports. 9, 4, p. 52-59 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access -
Use of Clinical Isolates to Establish Criteria for a Mouse Model of Latent Cryptococcus neoformans Infection
Ding, M., Smith, K. D., Wiesner, D. L., Nielsen, J. N., Jackson, K. M. & Nielsen, K., Feb 2 2022, In: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 11, 804059.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Scopus citations
Fellowships, Honors, and Prizes
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Fulbright Regional Travel Award
Nielsen, Kirsten (Recipient), 2016
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Fulbright Senior Scholar Award
Nielsen, Kirsten (Recipient), 2016
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Women's Career Development Award
Nielsen, Kirsten (Recipient), 2006
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)