Amir
Seyedmousavi, PhD, D(ABMM), F(ECMM)
Senior Staff-Clinical Microbiologist
Director of Mycology and Parasitology
Microbiology Service
Office: 301-827-7314; Research Lab: 301-827 2775
Dr. Amir Seyedmousavi is a Board-Certified Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Director for Infectious Disease Diagnostic Testing Services and the Director of the Fungal and Parasitic Diagnostics Laboratories at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. His research focuses on the development and evaluation of novel diagnostic assays for the detection of fungal pathogens, fungal epidemiology and antifungal resistance, and the optimization of antifungal therapies.
VMD, University of Tehran, Iran
PhD, Radboud University Medical Center, The Netherlands
Dr. Seyedmousavi is a board-certified Clinical Microbiologist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM). He serves as a Senior Staff Microbiologist and Faculty Member of the CPEP Microbiology Fellowship Program in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. In this role, he functions as a Consultant Clinical Microbiologist for Infectious Disease Diagnostic Testing and the Hospital Epidemiology Service. He also serves as the Medical Director of the Mycology and Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratories.
Dr. Seyedmousavi received his PhD in Medical Mycology and Antifungal Resistance from Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and completed his postdoctoral training in Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) under the mentorship of Professors Paul Verweij, Johan Mouton, and Willem Melchers. Additionally, he conducted postdoctoral research on molecular taxonomy and fungal phylogenetics in the laboratory of Professor Sybren de Hoog at the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute–KNAW in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Prior to joining the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the NIH Clinical Center, Dr. Seyedmousavi completed a three-year advanced research fellowship under the mentorship of NIH Distinguished Investigator Dr. June Kwon-Chung in the Molecular Microbiology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Bethesda, MD. He also previously held a position as Professor of Medical Microbiology/Mycology in Ardabil, Iran, and served as a Visiting Professor at the Federal University of Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil.
Dr. Seyedmousavi’s research laboratory focuses on comparative genomic analysis, epidemiology, and the evolution of antifungal drug resistance in clinical fungi of human and animal origin. His work aims to optimize antifungal therapies through pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic approaches, develop novel diagnostic technologies, and create point-of-care tests for fungal infections. He has authored over 200 research articles and book chapters and has delivered more than 100 invited lectures around the world. Additionally, he is a member of the NIH Clinical Center's Animal Care and Use Committee, which oversees animal use in the Center’s research program.
Dr. Seyedmousavi serves as an editor for Medical Mycology and Medical Mycology Case Reports, the official journals of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM). He is also an associate editor for IMA Fungus and sits on the editorial boards of several other peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, he serves as a voting member of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) Antifungal Subcommittee and as a liaison for the CLSI Outreach Working Group.
Dr. Seyedmousavi is also a dedicated contributor to postgraduate education and research. He has mentored numerous predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers and, since 2009, has organized a wide range of postgraduate workshops across various countries, focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections in humans and animals. He is the co-founder and a board member of both the ISHAM Fungal Diagnostics Working Group and the ISHAM Veterinary Mycology and One Health Working Group.
- Best Mentor Award (Clinical Center Summer Internship Program), NIH, 2024
- Clinical Center CEO Award (Candida auris Screening Team), NIH, 2020
- Clinical Center CEO Award (COVID-19 Testing Team), NIH, 2019
- Educational Trust Award (significant scientific contributions to the field of Medical Mycology and One Health antimicrobial resistanc), The Journal of Comparative Pathology, Arnhem, The Netherlands; 2019
Czech MM, Cuellar-Rodriguez J, Kwon-Chung KJ, Stock F, Aneke CI, Olivier KN, Fennelly KP, Gea-Banacloche J, Zerbe CS, Freeman AF, Holland SM, Lionakis MS, Seyedmousavi A. Clinical significance and antifungal susceptibility profile of 103 clinical isolates of Scedosporium species complex and Lomentospora prolificans obtained from NIH patients. J Clin Microbiol. 2025 Apr 9;63(4):e0155024. doi: 10.1128/jcm.01550-24.
Li N, Bowling J, de Hoog S, Aneke CI, Youn J-H, Shahegh S, Cuellar-Rodriguez J, Kanakry CG, Rodriguez Pena M, Ahmed SA, Al-Hatmi AMS, Tolooe A, Walther G, Kwon-Chung KJ, Kang Y, Lee HB, Seyedmousavi A. Mucor germinans, a novel dimorphic species resembling Paracoccidioides in a clinical sample: questions on ecological strategy. mBio. 2024 Aug 14;15(8):e0014424. doi: 10.1128/mbio.00144-24.
Shah S, Lai J, Basuli F, Martinez-Orengo N, Patel R, Turner ML, Wang B, Shi ZD, Sourabh S, Peiravi M, Lyndaker A, Liu S, Seyedmousavi S, Williamson PR, Swenson RE, Hammoud DA. Development and preclinical validation of 2-deoxy 2-[18F]fluorocellobiose as an Aspergillus-specific PET tracer. Sci Transl Med. 2024 Aug 14;16(760):eadl5934. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adl5934.
Haghani I, Babaie M, Hoseinnejad A, Rezaei-Matehkolaei A, Mofarrah R, Yahyazadeh Z, Kermani F, Javidnia J, Shokohi T, Azish M, Kamyab Hesari K, Saeedi M, Ghasemi Z, Khojasteh S, Hajheydari Z, Mosayebi E, Valadan R, Seyedmousavi S, Abastabar M, Hedayati MT. High Prevalence of Terbinafine Resistance Among Trichophyton mentagrophytes/T. interdigitale Species Complex, a Cross-Sectional Study from 2021 to 2022 in Northern Parts of Iran. Mycopathologia. 2024 Jun 12;189(4):52. doi: 10.1007/s11046-024-00855-0. PMID: 38864945.
Amirizad K, Ghazanfari M, Javidnia J, Abastabar M, Haghi Ashtiani MT, Sotoudeh Anvari M, Fathi M, Espahbodi A, Badali H, Hedayati MT, Haghani I, Seyedmousavi S. Central nervous system Aspergillus quadrilineatus infection in a COVID-19 patient, a case report and literature review. J Clin Lab Anal. 2023 Oct;37(19-20):e24971. doi: 10.1002/jcla.24971. Epub 2023 Oct 5.
Nargesi S, Abastabar M, Valadan R, Mayahi S, Youn JH, Hedayati MT, Seyedmousavi S. Differentiation of Aspergillus flavus from Aspergillus oryzae Targeting the cyp51A Gene. Pathogens. 2021 Oct 4;10(10):1279. doi: 10.3390/pathogens10101279.
Zhang J, Liu H, Xi L, Chang YC, Kwon-Chung KJ, Seyedmousavi S. Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles of Olorofim (Formerly F901318) and Currently Available Systemic Antifungals against Mold and Yeast Phases of Talaromyces marneffei. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2021 May 18;65(6):e00256-21. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00256-21.
Seyedmousavi S, Chang YC, Youn JH, Law D, Birch M, Rex JH, Kwon-Chung KJ. In Vivo Efficacy of Olorofim against Systemic Scedosporiosis and Lomentosporiosis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2021 Sep 17;65(10):e0043421. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00434-21.
Bandalizadeh Z, Shokohi T, Moosazadeh M, Keikha N, Seyedpor H, Rabie Rudsari M, Babamahmoudi F, Ghasemian R, Mardani M, Javanian M, Soleimanpour S, Sefidgar AA, Shokri M, Gouya MM, Seyedmousavi S. Multicenter Cryptococcal Antigen Screening of HIV-Infected Patients in Iran. Curr Microbiol. 2020 Aug;77(8):1667-1672. doi: 10.1007/s00284-020-01970-z.
Bandalizadeh Z, Shokohi T, Abastabar M, Babamahmoudi F, Davoodi L, Mardani M, Javanian M, Cheraghmakani H, Sepidgar AA, Badiee P, Khodavaisy S, Afshari SAK, Ahmadikia K, Seyedmousavi S. Molecular epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility profiles of clinical Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex. J Med Microbiol. 2020 Jan;69(1):72-81. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.001101. PMID: 31750814; PMCID: PMC7137767.
Seyedmousavi S, Chang YC, Law D, Birch M, Rex JH, Kwon-Chung KJ. Efficacy of Olorofim (F901318) against Aspergillus fumigatus, A. nidulans, and A. tanneri in Murine Models of Profound Neutropenia and Chronic Granulomatous Disease. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2019 May 24;63(6):e00129-19. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00129-19.
Hedayati MT, Ansari S, Ahmadi B, Taghizadeh Armaki M, Shokohi T, Abastabar M, Er H, Özhak B, Öğünç D, Ilkit M, Seyedmousavi S. Identification of clinical dermatophyte isolates obtained from Iran by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Curr Med Mycol. 2019 Jun;5(2):22-26. doi: 10.18502/cmm.5.2.1157.
Basu T, Seyedmousavi S, Sugui JA, Balenga N, Zhao M, Kwon Chung KJ, Biardel S, Laviolette M, Druey KM. Aspergillus fumigatus alkaline protease 1 (Alp1/Asp f13) in the airways correlates with asthma severity. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018 Jan;141(1):423-425.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.07.034.
Seyedmousavi S, Lionakis MS, Parta M, Peterson SW, Kwon-Chung KJ. Emerging Aspergillus Species Almost Exclusively Associated With Primary Immunodeficiencies. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018 Sep 26;5(9):ofy213. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofy213.
Seyedmousavi S, Davis MJ, Sugui JA, Pinkhasov T, Moyer S, Salazar AM, Chang YC, Kwon-Chung KJ. Exogenous Stimulation of Type I Interferon Protects Mice with Chronic Granulomatous Disease from Aspergillosis through Early Recruitment of Host-Protective Neutrophils into the Lung. mBio. 2018 Mar 27;9(2):e00422-18. doi: 10.1128/mBio.00422-18.
Taghizadeh-Armaki M, Hedayati MT, Moqarabzadeh V, Ansari S, Mahdavi Omran S, Zarrinfar H, Saber S, Verweij PE, Denning DW, Seyedmousavi S. Effect of involved Aspergillus species on galactomannan in bronchoalveolar lavage of patients with invasive aspergillosis. J Med Microbiol. 2017 Jul;66(7):898-904. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.000512.
Seyedmousavi S, Bosco SMG, de Hoog S, Ebel F, Elad D, Gomes RR, Jacobsen ID, Jensen HE, Martel A, Mignon B, Pasmans F, Piecková E, Rodrigues AM, Singh K, Vicente VA, Wibbelt G, Wiederhold NP, Guillot J. Fungal infections in animals: a patchwork of different situations. Med Mycol. 2018 Apr 1;56(suppl_1):165-187. doi: 10.1093/mmy/myx104. Erratum in: Med Mycol. 2018 Nov 1;56(8):e4. doi: 10.1093/mmy/myy028.
Seyedmousavi S, Mouton JW, Melchers WJG, Verweij PE. In Vivo Efficacy of Liposomal Amphotericin B against Wild-Type and Azole-Resistant Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates in Two Different Immunosuppression Models of Invasive Aspergillosis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2017 May 24;61(6):e02479-16. doi: 10.1128/AAC.02479-16.
Seyedmousavi S, Davis MJ. Defective calcineurin/NFAT signaling in myeloid cells and susceptibility to aspergillosis in post-transplant patients. Virulence. 2017 Nov 17;8(8):1498-1501. doi: 10.1080/21505594.2017.1380143.
Durdu M, Ilkit M, Tamadon Y, Tolooe A, Rafati H, Seyedmousavi S. Topical and systemic antifungals in dermatology practice. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2017 Feb;10(2):225-237. doi: 10.1080/17512433.2017.1263564.
Sav H, Ozdemir HG, Altınbas R, Kiraz N, Ilkit M, Seyedmousavi S. Virulence Attributes and Antifungal Susceptibility Profile of Opportunistic Fungi Isolated from Ophthalmic Infections. Mycopathologia. 2016 Oct;181(9-10):653-61. doi: 10.1007/s11046-016-0018-3.
Salehi E, Hedayati MT, Zoll J, Rafati H, Ghasemi M, Doroudinia A, Abastabar M, Tolooe A, Snelders E, van der Lee HA, Rijs AJ, Verweij PE, Seyedmousavi S, Melchers WJ. Discrimination of Aspergillosis, Mucormycosis, Fusariosis, and Scedosporiosis in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue Specimens by Use of Multiple Real-Time Quantitative PCR Assays. J Clin Microbiol. 2016 Nov;54(11):2798-2803. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01185-16.
Mohammadi F, Hashemi SJ, Zoll J, Melchers WJ, Rafati H, Dehghan P, Rezaie S, Tolooe A, Tamadon Y, van der Lee HA, Verweij PE, Seyedmousavi S. Quantitative Analysis of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism for Rapid Detection of TR34/L98H- and TR46/Y121F/T289A-Positive Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Obtained from Patients in Iran from 2010 to 2014. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2015 Nov 2;60(1):387-92. doi: 10.1128/AAC.02326-15.
Seyedmousavi S, Verweij PE, Mouton JW. Isavuconazole, a broad-spectrum triazole for the treatment of systemic fungal diseases. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2015 Jan;13(1):9-27. doi: 10.1586/14787210.2015.990382.
Seyedmousavi S, Guillot J, Tolooe A, Verweij PE, de Hoog GS. Neglected fungal zoonoses: hidden threats to man and animals. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2015 May;21(5):416-25. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2015.02.031.
Seyedmousavi S, Netea MG, Mouton JW, Melchers WJ, Verweij PE, de Hoog GS. Black yeasts and their filamentous relatives: principles of pathogenesis and host defense. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2014 Jul;27(3):527-42. doi: 10.1128/CMR.00093-13.
Seyedmousavi S, Mouton JW, Melchers WJ, Brüggemann RJ, Verweij PE. The role of azoles in the management of azole-resistant aspergillosis: from the bench to the bedside. Drug Resist Updat. 2014 Jul;17(3):37-50. doi: 10.1016/j.drup.2014.06.001. Epub 2014 Jul 5. PMID: 25066814.
Seyedmousavi S, Guillot J, de Hoog GS. Phaeohyphomycoses, emerging opportunistic diseases in animals. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2013 Jan;26(1):19-35. doi: 10.1128/CMR.00065-12.
Seyedmousavi S, Brüggemann RJ, Melchers WJ, Rijs AJ, Verweij PE, Mouton JW. Efficacy and pharmacodynamics of voriconazole combined with anidulafungin in azole-resistant invasive aspergillosis. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2013 Feb;68(2):385-93. doi: 10.1093/jac/dks402.
Seyedmousavi S, Melchers WJ, Verweij PE, Mouton JW. Assessment of efficacy of antifungals in experimental models of invasive aspergillosis in an era of emerging resistance: the value of real-time quantitative PCR. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2011 Oct;11(5):486-93. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2011.08.001.
See the complete list of Dr. Seyedmousavi's publications.