Assistant Professor of Microbiology Charbel Al Khoury’s career-long research into fungi and parasites and their interactions with human and animal hosts has earned him a major research grant from the prestigious European Society of Veterinary Dermatology (ESVD).

The grant, awarded to two researchers each cycle from applicants worldwide, will support his upcoming research into the antifungal resistance of Malassezia pachydermatis, a yeast commonly found on dogs. The project extends his interest in the complex interplay between microbes and their mammalian hosts beyond human health, such as his latest study on Halzoun Syndrome, to the field of veterinary medicine.

In this interview, Dr. Al Khoury reflects on what receiving the grant means to him and explains how his position at LAU has empowered him to expand the scope and impact of his research.

How did you first conceive of the project for the ESVD grant? Why did you pick the specific topic of antifungal resistance in Malassezia pachydermatis?

The project emerged from discussions within an international network that brings together expertise in veterinary dermatology, medical mycology (the study of fungal infections), antifungal susceptibility testing—a fungus’ response to treatment— and microbial genomics. This network includes collaborators from the University of Angers, France; Oniris Veterinary College in Nantes, France; the Royal Veterinary College in London, United Kingdom; the National Veterinary School of Toulouse, France; and the University of Turin, Italy.

Malassezia pachydermatis is normally found on the skin and in the ear canal of dogs, but under certain conditions it can contribute to recurrent skin and ear inflammations, dermatitis and otitis. Although antifungal treatment is generally effective, it is becoming less so in a growing number of cases, and scientists do not yet fully understand why this is happening at the genetic level.

We therefore saw the project as an opportunity to combine the clinical and mycological expertise of our European collaborators with LAU’s capabilities in whole-genome sequencing, comparative genomics, and transcriptomics (the study of which genes are active and how). The goal is to look beyond single genes and build a fuller picture of how genetic variation and changes in gene activity work together to drive resistance to antifungal treatment.

How will the research grant help you carry out that research?

The ESVD grant will provide the essential resources to establish and characterize a geographically diverse collection of clinical M. pachydermatis samples. It will support testing the response of these samples to antifungal drugs, along with detailed genetic sequencing to compare those resistant to treatment to those that are not.

These complementary approaches will allow us to investigate genetic differences and patterns of gene activity associated with reduced response to antifungal treatment. Importantly, the grant enables us to link the laboratory trait or phenotype of each isolate to its genomic and transcriptomic characteristics, and generate findings that are scientifically informative and clinically relevant.

Does this research tie in to any of your previously published studies?

Yes, the project builds directly on my previous research in microbial genomics, fungal biology, host–pathogen interactions, and the molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance. My work has focused on studying the genetic makeup of fungi, how they are related to one another, and how their genes are switched on or off. The ESVD-funded study brings this work into veterinary dermatology, combining hands-on testing of drug resistance with in-depth genetic analysis of a yeast that affects dogs’ health.

How has LAU helped you carry out your research?

LAU has provided me with the necessary institutional environment to establish and develop a research program in microbial omics. Through the Laboratory of Microbial Genomics, I have access to the infrastructure, computational resources, and research personnel needed to undertake sequencing-based investigations and train students in genomics, transcriptomics, and bioinformatics.

LAU has also helped me build a multidisciplinary research team and train undergraduate and graduate students in both experimental and computational approaches. Its support with research administration, grant management, and international collaboration has enabled me to build partnerships with veterinary and mycology specialists across Europe and to translate these collaborations into externally funded projects.

This combination of infrastructure, institutional support, and student involvement has been central to developing research that connects fundamental microbial biology with clinically relevant questions in human and veterinary health.

What do you hope to achieve through this study? How will it impact veterinary medicine?

We hope to generate a detailed, strain-resolved understanding of antifungal resistance in M. pachydermatis. The study will generate new genetic data, map out the diversity among samples collected from real cases, and identify genetic and molecular patterns associated with reduced responsiveness to antifungal treatment.

In the longer term, these findings could contribute to developing molecular biomarkers for detecting difficult-to-treat strains, improving surveillance of emerging antifungal resistance, and supporting more evidence-based therapeutic decisions.

The broader objective is to help veterinary clinicians distinguish cases in which recurrent disease is driven primarily by underlying clinical or predisposing factors from those in which reduced antifungal susceptibility may also contribute to persistence or treatment failure. This could ultimately improve treatment selection, antifungal stewardship, and clinical outcomes in dogs affected by recurrent Malassezia-associated dermatitis and otitis, skin and ear conditions.

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