Keira Melican Group
Host-Pathogen Interaction in Human skin
About
Our team investigates how the skin’s microbiota and immune system work together to defend against Staphylococcus aureus infections. We study how S. aureus transitions from a harmless commensal to an invasive pathogen, and how the natural microbial community helps suppress this shift. This work includes the study of quorum sensing and antimicrobial peptide production. By uncovering the skin microbiota’s intrinsic antimicrobial mechanisms and exploring ways to alter the skin microenvironment, we aim to develop innovative strategies to control MRSA.
In parallel, we examine how the innate immune system distinguishes commensal organisms from pathogens. By identifying the skin-resident immune cells that mediate this recognition and testing immunomodulatory treatments, we seek to enhance natural immunity and improve the effectiveness of antimicrobial therapies.
Group Leader
Keira Melican, Associate Professor, Keira.Melican@ki.se
Group members
Julia Lang, Postdoc, Julia.Lang@ki.se
Mariam Shahata, PhD student, Mariam.Shahata@ki.se
Andreas Brutscher, PhD student, Andreas.Brutscher@ki.se
Alumni
Tianqi Zhang, PhD student,
Anette Schulz, Post-doc
Lorraine Gonizzi, MSc student
Maria Drösemeyer, BSc Student
Funding
KI Consolidator Grant 2024
VR-M 2024
Hudfonden 2025
Novo Nordisk Foundation Interdisciplinary Synergy Grant 2023
PhD theses from the lab
Tianqiu Zhang, 2024
Contact
+46852487069
Selected publications
Full list of publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/keira.melican.1/bibliography/public/
Staphylococcus lugdunensis does not exert competitive exclusion on human corneocytes. Zhang T, Luo R, Ehrström M, Melican K. Microbiology (Reading, England) 2025 171;1 View in PubMed
Nanoparticles subdue antibiotic-resistant bacteria’s defences while enhancing innate immunity. Lang JC, Melican K. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024 19;7 887-888 View in PubMed
Tissue resident cells differentiate S. aureus from S. epidermidis via IL-1β following barrier disruption in healthy human skin. Lang JC, Brutscher A, Ehrström M, Melican K. PLoS pathogens 2024 20;8 e1012056-View in PubMed
T cells in resolved allergic contact dermatitis steer tissue inflammation and MMP-12-driven tissue modulation. Serezal IG, Tajpara P, Schonfeldt T, Ignatov B, Sortebech D, Hoffer E, Zhang TQ, Rooijackers E, Ehrstrom M, Nylen S, Matura M, Melican K, Eidsmo L. ALLERGY 2022 77;12 3680-3683 View in PubMed
Neutrophil Recruitment to Noninvasive MRSA at the Stratum Corneum of Human Skin Mediates Transient Colonization. Schulz A, Jiang L, de Vor L, Ehrström M, Wermeling F, Eidsmo L, Melican K. Cell reports 2019 29;5 1074-1081.e5 View in PubMed