Dr. Sivan Laviad Shitrit
Lecturer
My research integrates microbial ecology, environmental microbiology, and clinical dimensions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). I study how microbial communities adapt to environmental stressors, how resistance genes emerge and spread across ecological boundaries, and how host-microbe interactions shape pathogen persistence. Using aquatic insects, fish, and migratory waterbirds as model systems, I investigate the ecological and evolutionary processes that link environmental microbiomes with public health challenges.
By combining metagenomics, microbial culturing, and environmental sampling, my laboratory seeks to bridge environmental and clinical AMR surveillance, uncover mechanisms of microbiome-mediated stress resilience, and identify early warning indicators relevant to One Health frameworks. Our work aims to develop predictive tools for tracking pathogen emergence; to elucidate how pollutants and climate-related stressors reshape microbial communities, and to inform strategies for infection prevention and ecosystem health.
Academic Background
B.Sc. Biology and Environment, University of Haifa at Oranim
M.Sc. Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa
Ph.D., Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa
Selected Publications
Laviad, S. and Halpern, M. (2016) Chironomids’ Relationship with Aeromonas Species. Frontiers in Microbiology. Review. 7: 736. (Link)
Laviad-Shitrit, S., Izhaki, I., Arakawa, E. and Halpern, M. (2018) Wild waterfowl as potential vectors of Vibrio cholerae and Aeromonas species. Tropical Medicine and International Health. 23: 758-764. (Link)
Laviad-Shitrit, S., Sharaby, Y., Izhaki, I., Peretz, A., and Halpern, M. (2018) Antimicrobial susceptibility of environmental non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae isolates. Frontiers in Microbiology. 9: 1726.( Link)
Laviad-Shitrit, S., Izhaki, I. and Halpern, M. (2019) Accumulating evidence suggests that some waterbird species are potential vectors of Vibrio cholerae. PLoS Pathogens. 15: e1007814. (Link). This article has been selected by the editors of the PLOS Cholera Channel to feature in the Featured Research section, to effectively ensure progression in this area. https://channels.plos.org/cholera
Laviad-Shitrit, S., Sela, R. Thorat, L., Sharaby, Y., Izhaki, I., Nath, B. B. and Halpern, M. (2020) Identification of chironomid species as natural reservoirs of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae strains with pandemic potential. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 14: e0008959. (Link)
Laviad-Shitrit, S., Sharaby, Y., Sela, R. Thorat, L., Nath, B. B. and Halpern, M. (2021) Copper and chromium exposure affect chironomid larval microbiota composition. Science of the Total Environment. 771: 145330. (Link)
Lurie-Weinberger, M., Bychenko-Banyas, D., Mor, M., Laviad-Shitrit, S., Kaplan, E., Rakovitsky, N., Keren-Paz, A., Ben-Zvi, C. and Carmeli, Y. (2024) In vivo interspecies dissemination of IncM2-type blaNDM-1 carrying plasmid. Microbiology Spectrum. 13. (Link)
Laviad-Shitrit, S., Kon, H., Bychenko-Banyas, D., Efrati Epchtien, R., Bechor, M., Lurie-Weinberger, M., Ben-Zeev, E., Frank, S., Rakovitsky, N., Schwartz, D., Keren-Paz, A. and Yehuda Carmeli. A single amino acid substitution in SED-2 β-lactamase leads to increased inhibitor resistance and an extended substrate spectrum. Microbiology Spectrum. 13. (Link)
Teaching
General Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology, Clinical Microbiology, Antimicrobial mechanisms resistance strategies