Prof. Esther Segal Featured in “Pioneers in Mycology” Podcast

Prof. Esther Segal, Professor Emerita in the Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology at the Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, is featured in a video podcast as part of the “Pioneers in Mycology” series.

Prof. Segal earned her PhD at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and specialized in medical mycology at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She became a Full Professor in 1993 and later served as Head of the Department.

Throughout her career, Prof. Segal has held leadership roles in medical mycology in Israel and internationally. She serves as President of the Israeli Society of Medical Mycology (ISMM) and represents Israel in ECMM and ISHAM. She previously served as Vice President of ISHAM and Treasurer of ECMM.

Her research focuses on fungal infections in humans and animals, including virulence factors and the pathogenesis of fungal infections, antifungal therapy, and approaches to infection prevention. Her recent research focuses on environmental fungi in the context of resistance to antifungal therapy. She also participated in a large study published in Nature Medicine in 2026.

Prof. Segal's publications include a book on pathogenic yeasts, more than 20 book chapters and reviews, and over 120 research articles. Alongside her research, she has been extensively involved in education, teaching mycology to medical students, physicians, and laboratory staff, as well as organizing and teaching international online courses in the field.

Watch the podcast >