Charlie Puerner, PhD

About Me

Charlie received his PhD at the Université Côte d'Azur in Nice, France under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Arkowitz where he employed cell biology and biophysics-based approaches to study cell polarity in the context of invasive growth in the fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Interested in continuing to study human fungal pathogens, Charlie joined the Cramer lab in November 2020 as a post-doctoral researcher. In the Cramer lab Charlie has been investigating the form and function of the Aspergillus fumigatus biofilm using a combination between computational, molecular and cell biology-based approaches. He has shown that the transcriptional state of the biofilm is unique from planktonic cultures and a ceramide synthase contributes to the development of the biofilm and antifungal susceptibility (1). Additionally, Charlie has contributed to a study identifying metabolic shifts during A. fumigatus biofilms development (2). Currently Charlie is investigating the transcriptional landscape of A. fumigatus biofilms at the population level and the transcription factor network governing biofilm development. In addition to biofilm Charlie is interested in understanding the biology driving thermotolerance in filamentous fungal pathogens. When not in the lab Charlie can be found outside hiking, paddling, or playing a round of disc golf. Charlie's ORCiD: 0000-0002-4402-0295.
  1. Puerner CTS, Wilkins OM, Cramer RA. 2026. A ceramide synthase is important for filamentous fungal biofilm morphology and antifungal drug susceptibility. mBio 17.
  2. Puerner C*, Morelli KA*, Kerkaert JD*, Jones JT, Quinn KG, DeMichaelis N, Vellanki S, Liao C, Cramer RA. 2025. Transcriptional and metabolic modeling analyses of developing Aspergillus fumigatus biofilms reveal metabolic shifts required for biofilm maturation. mSphere. *equal contribution.