Founded in 1365 as a Medical Faculty of the University of Vienna, MUW is now one of the world’s largest and most renowned medical universities. With more than 6,500 employees, 30 departments, two clinical institutes, 12 medical theory centres and numerous highly specialised laboratories, it is one of Europe’s leading research establishments in the biomedical sector.
At MUW, the Center for Virology has a long tradition in basic flavivirus research and serves as the designated Austrian National Reference Laboratory for Human Arbovirus Infections (including flaviviruses). Major research interests are in the area of flavivirus molecular biology and immunology, including virus-antibody interactions, structural determinants of flavivirus T cell immunity, as well as the serological and molecular diagnosis of flavivirus infections. Research at MUW will focus on the immunological and virological determinants of severe disease.
Prof. Dr. Judith Aberle, MD
Principal Investigator of InFlame for MUW. Judith Aberle is a Professor of Viral Immunology at the Medical University of Vienna and heads the Medical Division of the Austrian Reference Center for Human Arbovirus Infections. Her research focuses on the immune response to flaviviruses and how it contributes to disease pathogenesis or protection. The team´s expertise in the molecular and immunological characterization of flavivirus infections is critical to carry out the tasks of WP2 and WP3, which aim to identify the host and viral risk factors of severe flavivirus infection.
Assoc. Prof. PD Karin Stiasny, PhD
Dr. Karin Stiasny, PhD in Microbiology (Virology), Principal Investigator of InFlame for MUW. Her major research interests and achievements are in the area of flavivirus molecular biology with a strong focus on the structure-function relationships of viral envelope proteins, including virus entry and virus-antibody interactions, as well as the serological diagnosis of flavivirus infections. She is also the technical-scientific head of the Austrian Reference Center for Human Arbovirus Infections. Her expertise is important for WP3, which focuses on the dissection of the humoral immune response against dengue and West Nile virus infections.
