LIV welcomes new research group "Emerging Viruses"

The Leibniz Institute of Virology is pleased to announce the establishment of the new research group "Emerging Viruses". Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Stephanie Pfänder, the group will apply its expertise in the field of RNA virology, with a particular focus on emerging viruses, including coronaviruses.

The Leibniz Institute of Virology and the University of Lübeck have jointly appointed Prof. Pfänder to advance research in the field of emerging viruses. The new research group focuses on a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between these viruses and their hosts, in particular RNA viruses such as coronaviruses and flaviviruses.

New pathogens - and thus associated new diseases – arise repeatedly. So-called "emerging viruses" are viruses that appear in a population for the first time, such as SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the disease COVID-19, or whose incidence and spread in a population increases relatively quickly, as in the 2015/2016 Zika virus epidemic.

Professor Pfänder's research focuses on understanding the complex interaction between newly emerging viruses and their host. Viruses as obligate intracellular pathogens rely on the cellular processes of their host to replicate. A better understanding of virus-host interactions is therefore key to understand mechanisms regulating the viral replicative cycle and ultimately to develop new ways of viral inhibition.

Prof. Pfänder explains: "The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated how important basic research into emerging viruses is. We need to prepare for future viral outbreaks by better understanding the interaction of the viruses with their hosts, thereby deciphering pathogenesis mechanisms and finding targets for new, improved therapeutics and vaccines".

"With Ms. Pfänder, we have gained a top virologist of the new generation for our institute. The establishment of the research group strengthens the position of the Leibniz Institute as a leading institution in virology and emphasizes the commitment to innovative research in the field of emerging viruses," emphasizes Prof. Thomas Dobner, Head of the "Viral Transformation" Department and Scientific Director of the Institute.

About the person
Prof. Stephanie Pfänder studied Biology of Cells at the University of Osnabrück and received her Bachelor of Science in 2009. After completing her Master's degree in Biomedicine at the Hannover Medical School in 2011, she obtained her doctorate at the Twincore - Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research in Hanover in 2015.
After her PhD, she worked at the Institute of Virology and Immunology in Bern, where she received a Marie Curie Research Fellowship from the European Union. In 2020, she was appointed junior professor for RNA virology at the Ruhr University Bochum.
Prof. Pfänder has received several awards for her research, particularly in the field of coronaviruses.