Key areas of research
Key areas of research
1. HIV neuropathogenesis and neurocognitive disorders
This research focus encompasses the mechanisms underlying HIV-associated neurological and neuropsychiatric complications, in particular HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND).
Key areas of interest include neuroimmunological interactions, functional disorders of neurons and glial cells, alterations in dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission, genetic host factors and potential therapeutic approaches.
Research approaches have included experimental models of lentiviral infections, molecular and neurochemical investigations, genetic association studies, and clinical-translational research.
*Experimental work with pathogens requiring biosafety level 3 (BSL-3/S3) is not currently being carried out, as the Institute’s S3 laboratories are closed.
2. Herpesvirus neuropathogenesis and interactions with the blood-brain barrier
This research focus encompasses the neuropathogenesis of infections with the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), in particular the mechanisms of viral neuroinvasion and interactions with the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the neurovascular unit.
Key areas of interest include virus-host cell interactions, cellular susceptibility to infection, viral spread, neuroinflammatory responses, and alterations in the integrity and function of the BBB.
Research approaches include human stem cell-based models of the BBB, cellular and molecular analyses of viral infections, and transcriptomic methods for investigating host cell responses and cellular heterogeneity.
3. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and immune response
This area of research focuses on the immune responses triggered by SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations, in particular the development, strength and durability of vaccine-induced immunity.
Key areas of interest include humoral and cellular immune responses, inter-individual differences in response to vaccination, and factors influencing the efficacy and duration of immune protection.
Research approaches include clinical trials investigating vaccine-induced antibody responses and immunological parameters in a cohort of patients seen by occupational health services.
*Scientific collaborations
Scientific collaborations have been/are ongoing with national and international research groups in the fields of virology, neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, immunology, pathology and regenerative medicine.
These include collaborations with neurological and psychiatric research institutions in Germany, the UK, Tanzania and South Africa, the German Primate Centre in Göttingen, the Department of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Würzburg, and the Helmholtz Institute Würzburg (HIRI).
Clinical collaborations also exist with the Occupational Medicine Department at Würzburg University Hospital.
**ChatGPT (OpenAI) was used to revise the language and optimise the presentation.
