
Christine Ehlers receives PhD Prize of the Gesellschaft der Freunde der MHH
The 23rd doctoral thesis to receive an award at TWINCORE

TWINCORE was founded in 2008 by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and the Hannover Medical School. We combine the expertise of medical professionals and scientists from a wide range of disciplines to find answers to the pressing questions in infection research. Our focus: translational research – the bridge between basic science and clinical application.
The LISA Summer School 2026 takes place from 23 August to 11 September 2026. Registration is open until 31 March.

The 23rd doctoral thesis to receive an award at TWINCORE

Eleven pupils gain an insight into infection research

Research in Hannover is making important contributions to the field of infection medicine
We conduct translational infection research to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases in humans. We focus on three areas that characterize our research work. Find out here how we proceed and what results we achieve.
Under the leadership of our best scientists, various labs are working on different projects within our research topics.
Ruwisch J, Cazes A, Leiber L, Borie R, Neubert L, Christian L, Thomas de Montpréville V, Szmul A, Moussa F, Verleden S, Gaedcke S, Hegermann J, Fuge J, Ballmaier M, Kamp J, Greer M, Braubach P, Werlein C, Ius F, Graalmann T, Aburahma K, De Sadeleer L, Egashira R, Ackermann M, Yamada D, Hoeper M, Falk C, Gottlieb J, Schiller H, Vanaudenaerde B, Seeliger B, Debray M, Bernaudin J, Knudsen L, Bergot E, Jacob J, Mal H, Jonigk D, Dettmer S, Mordant P, Prasse A, Fadel E, Wuyts W, Crestani B, Kaminski N, Justet A, Schupp J
Hahlin E, Danskog K, Nord S, Becker M, Willekens S, Wibom C, Tanner H, Frängsmyr L, Öhlund D, Sandblad L, Lenman A, Arnberg N
Cabrera-Serrano A, Carretero-Fernández M, Pérez-Rojo B, Ter Horst R, Cañadas-Garre M, Canhão H, Quartuccio L, Sorensen S, Glintborg B, Filipescu I, Pérez-Pampin E, Conesa-Zamora P, Swierkot J, den Broeder A, de Vita S, Brix Petersen E, Li Y, Coenen M, Bogunia-Kubik K, Andersen V, Fonseca J, Lund Hetland M, López Nevot M, López-Medina C, Reyes-Zurita F, Netea M, Escudero A, Cáliz R, Collantes-Estévez E, Sánchez-Maldonado J, Sainz J
The project will investigate the immunological and genetic causes of vaccination failure in 5% of HBV-vaccinated individuals in order to develop new strategies to improve vaccination protection.
Older people are at high risk of a poor immune response to the flu vaccine. Together with partners, we are looking for biomarkers and risk factors for this inadequate response and are investigating ways to improve the vaccination response.
We are investigating why HCV infections sometimes heal spontaneously, but often become chronic, and why RSV infections are severe in some children. We use modern sequencing technologies to analyze the genetic characteristics of hosts and pathogens in order to understand susceptibility.
Together with the Department of Structural Biology at the University of Lübeck, human, strongly neutralizing antibodies against HEV were identified and characterized for the first time. These showed a protective effect in the mouse model and are currently being further developed for clinical application, including mRNA-based application methods.
Dr. Verena Krähling
Institute of Virology
Medical Faculty
Marburg University
"Development of vaccine candidates against highly pathogenic viruses"
Prof. Dr. Andrea Maisner
Institute of Virology
Medical Faculty
Marburg University
"Unconventional plasma membrane clusters as assembly platforms for highly pathogenic Nipah virus: An imaging study"
"Challenge Orphan medicines – learnings from the past"

