Beatrice JAHN-SCHMID, PhD

jahnAssistant Professor, Lecturer, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna

Education:
MSc: University of Erlangen, Germany
PhD: University of Erlangen, Germany
Postdoctoral Training: MGH, Harvard University, MA, USA; Sandoz Research Institute, Vienna, Austria; Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Research Interests:
• Allergology; T cells in allergic diseases
• TCR/MHC/peptide interaction; Immune tolerance mechanisms

Biography: 
Beatrice Jahn-Schmid is Assistant Professor at the Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. Since 2008 she is head of the cellular allergology group. Dr. Jahn-Schmid obtained her Master in Biology and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Erlangen (Germany). She is the author of a number of publications on the role of CD4+ T lymphocytes in immunologically based diseases, especially in IgE-mediated allergy. Her work focussed on the characteri¬zation of epitope recognition and function of allergen-specific T cells and their role in allergen-specific immunotherapy. Currently, she is working with MHC-class II/peptide tetramers to gain insight into the dysfunctional cellular immune regulation in type 1 allergy and mechanisms operative in successful immunotherapy at an allergen-specific level.

Proposed PhD research projects:
1) Comparison of alum and MPLA as adjuvants in AIT    
2) Allergen-specific CD8+ T cells and IgE-mediated cross- presentation

Selected publications:

  1. Jahn-Schmid, B., M. Hauser, N. Wopfner, P. Briza, U.E. Berger, R. Asero, C. Ebner, F. Ferreira, B. Bohle. (2012). Humoral and cellular cross-reactivity between Amb a 1, the major ragweed pollen allergen, and its mugwort homolog Art v 6. J. Immunol. 188:1559-1567. PMID: 22205029
  2. Jahn-Schmid, B., N. Wopfner, G. Hubinger, R. Asero, C. Ebner, F. Ferreira, B. Bohle. (2010). The T cell response to Amb a 1 is characterized by three dominant epitopes and multiple MHC-restriction elements. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 26:1068-1071. PMID: 20638115
  3. Knapp, B., U. Omasits, B. Bohle, B. Maillere, C. Ebner  W. Schreiner, B. Jahn-Schmid. (2009). 3-Layer-based analysis of peptide-MHC interaction: in silico prediction, peptide binding affinity and T cell activation in a relevant allergen-specific model. Mol. Immunol. 46: 1839-1844. PMID: 19232439
  4. Jahn-Schmid, B., P. Sirven, V.Leb, W.F. Pickl, G.F. Fischer, G. Gadermaier, M. Egger, C. Ebner, F.Ferreira, B. Maillere, B.Bohle. (2008). Characterization of HLA class II/peptide TCR interactions of the immunodominant T cell epitope in Art v 1, the major mugwort pollen allergen. J.  Immunol. 181: 3636-3642. PMID: 18714038
  5. Jahn-Schmid, B., A. Radakovics, D. Lüttkopf, S. Scheurer, S. Vieths, C. Ebner, B. Bohle. (2005). Bet v 1142-156 is the dominant T-cell epitope of the major birch pollen allergen and important for cross-reactivity with Bet v 1-related food allergens. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 116: 213-219. PMID: 15990797

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