Christine HAFNER, MD
Deputy Head, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital St. Pölten
Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, St. Pölten, Austria
Education:
MD: University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
Postdoctoral Training: Medical University of Vienna, Austria and Istituto di Ricerche di Biologia Molecolare (IRBM), Rome, Italy
Research Interests:
Characterization of food allergens and their use in diagnostic assays
Hypoallergenic food allergen variants
Development of drug-resistance in melanoma therapy
Biography:
Christine Hafner is associate professor, MD, board certified dermatologist, and deputy head of the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital St. Pölten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Austria. Dr. Hafner received her training in dermatology at the Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, under the supervision of Prof. Klaus Wolff, in molecular biology in the laboratories of Prof. Franco Felici, Istituto di Ricerche di Biologia Molecolare (IRBM), Rome, Italy, and in molecular allergology in the laboratories of Prof. Heimo Breiteneder, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. Throughout her academic and clinical career Dr. Hafner had a special interest in experimental dermato-oncology and in parallel has also focused on clinical aspects of molecular allergology. She has authored several publications on the characterization and diagnostic use of allergen components and their application in molecular testing. She is a certified clinical study investigator, and part of her scientific work is performing clinical research in allergic patients where she focuses on bringing laboratory results to clinical application.
Proposed PhD research projects:
Molecular allergy testing for therapeutic and clinical decision making
Selected publications:
- Sudharson S., J. Eckl-Dorna, A. Meshcheryakova, J. Basilio, S. Derdak, T. Kalic, N. Lengger, N. Schweitzer, D. Mechtcheriakova, H. Breiteneder, and C. Hafner. 2024. Transcriptomic Profiles of the Nasal Mucosa Following Birch Pollen Provocation Differ Between Birch Pollen-Allergic and Non-Allergic Individuals. Allergy, doi: 10.1111/all.16448.
- Sudharson S., T. Kalic, J. Eckl-Dorna, N. Lengger, H. Breiteneder, and C. Hafner. 2024. Modulation of Bronchial Epithelial Barrier Integrity by Low Molecular Weight Components from Birch Pollen. Int J Mol Sci 25, doi: 10.3390/ijms25137374.
- Kalic T., A. Kuehn, M. Aumayr, J. Bartra, C. Bindslev-Jensen, F. Codreanu-Morel, O. Dominguez, P. Forstenlechner, W. Hemmer, S. D. Kamath, A. Leung, N. Leung, Y. Lifanov, C. G Mortz, M. Pascal, R. Ristl, M. Sorensen, O. Uzulmez, L. Yeghiazaryan, G. Wong, C. Hafner, and H. Breiteneder. 2022. Identification of Potentially Tolerated Fish Species by Multiplex IgE Testing of a Multinational Fish-Allergic Patient Cohort. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 10: 3284-3292, doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2022.08.019.
- Tscheppe A., D. Palmberger, L. van Rijt, T. Kalic, V. Mayr, C. Palladino, C. Kitzmuller, W. Hemmer, C. Hafner, M. Bublin, R. van Ree, R. Grabherr, C. Radauer, and H. Breiteneder. 2020. Development of a novel Ara h 2 hypoallergen with no IgE binding or anaphylactogenic activity. J Allergy Clin Immunol 145: 229-238, doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2019.08.036.
- Kalic T., F. Morel-Codreanu, C. Radauer, T. Ruethers, A. C Taki, I. Swoboda, C. Hilger, K. Hoffmann-Sommergruber, M. Ollert, C. Hafner, A. L Lopata, M. Morisset, H. Breiteneder, and A. Kuehn. 2019. Patients Allergic to Fish Tolerate Ray Based on the Low Allergenicity of Its Parvalbumin. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 7: 500-508 e511, doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2018.11.011.
