Julia ECKL-DORNA, MD, PhD
Head of Vienna Airway Lab, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Education:
M.D. Degree: University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
PhD training: London Research Institute of Cancer Research UK (LRI-CRUK) and University College London, London, United Kingdom
Postdoctoral training: Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Research Interests:
• Sites and pathomechanism of human IgE production
• Antigen presentation via low affinity IgE receptor CD23
• Epithelial barrier function in allergy and chronic rhinosinusitis
• Translational allergy research – investigation of novel treatments
Biography:
Julia has been the head of the Vienna Airway Lab at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology since 2017. After obtaining her M.D. degree at the Medical University of Vienna, she continued her PhD training in basic B cell immunology at the laboratory of Facundo Batista in London. Her postdoctoral training in the group of Verena Niederberger-Leppin enabled her to combine her interests in clinical and basic immunology which has since resulted in several high impact publications. Together with Verena she has co-supervised several MD and PhD students who have investigated various aspects of the role of the low affinity receptor for IgE (CD23) in allergen presentation as well as the nasal epithelial barrier function. Furthermore, Julia has played an important role in clinical studies investigating the newly developed grass pollen vaccine BM32, where her main focus has been on investigating the B and T cell responses to the vaccine. Her current research interest is focused on investigating sites and mechanisms of human IgE production.
Julia has developed close connections with many clinical departments at the university hospital which has allowed her to combine her basic science expertise with the clinical setting. This puts her in a fantastic position to collaborate with other groups of the Danube ARC research cluster to “translate” basic research into novel therapeutic approaches.
Proposed PhD research projects:
Allergen-induced IgE production: A mechanism for progression towards severe allergy
Selected publications:
- Campion, N.J., S. Villazala-Merino, R.S. Thwaites, V. Stanek, H. Killick, E. Pertsinidou, M. Zghaebi, J. Toth, R. Fröschl, T. Perkmann, K. Gangl, S. Schneider, R. Ristl, I.C. Scott, E.S. Cohen, M. Molin, M. Focke-Tejkl, G. Regelsberger, T.T. Hansel, R. Valenta, V. Niederberger-Leppin*, and J. Eckl-Dorna J. 2023. Nasal IL-13 production identifies patients with late phase allergic responses. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 152(5):1167-1178.e12. PMID: 37536510
- Zghaebi, M., M. Byazrova, S. Flicker, S. Villazala-Merino, N.J. Campion, V. Stanek, A. Tu, H. Breiteneder, A. Filatov, M. Khaitov, V. Niederberger-Leppin, J. Eckl-Dorna, and R. Valenta. 2021. Tracing Human IgE B Cell Antigen Receptor-Bearing Cells With a Monoclonal Anti-Human IgE Antibody That Specifically Recognizes Non-Receptor-Bound IgE. Front Immunol, 12, 803236. PMID: 34987522
- Villazala-Merino, S., A. Rodriguez-Dominguez, V. Stanek, N.J. Campion, P. Gattinger, G. Hofer, R. Froeschl, C Lupinek, S. Vrtala, H. Breiteneder, W. Keller, T. Perkmann, R. Nakamura, W.F. Pickl, R. Valenta, J. Eckl-Dorna*, and V. Niederberger. 2020. Allergen-specific IgE levels and ability of IgE-allergen complexes to cross-link determine extent of CD23-mediated T cell activation. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.145(3):958-967. PMID: 31775017
- Eckl-Dorna, J., M. Weber, V. Stanek, B. Linhart, R. Ristl, E.E. Waltl, S. Villazala-Merino, A. Hummel, M. Focke-Tejkl, R. Froeschl, A. Neubauer, R. Henning, T. Perkmann, R. Valenta* and V. Niederberger. 2019. Two years of treatment with the recombinant grass pollen allergy vaccine BM32 induces a continuously increasing allergen-specific IgG4 response. EBioMedicine. 50:421-432. PMID: 31786130
- Eckl-Dorna, J., R. Fröschl, C. Lupinek, R. Kiss, P. Gattinger, K. Marth, R. Campana, I. Mittermann, K. Blatt, P. Valent, R. Selb, A. Mayer, K. Gangl, I. Steiner, J. Gamper, T. Perkmann, P. Zieglmayer, P. Gevaert, R. Valenta*, and V. Niederberger. 2018. Intranasal administration of allergen increases specific IgE whereas intranasal omalizumab does not increase serum IgE levels – A pilot study. Allergy 73:1003-1012. PMID: 29083477
Further information: www.viairlab.com
