Ursula WIEDERMANN-SCHMIDT, MD PhD
Head, Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine
Professor of Vaccinology, Medical University Vienna
Education:
MD: Medical School Vienna, University of Vienna
MSci: Institute of Immunology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
PhD: Institute of Immunology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Medical Speciality in “Specific Prophylaxis & Tropical Hygiene” and “Immunology”, Medical University Vienna
Research Interests:
• Development of new vaccination strategies against allergies, infectious diseases, and cancer
• Preclinical testing of new vaccines candidates and adjuvant systems
• New concepts for needle less vaccines (e.g. mucosal delivery systems)
• Muosal tolerance, mucosal vaccination; host-pathogen interaction
• Immunological characterization of vaccine non-/responsiveness
Biography:
Ursula Wiedermann had studied Medicine in Vienna, Austria. From 1990-1995 she attended a PhD-program in Sweden at the Institute of Clinical Immunology at the University Gothenburg, focusing her research on mucosal immunity and vaccination. Back in Vienna she continued her research career at the University of Vienna concentrating on mucosal vaccination against allergic diseases. After her habilitation (venia docendi) in 1999 she founded the research group “Mucosal Immunity and Vaccination”. In 2001 she finished her medical training as specialist for “Immunology” and “Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Hygiene”. At the Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine she enlarged her research areas to vaccine development against infectious diseases, allergies and tumours, and focused on clinical vaccine trials to study immune responsiveness and immune failures upon vaccination. In 2004 she became Head of the Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine and in 2006 she was assigned Professor for Vaccinology at the Medical University Vienna. She is member of the Supreme Board of Health and since 2011 chair of the Austrian Advisory Committee for Immunization Practice of the Austrian Ministry of Health. Since 2009 she is also Speaker of the newly founded Centre for Geographic & Migration Medicine at the Medical University Vienna. She has more than 100 publications in peer reviewed journals and is frequently giving presentations at international and national conferences.
Proposed PhD research projects:
1) The impact of maternal diet on allergic diseases in offspring
2) Influence of obesity on development of allergy and mucosal tolerance
Selected publications:
- Schabussova I, K. Hufnagl, ML. Tang, E. Hoflehner, A. Wagner, G. Loupal, S. Nutten, A. Zuercher, A. Mercenier, U. Wiedermann. 2012. Perinatal maternal administration of Lactobacillus paracasei NCC 2461 prevents allergic inflammation in a mouse model of birch pollen allergy. PLoS One. 7(7):e40271. PMID: 22792257
- Hoflehner E, K. Hufnagl, I. Schabussova, J. Jasinska, K. Hoffmann-Sommergruber, B. Bohle, RM. Maizels, U. Wiedermann. 2012. Prevention of birch pollen-related food allergy by mucosal treatment with multi-allergen-chimers in mice. PLoS One. 2012;7(6):e39409. PMID: 22768077
- Schabussova I, K. Hufnagl, C. Wild, S. Nutten, AW. Zuercher, A. Mercenier, U. Wiedermann. 2011. Distinctive anti-allergy properties of two probiotic bacterial strains in a mouse model of allergic poly-sensitization. Vaccine. 29(10):1981-90. PMID: 21216308
- Schwarzer M, A. Repa, C. Daniel, I. Schabussova, T. Hrncir, B. Pot, R. Stepankova, T. Hudcovic, A. Pollak, H. Tlaskalova-Hogenova, U. Wiedermann, H. Kozakova. 2010. Neonatal colonization of mice with Lactobacillus plantarum producing the aeroallergen Bet v 1 biases towards Th1 and T-regulatory responses upon systemic sensitization. Allergy. 66(3):368-75 PMID: 20880132
- Wagner A, E. Förster-Waldl, E. Garner-Spitzer, I. Schabussova, M. Kundi, A. Pollak, O. Scheiner, A. Joachim, U. Wiedermann. 2009. Immunoregulation by Toxoplasma gondii infection prevents allergic immune responses in mice. Int. J. Parasitology.; 39: :465-72. PMID: 18938169
- Repa A, H. Kozakova, T. Hudcovic, R. Stepankova, T. Hrncir, H. Tlaskalova-Hogenova, A. Pollak, U*. Wiedermann. 2008. Susceptibility to nasal and oral tolerance induction to the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 is not dependent on the presence of the microflora. Immunol Lett.; 15;117(1):50-6. PMID: 18241932
