About Us
DEFENDER is a five-year multinational research initiative dedicated to strengthening European and global pandemic preparedness. By systematically studying virus-host interactions, our team of leading scientists will develop promising antiviral candidates for future clinical trials. This collaborative effort brings together Principal Investigators (PIs) from diverse backgrounds, united by a shared mission to advance medical science and safeguard global health.
Our Partners
Adriano Aguzzi
Adriano Aguzzi has dedicated his career to investigating the role of the immune system in prion diseases. His research utilizes high-throughput CRISPR-lentiviral screens to identify factors influencing prion replication and susceptibility to infection. As a pioneer in neurobiology, he has made significant contributions to understanding the immunological and molecular basis of prion pathogenesis. Read more.
Mark Brönstrup
The Department of Chemical Biology (CBIO) at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), led by Mark Brönstrup, focuses on discovering and optimizing bioactive compounds for therapeutic applications. In the DEFENDER project, his team contributes expertise in bifunctional drug conjugates, including antibody-antiviral conjugates and PROteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs). While PROTACs are primarily used in oncology, his research explores their potential for antiviral applications. Read more.
Peter Chlanda
Peter Chlanda’s group investigates how viruses interact with cellular organelles and manipulate host cells for replication. Focusing on enveloped viruses such as influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and Ebola, his team employs advanced cryo-electron microscopy techniques, including cryo-FIB, cryo-ET, and cryo-CLEM, to study viral membrane interactions at the molecular level. Read more.
Bruno Correia
Bruno Correia’s research group focuses on developing computational tools for protein design, with an emphasis on immunoengineering applications such as vaccines and cancer immunotherapy. His team combines computational design method development with experimental characterization to create novel proteins. Read more.
Marie Flamand
Marie Flamand leads a research group in the Structural Virology Lab at Institut Pasteur Paris. Her team works on several arboviruses of major impact on human health, including dengue (DEN), Zika, and Rift Valley fever (RVF) viruses. Her research is focused on the role of accessory proteins in viral pathogenesis and has led to the identification of two virulence factors: the mitochondrial RVFV NSm and the secreted DEN NS1 nonstructural protein. In particular, her team showed that NS1 circulates in blood during acute DENV infections, thus representing a potent diagnostic marker. A diagnostic kit based on NS1 antigen detection, developed at Institut Pasteur, has become a reference in the field. The team more recently demonstrated that secreted NS1 forms a pro-inflammatory complex with human high-density lipoproteins (HDL), pointing to a major contribution of NS1 to the deleterious cytokine storm reported in dengue hemorrhagic fever. Read more.
Christine Goffinet
Christine Goffinet’s team studies alphavirus infections, including chikungunya and Mayaro viruses, by analyzing innate immune responses and viral mechanisms of immune evasion. Her research aims to enhance understanding of alphaviral pathogenesis and contribute to antiviral therapy development. Read more.
Lars Kaderali
Lars Kaderali applies artificial intelligence and machine learning to model and analyze biomedical processes, with the goal of developing new prevention, diagnosis, and therapy methods for complex diseases. He is the director of the Institute for Bioinformatics at Greifswald University Medical Centre. Read more.
Thomas Krey
Thomas Krey’s research group at the University of Lübeck is interested in structural virology, focusing on viral glycoproteins, their interactions with the humoral immune system and virus capsid assembly mechanisms. Using biochemical and structural biology approaches such as X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM, his team seeks to understand viral replication and inform structure-based antiviral and vaccine design. Read more.
Alexandra Kupke
The BSL-3/-4 animal facility at the Institute of Virology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, focuses on developing vaccines and antiviral countermeasures through rigorous preclinical studies. Testing highly pathogenic viruses like Nipah and Ebola requires BSL-4 containment and suitable animal models. Successful preclinical trials lead to human clinical assessments. The Kupke laboratory studies the neurotropism of viruses such as Nipah and Ebola, which can infect the CNS and cause neurological complications. The mechanisms of CNS invasion remain unclear, requiring comparative studies on viral entry, spread, and immune responses to develop targeted treatments. Read more.
Andrea Maisner
Andrea Maisner’s research focuses on the cell biology of Nipah virus, a highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus. Her group investigates the molecular details of viral replication, particle assembly, and immune evasion. Given the lack of available vaccines or treatment options, her work provides a basis for the development of future therapeutic strategies by identifying novel Nipah virus- or host cell-specific antiviral targets. Read more.
Lisa Oestereich
Lisa Oestereich’s research addresses hemorrhagic fever viruses such as Lassa, Ebola, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses. She studies virus-induced pathology, immune response dynamics, viral persistence, and host interactions. Her team also explores novel therapeutic strategies to combat these life-threatening infections. Read more.
Stephanie Pfänder
Stephanie Pfänder’s group investigates virus-host interactions using complex cellular model systems, such as 3D organoids, to mimic native tissue environments. By identifying host dependency and restriction factors, her research bridges basic molecular virology with clinically relevant translational applications. Read more.
Eike Steinmann
Eike Steinmann leads the Department of Molecular & Medical Virology at Ruhr University Bochum. His team studies RNA virus replication mechanisms and transmission routes, with a focus on hepatitis and coronaviruses. In addition to developing antiviral therapies, his research evaluates virus stability against disinfectants to inform infection control measures. Read more.
Thomas Strecker
Thomas Strecker’s research group investigates Lassa virus (LASV) infection mechanisms and virus-host interactions. His work focuses on the structural and functional properties of viral proteins, particularly the envelope glycoprotein GP and the matrix protein Z, to support the development of antiviral strategies against LASV, a major public health threat in West Africa. Read more.