Svenja Fritzlar

I am a researcher at the Doherty Institute investigating host responses to influenza virus infections.  We work with different cell types which either promote infection (airway epithelium) or restrict infection (airway immune cells). We also use diverse viral strains, some of which are known to overcome host restriction to be more pathogenic. These tools help us to examine the intersection between host defense mechanisms and influenza virus replication.
I completed my undergrad in biological sciences working on the innate immune response to the 2009 pandemic influenza virus. I continued with my MSc at Münster University (Germany) examining the immune memory of invertebrates to bacterial pathogens. During this period, I received a travel scholarship to spend several months at La Trobe University to study the effect of Murine Norovirus infections on macrophages, specifically cellular protein secretion. For my PhD, I returned to Melbourne to work on the host immune response to Murine Norovirus infections at the Doherty Institute. After completing my PhD, I moved to Monash University to investigate the role of Human Cytomegalovirus proteins in viral envelopment and egress.