Mission Statement
The research group on ticks and tick-borne diseases was originally founded by Ao.Univ.-Prof. Dr.med.univ. Gerold Stanek at the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology within the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology of the Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. For many years professor Stanek conducted, supervised, and supported research on ticks and tick-borne pathogens. After professor Stanek’s official retirement in 2020, Ing. Michiel Wijnveld, PhD, took over the lead of the research group.
The research group is focussed on three main aspects:
1. Tick and tick-borne pathogen surveillance:
It is important to keep track of ticks and tick-borne pathogens and their occurrence in the environment. To this end, the research group regularly collects and screens ticks for pathogens.
2. Tick-host-pathogen interaction:
Ticks, hosts, and pathogens all interact with each other. To get a better understanding of the dynamics involved, we have several research tools available. One of which is the artificial feeding system to investigate, for example, how long it takes for a pathogen to be transmitted.
3. Molecular investigation of pathogens:
Another focus of our research is to investigate pathogens on a molecular level. Here we want to find out how certain systems function within a pathogen, which include their defence mechanisms against the environment, as well as their inner functions. The goal is to be able to treat their associated disease by inhibiting certain pathways.