Aleksandra Inic-Kanada | MedUni Vienna

Research Topic

Our research focuses on the immunobiology of Chlamydia infection and on understanding why host immune responses lead either to protection or to pathology. Using mouse and guinea pig models, we study how infection influences inflammation, adaptive immunity, and tissue remodeling at mucosal sites. An important part of our work is translating these mechanistic insights into vaccine development. We systematically test antigens, adjuvants, and routes of immunization to connect basic immunology with experimental vaccination strategies and to develop rational approaches for the prevention of chlamydial disease.

We also investigate how host physiological conditions influence vaccine responses. Using obesity as a model of metabolic imbalance, we examine the kinetics of immune cell activation after vaccination, including responses to tetanus toxoid as a defined reference antigen. Our aim is to understand how altered immune homeostasis affects early activation events and the durability of protective immune responses.