Dr. Stephan Pleschka is a nationally and internationally recognized specialist for molecular virology. His scientific work is directed towards the discovery and functional characterization of influenza virus/host interactions to define anti-viral targets. In the recent past he established a moleculargenetic method to generate re-combinant influenza viruses. This method could serve as a basis for future vaccines as novel anti-viral therapy approaches.
In 2002 GlaxoSmithKline Foundation for Clinical Investigations awarded his scientific achievements on “Influenza virus propagation is impaired upon specific inhibition of the Raf/MEK/ERK signaling cascade” and “Influenza virus induced AP-1 dependent gene expression requires of the Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway” with their annual research price.

Between 1983-1988 Dr. Pleschka studied biology at the Philipps-Universität in Marburg/Lahn with a focus on microbiology, zoology, biochemistry and virology. At an early stage of his career he joined the collaborative research initiative (Sonderforschungsbereich) 286 „Intracellular transport and maturation of proteins” in 1989. He continued his doctoral studies as a junior research scientist in the following 4 years investigating the „Functional characterization of esterase-epitops of glycoprotein HEF for influenza virus C(JHB/1/66)". His excellent results prompted the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinscahft, DFG) to support Dr. Pleschka with a two year postdoctoral fellowship (1994-1996) at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, USA under the guidance of Prof. P. Palese.

In 1996 he returned to his home institute in the laboratory of Prof. H.-D. Klenk. In the following year he was appointed assistant professor and joined the research group of Prof. Hobom at the Institute of Micro- und Molecularbiology within the collaborative research initiative 535 „Invasion and replication strategies of pathogens“ – a joint initiative of the departments of medicine, veterinary medicine and biology at the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Germany. In 2000 he changed to the Institute of Virology (as part of the Veterinary Department) where he was appointed with a associate professorship in 2003. He is currently heading the subproject B12 “Relevance of virus induced host functions for the replication of influenza viruses” of the SFB 535.

Recent Publications

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