Prof. Dr. Stefanie Becker
Date of Birth: 06.09.1977
Place of Birth: Kaiserslautern, Germany
University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Research Center for Emerging Infections
and Zoonoses / Institute for Parasitology
Bünteweg 17
30559 Hannover, Germany
Telephone: 0511-953-8717
E-Mail: stefanie.becker@tiho-hannover.de
Current
position: Professor for Vector-borne-diseases
at the University of Veterinary Medicine
Hannover and group leader of the
Division of Parasitology at the Research
Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses
Professional Experience
07/2015 - present Professor for “Vector-borne-diseases” at University
of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
06/14 - 06/15 Director of the Institute Infectiology (IMED) at
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute
Duties and interests:
1) Diagnostics and control of diseases of aquatic animals
2) Medical Entomology and Vector competence, Arbovirus
evolution, Co-infections of viral and microbial pathogens,
Head of BSL3 insectary
07/11 - 05/14 Leader of the Molecular Entomology Group at the
Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine
Research Objectives:
- Vector competence of German mosquitoes for
tropical viruses
- Insect immunity towards viral infections
- Arbovirus evolution and vector adaptation
- Surveillance and genetic characterization of German
mosquito populations
- Co-infections of viral and microbial pathogens in
insect vectors
03/07 - 05/11 Research associate (post-doc) at the Institute de
Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS
(Prof. Jean-Luc Imlers group), Universite Louis Pasteur,
Strasbourg
Research Objectives:
- Analysis of Drosophila innate immune response to
viral infection
- The DExD/H-box helicase Dicer-2-mediated induction
of antiviral activity in Drosophila
- RNA interference in negative-strand virus-infection,
- Comparative analysis of Drosophila melanogaster
immune pathways in infection with ssRNA, dsRNA
and DNA viruses
08/02 - 12/07 Research associate (PhD) at the Bernhard Nocht Institute
for Tropical Medicine (Prof. Stephan Günthers group),
Hamburg
Research Objectives
- Host-pathogen interactions
- Analysis of global gene expression in Arenavirus-
infected human hepatoma cells
- Virus genetics
- Contribution of the construction of an artificial
Lassa virus replicon system and analysis of
viral replication mechanisms
- Antiviral therapy and diagnostics
- Design and experimental testing of a therapeutic
siRNA directed against Lassa virus
- Characterization of the antiviral properties of zinc
finger antiviral protein in Ebola and Marburg virus
infection
- Contribution to the characterization of the causative
agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
PhD degree 2.2.2007 Magna cum laude
Education and Qualifications
10/97 - 07/02 Biology (Diploma) at University of Kaiserslautern
Diploma thesis:
- Analysis of the replication origin of linear plasmid SCP1
from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) via Knock out and
Transposon mutagenesis
Grade 1,33
06 - 09/00 Internship at the department of Zoology, University of Oxford
Role of protein phosphatases in signalling and Drosophila
development
Additional Skills
Professional skills:
Training and supervision of training in BSL 3 and BSL 4 facilities
Courses in Fist Aid and Fire Security
Project leader course (Gentechnik Recht)
Management and Business:
Courses in European patent law, German civil law and business
Course in management (Team leading, Communication)
Course in Project management (EU consortia building and Grant application)
Memberships
Member of "Deutsche Zoonosen Plattform" since 2012
Member of "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Virologie" since 2013
Member of "Academia Net" since 2012