PhD student
Felicia Spitzer
RESEARCH
My PhD research focuses on the role of CD4 T cells in anti-tumor immune responses and in cancer immunotherapy. I am using preclinical cancer mouse models to investigate the role of CD4 T cell antigen-specificity in tumor control. By defining the phenotypes and functional characteristics of CD4 T cells in in the tumor microenvironment and lymphoid organs, we will gain insights on how immunotherapy affects these cells and how to further improve immunotherapy strategies. In relation to this, I am working on optimizing the formulation of personalized cancer vaccines to elicit potent anti-tumor T cell responses.
CURRICULUM VITAE
I studied Biomedicine and Biotechnology at the University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna and Molecular Biology at the University of Vienna. During my Bachelor and Master studies, I completed several internships working with animal models, oncology and immunology. For my Master’s thesis, I investigated the targets of CD4 T cell responses during multiple flavivirus infections. I started my PhD in November 2020 and have been a part of the group of Ferry Ossendorp since then.
Publications
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Neoantigen-specific T cell help outperforms non-specific help in multi-antigen DNA vaccination against cancer
De Graaf JF, Pesic T, Spitzer FS, Oosterhuis K, Camps MGM, Zoutendijk I, Teunisse B, Zhu W, Arakelian T, Zondag GC, Arens R, Van Bergen J, Ossendorp F.
Molecular Therapy: Oncology. 2024;32(3).
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Dynamics of CD4 T Cell and Antibody Responses in COVID-19 Patients With Different Disease Severity.
Koblischke M, Traugott MT, Medits I, Spitzer FS, Zoufaly A, Weseslindtner L, Simonitsch C, Seitz T, Hoepler W, Puchhammer-Stöckl E, Aberle SW, Födinger M, Bergthaler A, Kundi M, Heinz FX, Stiasny K, Aberle JH.
Frontiers in Medicine. 2020;7(771)
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CD4 T Cell Determinants in West Nile Virus Disease and Asymptomatic Infection.
Koblischke M, Spitzer FS, Florian DM, Aberle SW, Malafa S, Fae I, Cassaniti I, Jungbauer C, Knapp B, Laferl H, Fischer G, Baldanti F, Stiasny K, Heinz FX, Aberle JH.
Frontiers in Immunology. 2020;11(16).
