ABSTRACT

The German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) is dedicated to translational research, with the goal
of bringing innovative interventions from bench to bedside. Through its interdisciplinary structure,
the DZIF connects basic scientists, clinicians, and public health researchers to accelerate the
development of new strategies for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases.
This presentation will provide an overview of the DZIF, introducing its organizational structure,
Translational Research Units (TTUs), and cross-cutting Bridging Topics that foster collaboration across
scientific disciplines and disease areas. It will highlight how these collaborative frameworks enable
the efficient translation of scientific discoveries into clinical applications.
 

The second part of the presentation will illustrate the DZIF's translational approach through two
examples of early-phase clinical vaccine development. The first example focuses on an MVA-based
vaccine candidate against Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), demonstrating
the pathway from preclinical development to first-in-human clinical evaluation. The second example
presents the development of a therapeutic vaccine for chronic hepatitis B virus infection, highlighting
current strategies to induce functional antiviral immunity in patients with persistent infection.
Together, these case studies exemplify the DZIF's mission to advance innovative vaccine candidates from laboratory research into clinical testing to address both emerging and chronic viral infections.

BIOSKETCH

Marylyn M. Addo is Professor of Medicine and Head of the Clinical Infectious Disease Unit at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany. She is the founding Director of the Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development (IIRVD) at the UKE, where she leads research on the pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of emerging viral infections. After receiving her medical degree, Prof. Addo pursued specialized training in infectious diseases and tropical medicine in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA (Harvard Medical school). Her team conducts early phase clinical vaccine trials and has contributed to the development of vaccine candidates against Ebola and MERS, as well as in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2026 Prof. Addo also serves as the Deputy Chairwoman of the Executive Board of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF).