During her PhD studies, Louise Marie Dalskov Kjerulff investigated the recognition of a viral infection by the innate immune system. The innate immune system is the first line of defense against any invading pathogen and involves the production of the antiviral cytokines interferons. Louise investigated the activation mechanism of the IRF family of transcription factors as well as how the activated STING protein relays the signal leading to the production of interferons as well as inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, she established a protocol for investigating the immune response of primary human alveolar macrophages. These new findings contribute to our understanding of how the recognition of a virus leads to an antiviral immune response.

The PhD study was completed at department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Tuesday, 21 June 2022 at 15:00 CET
Place: Building 1871, room 120, MBG auditorium, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C
Title of PhD thesis: Molecular mechanisms of the interferon system

Contact information: Louise Marie Dalskov Kjerulff, e-mail: lmkd@mbg.au.dk

Members of the assessment committee:

Professor Sun Hur, Center for Life Sciences, Harvard University, USA

Professor Thomas Decker, Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Vienna, Austria

Associate Professor Knud E. Larsen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University (chair)

Main supervisor:
Professor Rune Hartmann, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark

Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Natural Sciences/GSNS,

Katrinebjergvej 89F, building 5132, 8200 Aarhus N.