Andrea Kröger

Prof. Dr. Andrea Kröger serves as Research Group Leader of the Innate Immunity and Infection group at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and holds a Professorship in Molecular Microbiology at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg since June 2015. Her career spans over 25 years at HZI, beginning with doctoral studies in 1995 under Dr. Hansjörg Hauser.

Her research focuses on interferon-mediated immune defense mechanisms against viral infections, particularly neurotropic viruses like tick-borne encephalitis virus and SARS-CoV-2. Key interests include:

• Type I interferon signaling in neuronal and glial cells
• Immune response dynamics during viral CNS invasion
• Interferon regulatory factors (IRF-1, IRF-7) in infection control
• Neuroinflammation mechanisms in viral pathogenesis

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2021-2024) reveals a strong emphasis on neurovirology and interferon responses, with significant contributions to understanding SARS-CoV-2 immunity, flavivirus pathogenesis, and interferon signaling in brain aging. Her work bridges molecular virology, neuroimmunology, and translational infection research.

Her laboratory actively investigates how innate immune responses protect against viral CNS invasion while balancing inflammatory damage. Current projects examine cGAS-STING signaling in brain aging, astrocyte-mediated interferon responses, and MAIT cell antiviral programming.