Eva Kaufmann

Dr. Eva Kaufmann is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at Queen's University, cross-appointed to the Translational Institute of Medicine (TIME). Her research focuses on trained immunity mechanisms in infection, vaccination, and asthma, with additional interests in public health and hospital infection control.

Education:

• DVM (2006-2012), Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany
• PhD in Immunology (2012-2016), Paul Ehrlich Institute & Justus-Liebig-University Giessen
• Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016-2022), McGill University

Research Interests:

• Trained immunity in infection and vaccination
• Host-pathogen interactions in tuberculosis
• BCG vaccination cross-protection
• Immune tolerance mechanisms
• Inflammatory responses in chronic diseases
• Public health systems improvement

Key Research Trends: Her work bridges basic immunology with clinical applications, emphasizing how innate immune training shapes resistance to pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis and influenza. Recent studies highlight vaccination-induced protective memory and metabolic pathways governing disease tolerance. Work on SARS-CoV-2 revealed limitations of BCG cross-protection but identified obesity's role in impaired antiviral defense.

Lab Team: Supervises six researchers including Gabriella Stefan, Vidthiya Jeyanathan, and Conrad Pietrzak. Collaborates on Duchenne muscular dystrophy immunology and diaphragm macrophage dynamics.