Avian Immunology

Since his dissertation he has focused on avian immuno-physiology investigating B-lymphocyte biology, cytokines and the mucosal immune system in chickens. This work included studies on a range of infection models such as avian coccidiosis, avian influenza, Marek’s Disease and Salmonella infections. His research is documented in more than 85 publications in peer-reviewed journals, several reviews and book chapters.

His work is funded by grants from the German Research Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the European Union and through several co-operations with the poultry and vaccine industry.

Bernd Kaspers is member of the German Society for Immunology and as such has been speaker of the Veterinary Immunology Study Group of the society for the last 6 years. In 2004 he hosted together with Thomas Goebel the 8th Avian Immunology Research Group Meeting in Munich with more than 120 participants.

Professor Emeritus K.A. (Ton) Schat received his veterinary degree from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands in 1970 and his PhD degree in Virology from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY in 1978. He joined the faculty at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University in 1978, where he remained until his retirement in 2011. His research focused on the immunology and pathogenesis of viral diseases of poultry, especially Marek’s disease and chicken infectious anemia. He has published over 165 papers in peer-reviewed journals and more than 30 book chapters. His contributions to avian disease research were recognized with the Upjohn Achievement Award of the AAAP in1986, the Dr. Bart Rispens Research Award of the WVPA in 1987, the Pfizer Award for Excellence in Poultry Research of the AVMA in 1999, and the Merck Award for Achievement in Poultry Science of the PSA in 2005. In 2010 he was recognized by his peers with a special award for outstanding research in the field of Marek’s disease. He is a founding member of the Hall of Honour of the World Veterinary Poultry Association.

Associate Professor of Immunology. Professor Göbel studied Immunology at the Basil University. Was a Research scientist at the LMU Munich at the Institute of Animal Physiology and is currently Professor for Immunology and Dean of Student affairs at the Veterinary Faculty.

Dr. Vervelde gained a BSc and MSc in Biology (Immunology Parasitology and Ethology) at the Wageningen University, the Netherlands, followed by a PhD on the immune responses in chicken to Eimeria tenella performed at the Central Veterinary Institute in Lelystad. She then went to the Institute for Animal Health in Compton to continue her work on immune responses to avian diseases, in particular infectious bursal disease virus. Currently she leads research projects investigating host-pathogen interactions within the mucosal immune system aiming to define the mechanisms whereby natural immunity is achieved and how protective immunity is induced by vaccination. The research focusses on antigen presenting cells and their interaction with other cells of the innate and adaptive immune system with the overall aim to modulate these cells to improve immune mediated resistance and to understand their contribution to pathogenesis.