Dr Monika Tschochner

Dipl Biol, PhD, GCUT
Lecturer

Email: monika.tschochner@nd.edu.au
Phone: 9433 0679

  • Biography

    Monika Tschochner was awarded her PhD with high distinction at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany in 2007. Her research focussed on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pathogenicity, measuring in particular viral replication rates in drug resistant HIV strains and also included genotypic and phenotypic drug resistance testing as part of the accredited National HIV Reference Laboratory in Erlangen, Germany.

    In 2008 she moved to Australia and started working as a Post-Doctoral Researcher Fellow at Murdoch University, focussing on genetic and immunological factors influencing HIV disease and treatment in close collaboration with Associate Professor Dr Mina John.

    In 2009 she extended her research to evaluating immunological response and drug resistance in Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and in HIV/HCV co-infected patients by utilizing the novel highly sensitive FLX sequencing technology in the group of Associate Professor Dr Silvana Gaudieri at Murdoch University.

    Monika started working on Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2010 in the team of Associate Professor Dr David Nolan at the Institute for Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Murdoch University. Her current work focusses on identifying genetic, infectious and environmental factors adding to MS risk with special emphasis on the contribution of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Additionally, she is investigating biomarkers in MS patients in order to improve early diagnosis and inform treatment.

  • Teaching areas

      • Human Anatomy and Physiology
      • Pathology
      • Immunology
      • Reproductive Biology

  • Research expertise and supervision

    Monika has supervised 10 Honours, two Masters and one PhD student and is currently co-supervising 1 PhD student and will be supervising three Honours students in 2023.

  • Books Chapters

    • Managing antiretroviral resistance. In: Bogner E. and Holzenburg A. (eds.). New Concepts of Antiviral Therapies. Springer, New York and Dodrecht, 2006, ISBN 0-387-31046-0. Schmidt B., Tschochner M., Walter H., Korn K., chapter 1.9, p255-279.
    • Resistenz in der HIV-Therapie-Diagnostik und Management, Oette M., Kaiser R. und Häusinger D., 1. Auflage – Bremen: UNI-MED, 2003, ISBN 3-89599-736-6. Dipl.-Biol. Tschochner M., chapter 3.3, p58-62.

  • Journal Articles and Proceedings

    • Berthold N., Pytte J., Tschochner M., Mastaglia F. L., Bulik C. M., Medland S. E., Akkari P. A. (2021). Bridging the Gap: Short Structural Variants in the Genetics of Anorexia Nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders.
    • Tschochner, M., Leary, S., Cooper, D., Strautins, K., Chopra, A., Clark, H., Choo, L., Dunn, D., James, I., Carroll, W.M., Kermode, A.G., Nolan, D. (2016). Identifying patient-specific Epstein-Barr Nuclear antigen-1 genetic variation and potential autoreactive targets relevant to multiple sclerosis pathogenesis. PLoS One.
    • Strautins K, Tschochner M, James I, Choo L, Dunn DS, Pedrini M, Kermode A, Carroll W, Nolan D. Combining HLA-DR and anti-Epstein-Barr antibody profiles to stratify multiple sclerosis risk. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 2014, Mar;20(3):286-94. Epub 2013 Jul 25.
    • Nolan D, Castley A, Tschochner M, James I, Qiu W, Sayer D, Christiansen F, Witt C, Mastaglia F, Carroll W, Kermode A. Contributions of Vitamin D response elements and HLA promoters to multiple sclerosis risk. Neurology, 2012, Aug 7;79(6):538-46. Epub 2012 Jul 11.
    • Keane NM, Roberts SG, Almeida CM, Krishnan T, Chopra A, Demaine E, Laird R, Tschochner M, Carlson JM, Mallal S, Heckerman D, James I, John M. High-avidity, high-IFNγ-producing CD8 T-cell responses following immune selection during HIV-1 infection. Immunol Cell Biol. 2012 Feb; 90(2):224-34. Epub 2011 May 17.
    • Weisser H, Altmann A, Sierra S, Incardona F, Struck D, Sönnerborg A, Kaiser R, Zazzi M, Tschochner M, Walter H, Lengauer T. Only slight impact of predicted replicative capacity for therapy response prediction. 3; 5(2):e9044. PLoS One 2010.
    • Tschochner M, Chopra A, Maiden TM, Ahmad IF, James I, Furrer H, Günthard HF, Mallal S, Rauch A, John M. Effects of HIV-1 Immune Selection on Susceptability to Integrase Inhibitor Resistance. Antivir Ther. 2009, 14:953-964.
    • Tschochner M, Schwingel E, Thein C, Wittmann S, Paatz C, Walter H. Superiority of Infectivity-Based over Particle-Based Methods for Quantitation of Drug Resistant HIV-1 as Inocula for Cell Cultures. J. Virol. Methods. 2007 Apr, 141(1):87-96. Epub 2006 Dec 28.
    • Walter H, Low P, Harrer T, Schmitt M, Schwingel E, Tschochner M, Helm M, Korn K, Überla K, Schmidt B. No Evidence for Persistence of Multidrug-Resistant Viral Strains after a 7-Month Treatment Interruption in an HIV-1-Infected Individual. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2002 Oct 1;31(2):137-46.

  • Conference papers

    • Tschochner M*, Strautins K, James I, Leary S, Choo L, Clark H, Dunn D, Chopra A, Cooper D, Kermode A, Carroll W, Nolan D. Contribution of EBV infection to Multiple Sclerosis Pathogenesis: Human leukocyte antigen restricted, EBV epitope-specific T cell responses in Multiple Sclerosis. Science on the Swan, 3-5 May, 2016, Perth, Western Australia
    • Strautins K*, Tschochner M, Berry, James I, Leary S, Choo L, Clark H, Pedrini M, Kermode A, Carroll W, Nolan D. Identifying novel potential cross-reactive targets in Multiple Sclerosis. Science on the Swan, 3-5 May, 2016, Perth, Western Australia
    • Tschochner M*, Strautins K, James I, Leary S, Choo L, Clark H, Dunn D, Chopra A, Cooper D, Kermode A, Carroll W, Nolan D. Investigating the Role of Epstein-Barr Virus in Multiple Sclerosis Pathogenesis. SWAN 18 April, 2016. Perth, Western Australia
    • Tschochner M*, Strautins K, Berry C, James I, Leary S, Choo L, Clark H, Chopra A, Cooper D, Kermode A, Carroll W, Nolan D. Investigating the role of EBV infection in multiple sclerosis pathogenesis. Symposium of WA Neuroscience, 30 September 2014. Perth, Western Australia (oral presentation).
    • Strautins K*, Tschochner M, James I, Choo L, Dunn D, Pedrini M, Kermode A, Carroll W, Nolan D. Combining genetic risk factors, gender and anti-Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) antibody profiles, using a novel anti-EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) B cell epitope ELISA, to stratify Multiple Sclerosis risk. Sixth Congress of the Pan-Asian Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (PACTRIMS), 6-8 November 2013, Kyoto, Japan.
    • Tschochner M*, Leary S, Strautins K, Clark H, Cooper D, Chopra A, Choo L, Carroll W, Kermode A, Nolan D, Multiple Sclerosis Patient Sequence Variation In Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 1 Using 454 FLX technology, Sixth Congress of the Pan-Asian Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (PACTRIMS), 6-8 November 2013, Kyoto, Japan.
    • Plauzolles A*, Gaudieri S, Chopra A, Merani S, Pfafferott K, Tschochner M, Cooper D, Applegate T, Matthews G, ATAHC study group, HCV adaptation to host T-cell immune responses during acute infection: relevance to infection and treatment outcomes. Combined Biological Science meeting (CBSM) 30. August 2013, Perth, Western Australia (oral presentation).
    • Tschochner M*, Leary S, Strautins K, Clark H, Chopra A, Choo L, Carroll W, Kermode A, Nolan D. Identifying Epstein-Barr virus EBNA-1 sequence variation using 454 FLX technology in Multiple Sclerosis patient samples. Keystone Symposia, January 11 - January 16, 2013. Big Sky, Montana, USA, abstract 3011. Strautins K*, Tschochner M, Berry C, Nolan D. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific antibodies in multiple sclerosis patients, including targeted investigation of a candidate EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) B cell epitope. 28th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS). 10-13 October, 2012. Lyon, France, abstract 349.
    • Matthews GV*, Applegate T, Tschochner M, Plauzolles A, Mallal S, Grebely J, Hellard M, Lloyd AR5, Kaldor JM, Dore GJ and Gaudieri S, on behalf of the ATAHC Study Group. Ultra- deep sequencing analysis of treatment naive subjects with recently acquired hepatitis C infection demonstrates widespread amino acid variation at key protease and polymerase sites occurring at low frequency. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases 62nd Annual Meeting, 4-8.November 2011, San Francisco, California.
    • Castley A, Tschochner M*, James I, Kermode A, CarrollW, Sayer D, Christiansen F, Witt C, Nolan D. Investigation of promoter HLA-DRB1 polymorphism in relation to a putative VDRE motif: HLA-DRB1 allele associations and influence on risk of multiple sclerosis. ECTRIMS & ACTRIMS 2011 Congress, 19-22 October 2011 Amsterdam, Netherlands, abstract 941.
    • Tschochner M*, Leary S, Nolan D. Identifying potential targets for Epstein-Barr virus-associated molecular mimicry in T cell-mediated autoimmunity of Multiple Sclerosis. ECTRIMS & ACTRIMS 2011 Congress, 19-22 October 2011 Amsterdam, Netherlands, abstract 720.
    • Tschochner M*, Rohrbach J, Cooper D, Merani S, Chopra A, Witteck A, Battegay M, Furrer H, Günthard H, Mallal S, Rauch A, Gaudieri S, and the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. Characterisation of Hepatitis C Virus evolution in HIV/HCV Coinfected Individuals Using Deep Sequencing Technology: Relevance for New Antiviral Drugs and Disease Outcome. 22nd Annual Australasian Society for HIV Medicine Conference (ASHM), 20-22 October 2010, Sydney, Australia, abstract 590 (oral presentation).
    • Tschochner M, Rohrbach J, Cooper D, Chopra A, Merani S, Witteck A, Battegay M, Günthard H, Furrer H, Mallal S, Rauch A, Gaudieri S* and the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. Identification of HCV Minority Species in HIV/HCV Coinfected Individuals using Deep Sequencing Technology: Relevance for new Anti-HCV Drugs and Host Immune Responses to HCV. 17th International Meeting on Hepatitis C Virus and Related Viruses, 10-14 September 2010, Yokohama, Japan, abstract 210.
    • Rohrbach J*, Tschochner M, Chopra A, Shahzma Merani, Witteck A, Battegay M, Günthard H, Furrer H, Gaudieri S, Rauch A and the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. Influence of HAART on Hepatitis C Virus escape from CD8+ T cell immune pressure. 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. 16-19 February 2010, San Francisco, USA.
    • Tschochner M.*, James I., Almeida CA., Keane NM, Roberts S, Bronke C, Chopra A, Maiden TM., Ahmad IF., Gaudieri S., Furrer H, Günthard HF., Mallal S., Rauch A, John M., Effects of HIV-1 Immune Selection on Susceptability to Integrase Inhibitor Resistance. 12th European AIDS Conference/EACS., 11-14 November, 2009, Cologne, Germany.

  • Awards

    • 2020 Excellence in Teaching award in the School of Health Sciences
    • 2019 Excellence in Teaching award in the School of Health Sciences
    • 2014 named Principle investigator: Small Grant Scheme Murdoch University: 'Examining the T-cell effector signature in Multiple Sclerosis patients and potential implications for therapy' ($15000)
    • 2013 named Associate investigator: Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation (MRF) research grant, ‚ Investigating the role of Epstein-Barr virus-infected B lymphocytes in multiple sclerosis pathogenesis using Smart Flare technology.' ($17500)
    • 2014 Symposium of West Australian Neuroscience, Australasian Neuroscience Society 2nd Prize for an excellent oral presentation in the Post-doctoral category
    • 2013 MSJ Investigator award, Sixth Congress of the Pan-Asian Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (PACTRIMS), 6-8 November 2013, Kyoto, Japan
    • 2010-2013 McCusker Charitable Foundation Research Fellow, Title: Interaction between Environment and Genes on the Prevalence, Pathogenesis and Phenotypes of Multiple Sclerosis in WA
      • Duration: 3 years (2010 – 2013)
      • Amount granted: $450,000 (PhD scholarship and Post-Doctoral salary support)
    • 2011 Conference scholarship awarded to attend the ECTRIMS & ACTRIMS Congress in the Netherlands
    • 2009 Scholarship awarded by Merck Sharp & Dohme to attend the 12th European AIDS Conference/EACS in Germany
    • 2006 Scholarship awarded by GlaxoSmithKline to attend the 18. Annual ASHM Conference in Australia
    • 2005-2006 PhD scholarship: University Science stipend: Bavarian Equal Opportunities Sponsorship – Promoting Equal Opportunities for Women in Research and Teaching.
    • 2003-2005 Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) scholarship: 01 KI 0211, KompNet HIV/AIDS