Professor Tanja Opriessnig
Job Title:
Group Leader - Terrestrial Livestock Virology
Staff ORCID ID:
0000-0001-9642-0904
Contact Email:
tanja.opriessnig@moredun.ac.uk
Contact Number:
0131 4455 111
Address:
The Moredun Research Institute
Pentlands Science Park
Job Role
Tanja currently leads a group focusing on pig research projects involving viruses or bacteria or co-infections. This group also works on development of diagnostic tests and vaccine efficacy evaluation.
Biography
Tanja completed her veterinary degree in 2000 and her doctoral degree in 2002 both at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. She has also completed a PhD in Veterinary Pathology with a minor in statistics at Iowa State University in 2006. From 2006- 2013 she worked as diagnostic pathologist and serologist at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, USA. From 2013 to 2022 she worked as Chair of Infectious Disease pathology at the Roslin institute, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She Joined the Moredun Research Institute in 2022 as Group Leader in Terrestrial Livestock Virology.
Current Research
Tanja is interested in investigating pig diseases including coinfection, and intervention strategies. Tanja is a global expert on porcine circoviruses, parvoviruses and Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. It can be very difficult to determine which pathogens are synergetic or antagonistic as timing is often a major player. As a pathologist she enjoys working with clients and trying to determine reasons behind reduced farm production. She is also interested in developing pig specific diagnostic tests. In the past she has developed novel immunohistochemistry assays, evaluated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and fluorescent microsphere immunoassay (FMIA) assays and investigated their potential usage in different animal models. Tanja also works with multiple vaccine companies and has evaluated novel pig vaccines in both experimental and farm settings including field trials.
Selected Publications
- Rawal, G.,
- Yim-im, W.,
- Aljets, E.,
- Halbur, P.G.,
- Zhang, J.,
- Opriessnig, T.,
