Award for Melissa Stas

In early October 2026, Melissa Stas, a postdoctoral researcher at Vetmeduni’s Clinical Centre for Population Medicine in Fish, Swine and Poultry, presented her scientific work at the 2026 International Symposium on Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus and Other Swine Viruses (IPRRS Symposium) in Barcelona, Spain. She was honoured with an award certificate.

Photo: private

In her research, Melissa Stas investigates PRRSV-induced cellular responses at the porcine maternal-fetal interface during late gestation. At the EVIW Congress, Stas received the award for the best flash talk presentation for her contribution entitled “Local viral load shapes T-cell composition and differentiation at the maternal-foetal interface during PRRSV infection.”

Melissa Stas completed her Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at KU Leuven in Belgium. She subsequently pursued her PhD at Vetmeduni under the supervision of Andrea Buzanich-Ladinig, which she successfully completed in 2023. Her research focuses on the phenotype and function of immune cells at the porcine maternal-fetal interface, as well as on the effects of viral infections - particularly PRRSV- on these cells.

She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher on the project “Decoding the Maternal-Foetal Immune Dynamics Against PRRSV (MATFOETFIGHT)”, funded by the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW). The project aims to investigate the role of local immune cells at the maternal–fetal interface following PRRSV infection and to determine the extent to which they contribute to immune defence or are involved in pathological changes. In addition, through the research project “PRRSV-Induced Cell Death and Pig Reproduction,” she is investigating PRRSV-triggered cell death mechanisms at the maternal–fetal interface and their potential effects on reproduction in pigs.

Vetmeduni warmly congratulates Melissa Stas on this achievement!

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