Position
Tenure-track Assistant Professor, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University
Research Program
Dr. Kaufmann’s research program explores the role of hematopoietic stem cells and trained immunity (“innate immune memory”) in allergic diseases. Her work focuses on respiratory allergies affecting both the upper and lower airways, including allergic rhinitis and asthma. By investigating the fundamental mechanisms of allergy development, her team aims to pave the way for new preventive and therapeutic strategies. The Kaufmann Lab integrates animal models with human samples, applying advanced flow cytometry, imaging, and single-cell sequencing, alongside functional in vitro and in vivo approaches, to connect basic discovery with translational impact.
Biography
Dr. Eva Kaufmann studied Veterinary Medicine in Germany, complemented by research fellowships in South Africa and the USA. She earned her PhD in Immunology at the German Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, with a visiting scientist appointment at IPBS Toulouse, where she investigated lipopeptide-specific T cell responses in BCG vaccination. As a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University, she advanced research on trained immunity and hematopoietic stem cell dynamics in tuberculosis, and later explored SARS-CoV-2 vaccination strategies. In 2022, Dr. Kaufmann joined Queen’s University as an Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Immunology and Inflammation, establishing the Kaufmann Lab with its research focus on innate memory responses in allergic diseases. In 2025, Dr. Kaufmann was recruited back to McGill as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, with her group based at the Meakins-Christie Laboratories of the RI-MUHC.
Areas of Expertise
- Trained immunity
- Hematopoietic stem cells
- Allergic Diseases
- Respiratory Diseases
Research Areas
- Immunology
Awards, Honours, and Fellowships
- Canada Research Chair Tier 2 in Immunology and Inflammation (2023-2025, not transferable from Queen’s University to McGill University)
- CIHR Peer Review Outstanding Contributions Recognition
- Keystone Symposia Future of Science Scholarship
- MGH Foundation Award
- Emil Skamene Prize
- German Society for Immunology Werner Mueller Award
- FRQS Relève Etoile Jacques Genest
- AAI Young Investigator Award
- CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship
- FRQS Postdoctoral Fellowship
- German Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
- German National Academic Foundation PhD Scholarship
- German National Academic Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship
Selected Publications
Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells as a reservoir for trained immunity
Tran BT, Jeyanathan V, Cao R, Kaufmann E, King KY. Elife. 2025 Sep 4;14:e106610.
Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Entry Genes in Skeletal Muscle and Impacts of In Vitro Versus In Vivo Infection
Bhattarai S, Kaufmann E, Liang F, Zheng Y, Gusev E, Hamid Q, Ding J, Divangahi M, Petrof BJ. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2025 Feb;16(1):e13705.
Linking metabolic and epigenetic changes in immune tolerance
Sheedy FJ, Kaufmann E. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Nov 12;121(46): e2419751121.
Dynamic equilibrium of skeletal muscle macrophage ontogeny in the diaphragm during homeostasis, injury, and recovery
Li Q, Liang F, Bhattarai S, Divangahi M, Kaufmann E, Petrof BJ. Sci Rep. 2024 Apr 21;14(1):9132.
BCG vaccination provides protection against IAV but not SARS-CoV-2
Kaufmann E, Khan N, Tran KA, Ulndreaj A, Pernet E, Fontes G, Lupien A, Desmeules P, McIntosh F, Abow A, Moorlag SJCFM, Debisarun P, Mossman K, Banerjee A, Karo-Atar D, Sadeghi M, Mubareka S, Vinh DC, King IL, Robbins CS, Behr MA, Netea MG, Joubert P, Divangahi M. Cell Rep. 2022 Mar 8;38(10):110502.
Lack of evidence for intergenerational inheritance of immune resistance to infections
Kaufmann E, Landekic M, Downey J, Chronopoulos J, Teimouri Nezhad S, Tran K, Vinh DC, Barreiro LB, Divangahi M.
Nat Immunol. 2022 Feb;23(2):203-207.
BCG Educates Hematopoietic Stem Cells to Generate Protective Innate Immunity against Tuberculosis
Kaufmann E, Sanz J, Dunn JL, Khan N, Mendonça LE, Pacis A, Tzelepis F, Pernet E, Dumaine A, Grenier JC, Mailhot-Léonard F, Ahmed E, Belle J, Besla R, Mazer B, King IL, Nijnik A, Robbins CS, Barreiro LB, Divangahi M. Cell. 2018 Jan 11;172(1-2):176-190.e19.
In the News
Early Career Researcher Awards in Asthma
Congratulations to Eva Kaufmann who received a competitive Early Career Research Award from CIHR-ICRH, CAAIF, Asthma Canada, and CLA.
Decade of Discovery in Trained Immunity: A Landmark eLife Focus Issue
A major eLife Focus Issue highlights 10+ years of trained immunity research, featuring key contributions from Meakins scientists
Dr. Eva Kaufmann Joins the Meakins-Christie
The Meakins-Christie Laboratories welcomes Dr. Eva Kaufmann to the group!
Cracking the Code of Stem Cells in TB
Congratulations to Dr. Nargis Khan and Jeffrey Downey from the Divangahi lab on their recent publication in Cell!
Using β-glucan to Help Fight TB Infection
Dr. Nargis Khan and Dr. Eva Kaufmann from the Divangahi lab publish their work in Cell Reports
BCG-iv Induces Innate Immune Protection Against M. tuberculosis
Cell publication on how BCG induces innate immune protection against M. Tuberculosis
Contact Information
Meakins-Christie Laboratories
RI-MUHC, Block E
Office EM3.2218
Lab E03.2137
1001 Decarie Blvd.
Montreal QC H4A 3J1
Canada
Tel: 514-934-1934
E-Mail: eva.kaufmann [at] mcgill.ca
Education & Training
DVM Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany, 2006-2012
PhD (Immunology) Paul Ehrlich Institute Langen and Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany, 2012-2016
PDF (Immunology) McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 2016-2022