Dieter Glebe, PhD

Prof. Dieter Glebe is a basic virologist with a strong focus on viral hepatitis research. He currently heads the National Reference Centre for Hepatitis B Viruses (HBV) and Hepatitis D Viruses (HDV), affiliated with the Robert Koch Institute and the German Federal Ministry of Health in Berlin and located at the Institute of Medical Virology at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany.
D.Glebe's research focuses on elucidating the molecular biology and clinical virology of human and animal HBV/HDV, to unravel the complex interactions between these viruses and their host cells. Over the recent years, D.Glebe's contributions led to the phenotypic characterization of novel mammalian hepadnaviruses found in various mammals. This research offers valuable insights into the evolutionary history of mammalian HBV. In a significant breakthrough, his group reconstructed and characterized novel HBV isolates from bats, potentially relevant to zoonotic transmission. A remarkable highlight of D. Glebe's work lies in his pioneering efforts in paleovirology. He has contributed to a pivotal study that unveiled the presence of HBV in archaeological human remains spanning the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. This landmark discovery provides a unique glimpse into the historical distribution and evolution of HBV.