Perinatal Immunology Lab

In Germany, one in twelve infants is born prematurely. Preterm birth is the second leading cause of death in children under five years of age and a major contributor to lifelong morbidity.

Both the occurrence of preterm birth itself and the development of associated complications are, in many cases, closely linked to a dysregulated immune responses. Our research group investigates the unique features of the immune system and its interaction with the microbial colonization during pregnancy and early life. We combine basic immunological research with state-of-the-art high-throughput technologies, systems biology approaches, and clinical studies.

Our goal is to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies for immunological and inflammatory complications during the perinatal period, aiming to prevent early-life injury, modulate developmental programming, and improve long-term health.