Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology | Ulrich Heininger

Nicole Ritz’s research focuses on enhancing current strategies to diagnose and prevent tuberculosis (TB) in children. This includes immunodiagnostic tests including interferon gamma release assays (IGRA), novel cytokine-based assays and other biomarkers for early detection of childhood TB. Her research interest also focuses on Bacille-Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine the only currently licenced vaccine against TB, in particular on specific and non-specific immune response including adaptive and innate immunity.

Jan Bonhoeffer’s research strives to improve child health by preventing infectious diseases and optimizing treatment through improved diagnostics. His focus is on generating best evidence for benefit-risk assessment of vaccines with a global network of partners and health care databases. He is also investigating strategies to optimize antibiotic use by improving the diagnosis of respiratory tract infections in children.

Ulrich Heininger’s main research interest lies in the field of pertussis, a respiratory tract disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. He and his national and international collaborators are focussing mainly on the epidemiology and prevention of pertussis by vaccination. Further, Ulrich Heininger is working on the general acceptance and impact of immunization per se amongst the public as well as health care workers.