Professor of Child and Adolescent Medicine

Consultant in Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine and Consultant in Immunology
Department of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
Division of Neonatology
Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics
Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria

Phone: +43 (0)1 40400 - 32320
FAX: +43 (0)1 40400 - 59850

E-mail: elisabeth.foerster-waldl@meduniwien.ac.at
Homepage: https://www.meduniwien.ac.at/kinderklinik/aerztinnen/spezialeinrichtungen/immunologie-paediatrisch-und-neonatal/

Research Interests
Immunological immaturity of the neonate, Innate Immunity, Inborn Deficiencies of the Immune System, Pediatric vaccinology.

Mechanisms of immunological dysfunction in neonatology and pediatrics

Abstract

Our research interest focuses on immunological dysfunction of early life and childhood. Infection control, being one of the important challenges of immunity, is managed by mechanisms of the innate and the adaptive immune system.
At time of birth, a number of immunological mechanisms are known to be immature– especially if birth occurs prematurely before gestation was completed.

Immunological immaturity may result in severe infection. Moreover, genetic aberrations – inborn errors of the immune system, ‘primary immunodeficiencies’ – may account for immunological dysfunction resulting in significant lack of infection control, lack of tumorsurveillance thus malignancy, or immunodysregulation possibly presenting with autoimmunity or severe allergic symptoms.
Our experimental work delineates new mechanisms of immunological immaturity. Moreover, we focus on early identification of primary immunodeficiencies in humans, and options to prevent or treat immunological dysfunction in these individuals.

More information about the various research projects can be found <here>