Main Research Topics:

• Development and validation of new lung function tests
• Lung development and growth in health and disease
• Transition of new lung function tests into clinical practice
• Detection and characterization of early pulmonary changes in cystic fibrosis
• Development of a personalized test approach to screen cystic fibrosis therapeutics
• Pathophysiology and early detection of asthma in infants
• Characterization of patients with ciliary dyskinesia
• Development of a comprehensive and improved diagnostic, for Primary ciliary dyskinesia
• Role of viruses and bacteria in development of airway diseases
• Pulmonary outcomes after prematurity

The development of new lung function techniques and non-invasive markers of airway inflammation is a hallmark of our research. The impact of early airway disease and environmental factors (e.g. air pollution) on the development of the lung and airways can be studied by applying these new techniques. The BILD cohort (Bern-Basel infant lung development birth cohort), which includes over 600 healthy infants followed from birth on during whole childhood, plays a central role for these studies. The cohort is conducted in collaboration with Prof. Urs Frey from Basel. Further we follow early lung disease in a group of children with cystic fibrosis that are part of the SCILD cohort (Swiss CF infant lung development cohort). Comparing infants with CF and healthy controls allows to determine the role of other influencing factors on respiratory health, such as respiratory viruses or bacteria. Furthermore, we develop an improved and comprehensive diagnostic for primary ciliary dyskinesia and a personalized test approach for cystic fibrosis therapeutics. We collaborate closely with researchers from adult pulmonary medicine, from the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine and from the Institute for Infectious Diseases, as well as with several national and international research groups.