Infection-induced maternal immune activation and its implications on the infant’s immune system development in a Ghanaian birth cohort (B05)

• Subject Area: Reproductive Medicine, Urology ; Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 534829736

Individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa face challenges unparalleled in Europe, including a significant prevalence of infectious diseases, which mainly affect expectant mothers. This project investigates how infection-induced maternal immune activation (MIA) and related pregnancy complications impact foetal immune development. To this end, we will use maternal and children’s data and samples from a large pregnancy study conducted in rural areas near Kumasi, Ghana. Our insights will improve our understanding of how MIA modulated the susceptibility to infections in children's later life.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1713: Maternal Immune Activation: Causes and Consequences
• Applicant Institution: Universität Hamburg
• Project Heads: Dr. Rosa Gálvez; Privatdozent Thomas Jacobs, Ph.D.