Institute of Asthma and Allergy Prevention, IAP, Environmental Health Center, Helmholtz Munich

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is not one disease but a syndrome consisting of many so far not well-characterized and delineated genetic and environmental determinants. The focus of our work at the Institute of Asthma and Allergy Prevention (IAP) is to develop novel asthma and allergy prevention strategies and characterize in-depth asthma phenotypes.

Our studies on the farm effect show how relevant microbiome-derived functional agents are to protect children from asthma. But how can we translate these findings to children and their families? With ongoing both experimental and human population-based studies and projects we aim to develop innovative and effective prevention strategies to stop asthma and allergies.

Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c Erika von Mutius

Director and Department Head View profile

Dr. rer. med. Sabina Illi

Statistician, Deputy Director

Dr. rer. biol. hum. Martin Depner

Biostatistician

Prof. Dr. Markus Ege

Senior Scientist

Professor Jonathan Grigg

Professor of Paediatric Respiratory and Environmental Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, MD, FRCPCH, FFPH

Dorkas Anette Hartl

Assistant EHC & IAP

Dr. rer. nat. Rabia Ülkü Korkmaz

Scientist Translational Research

Birgit Langer

Data Manager

Dr. med. Nicole Maison

Physician Scientist

Dr. Jimmy Omony

Biostatistician

Dr. Giulia Pagani

Bioinformatician

PD Dr. sc. hum. Sonali Pechlivanis

Epidemiologist

Dr. rer. nat. Soni Shankhwar

Scientist Translational Research

Louisa Späth

Assistant IAP/PA to Erika von Mutius

Beatrix Steer

Technical Assistant

Charlotte Steinhäußer

Project Assistant

Christine Strunz-Lehner

MARTHA Study Coordinator

IAP, March 01, 2024

Munich site of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL): Erika von Mutius is handing over to Ali Önder Yildirim.

Environmental Health, IAP, August 16, 2023

Johannes Wenner Research Prize for Dr. Nicole Maison (IAP, Helmholtz Munich)

Bayerns Ministerpraesident Dr. Markus Soeder: Bayerischer Maximiliansorden für Wissenschaft und Kunst

Awards & Grants, Environmental Health, IAP, July 27, 2023

Prof. von Mutius is one of nine exceptional individuals who have been awarded the "Bavarian Nobel Prize" this year for their outstanding work in the fields of science and art.

Awards & Grants, IAP, October 13, 2022

For pioneering research into the development of allergic diseases, Giulia Pagani has received a grant of 61,400 euros from the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Environmental Health, IAP, July 14, 2022

Erika von Mutius, Director of the Environmental Health Center, and her team receive an Advanced ERC Grant for their research on prevention strategies to curb asthma and allergies in children. ERC Advanced Grants are endowed with up to 2.5 million…

Intestinal bacteria, Gut microbiome helps control intestinal digestion and the immune system, Probiotics are beneficial bacteria used to help the growth of healthy gut flora

New Research Findings, IAP, November 02, 2020

Asthma impacts millions of children already at a young age. Children growing up on a farm have a lower risk of developing asthma than children not living on a farm. The mechanisms behind this protective farm effect on childhood asthma are largely…

2021 Am J Respir Crit Care Med

Illi S et al.

Immune Responsiveness to LPS Determines Risk of Childhood Wheeze and Asthma in 17q21 Risk Allele Carriers.

2020 Acta Med Acad

Pechlivanis S, von Mutius E

Effect of Farming on Asthma

2017 Allergy

Birzele LT et al.

Environmental and mucosal microbiota and their role in childhood asthma

2015 Science

Schuijs S al.