Since the beginning of RESIST’s second funding phase in early 2026, Prof. Dr. Anna-Maria Dittrich has joined the research consortium. She is Professor of Translational Pediatric Pneumology at Hannover Medical School and a senior physician in Pediatric Pneumology and Allergology. In addition, she heads the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Center and serves as co-director of the Christiane Herzog Center for Cystic Fibrosis.
Prof. Dittrich’s research focuses on cystic fibrosis, particularly on immunological and inflammatory processes as well as infections, which she investigates, among other methods, using metagenomic analyses. Within RESIST, she studies how host genetic risk factors and the pathogenicity of key pathogens influence the body’s defense against infections. The aim is to identify central genes and signaling pathways in order to develop new therapeutic approaches and improved, personalized treatment strategies for cystic fibrosis and other lung diseases in the long term.
Prof. Dittrich studied human medicine in Berlin, Lausanne, and the United States, and began her scientific career at the Robert Koch Institute. Following positions at Charité in Berlin and a research stay at Yale University, she established her own research program in pediatric lung diseases. She completed her habilitation in pediatrics in 2013, and in 2024 she was appointed to a W2 professorship in Translational Pediatric Pneumology.
In addition to her clinical and scientific work, Prof. Dittrich is active in numerous national and international networks, including the German Center for Lung Research and leading committees in cystic fibrosis research. Her work combines basic research, clinical studies, and translational approaches with the goal of sustainably improving patient care.