Ludmila Müller

Ludmila Müller serves as Scientific Coordinator at the Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, leading interdisciplinary research on neuroimmunosenescence and brain aging. Her work integrates gerontology, neuroscience, and immunology to investigate how immune aging impacts neural function.

Her academic qualifications include a Diplom in Biology (1994) and Doctor rerum naturalium (1997) from Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, followed by the prestigious Margarete-von-Wrangell-Habilitationsprogramm grant in 2003 supporting her habilitation.

Müller's research centers on neuroinflammatory dynamics in aging, with emphasis on cytomegalovirus interactions, sex differences, and gut-brain axis mechanisms. She examines how immunosenescence accelerates brain aging during infections like COVID-19, and explores behavioral/nutritional interventions to mitigate cognitive decline. Her work bridges fundamental immunology with clinical gerontology through network neuroscience approaches.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals escalating focus on pandemic-related aging impacts, particularly long COVID's role in accelerating neuroimmune decline. Her research consistently identifies inflammaging as a central mechanism linking peripheral immune aging to brain dysfunction, while highlighting sex-specific vulnerabilities and potential therapeutic targets in microglial regulation.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Margarete-von-Wrangell-Habilitationsprogramm grant (2003)

Müller actively contributes to the Berliner Aging Study II (BASE-II) and Mechanisms of Plasticity projects, collaborating internationally with Di Benedetto and Pawelec. Though specific grant details beyond her habilitation award aren't specified, her sustained publication output in high-impact journals indicates continuous research funding. She mentors junior researchers within the Lifespan Psychology Team framework.

Within the Max Planck Institute's collaborative ecosystem, Müller's work in the Center for Lifespan Psychology drives translational research connecting immunological biomarkers with cognitive outcomes in aging populations, particularly through longitudinal studies of CMV-seropositive cohorts.