Malik Aydin

Malik Aydin is a Professor at the Faculty of Health, Department of Human Medicine, at Witten/Herdecke University. His work bridges experimental and clinical research, focusing on translational medicine with a specialization in pediatric infectious diseases and immunology.

• Education: Completed human medicine studies at the University of Cologne, followed by pediatric specialization at University Hospital Bonn, Hannover Medical School, and Witten/Herdecke University.

Research Interests center on understanding the molecular mechanisms of viral and bacterial pathogens, particularly respiratory viruses like adenoviruses, RSV, rhinoviruses, and mycoplasmas. His team investigates infection immunology, mucosal vaccine development, and how immune responses and epigenetic processes contribute to disease progression. They also explore the respiratory microbiome and its interactions with hosts, using next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics.

Clinical Expertise includes pediatric pneumology, allergology, antibiotic stewardship, and managing infections in immunosuppressed patients. He leads the junior research group Experimental Pediatric Pneumology and Allergology since 2020/2021.

Teaching emphasizes interactive, case-based learning in pediatrics, infectiology, and virology, integrated with clinical and theoretical disciplines. He collaborates closely with the Chair of Didactics to enhance medical education.

Collaborations span national and international institutions, including the University of Oxford (UK) and the University of Minnesota (USA), through joint projects and shared methodologies.

Leadership Roles include board membership in the Young-PI initiative of the German Society for Virology (GfV), active participation in the German Society for Pediatric Infectiology (DGPI) research committee, and leadership in the European Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID) guidelines committee.