Prof Dr Burcu Tepekule is the BRCCH Assistant Professor in Paediatric Infectious and Emerging Diseases Modelling. Based at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Basel, her research focuses on understanding the interplay between the gut microbiome and immune system development during the first years of life.

By integrating longitudinal data from paediatric cohorts with machine learning, causal inference, and mechanistic mathematical modelling, Prof. Tepekule investigates how disruptions to the gut microbiome contribute to neonatal conditions such as sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. Her work aims to identify microbiome- and immune-derived biomarkers that predict disease onset and progression, providing a foundation for safer antibiotic stewardship and personalized probiotic interventions to improve outcomes for vulnerable infants and children worldwide.