Dr. Herz is team leader of the Perinatal Neuroinflammation group at the Department of Paediatrics I, University Hospital Essen. She was trained as a biotechnologist and did her PhD in the field of neuroimmunology focussing on the interaction between peripheral immune cells and the brain in experimental models of Multiple Sclerosis. During her Postdoc, she continued to investigate neuroinflammatory processes combined with analysis of stem cell-based therapies in models of ischemic stroke. Since 2013 she is investigating inflammatory responses and regenerative therapies in models of perinatal brain injury. Her overall goal is to improve the understanding of pathophysiological processes and based on that to identify new therapeutic options to prevent long-lasting neurological impairment following perinatal brain injury.