My research concerns the complement system of innate immunity, particularly the function and regulation of the alternative complement pathway, the structure and function of factor H and factor H-related proteins. Complement is involved in the pathomechanism of several diseases. Dysregulation of the alternative pathway, polymorphisms and mutations in factor H or anti-factor H autoantibodies play a role in various diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (a leading cause of blindness in the Western world) and the kidney diseases atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome and dense deposit disease). Our main aim is to unveil the physiological roles of factor H and factor H-related proteins, in order to understand their role in diseases, which could then lead to tailored treatments in the future.