Research focuses on mental disorders, their etiology, biological pathophysiology, and therapy. The research group focuses on the biomolecular consequences of chronic and traumatic stress and their impact on mental and physical health, including their role in the etiology of stress and trauma sequelae and age-associated physical diseases. We believe that (further) development of therapies is possible through a better holistic understanding of the biological connections between the cause of disease and its expression. We see a key to better understanding the etiology of mental and comorbid physical illness in a better understanding of the interaction between the immune system and metabolism (immune metabolism), mitochondrial function and health, and orthomolecular factors.

The research group investigates the development of stress-associated diseases, e.g. depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We investigate processes such as changes in the immune system, the endocrine system, molecular metabolic processes in the cell and changes in energy metabolism (e.g. mitochondrial bioenergetics) as a result of stress and trauma. In addition, we are investigating whether these changes can be reversed by psychotherapies. A major focus of our research here is cell-damaging processes such as oxidative stress and the associated acceleration of biological aging caused by (traumatic) stress, as well as their reversibility. Damage accumulates in cells due to chronic stress exposure. To compensate for this damage and to maintain cellular function, metabolic processes in the cell adapt. However, when the capacity of adaptation is reached, the optimal function of the cell can no longer be maintained. This favours the development of various diseases. We are therefore interested in studying the diseases from different angles to understand the etiology (e.g. environmental influences, genetics,...) and especially the resulting mechanisms of mental diseases.

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The selection of the right therapy is of crucial importance for the treatment of traumatized individuals. To this end, the "ENHANCE" study will compare two therapies, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CT) and trauma-focused psychodynamic therapy (TPT), using subjects with PTSD. In addition, research is being conducted to determine whether the positive psychological effects of therapy also reverse the biological changes induced in PTSD.

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