Dr. Matthias Mack
Matthias Mack studied biochemistry at Ulm University from 2010 to 2013 and Life Science at the University of Konstanz from 2013 to 2016. During his master’s thesis Mr. Mack investigated DNA repair mechanisms and its connection to cellular aging. In the following doctoral thesis at the department for molecular toxicology of the University of Konstanz, he developed a screening method for the detection of specific DNA damage. Since May 2020, Mr. Mack works as laboratory manager in the department of Clinical and Biological Psychology at the University of Ulm.
Contact
Matthias Mack
Postdoc
✉ matthias.mack(at)uni-ulm.de
☎ +49-(0)731/50 26585
Π 47.2.409
Consultation hours
on appointment
Research interest
- Pathomechanisms of stress- und trauma associated diseases (MDD and PTSD)
- Influence of mitochondrial energy production and oxygen homeostasis on the development of psychiatric disorders
- Development and reversibility of disease associated biological parameters during therapy
- Alterations of the immuno metabolism in stress associated diseases (DNA-damage and -repair, inflammatory processes)
Projects
- MitO2Health - Biological mechanisms of depression and their significance for the success of therapy
- ENHANCE - Biomolecular effects of trauma-focused psychotherapy in patients with experiences of violence and abuse in childhood and adolescence
- MitoSwitch - Metabolic switch in low-grade inflammatory diseases: dysregulated mitochondrial bioenergetics and nutritional deficiencies in major depression, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, posttraumatic stress disorder and post-viral chronic fatigue
- MDDex - Dysregulation in the crosstalk of endocrine stress signalling and immunometabolism as a novel hallmark of chronic stress-related mental disorders: Towards experimental evidence using an innovative ex vivo stress model
Funding, Scholarships and Awards
| 2023-2024 | Early Career Incubator Funding, Ulm University, Professional Graduate & Training Centre Ulm (€87.945) to investigate the crosstalk of endocrine stress signaling and immunometabolism in major depressive disorder using an ex vivo stress model (PI: A. Behnke; Co-PIs: M. Mack, M. Vujić Spasić) |
| 2023-2026 | Research Incubator Funding, Ulm University, Center for Research Strategy and Support (€295.969); Metabolic switch in low-grade inflammatory diseases: dysregulated mitochondrial bioenergetics and nutritional deficiencies in major depression, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, posttraumatic stress disorder and post-viral chronic fatigue (PIs: Prof. I-T. Kolassa, P. Fischer-Posovszky, J. Tuckermann, H. Graf und H. Tumani; Co-Pis: V. Tumani, M. Mack) |
| 2023-2024 | Nachwuchs Science Day (2. Platz), Ulm University Professional Graduate and Training Center Ulm (€30.000); Psychology meets systems biology: A longitudinal study connecting inflammation and immunometabolism with the gut microbiome and its metabolites in depression. |
| 2023-2024 | Anschubfinanzierung B, Ulm University Professional Graduate and Training Center Ulm (€10.000); Unveiling the Subcellular Composition of Immune Cells in Depression and its Implications for Therapy |
| 2016-2019 | Promotionsstipendium: Kooperatives Promotionskolleg InViTe |
Publications
- Karrasch, S., Mavioğlu, R. N., Matits, L., Gumpp, A. M., Mack, M., Behnke, A., Tumani, V., Karabatsiakis, A., Bongartz, W., & Kolassa, I.-T. (2023). Randomized controlled trial investigating potential effects of relaxation on mitochondrial function in immune cells: A pilot experiment. Biological Psychology, 183, 108656.
- Karrasch, S., Matits, L., Bongartz, W., Mavioğlu, R. N., Gumpp, A. M., Mack, M., Tumani, V., Behnke, A., Steinacker, JM. Kolassa, I.-T. (2023). An exploratory study of hypnosis-induced blood count changes in chronically stressed individuals. Biological Psychology, 178, 108527
- Matits, L., Gumpp, A., Kolassa, I.-T., Behnke, A.*, Mack, M.* (2022). Störungsspezifische und transdiagnostische Veränderungen der Inflammationsaktivität bei psychischen Störungen. Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 52(1), 1-12. * equal contribution
- Behnke, A.*, Mack, M.*, Fieres, J., Christmann, C., Bürkle, A., Moreno-Villanueva, M.**, Kolassa, I.-T.** (2022). Expression of DNA repair genes and its relevance for DNA repair in peripheral immune cells of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. Scientific Reports, 12, 18641. *equal contribution; **equal contribution
- Mack, M., Schweinlin, K., Mirsberger, N., Zubel, T., Bürkle, A. (2021). Automated screening for oxidative or methylation induced DNA damage in human cells. ALTEX - Alternatives to Animal Experimentation, 38(1), 63-72.
- Veith, S., Schink, A., Engbrecht, M., Mack, M., Rank, L., Rossatti, P., Hakobyan, M., Goly, D., Hefele, T., Frensch, M., Fischbach, A., Bürkle, A., Mangerich, A. (2019). PARP1 regulates DNA damage-induced nucleolar-nucleoplasmic shuttling of WRN and XRCC1 in a toxicant and protein-specific manner. Scientific Reports, 9, 10075.
Teaching
| Winter 2023 | Vorlesung: Grundlagen der Medizin und Pharmakologie (B. Sc) Seminar: Biomolekulare klinische Psychologie (M. Sc) |
| Summer 2023 | Projektseminar: Gen x Umwelt Interaktionen Seminar: Biomolecular clinical Psycholgoy (M. Sc, Psychology/Molecular and translational Neuroscience) |
| Winter 2022 | Vorlesung: Grundlagen der Medizin und Pharmakologie (B. Sc) Seminar: Biomolekulare klinische Psychologie (M. Sc) Seminar: Psychoneuroimmunologie (M Sc.) |
| Summer 2022 | Seminar: Biomolekulare klinische Psychologie (M. Sc) |
Review Activity
- Journal of Visualized Experiments; ISSN: 1940-087X
- Psychiatry Research; ISSN: 0165-1781