Members of the Research Centre
The research centre comprises numerous research groups based at the Department of Psychology and the Department of Sport Science, as well as affiliated research groups at the University of Innsbruck and the Medical University of Innsbruck.
The Leaders
Members
Department of Psychology
Professor of Affective Neuroscience & Neuropsychology
Key Research Areas:
- Measuring the concept of action
- Motor learning
- Implicit sequence learning
Selected publications:
Dahm, S.F. & Hardwick, R.M. (2025). Prediction processes in the acquisition of sequence representations. Neuropsychologia, 219, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109288
Dahm, S. F., Weigelt, M. & Rieger, M. (2023). Sequence representations following action-imagery practice of single-finger movements are effector-independent. Psychological Research, 87(1), 210–225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-022-01645-3
Dahm, S.F. (2020). On the assessment of motor imagery ability: A research commentary, Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 39(4), 1–12. doi:10.1177/0276236619836091
Dahm, S. F. & Rieger, M. (2019). Is imagery better than reality? Performance in imagined dart throwing. *Human Movement Science*, 66, 38–52.
Professor of General Psychology
Selected publications:
Hacker, W. & Sachse, P. (2023). General Industrial and Organisational Psychology. Psychological Regulation of Work Activities (4th, revised and updated edition). Zurich: vdf Hochschulverlag.
Hoffmann, A., Schellhorn, A.-M., Ritter, M., Sachse, P., Maran, T. (2023). Blink Synchronisation Increases Over Time and Predicts Problem-Solving Performance in Virtual Teams. Small Group Research, 1–23.
Huber, S., Martini, M. & Sachse, P. (2022). Patterns of eye blinks are modulated by auditory input in humans. Cognition, 221.
Maran, T., Hoffmann, A. & Sachse, P. (2022). Early-life experience of urban living predicts social attention in real-world crowds. Cognition, 225, 105099.
Martini, M., Marhenke, R., Martini, C., Rossi, S. & Sachse, P. (2020). Individual differences in working memory capacity moderate the effects of post-learning activity on long-term memory consolidation. Scientific Reports, 10, 1–10. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-74760-z
Professor of General Psychology II
Selected publications:
Lampert, B., & Hornung, S. (2025). How resources at work influence surface acting and emotional exhaustion: A longitudinal study in human service professions. International Journal of Stress Management. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/str0000353
Maunz, L. A., De Beer, L. T., Batinic, B., Seubert, C., & Glaser, J. (2026). Revisiting the stressor–burnout relationship: Evidence for reverse causation and conditional change. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 31(1), 42–62. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000417
Hilbert, M., Finke, M., Küpper, K., Binnewies, C., Berkemeyer, L., & Maunz, L. A. (2025). Look how beautiful! The role of natural environments for employees’ recovery and affective well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 30(1), 47–61. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000393
Profesor of Applied Psychology
Professor of Developmental Psychology
Selected publications:
Haag, L., Lancini, E., Yakupov, R., Ziegler, G., Yi, Y.-J., Lüsebrink, F., Glanz, W., Peters, O., Spruth, E. J., Altenstein, S., Priller, J., Schneider, L. S., Wang, X., Preis, L., Brosseron, F., Roy-Kluth, N., Fliessbach, K., Wagner, M., Wolfsgruber, S., Kleineidam, L., Ramirez, A., Spottke, A., Jessen, F., Wiltfang, J., Schneider, A., Hansen, N., Rostamzadeh, A., Buerg, K., Ewers, M., Perneczky, R., Janowitz, D., Rauchmann, B.-S., Teipel, S., Kilimann, I., Goerss, D., Laske, C., Munk, M. H., Heneka, M. T., Dechent, P., Hetzer, S., Scheffler, K., Düzel, E., Betts, M. J., Hämmerer, D. (2025) CSF biomarkers are differentially linked to brain areas high and low in noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin across the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum. Brain Communications, 7(1), https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcaf031. Journal Impact Factor 4.5.
Ludwig, M., Betts, M., & Hämmerer, D. (2025). Stimulate to Remember? The effects of phasic transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on memory performance and pupil dilation. Psychophysiology, https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14753. Journal Impact Factor 2.8.
Ludwig, M., Yi, Y.-J., Lüsebrink, F., Callaghan, M. F., Betts, M. J., Yakupov, R., Weiskopf, N., Dolan, R. J., Düzel, E.*, Hämmerer, D.* (2024) Functional locus coeruleus imaging as a biomarker for an ageing noradrenergic system *Nature Communications Biology*, 7, 1, 777.1–13. *shared last https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003- 024-06446-5. Journal Impact Factor 5.1.
Betts, M. J., Kirilina, E., Otaduy, M. C. G., Ivanov, D., Acosta-Cabronero, J., Callaghan, M. F., Lambert, C., Cardenas-Blanco, A., Pine, K., Passamonti, L., Loane, C., Keuken, M. C., Trujillo, P., Lüsebrink, F., Mattern, H., Liu, K. Y., Priovoulos, N., Fliessbach, K., Dahl, M. J., … Düzel, E.*, Hämmerer, D.* (2019). Locus coeruleus imaging as a biomarker for noradrenergic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. Brain, 142(9), 2558–2571. * shared last https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awz193. Journal Impact Factor 11.7.
Hämmerer, D., Callaghan, M.F., Hopkins, A., Kosciessa, J., Betts, M., Cardenas-Blanco, A., Kanowski, M., Weiskopf, N., Dayan, P., Dolan, R.J. and Düzel, E. (2018) Locus coeruleus integrity in old age is selectively related to memories linked with salient negative events. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115 (9), 2228–2233. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1712268115. Journal impact factor: 9.1.
Professor of Clinical Psychology I
Professor of of Clinical Psychology II
Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science
Head of the Research Centre for Health and Prevention Across the Lifespan
Head of the Research Outpatient Clinic at the Department of Psychology
Areas of expertise: Clinical Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Clinical Attachment Research, Neuroscience, Psychotherapy Research, Health Psychology, Prevention Research
Selected publications:
de Punder K, Entringer S, Martens DS, Karabatsiakis A, Kipkag B, Heim C, Deuter CE, Otte C, Wingenfeld K, Kuehl LK. Whole blood mitochondrial DNA copy numbers in depressed patients with and without a history of adverse childhood experiences: The role of blood cell composition. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 27(2), 162–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2025.2601134
de Punder K, Salinas-Manrique J, Dietrich DE, Karabatsiakis A. Serum levels of the steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone are associated with psychological trauma and lymphocyte telomere integrity in women suffering from depression. Neuroimmunomodulation. 2024;31(1):114–124. doi:10.1159/000538893
de Punder K, Heim C, Martens DS, Wadhwa PD, Entringer S. Maximal telomerase activity capacity (mTAC) underlies the link between the cortisol response to stress and telomere length. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2023;153:106120. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106120
Entringer S*, de Punder K*, Overfeld J, Karaboycheva G, Dittrich K, Buss C, Winter SM, Binder EB, Heim C. Immediate and longitudinal effects of maltreatment on systemic inflammation in young children. Dev Psychopathol. 2020;32(5):1725–1731. doi:10.1017/S0954579420001686.
de Punder K, Heim C, Wadhwa PD, Entringer S. Stress and immunosenescence: The role of telomerase. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2019;101:87–100. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.10.019
de Punder K, Heim C, Entringer S. Association between chronotype and body mass index: The role of C-reactive protein and the cortisol response to stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2019;109:104388. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104388
Selected publications:
Eilert, D. W., & Buchheim, A. (2023). Attachment-Related Differences in Emotion Regulation in Adults: A Systematic Review on Attachment Representations. Brain Sci, 13(6), 884. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13060884
Eilert, D. W., Mensah, P., & Buchheim, A. (2026). The Dual Facets of Emotion Perception in Adult Attachment Representations: A Systematic Review on Impathy and Empathy. Brain Sciences, 16(6), 651. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16060651
Eilert, D. W., de Punder, K., Maerz, J., Dose, J., Gander, M., Mensah, P., Neubrand, S., Hinterhölzl, J., & Buchheim, A. (2025). Empathy and Emotion Recognition: How Attachment Shapes Self- and Other-Focused Emotion Processing. Brain Sci, 15(5), 516. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050516
Selected publications:
Gander, M., Fuchs, M., Franz, N., Jahnke-Majorkovits, A.-C., Buchheim, A., Bock, A., & Sevecke, K. (2021). Non-suicidal self-injury and attachment trauma in adolescent inpatients with psychiatric disorders. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 111, 152273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152273
Gander, M., Buchheim, A., & Sevecke, K. (2023). Personality disorders and attachment trauma in adolescent patients with psychiatric disorders. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-023-01141-1
Gander, M., Buchheim, A., Kohlböck, G., & Sevecke, K. (2024). Unresolved attachment and identity diffusion in adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579424000014
Gander, M., Goth, K., Fritz, J., & Sevecke, K. (2026). Behind the scars: Adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury disorder show profound personality pathology. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 20, 65. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-026-01075-8
Selected publications:
Schurz, M., Berenz, J.-P., Maerz, J., Perla, R., Buchheim, A., & Labek, K. (2024). Brain activation for social cognition and emotion processing tasks in borderline personality disorder: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. Brain Sciences, 14(1), 1–20.
Schurz, M., Radua, J., Tholen, M. G., Maliske, L., Margulies, D. S., Mars, R. B., ... & Kanske, P. (2021). Towards a hierarchical model of social cognition: A neuroimaging meta-analysis and integrative review of empathy and theory of mind. Psychological Bulletin, 147(3), 293–327.
Schurz, M., Uddin, L. Q., Kanske, P., Lamm, C., Sallet, J., Bernhardt, B. C., ... & Bzdok, D. (2021). Variability in brain structure and function reflects a lack of peer support. Cerebral Cortex, 31(10), 4612–4627.
Areas of specialisation: Clinical psychology, emergency psychology, crisis intervention, developmental psychology
Research Area: Acute traumaand psychotraumatology
Selected publications:
Vigl, J., Zentner, M., & Saarikallio, S. (2026). The role of attachment style in unhealthy music use. Musicae Scientiae, advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10298649261419777
Vigl, J, Bamford, JS, Fleckenstein, A, & Saarikallio, S (2025). Music across the love-span: a mixed methods study into the use of music in romantic relationships [version 3; peer review: 3 approved, 2 approved with reservations]. Open Res Europe, 4:275. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.19016.3
Vigl, J., Ojell-Järventausta, M., Sipola, H., Saarikallio, S. (2023). Melody for the mind: Enhancing mood, motivation, concentration, and learning through music listening in the classroom. Music & Science, 6, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043231214085
Vigl, J., Strauss, H., Talamini, F., Zentner, M. (2025). Trajectories of relationship and sexual satisfaction over two years during the Covid-19 pandemic: A latent class analysis. Journal of Personality, 93(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12928
Vigl, J., Talamini, F., Strauss, H., Zentner, M. (2023). A prospective study of relationship and sexual satisfaction during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of dispositional vulnerabilities and external stressors. Journal of Personality. 91(5), 1152–1170. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12790
Professor of Quantitative Methods
Head of the Department of Psychology
Department of Sport Science
Selected publication:
Burtscher, M., Strasser, B., Klimont, J., Leitner, B., Ulmer, H., Kopp, M., & Burtscher, J. (2025). The impact of living at moderate altitude on healthy ageing in Austria: Epidemiological findings and potential underlying mechanisms. Gerontology, 71(5), 351–364. https://doi.org/10.1159/000545228
Selected publications:
Akins, J. D., Yoo, J.-K., Sun, D.-D., Parker, R. S., Urey, M. A., Romero, S. A., Lawley, J. S., Sarma, S., Vongpatanasin, W., Crandall, C. G., & Fu, Q. (2025). Ageing attenuates regional vasoconstriction during acute lowering of the upper and lower limbs. Experimental Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092882
Leahy, M. G., Howden, E. J., Lawley, J. S., Cornwell, W. K., MacNamara, J. P., Levine, B. D., & Sarma, S. (2026). The effect of sex on ventricular filling pressure during graded exercise in healthy young adults. Journal of Applied Physiology, 140(4), 1099–1107. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01101.2025
Possnig, C., Marume, K., Babu, G., Janssen, S. L. J. E., Hearon, C. M., Dias, K. A., Sarma, S., Lawley, J. S., & Levine, B. D. (2025). Regional changes in cerebral blood flow between the upright and supine postures and over 3 days of bed rest. Experimental Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1113/EP091820
Selected publications:
Kühne, M., Sanin, C., & Mohr, M. (2026). Anticipation and sequential demands influence on-field change-of-direction kinematics related to ACL injury risk. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 8(1659044), 1659044.
Mohr, M., & De Santis, F. (2026). Laser tag training reduces knee abduction moments and improves performance during change-of-direction movements. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 8(1686129), 1686129.
Calisti, M., Mohr, M., Riechelmann, F., Werner, I., & Federolf, P. (2025). Return-to-sport assessments following anterior cruciate ligament injury: Which jump-landing test is sensitive to a history of ACL injury under fatigued or non-fatigued conditions? European Journal of Sport Science: EJSS: Official Journal of the European College of Sport Science, 25(6), e12317.
Mohr, M., Federolf, P., Heinrich, D., Nitschke, M., Raschner, C., Scharbert, J., & Koelewijn, A. D. (2024). An 8-week injury prevention exercise programme combined with change-of-direction technique training limits movement patterns associated with anterior cruciate ligament injury risk. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 3115.
Röhrl, F., Federolf, P., & Mohr, M. (2023). Ergonomic saddle design features influence lumbar spine motion and can reduce low back pain in mountain biking. Sports Biomechanics, 1–17.
Selected publication:
Fridrich, D.; Federolf, P.; Werner, I. Short-term effects of foam rolling versus stretching on range of motion and the squat movement. International Journal of Sport Science and Coaching, May 2025; https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541251342715
Research Areas:
- Optimising exercise recommendations in preventive sport
- Adapting training recommendations for patients on statin medication (statin-associated muscle symptoms)
- Individualised management of recovery and injury risk in elite sport
- Effects of the menstrual cycle on performance, well-being and training effectiveness
Dean of Studies, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science
Head of the Institute of Sport Science
Selected publications:
Hösl, B., Niedermeier, M., & Kopp, M. (2026). Mountain sports in the treatment of selected mental health conditions: depression. In M. Kopp & J. Burtscher (eds.), Mountain sports and health. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-70316-8_11
Niedermeier, M., Hösl, B., Frühauf, A., & Kopp, M. (2026). Mountain sports, well-being and mental health. In M. Kopp & J. Burtscher (eds.), Mountain Sports and Health. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-70316-8_2
Hösl, B., Oberdorfer, H., Niedermeier, M., & Kopp, M. (2025). Sport specialisation and burnout symptoms among adolescent athletes. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2025.2460626
Hösl, B., Niedermeier, M., Burtscher, J., & Kopp, M. (2025). Psychological effects of mountainous environments across the life span and potential implications for healthy ageing: A narrative review. Gerontology, 1–17. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1159/000546367
Hösl, B., Leipold, L., Niedermeier, M., & Kopp, M. (2025). Keep moving to keep burning? Exploring the effectiveness of an online-based yoga intervention to prevent burnout: evidence from a randomised controlled trial. Advances in Mental Health, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/18387357.2025.2594570
Hösl, B., Straif, J., Niedermeier, M., & Kopp, M. (2024). A study on acute expectation effects on affective state and intention after a brief full-body workout in a student sample. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 16(4), 1944–1966. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12566
Hösl, B., Niedermeier, M., & Kopp, M. (2024). Expectation manipulation shows no additional benefit on students’ post-exercise stress perception – a randomised controlled online trial. Cogent Psychology, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2024.2429896
Hösl, B., Niedermeier, M., & Kopp, M. (2023). Examining acute environmental effects on affective state, expectancy, and intention in sport climbing. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1258121. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1258121
Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology
Research areas: sports psychology, sports pedagogy and sports didactics
Selected publications:
Schöttl, S. E., Scheibner, L., Frühauf, A., Kopp-Wilfling, P., Edlinger, M., Holzner, B., & Kopp, M. (2025). Smoking cessation and exercise: perspectives from smokers with and without mental health problems. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, Article 1589719. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1589719
Schöttl, S. E., Insam, K., Frühauf, A., Kopp-Wilfling, P., Holzner, B., & Kopp, M. (2023). Acute effects of outdoor and indoor walking on cigarette cravings, withdrawal symptoms and affective response during temporary smoking abstinence. Psychopharmacology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-023-06506-4
Schöttl, S. E., Niedermeier, M., Kopp-Wilfling, P., Frühauf, A., Bichler, C. S., Edlinger, M., Holzner, B., & Kopp, M. (2022). Add-on exercise interventions for smoking cessation in people with mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Science, Medicine & Rehabilitation, 14(1), 115. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-022-00498-y
Schöttl, S. E., Schnitzer, M., Savoia, L., & Kopp, M. (2022). Physical activity behaviour during and after COVID-19 stay-at-home orders—a longitudinal study in the Austrian, German and Italian Alps. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 901763. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.901763
Schöttl, S., Schnitzer, M., & Kopp, M. (2022). Sport and physical activity behaviour among children and adolescents in Austria during the COVID-19 pandemic: an overview and recommendations for action. Physical Education, 76(3/4), pp. 3–10.
Schöttl, S., Blank, C., Niemuth, L. & Happ, E. (2025). Health tourism: Mountain Regions. In M. Kopp & J. Burtscher (Eds.), Mountain sports and health (pp. 313–329). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-70316-8_23
Selected publication:
Färber, S., Mittermeier, R., Ebenbichler, C., & Raschner, C. (2024). Thermal evolution of skin temperature during rehabilitation from severe knee injury: A 12-month longitudinal case study of a female junior elite alpine ski racer. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 6, Article 1393782. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1393782
Selected publications:
Hildebrandt, C., Oberhoffer, R., Raschner, C., Müller, E., Fink, C., & Steidl-Müller, L. (2021). Training load characteristics and injury and illness risk identification in elite youth ski racing: A prospective study. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 10(2), 230–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2020.03.009
Müller, L., Hildebrandt, C., Müller, E., Oberhoffer, R., & Raschner, C. (2017). Injuries and illnesses in a cohort of elite youth alpine ski racers and the influence of biological maturity and relative age: A two-season prospective study. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, 8, 113–122. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S133811
Müller, L., Hildebrandt, C., Müller, E., Fink, C., & Raschner, C. (2017). Long-term athletic development in youth alpine ski racing: The effect of physical fitness, ski racing technique, anthropometrics and biological maturity status on injuries. Frontiers in Physiology, 8, Article 656. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00656
Niedermeier, M., Weiss, E. M., Steidl-Müller, L., Burtscher, M., & Kopp, M. (2020). Acute effects of a short bout of physical activity on cognitive function in sport students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), 3678. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103678
Spörri, J., Bonell Monsonís, O., Balsiger, P., Bahr, R., Dios, C., Engebretsen, L., Finnoff, J. T., Gillespie, S., Hörterer, H., Mitterbauer, G., Pasanen, K., Raschner, C., Reardon, C. L., Scherr, J., Schobersberger, W., Valtonen, M., Weirather, T., Gouttebarge, V., Bolling, C., & Verhagen, E. (2025). International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) consensus statement on training and testing in competitive alpine and freestyle skiers and snowboarders. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 11, e002623. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2025-002623
Steidl-Müller, L., Hildebrandt, C., Niedermeier, M., Müller, E., Romann, M., Javet, M., Bruhin, B., & Raschner, C. (2020). Biological maturity status, anthropometric percentiles, and core flexion-to-extension strength ratio as possible risk factors for traumatic and overuse injuries in young alpine ski racers: A four-year prospective study. Applied Sciences, 10(21), 7623. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10217623
Collaborating partners at the University of Innsbruck
Selected publications:
Abu-Rayya, H. M., Jammal-Abboud, R., & Berger, F. (2025). Parenting Styles and Family Relationship Quality and Their Associations with Personality Traits and Cultural Values in a Multi-Country Arab Sample. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221251406557
Berger, F. (2025). Transformation of the parent-child relationship during adolescence and the development of adolescent autonomy. In C. Kraler, C. Schreiner & F. Berger (Eds.), Education and Socialisation: Further Perspectives on the Work of Helmut Fend (pp. 262–297). Bad Heilbrunn: Julius Klinkhardt Verlag.
Berger, F. & Jammal-Abboud, R. (2025). The Long-Term Impact of Family Experiences in Adolescence on Mother-Child Relationships in Early Adulthood. *Journal of Family Issues*. First published online 11 April 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X251330609
Berger, F., Kraler, C., & Schreiner, C. (2024). Transition from primary to lower secondary school in Austria. Findings from a longitudinal study during COVID-19. Zeitschrift für Bildungsforschung. https://doi.org/10.1007/s35834-024-00453-6
Hagleitner, W., Sting, S., Berger, F., Groinig, M., Roßnagl, S., & Maran, T. (2024). Predictors of mental health during young people’s transition from out-of-home care in Austria. Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect, Volume 158, December 2024, 107139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107139
Berger, F. (2023). Youth. In M. Huber & M. Döll (Eds.). Educational Science in Concepts, Theories and Discourses (pp. 273–280). Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Excerpt from a current project involving other members of the research centre:
Unitarism in management studies: Unitarism is a perspective on employment issues that focuses on the concerns of managers; it is particularly prevalent in management studies. We are investigating how university lecturers and students view unitarism and what opportunities exist to make room for other perspectives on employment issues.
Collaborating partners at the Medical University of Innsbruck
Selected publications:
Hölzle L, Schöch P, Hörtnagl C, Buchheim A, Lampe A, Zechmeister-Koss I and Paul JL (2024) Identifying and synthesising components of perinatal mental health peer support – a systematic review. Front. Psychiatry 15:1389545. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1389545
Schöch P, Hölzle L, Lampe A, Hörtnagl C, Zechmeister-Koss I, Buchheim A and Paul JL (2024) Towards effective screening for paternal perinatal mental illness: a meta-review of instruments and research gaps. Front. Public Health. 12:1393729. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1393729
Ingrid Zechmeister-Koss, Dr, Christoph Strohmaier, MSc, Laura Hölzle, MA, Annette Bauer, MBA, MSc, Melinda Goodyear, PhD, Hanna Christiansen, Dr, Jean L. Paul, PhD, 2022: Economic Evaluation of Family-Focused Programmes When Parents Have a Mental Health Problem: Methodological Considerations, Value in Health: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2022.11.016
Zechmeister-Koss et al… 2022: Practices to support co-design processes: A case study of co-designing a programme for children with parents with a mental health problem in the Austrian region of Tyrol. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. doi: 10.1111/inm.13078
Strohmaier C, Hölzle L, The economic and societal dimension of parental mental illness – Systematic review and economic evaluation framework, AIHTA Project Report No.: 142; 2021. Vienna: HTA Austria – Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment GmbH.
Selected publications:
YALCIN-SIEDENTOPF N, PICHLER T, WELTE AS, HOERTNAGL CM, KLASEN CC, KEMMLER G, SIENDENTOPF CM, HOFER A (2020): Sex Matters: Stress Perception and the Relevance of Resilience and Perceived Social Support in Emerging Adults. Arch Womens Ment Health 2021; 24: 403–411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-020-01076-2
MARONKUCK N, SCHURR T, PAMMER LM, POST F, HOFER A (2026): Associations between psychological need satisfaction, humour styles, and psychological distress in emerging adults. Front Psychol., Sec. Health Psychology, 17: 1793980. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1793980
Head of the “Healthy Minds” research group: Supporting new parents and babies during the perinatal period
Selected publications:
Hölzle, L., Schöch, P., Hörtnagl, C., Buchheim, A., Lampe, A., Zechmeister-Koss, I., & Paul, J. L. (2024). Identifying and synthesising components of perinatal mental health peer support: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, Article 1389545. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1389545
Reinsperger, I., Paul, J. L., & Zechmeister-Koss, I. (2025). International best-practice models for perinatal and infant mental health care: A scoping review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, Article 1536145. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1536145
Schamschula, M., Bauer, A., & Paul, J. L. (2024). Understanding parenting responsibilities as a challenge to mental healthcare access for mothers with a mental illness in Tyrol, Austria. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, 6, Article 100490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100490
Schamschula, M., & Paul, J. L. (2024). Deconstructing stigmatising narratives: A qualitative analysis of contrast devices in interviews with mothers with a mental illness. BMC Psychology, 12, Article 433. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01933-0
Schöch, P., Hölzle, L., Lampe, A., Hörtnagl, C., Zechmeister-Koss, I., Buchheim, A., & Paul, J. L. (2024). Towards effective screening for paternal perinatal mental illness: A meta-review of instruments and research gaps. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, Article 1393729. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1393729
Toffol, E., Stracke, M., Harlos, N., et al. (2024). Lessons on targeting family mental health and improving outcomes for children of parents with a mental illness. Nature Mental Health, 2, 893–900. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-024-00285-3
Zechmeister-Koss, I., Hörtnagl, C., Lampe, A., & Paul, J. L. (2024). Perinatal and infant mental health care in Austria: Mapping of existing prevention, screening, and care services. Neuropsychiatrie, 39(1), 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40211-024-00516-0
Project Coordinator for the “Healthy Minds” research group
Selected publications:
Schöch, P., Hölzle, L., Lampe, A., Hörtnagl, C., Zechmeister-Koss, I., Buchheim, A., & Paul, J. L. (2024). Towards effective screening for paternal perinatal mental illness: a meta-review of instruments and research gaps. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1393729.
Hölzle, L., Schöch, P., Hörtnagl, C., Buchheim, A., Lampe, A., Zechmeister-Koss, I., & Paul, J. L. (2024). Identifying and synthesising components of perinatal mental health peer support – a systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1389545.
Ofner, T., Sagerschnig, S., Scolik, F., Schöch, P., & Paul, J. L. (2026). Psychosocial support for mothers experiencing psychological stress in early childhood interventions: a mixed-methods evaluation in Austria.
External partners
Selected publications:
Timón-Gómez A, Doerrier C, Sumbalová Z, Garcia-Souza LF, Baglivo E, Car doso LHD, Gnaiger E (2026) Bioenergetic profiles and respiratory control in mitochondrial physiology: Precision analysis of oxidative phosphorylation. Exp Physiol 111:179–211. https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092792
Gnaiger E (2025) Mitochondrial respiratory function in living cells. Bioenerg Commun 2025.5. https://doi.org/10.26124/bec.2025-0005
Leo E, Rychtarova L, Garcia-Souza LF, Åsander Frostner E, Elmér E, Gnaiger E (2025) High-resolution respirometry in a small-volume chamber. J Vis Exp 221:e67442. https://doi.org/10.3791/67442
Sailer J, Schmitt S, Zischka H, Gnaiger E (2025) Direct effects of clinically relevant antibiotics on mitochondrial respiration. Int J Mol Sci 26:5379. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26115379
Gnaiger E (2024) Complex II ambiguities ― FADH2 in the electron transfer system. J Biol https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105470 Chem Full list of publications: www.bioblast.at/index.php/Gnaiger_E#Publications Extended CV: www.bioblast.at/index.php/Gnaiger_E#CURRICULUM_VITAE instruments@oroboros.at 300:105470.
Selected publications:
Schurz, M., Radua, J., Tholen, M. G., Maliske, L., Margulies, D. S., Mars, R. B., ... & Kanske, P. (2021). Towards a hierarchical model of social cognition: A neuroimaging meta-analysis and integrative review of empathy and theory of mind. Psychological Bulletin, 147(3), 293. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000303
Kanske, P., Alexander, N., Bernhardt, N., Ehrlich, S., Groß, J., Culmsee, C., ... & Wöhr, M. (2026). Key mechanisms of affective disorders: CRC/TRR 393 project on mechanisms of emotion regulation, expectation, social cognition, and cognitive–behavioural rhythms. Der Nervenarzt, 97(2), 147–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00115-025-01920-9
Lehmann, K., Bolis, D., Friston, K. J., Schilbach, L., Ramstead, M. J., & Kanske, P. (2024). An active-inference approach to second-person neuroscience. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 19(6), 931–951. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916231188000
Further information is available on the Dresden University of Technology website
Based in the Department of Medical Neurosciences at Radboud University Medical Centre and at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour
Selected publications:
Lahmann C, Kropac K (2024). How work makes you happy: and when you should consider changing jobs. Hamburg: Rowohlt.
Tebartz van Elst L, Biscaldi-Schäfer M, Lahmann C, Riedel A, Zeeck A (eds.) (2023). Developmental Disorders – Interdisciplinary Perspectives from Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics in Childhood, Adolescence and Adulthood. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
Scheidt CE, Pfänder S, Ballati A, Schmidt S, Lahmann C (2021). Language and Movement Synchronisation in Dyadic Psychotherapeutic Interaction – A Qualitative Review and a Proposal for a Classification. Front Psychol 12:696448. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.696448.
Selected publications:
Muñoz-del-Pino, I. M., Matías-García, J. A., & Saavedra-Macías, F. J. (2025). A Systematic Review of the Use of Blogs and Vlogs as Means of Self-Expression for People with Serious and Common Mental Illness. Psychiatric Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-025-10158-2
Saavedra, J., Brzseska, J., Matias-García, J.A., & Arias-Sánchez, S. (2023). Quality of life and psychiatric distress in people with serious mental illness: the role of personal recovery. Psychology and Psychotherapy, 00:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12451.
Murvartian, L., Saavedra-Macías, F. J., & Infanti, J. J. (2023). Public stigma towards women who are victims of intimate partner violence: A systematic review. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 73, 101877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2023.101877
Saavedra, J., Arias-Sánchez, S., Matias, J., & Bzsreska, J. (2022). “I don’t believe I’m going to recover from anything.” Understanding recovery amongst people with severe mental illness attending community health services in Spain. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44, 20, 5974–5982 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1954246.
Saavedra, J., Pérez, E., Crawford, P. and Arias, S. (2018). Recovery and creative practices in people with severe mental illness: evaluating well-being and social inclusion. Disability and Rehabilitation, 40(8):905–911. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2017.1278797.
Neuroscientist
Digital-Human Interaction Lab (HEILAB); Lusófona University, Porto, PORTUGAL
Coordinator of the Mental Health & Clinical Science Lab
Selected publications:
Abel, L., Richer, R., Burkhardt, F., Kurz, M., Ringgold, V., Schindler-Gmelch, L., Eskofier, B. M., & Rohleder, N. (2025). Body movements as biomarkers: Machine learning-based prediction of HPA axis reactivity to stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 179, 107528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107528
Gerber, L., Müller, M. M., Oender, A., Urbanczyk, S., Radermacher, P., Brucker, C., Stein, B., Waller, C., & Rohleder, N. (2025). Psychological, neuroendocrine and inflammatory stress responses in women after miscarriage or stillbirth: investigating early psychobiological adaptations to potentially traumatic events. Journal of Neural Transmission (Vienna, Austria), 132(9), 1263–1274. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-025-02927-x
Janson-Schmitt, J., Haessner, J., Moeller, R., & Rohleder, N. (2025). Experimentally induced post-event rumination alters biological stress response patterns to repeated stress. Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine, 10.1097. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001458
Müller, A., Kob, R., Sieber, C. C., Freiberger, E., Rohleder, N., & Britting, S. (2025). Relationship between stress systems and inflammation in older adults concerned about falling – Findings from the FEARFALL study. Experimental Gerontology, 211(112899), 112899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2025.112899
Ringgold, V., Burkhardt, F., Abel, L., Kurz, M., Müller, V., Richer, R., Eskofier, B. M., Shields, G. S., & Rohleder, N. (2025). Multimodal stress assessment: Connecting task-related changes in self-reported stress, salivary biomarkers, heart rate, and facial expressions in the context of the stress response to the Trier Social Stress Test. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 180(107560), 107560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107560
Ringgold, V., & Rohleder, N. (2025). Stress and resilience: associations of stress biomarkers with different conceptualisations of resilience. Current Opinion in Behavioural Sciences, 61, 101463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2024.101463
Prof. Dr Nikolaos “Nick” Stergiou
Assistant Dean and Director of the Department of Biomechanics and Research Development, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Holder of the Distinguished Community Research Chair and Professor in the Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Director of the Centre for Research on Human Movement Variability (MOVCENTR), University of Nebraska at Omaha
Professor of Biomechanics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Selected publications:
Glaser, J., Hornung, S., Höge, T., & Strecker, C. (2020). The Activity and Work Analysis Method (TAA): Screening for psychological stress at work. innsbruck university press. https://doi.org/10.15203/99106-023-9
Huber, A., Bair, A., Strecker, C., Höge, T., & Höfer, S. (2021). Do more of what makes you happy? The applicability of signature character strengths and future physicians’ well-being and health over time. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 534983. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.534983
Kachel, T., Huber, A., Strecker, C., Höge, T., & Höfer, S. (2020). Development of cynicism in medical students: Exploring the role of signature character strengths and well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 328. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00328
Seubert, C., Strecker, C., & Glaser, J. (2019). Psychological work analyses in the healthcare sector. In P. Angerer, H. Gündel, S. Brandenburg, A. Nienhaus, S. Letzel, & D. Nowak (Eds.), Working in the healthcare sector: Psychosocial working conditions – staff health – quality of patient care (pp. 13–28). Hüthig Jehle Rehm Publishing Group.
Strecker, C., Brenner, M., Rapp, M., Kachel, T., Höge, T., Höfer, S., & Weber, W. G. (2019). Method for Observing the Sociomoral Climate (SMK-B): Manual for Research and Application. innsbruck university press. https://doi.org/10.15203/99006-077-1