Competitive Grants
2026-2029
Project grant “Deploying a mobile interoceptive training app to reduce somatic symptom distress” (DEPLOY: no. 19516752), CORE scheme, funded by the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg, Role: PI (2 FTE; € 760.000,-)
2023-2027
FWO PhD grant “Gastric interoception: Towards an improved understanding of interoceptive processes within and across organ domains in healthy individuals and patients with functional dyspepsia” (no. 11PLQ24N), by candidate Tabea Eimer, PI: Andreas von Leupoldt, funded by the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek – Vlaanderen, Role: Co-Supervisor (approx. € 210.000,-)
2022-2025
AFR PhD grant “Video game effects on stress levels and the moderating role of personality factors” (VGESP, no. 14567098), by candidate Gary Wagener, PI: André Melzer, funded by the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg, Role: Co-Supervisor (approx. € 190.000,-)
2022-2026
Project grant “Shared Underlying Mechanisms of Long-Covid and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – A psychoneuroendocrinological and psychoimmunological perspective” (SUMCO), Young Academics scheme, by candidate Nina Buntic, funded by the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Luxembourg, Role: PI/Supervisor (approx. € 190.000,-)
2021-2026
Project grant “Interoception of bodily sensations across organ domains and its relevance for somatic symptoms” (INBODY: no. 14638184), INTER scheme, collaborative project with Nathalie Weltens/Andreas von Leupoldt (Catholic University of Leuven), co-funded by the Research Foundation Flanders and the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg, Role: PI (1 FTE; € 261.000,- for the University of Luxembourg; total funding granted: € 754.520,-)
2021-2024
Project grant “Cognitive Modulation of Pain in Aging – Impact of Stress and Executive Functions – a Psychophysiological Approach” (PAGES: no. 14672835), CORE scheme, collaborative project with Angelika Dierolf (PI), Marian Van der Meulen, Wolfgang Miltner and Claus Vögele, funded by the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg, Role: Co-Investigator (1 FTE; € 422.000,-)
2020-2024
EU Horizon 2020 Grant “Systems approach of urban environments and health” (SURREAL; no. 956780),
Marie Curie Innovative Training Networks, Call H2020-MSCA-ITN-2020, funded by the European Commission, Role: Co-PI (approx. € 500.000,-).
2018-2022
AFR PhD grant “Stress effects on interoceptive learning and memory as mechanism of somatic symptom generation” (INMEMO, no. 12534400), by candidate Ruta Müller, funded by the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg, Role: PI/Supervisor, (approx. € 178.000,-)
2017-2023
Project grant “Interoception and chronic stress” (INSTRESS), funded by the Research Office of the
University of Luxembourg, Role: PI (1 FTE; € 190.000,-)
2015-2018
Project grant “Interoception in medically unexplained symptoms” (INMEDEX), funded by funded by the
Research Office of the University of Luxembourg, Role: PI (1 FTE; € 174.000,-)
2015-2018
AFR PhD grant “Social rejection in early childhood and its effects on stress responses in later life” (REJECT, no. 9825384) by candidate Violetta Schaan, funded by the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg (Role: Co-Supervisor; approx. € 111.000,-)
2011-2013
University Research Focus “Psychobiology of Stress“, (Role: Early Career Member, with co-applicants H. Schächinger, E. Naumann, C. Muller, J. Meyer, R. Neumann und C. Frings), funded by the Land Rheinland-Pfalz (overall: € 120.000,-)
2010-2011
Project grant “Modulation of startle response by visceral stress through filling of the urinary bladder“, funded by the Research Fonds of the University of Trier, Role: PI (€ 4.000,-)
Awards
06/2016
Young Investigator Publication Prize 2016 of the German Society for Psychology, Section Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, for publication:
Muller, L.E., Schulz, A., Andermann, M., Gabel, A., Gescher, D.M., Spohn, A., Herpertz, S.C. & Bertsch, K. (2015). Cortical Representation of Afferent Bodily Signals in Borderline Personality Disorder: Neural Correlates and Relationship to Emotional Dysregulation. JAMA Psychiatry, 72, 1077-1086. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.1252.
11/2010
Dissertation Prize 2010, University of Trier (€ 2.000,-)
2008-2009
Stipend of the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: DFG) within the International Research Training Group “Psychoneuroendocrinology of Stress“, GRK 1389/1
09/2005
Travel funds by the Research Fonds of the University of Trier
Current projects
Deploying a mobile interoceptive training app to reduce somatic symptom distress (DEPLOY)
Many people experience bodily symptoms. Although medical examinations cannot reveal any physical illness, these symptoms may persist over time and significantly impair people’s quality of life. If so, psychologists call this disease ‘somatic symptom disorder’. The standard treatment for this disorder is psychotherapy. However, psychotherapy does not work appropriately in many patients. This may be because these patients believe that they have a physical illness instead of a mental disorder. Therefore, a new approach to treat these bodily symptoms is urgently needed. Some researchers assume that the cause of bodily symptoms is that these patients have difficulties in perceiving their own body. Hence, they trained these people to enhance their abilities in body perception. This can be achieved using a heartbeat perception training. Accordingly, undergoing a heartbeat perception training may reduce bodily symptoms within a few minutes. Firstly, we aim at revealing if a heartbeat perception training can reduce bodily symptoms in a time frame of days or weeks. Secondly, it is our purpose to find out if bodily symptoms improve because people became better in perceiving their body or if they are just distracted from their symptoms. Thirdly, if a heartbeat perception training can improve bodily symptoms, it would be the best to provide this novel training to a large number of concerned people. Therefore, we plan to develop a smartphone app, with which people can run this heartbeat perception training in everyday life. We assume that this training might work better in people, who believe that their symptoms are due to a physical illness, because they are aware that the training is based on bodily functions, such as heartbeats. People with bodily symptoms often have high absence rates from work, retire earlier, have a higher degree of disability and sometimes commit suicide. In case the current project is successful, it may provide a novel smartphone app that helps many people with bodily symptoms to lead a healthier and
happier life.
Shared Underlying Mechanisms of Long-COvid and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – A psychoneuroendocrinological and psychoimmunological perspective (SUMCO)
At least 10 % of patients recovering from Covid-19 develop persistent health consequences such as fatigue, myalgia, or post-exertional malaise. “Long-Covid” is one of the many terms used to describe the occurrence of respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, and/or gastrointestinal symptoms weeks after the initial infection is resolved. Although some symptoms seem to be unique to Long-Covid (e.g., olfactory & gustatory dysfunction), there is a large symptom overlap with the condition of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). ME/CFS is a complex, multisystem condition affecting 0.89 % of the global population. Different factors have been hypothesized to be involved in the aetiology of ME/CFS, including immune system dysregulation, metabolic alteration, autonomic nervous system (ANS) and limbic system dysfunction, as well as abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. One popular hypothesis postulates that ME/CFS is a post-infectious fatigue syndrome, as up to 50 % of ME/CFS cases develop after a viral infection (e.g., infection with Epstein-Barr Virus/EBV). This observation raises the question if Long-Covid and ME/CFS share similarities in underlying pathophysiology, as both conditions seem to occur after viral infections (SARS-CoV-2 & EBV), which trigger dysregulations in the immune system, the ANS, or the HPA axis. A proper characterization of Long-Covid and ME/CFS by a thorough, interdisciplinary psychological and physiological assessment may help to make a differential diagnostic distinction of the two patient groups. The aims of the current project are: (1) To reveal similarities and differences in the pathophysiology of Long-Covid and ME/CFS, as an in-depth understanding of the underlying psychobiology is essential to design adequate prevention in terms of early detection of pathological biomarkers and treatment interventions for Long-Covid syndromes and ME/CFS in terms of a graded exercise therapy. We specifically focus on potential alterations in the immune system, the ANS, and the HPA axis. (2) We aim to elucidate how these processes translate into severity of fatigue, as the relationship between these alterations and actual symptom distress remains yet unclear. Ultimately, as biological and psychological markers of Long-Covid and ME/CFS can help to monitor the course of symptoms and the potential responsiveness to treatment intervention, we aim (3) at investigating the effectiveness of a graded exercise therapy on symptom severity and potential improvement in alterations of the immune system, the ANS and the HPA axis – funded by the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Luxembourg.
Interoception of bodily sensations across organ domains and its relevance for somatic symptoms (INBODY)
Interoception of bodily sensations across organ domains and its relevance for somatic symptoms () – co-funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) and the Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR). Functional somatic syndromes (FSS) are characterized by chronic, disabling symptoms that do not correspond to observable organic dysfunction, and come at great individual and societal costs. Treatment options for FSS are limited, which is largely due to insufficient knowledge about the mechanisms underlying these symptoms. Disturbed interoception, the ability to process and perceive sensory signals from within the body, is believed to be crucially involved. Therefore, the present project aims to examine several important aspects of interoception in healthy individuals and patients with FSS. Specifically, we will investigate whether interoception is a general ability that shares neural processing characteristics across multiple organ domains and that predicts affective responses. Moreover, we will test whether altered interoceptive processing of bodily signals from different organs can explain the heterogeneity of somatic symptoms, especially in FSS, and how this can be modified by new treatment approaches. Our multidisciplinary research team combines expertise from the fields of psychology, neuroscience and gastroenterology. In interrelated observational and experimental work packages, we will combine state-of-the-art methods including psychophysiological, neural and behavioural measures to improve the understanding of interoception within and across multiple organ domains and to establish interoception-based intervention strategies to reduce symptom burden in FSS patients.
Interoceptive brain network stimulation as intervention method to reduce stress and somatic symptoms (INSTIM)
Communication between the brain and peripheral body organs is essential for health, stress or disease. The processing and perception of signals arising from peripheral organs, i.e. interoception, is mediated by the interoceptive brain network (e.g., anterior insula; anterior cingulate cortex; somatosensory cortices). A high functionality of this brain network is considered to be protective against stress and stress-related disorders, which are characterized by somatic symptoms. While existing evidence is mostly based on cross-sectional studies showing correlative relationships between activity in the interoceptive brain network and acute stress or stress-related disorders, in the current study we aim to manipulate activity in the interoceptive brain network. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) represents a method to activate or deactivate cortical brain regions using electrical bursts of different frequencies. Certain TMS protocols have been established to inhibit the interoceptive brain network by insula and by network (indirect) stimulation. The aims of the current project are, therefore, (1.) to establish a protocol to strengthen the interoceptive brain network using a stimulation protocol, (2.) to reveal the potential of this stimulation protocol to reduce physiological responsiveness to acute stressors and (3.) to elucidate interoceptive network stimulation effects on somatic symptom distress.
Interoception in medically unexplained symptoms (INMEDEX)
Funded by: University of Luxembourg Research Fund (PUL). Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are highly prevalent in Western societies. However, psychobiological processes underlying MUS remain unclear. Interoception, the perception of bodily processes, may play an important role in the generation of physical symptoms in MUS. Stress contributes to the development and maintenance of MUS and may also affect interoception. Therefore, in the INMEDEX project the relationships between interoception, stress and MUS are investigated.
Interoception and chronic stress (INSTRESS)
Funded by: University of Luxembourg Research Fund (PUL). Chronic stress affects the perception of internal bodily states, i.e. interoception, thereby contributing to the generation of physical symptoms and subsequently the development of mental disorders in which physical symptoms play an important role (e.g. panic disorder, somatoform disorders, depression). The psychobiological processes underlying the generation of physical symptoms under conditions of chronic stress, however, are yet unclear. The current project will investigate alterations in interoception and physiological stress responses in schoolteachers with high and low in chronic stress, as the teaching profession represents a highly stressful occupation due to its enduring work-related demands.
Stress effects on interoceptive learning and memory as a mechanism of somatic symptom generation (INMEMO)
Funded by Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR). Somatic symptom disorders (SSD) are characterized by enduring physical symptoms without a sufficient medical explanation; they have a high lifetime prevalence of 4.4-12.9% and are associated with a significant impairment of quality of life. Although altered interoception, the processing of internal bodily signals, is observed in SSD, the psychobiology underlying symptom generation remains, however, unclear. Learning and memory associated with physical symptoms (i.e. interoceptive learning) may represent one key mechanism to explain symptom generation. As post-learning stress may facilitate (mainly declarative) learning and memory, this project aims at investigating stress facilitation effects on interoceptive learning and memory.