GRK 2773:  Risks and Pathomechanisms of Affective Disorders

• Subject Area: Neurosciences ; Psychology
• Term: since 2022
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 454245598

Affective disorders are common complex disorders representing one of the greatest challenges to global health in the 21st century. Advances in diagnostic precision and early targeted interventions may provide an opportunity to address the enormous public health burden and individual suffering associated with these disorders. The International Research Training Group (IRTG) 2773 “Risk Factors and Pathomechanisms of Affective Disorders” is designed as an interdisciplinary collaboration that offers a structured International Graduate Programme “Translational Research in Affective Disorders” for a new generation of talented young scientists. Within the IRTG we aim to provide a foundation for interdisciplinary neuropsychiatric and translational research and training to elaborate and combine research methods and innovative treatment approaches for these disorders. The IRTG is embedded in the environment of the transCampus®, a unique partnership of two excellent European academic institutions – Technische Universität Dresden and King’s College London. Both institutions are leading centres in both basic research and innovative treatment of affective disorders and have pioneered the translation of results from basic science into clinical application. This expertise will be combined within the overarching aims of the proposed IRTG to promote our key research goals: 1) investigation of risk factors and pathomechanisms of affective disorders to improve prevention, early identification and treatment, and 2) further development of the translational approach bringing basic research into clinical application and vice versa. To achieve these goals we will adopt in our integrative translational research programme a multi-level/multi-method approach considering neurobiological, cognitive-emotional and social-behavioral information using state-of-the-art epidemiological, neuroscience and clinical approaches. Students of the IRTG will acquire experience in different interdisciplinary environments, enhancing their qualification for the future challenges of translational psychiatric research. Embedded in clinician scientist curricular structures, working across two leading research centres and their clinical institutions will stimulate basic research and clinical applications and provide various opportunities for translation. Our aims can ideally be accomplished by combining the complementary and interdisciplinary expertise of both transCampus® institutions that will provide a productive and interdisciplinary environment for high-level education of young scientists and prepare them for a long-term independent clinical-scientist research career.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Dresden
• IRTG-Partner Institution: King's College London
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Michael Bauer
• IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson: Professor Allan Young, Ph.D.
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Dr. Katja Beesdo-Baum; Privatdozentin Nadine Bernhardt, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Christian Beste; Dr. Annet Bluschke; Professor Stefan R. Bornstein, Ph.D.; Professor Federico Calegari, Ph.D.; Professor Stefan Ehrlich, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Thomas Goschke; Professor Dr. Philipp Kanske; Professor Dr. Clemens Kirschbaum; Professorin Dr. Julia Martini; Privatdozentin Dr. Eva Mennigen; Professorin Dr. Andrea Pfennig; Privatdozent Dr. Philipp Ritter; Professor Dr. Veit Roessner; Privatdozent Dr. Emanuel Severus; Professor Dr. Michael Smolka