Tasks of the Institute
Teaching
The institute offers lectures, seminars, practical courses, and colloquia for students in the pre-clinical phase of medical education. It also provides supervision and academic support for doctoral candidates and postgraduates.
Research
The institute pursues two complementary research focus areas:
(1) Cognitive and clinical neuroscience / psychobiology, and
(2) Molecular chronobiology and circadian biology.
These interconnected areas allow for a multilevel investigation of behavior, from molecular processes to psychological mechanisms and clinical applications.
The first research angle focuses on basic and applied studies in neuropsychobiology, behavioral medicine, pain, prevention, and rehabilitation. Key topics include learning and memory processes, information processing in the brain, and emotional regulation - particularly in the contexts of pain, addiction, psychotraumatology, and psychological development across the lifespan. A strong translational component links these findings to the design and empirical evaluation of behavioral medicine–based prevention and rehabilitation programs for a variety of psychological, somatic, and neurological disorders.
The second research strand investigates the role of circadian rhythms, sleep, and molecular timing mechanisms in regulating physiological and cognitive functions. Special emphasis is placed on post-translational modifications - such as protein phosphorylation cycles - and their influence on brain function, stress processing, emotional states, and metabolic regulation. These chronobiological mechanisms are explored as dynamic modulators of resilience, vulnerability, and behavioral adaptation, particularly under conditions of chronic stress or dysregulation.
An important objective of the Institute is also to integrate these research areas in order to significantly advance the evidence base and mechanistic understanding of (mental) health and disease, and to promote the development of effective treatment strategies.
Director of the Institute: Prof. Dr. Frauke Nees
We investigate the relationship between stress, emotions, and chronic pain
We are pleased to be part of the international STRESSPAIN consortium,
which is funded with 1.9 million euros under the European Union's
ERA-NET NEURON program. The aim of the project is to explore the complex
connections between stress, negative emotions, and chronic neuropathic
pain.
ERA-NET NEURON is a highly competitive European funding program that
supports collaboration among research teams across different countries
and promotes innovative, transnational projects in the field of
neuroscience.
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Frauke Nees, our team at the Institute
of Medical Psychology at LMU contributes its expertise in clinical and
cognitive neuroscience as well as psychobiology. We investigate how
emotional and stress-related factors contribute to the development and
maintenance of chronic pain and which mechanisms in the brain are
involved.
In the STRESSPAIN project, we work closely with partners from Ireland,
France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Slovakia. Together, we
combine preclinical and clinical research approaches with modern
neuroimaging, molecular biology, and computational methods to gain
deeper insights into the underlying processes.
Our long-term goal is to develop new therapeutic and preventive
approaches that specifically consider the influence of stress
and emotions on pain disorders--and thereby contribute to
improving the treatment of chronic pain.
