Dr. rer. nat. Susanne Meinert, M.Sc.
Postdoc
s.meinert@uni-muenster.de
Tel.: +49 (0)251 83-56687

Projects: 
SFB/TRR393:A04, ONSET:Parents, ONSET:Education, FOR2107, MACS, MACS-Angststörungen, MACS-Psychosespektrum, MACS-5-Jahres-Follow-up, Feed:Back

 

 

 

  • CV

    Research Profiles

    X x.com/susannelmeinert
    Open Science Framework osf.io/3ux8t/
    ORCiD orcid.org/0000-0003-2177-7161
    Google scholar scholar.google.de/citations

    Academic Career

    01/2024 present Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Germany, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. Udo Dannlowski, junior research Transition Research in Affective Disorders (TRIAD)
    11/2020 present Associated scientific staff member at the Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. Robert Nitsch, affiliated with the DFG CRC/SFB1451 „Key Mechanisms of Motor Control in Health and Disease“, project A07 „Role of synaptic lipid modulated cortical excitability in motor control“
    12/2015 12/2023 Scientific staff member at the Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Germany, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. Udo Dannlowski, affiliated with the DFG FOR2107 “Neurobiology of affective disorders: A translational perspective on brain structure and function”, work package 1 “Dissecting the neurobiology in the course of affective disorders – the Marburg-Münster affective disorders cohort study (MACS)”

    Qualifications

    04/2022 present PhD-student in medical science ; dissertation’s working title: „Food intake, elevated excitation, and diet: Biological action on the cortical synapse“ supervised by Prof. Dr. Dr. Robert Nitsch / Prof. Dr. Dr. Udo Dannlowski at the University of Münster, Germany
    04/2016 05/2022 PhD-student in psychology (Ø 0.0, summa cum laude, very good with honors); dissertation: „The Neural Correlates of the Development, Progression, and Outcome of Major Depressive Disorder - Insights from Diffusion Tensor Imaging“ supervised by Prof. Dr. Ricarda Schubotz / Prof. Dr. Dr. Udo Dannlowski at the University of Münster, Germany
    10/2014 03/2016 Master of science psychology (Ø 1.1, very good) at the University of Münster, Germany
    10/2011 09/2014 Bachelor of science psychology (Ø 1.4, very good) at the University of Münster, Germany
      07/2011 A-levels (Ø 1.1, very good) at the “Städtisches Stiftsgymnasium Xanten”, Germany

    Clinical Work and Training

    09/2024 present Out-patient psychotherapy at the Center for Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Münster (DGVT)
    10/2022 present Additional qualification in child and adolescent psychotherapy (CBT) at the German Society for Behavior Therapy (DGVT), Münster
    05/2021 12/2023 Out-patient psychotherapy in the Institute Outpatient Clinic of the University Hospital Münster, Germany, special unit Transition Psychiatry (young adults, postpartum depression, mother-infant-consultations) under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. Udo Dannlowski; part-time (20%)
    06/2016 04/2021 Approbation as psychotherapist (Ø 1.0, very good), specialty cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) at the Institute for Psychological Psychotherapy Training (IPP), University of Münster, Germany
    02/2017 01/2018 In-patient psychotherapy (PT1) at the University Hospital Münster, Germany, special unit „patients with experiences of psychosis”, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Rebekka Lencer
    06/2016 10/2022 Out-patient psychotherapy at the „Psychotherapie-Ambulanz (PTA)“, University of Münster, psychotherapy in training

    Awards, scholarships, and competitive funds

    2024 Oral presentation abstract price (500 €) of the DGPPN congress 2024
    2024 Invited speaker at the “ECNP’s Got Talent” Session at the ECNP congress 2024
    2024 Congress travel scholarship, ECNP Workshop for Early Career Scientists in Europe, 2024, Nice, France
    2023 DGPPN-dissertation price – Hans-Heimann-Preis 2023 for the best dissertations in the field of psychiatry and psychotherapy (6.000 €)
    2023 ECNP Excellence Award for the best poster abstract presented by an Early Career Scientist at the ECNP 2023 and travel reimbursement (630 €)
    2023 Young Mentor Award of the German Society for Psychology to honor good PhD-supervision (interview)
    2023 Society of Biological Psychiatry Travel Fellowship Award for the 2023 annual meeting financing of congress participation of the SOBP 2023, San Diego, California, USA (1.726 €)
    2019 Congress travel scholarship, ECNP Workshop for Early Career Scientists in Europe, 2024, Nice, France
    2019 Invited speaker at the „New findings“ symposium at the ECNP congress 2020**; 8 of 100 participants of the ECNP Workshop for Early Career Scientists were chosen based on the evaluation of submitted abstracts * maximum amount for compensation for travel and accommodation costs for 3 nights ** the in-person congress and the financial compensation were withdrawn due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, an online congress was organized
    2019 Congress travel scholarship, ECNP Workshop for Early Career Scientists in Europe, 2020
    2018 Congress travel scholarship, DAAD financing the congress participation of the OHBM 2018, Singapore, Singapore
    2018 Congress travel scholarship, DGBP financing the congress participation of the DGBP 2018, Heidelberg, Germany

  • Research

    Research Interests

    I have long been fascinated by research at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology that attempts to connect our inner experience to a biological substrate. I am particularly taken with the network perspective of the brain, where the brain is understood as more than the sum of its parts. Rather, it is the complex interplay through reciprocal anatomical connections that enables the integration of information from specialized regions and thus influences how we perceive the world.

    I acquired extensive knowledge in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) through stays abroad and methods workshops. I also had the opportunity to collaborate in projects using various multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods. The long-lasting expertise in all state-of-the-art morphological techniques (incl. TBSS, Connectomics, Fressurfer, CAT12, SPM12) is well documented by previous publications. I am currently expanding my neurobiological expertise with a second PhD in medical sciences under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Dr. Robert Nitsch, which I plan to complete in 2024.

    Adjacent to my research activities, I obtained my license as a psychotherapist. In addition, I am currently deepening my clinical knowledge through an additional qualification in child and adolescent psychotherapy. I firmly believe in the idea of the “clinician scientist”, where clinical work guides scientific inquiry in psychiatry and psychotherapy.

    By leveraging the impact of transitional periods, my long-term research goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the neurodevelopmental trajectories of depression. I believe this will deepen our understanding of mental illness and may inform prevention and treatment interventions in the future.

    Membership

    • German Society for Psychology (dt. “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie”, DGPS), interest group “Clinical Biopsychology“ & interest group „Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychotherapy“
    • European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)

    International research stays

    2017 Prof. Dr. Martijn van den Heuvel, UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands, lab-sharing, teaching of graph-theoretical connectome analyses, start of a cooperation (PMID: 31384023, 31758093)
    2017 Prof. Dr. Francesco Benedetti, OSR Milan, Italy, lab sharing, teaching of diffusion tensor imaging preprocessing and tract based spatial statistics; cooperation on a manuscript about the effects of electroconvulsive therapy on white matter microstructure (PMID: 31010441)

    Grants

    • "A04: Brain network characterization of symptom changes using intense sampling“, CRC/TRR 393: „Trajectories of Affective Disorders: Cognitive-Emotional Mechanisms of Symptom Change“ – German Research Foundation (DFG) together with Prof. Dr. Markus Junghöfer and Prof. Dr. Igor Nenadic (545 000 €; own share: 135 250 €)
    • “Effects of parental depression on offspring’s mental health: Insights from transgenerational neuroimaging” (ONSET: Parents) – “Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung” (EKFS) (250 527 €)
    • “Brain structural development of adolescent depression: a 2-year longitudinal study” (ONSET: Education) – “Innovative Medizinische Forschung” (IMF) of the University of Münster, together with Dr. Linda M. Bonnekoh (194 360 €; own share: 97.180 €)

  • Publications

    Notable publications

    • Goltermann, J.*, Meinert, S.*, Hülsmann, C., Dohm, K., Grotegerd, D., Redlich, R., Waltemate, L., Lemke, H., et al. (2023). Temporal stability and state-dependence of retrospective self-reports of childhood maltreatment in major depression: a two-year longitudinal analysis of the childhood trauma questionnaire. Psychological Assessment, 35(1), 12-22. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0001175preprintPreregistration / data / scriptspdf*equal contribution
    • Meinert S., Nowack N., Grotegerd D., Repple J., Winter N.R., Abheiden I., et al. (2022). Association of brain white matter microstructure with cognitive performance in major depressive disorder and healthy controls: a diffusion-tensor imaging study. Molecular Psychiatry, 27, 1103-1110, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01330-8pdf
    • Meinert, S., Leehr, E.J., Grotegerd, D., Repple, J., Förster, K., Winter, N.R., et al. (2022). White matter fiber microstructure is associated with prior hospitalizations rather than acute symptomatology in major depressive disorder. Psychological Medicine, 52(6), 1166-1174. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720002950pdf
    • Repple, J*., Meinert, S.*, Bollettini, I., Grotegerd, D., Redlich, R., Zaremba, D., et al. (2020). Influence of electroconvulsive therapy on white matter structure in a diffusion tensor imaging study. Psychological Medicine, 50(5), 849-856. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291719000758pdf*equal contribution
    • Meinert, S., Repple, J., Nenadic, I., Krug, A., Jansen, A., Grotegerd, D., et al. (2019). Reduced fractional anisotropy in depressed patients due to childhood maltreatment rather than diagnosis. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(12), 2065-2072. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0472-ypdf (includes a close replication)

    Entire bibliographie: https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=rnetiToAAAAJ&hl=de