Press releases
German Research Foundation admits “Advanced Clinician Scientist” Dr. Sebastian Scheich to early-career program
Emmy Noether funding: €2 Million for Frankfurt Cancer Researcher
Dr. Sebastian Scheich of University Hospital Frankfurt will receive around €2 million over the next six years through the Emmy Noether Program for his research into an aggressive form of lymph node cancer, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Through this program, the German Research Foundation (DFG) supports outstanding researchers, enabling them to qualify for appointment as university professors.
FRANKFURT. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive and rapidly progressing form of lymph node cancer that affects around 6,000 people in Germany each year. In this disease, certain immune cells—B cells—become malignant. The effectiveness of therapies and patient prognoses vary widely, as DLBCL occurs in several genetically distinct variants.
As part of the DFG's Emmy Noether program, Dr. Sebastian Scheich and his research group at Medical Clinic 2 of Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt are investigating which signaling networks DLBCL cancer cells use to promote their own growth and ensure survival.
To this end, the researchers aim to elucidate how various proteins in malignant B cells are modified with sugar residues. This process, known as glycosylation, influences protein stability, function, and cellular localization, among other factors. Glycosylation also determines how cells receive and process signals, as it regulates the organization of signaling receptors on the cell surface.
In recent studies, Scheich's team has shown that changes in the enzymes catalyzing glycosylation contribute to the activation of disease-relevant signaling networks. One key network is the NF-B signaling pathway, which conveys the message to cancer cells: “Grow, divide, and do not die." Moreover, the group's findings suggest that glycosylation mechanisms may also influence how well DLBCL tumors respond to targeted therapies, cellular therapies, and immunotherapies.
The Emmy Noether funding enables Scheich to expand his junior research group and supports his dual career path in research and clinical practice. The physician explains: “We want to systematically investigate how altered glycosylation controls oncogenic signaling pathways in lymphoma cells. Our goal is to identify starting points for innovative therapies for aggressive lymphomas. As an Advanced Clinician Scientist, I lead a laboratory while also treating patients on a daily basis. This helps me align scientific questions with clinical relevance."
Dr. Sebastian Scheich, born in 1988, studied medicine at Justus Liebig University Giessen, where he also earned his doctorate. Starting 2019, he worked for four years as a postdoctoral researcher at the National Cancer Institute in the United States. Since 2023, he has been conducting research and working at Medical Clinic 2 – Hematology and Oncology at Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt and at the University Cancer Center Frankfurt (UCT). In the same year, he began establishing and leading a junior research group at the LOEWE Center Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI). Sebastian Scheich is funded as an Advanced Clinician Scientist through the INITIALISE program (Innovations in Infection Medicine) of Germany's Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, and is affiliated with the Mildred Scheel Early Career Center (MSNZ) Frankfurt-Marburg. He is also actively involved, via the Frankfurt/Mainz site of the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), in the Alliance of Rhine-Main Universities (RMU).
The Emmy Noether Program of the German Research Foundation (DFG) supports exceptionally qualified researchers at an early stage of their careers and enables them, by leading an independent junior research group for up to six years, to obtain the qualifications required for a professorship.
Picture download:
https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/182872402
Caption: Dr. Sebastian Scheich, Head of Emmy Noether Group at Medical Clinic 2 – Hematology and Oncology, Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt. Photo: Klaus Wäldele
Contact:
Dr. Sebastian Scheich
Medical Clinic 2 – Hematology and Oncology
and University Cancer Center Frankfurt
Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt
Tel: +49 69 6301-37 67
sebastian.scheich@unimedizin-ffm.de
https://lymphoma-leukemia-research-frankfurt.de/ag-scheich-home/research-scheich-lab
Bluesky: @goetheuni.bsky.social
LinkedIn: @Goethe-Universität Frankfurt @Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt @UCT University Cancer Center Frankfurt @Georg Speyer Haus @Sebastian Scheich
Goethe University-led study reveals how mutations in the repair enzyme SPRTN trigger inflammation and premature ageing – new insight into Ruijs-Aalfs syndrome
A broken DNA repair tool accelerates aging
If severe DNA damage is not repaired, the consequences for the health of cells and tissues are dramatic. A study led by researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt, part of the Rhine-Main University Alliance, shows that the failure of a key DNA repair enzyme called SPRTN not only results in genetic damage, but also triggers chronic inflammatory responses that accelerate aging and lead to developmental abnormalities. The findings shed light on the rare hereditary disorder Ruijs-Aalfs syndrome and may open new avenues for therapeutic intervention.
FRANKFURT. Although DNA is tightly packed and protected within the cell nucleus, it is constantly threatened by damage from normal metabolic processes or external stressors such as radiation or chemical substances. To counteract this, cells rely on an elaborate network of repair mechanisms. When these systems fail, DNA damage can accumulate, impair cellular function, and contribute to cancer, aging, and degenerative diseases.
One particularly severe form of DNA damage are the so-called DNA–protein crosslinks (DPCs), in which proteins become attached to DNA. DPCs can arise from alcohol consumption, exposure to substances such as formaldehyde or other aldehydes, or from errors made by enzymes involved in DNA replication and repair. Because DPCs can cause serious errors during cell division by stalling DNA replication, DNA–protein crosslinks pose a serious threat to genome integrity.
The enzyme SPRTN removes DPCs by cleaving the DNA-protein crosslinks. SPRTN malfunctions, for example as a result of mutations, may predispose individuals to develop bone deformities and liver cancer in their teenage years. This rare genetic disorder is known as Ruijs-Aalfs syndrome. Its underlying mechanism remains poorly understood, and there are no specific therapies.
Now a research team led by Prof. Ivan Ðikić from the Institute of Biochemistry II at Goethe University demonstrated that the loss of a functional SPRTN enzyme not only leads to the accumulation of damaged DNA in the cell nucleus. Using cell culture experiment and genetically modified mice they found out that, in addition, DNA from the nucleus also leaks into the interior of the cell, the cytoplasm.
DNA in the cytoplasm is recognized by the cell as a danger signal, as such DNA usually originates from invading viruses or bacteria or from malignant transformation. Cytoplasmic DNA therefore activates defense mechanisms in the cell by initiating the so-called cGAS-STING signaling pathway. Furthermore, the cell releases messenger substances that attract immune cells, leading to chronic inflammation.
The Frankfurt-led research team observed that this chronic inflammatory response is especially pronounced in the mouse embryos and persists in adulthood, particularly in the lung and liver. As a result, the mice died early or showed signs of premature ageing similar to those seen in people with Ruijs-Aalfs syndrome. Blocking the relevant immune response alleviated many of the symptoms.
“Unrepaired DNA-protein crosslinks have broader systemic consequences," explains Ðikić. “They not only compromise genome stability but also drive chronic inflammation that can significantly influence lifespan."
The physician and molecular biologist sees potential for the development of therapies: “In addition to Ruijs-Aalfs syndrome, there are other rare genetic diseases in which DNA-protein crosslinks play an important role. With our work, we have laid an important foundation for future therapeutic approaches to these diseases as well. By studying the underlying mechanisms of these rare diseases, we discovered a new link between DNA damage, inflammatory responses, and the lifespan of an organism. This also contributes to the understanding of the biology of ageing."
Partners in the research project included Goethe University and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Institute of Molecular Biology/Professor Petra Beli and Institute of Transfusion Medicine/Professor Daniela Krause) within the Rhine-Main Universities alliance (RMU), the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), EPFL Lausanne, Charité Berlin and the Universities of Cologne and Split (Croatia).
Publication: Ines Tomaskovic, Cristian Prieto-Garcia, Maria Boskovic, Mateo Glumac, Tsung-Lin Tsai, Thorsten Mosler, Rubina Kazi, Rajeshwari Rathore, Jorge Andrade, Marina Hoffmann, Giulio Giuliani, Anne-Claire Jacomin, Raquel S. Pereira, Elias Knop, Laurens Wachsmuth, Petra Beli, Koraljka Husnjak, Manolis Pasparakis, Andrea Ablasser, Daniela S. Krause, Michael Potente, Stamatis Papathanasiou, Janos Terzic, Ivan Dikic. DNA-Protein crosslinks promote cGAS-STING-driven premature aging and embryonic lethality. Science (2026) https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adx9445
Picture download:
https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/182738939
Captions:
1 Fatal error: The failure of the repair enzyme SPRTN in these cultured cells leads to fatal errors in cell division, e.g. by distributing the chromosomes (red) to three daughter cell nuclei instead of two (arrow). Green: Cell division apparatus/cytoskeleton. Photo: Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University Frankfurt
2 SPRTN protects the DNA like a helmet by reparing DNA-protein crosslinks. Artist's impression: Anne-Claire Jacomin, Goethe University Frankfurt
Contact:
Professor Ivan Ðikić
Institute of Biochemistry II
and Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences
Goethe University Frankfurt
Tel: +49 (0)69 6301-5964
dikic@biochem2.uni-frankfurt.de
https://biochem2.com/research-group/molecular-signaling
Bluesky: @goetheuni.bsky.social @ibc2-gu.bsky.social @idikic.bsky.social @rheinmainunis.bsky.social @unimainz.bsky.social @Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Linkedin: @Goethe-Universität Frankfurt @Institute of Biochemistry II (IBC2) @Rhein-Main-Universitäten @Universitätsmedizin Mainz @Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
The Collaborative Research Center “Treatment Expectation” focuses on risks, chances of recovery, and side-effect rates in patient education.
One in 1,000 Dies: Communicating Medical Numbers
FRANKFURT, MARBURG, ESSEN. Similar – yet not the same: Many studies show that patients often struggle to interpret numerical information in medical contexts, especially probabilities related to recovery and side effects. In a recently published Letter in the prestigious journal JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), Professors Tobias Kube (Goethe University Frankfurt) and Winfried Rief (University of Marburg) explain which phrasing can help prevent nocebo effects in communication in outpatient and clinical settings.
Is “three out of 100” the same as 3%? Mathematically, yes – psychologically, not necessarily. While the numbers are identical, patients often perceive the two descriptions differently. This is one of the key points highlighted by Prof. Tobias Kube (Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology, Goethe University Frankfurt) and Prof. Winfried Rief, Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the University of Marburg. Rief also serves as deputy spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) “Treatment Expectation,” which investigates placebo and nocebo effects; Kube is an associate member of the CRC. One of the CRC’s central research questions is how healthcare providers can strengthen placebo effects and avoid nocebo effects through medical communication. Which pitfalls should clinicians avoid when discussing risks, chances of recovery, and side-effect rates during patient consultations?
Numbers and Numeracy
Many people struggle with basic mathematical tasks. In a study of 4,637 adults in the United States, only 34 percent were able to identify the largest value in an unordered sequence of numbers. Brian Zikmund-Fisher, Professor of Health Behavior and Health Equity at the University of Michigan, reported this in JAMA in late October 2025. The situation in Germany is likely not fundamentally different. Zikmund-Fisher recommends five clear strategies for presenting numbers in an understandable way and advises against vague verbal descriptors such as “frequent,” “very rare,” or “unlikely.” Without context and comparison, such terms offer little guidance and can amplify fear as well as unintended expectation effects.
However, as Kube notes in the recent JAMA commentary, numbers in medical contexts also carry risks. What the U.S. professor did not address in his JAMA article are so-called framing effects. Kube and Rief therefore show that patients can perceive numerically identical test results and probability statements very differently depending on how they are presented.
Positive Percentages
“There is no mathematical difference between saying ‘90 percent of patients recover from the infection’ and ‘10 percent do not recover,’ but the first phrasing emphasizes the high likelihood of a favorable outcome,” explains Prof. Tobias Kube (Goethe University Frankfurt). “That is positive framing.” The first formulation tends to be reassuring, while the second can provoke anxiety. “That’s why we should aim for positive framing in clinical practice – especially when communicating potentially distressing information. In such situations, explanations such as the likelihood that a treatment will work or the probability of severe side effects should be placed in a positive context.”
The Framing Effect
This “framing effect” describes why we evaluate the same information differently depending on how it is phrased. Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky showed in their early, pioneering work on decision-making that two statements with identical content can trigger very different emotional responses – and therefore different decisions – depending on linguistic framing. The same information can thus be experienced differently in perception, emotional state, and evaluation. This is why wording matters: the brain responds not only to content, but also strongly to emotional tone. Kube goes a step further: “Beyond positive versus negative framing, it also matters whether probabilities are presented as percentages or as frequencies.” For example, the statement “one in a hundred will die” often feels far more alarming than “one percent will die.” “When communicating medical risks using negative framing, it is often better to use percentages, because patients perceive them more abstractly. That makes it less likely they will immediately imagine themselves as the one person out of a hundred who is affected,” advises Prof. Rief (University of Marburg).
The Recommendation
Numbers are a central component of medical communication, but they should be chosen carefully with regard to framing effects. Patients who are highly anxious require special attention and expanded communication. “Highly anxious and very concerned patients should be given a detailed explanation of how these numbers are to be understood,” explains Kube.
Conclusion
“Many patients do not fully understand what a doctor has said – or, more importantly, what was meant – during consultations,” confirms neurologist Prof. Ulrike Bingel, Head of University Pain Medicine at Universitätsmedizin Essen and spokesperson for the CRC “Treatment Expectation.” She adds: “Effective health communication primarily requires time – and that time is often lacking in clinical practice.”
Especially given tight time resources in the healthcare system, Kube sees substantial potential in careful risk communication: “Positive framing costs nothing and does not require additional time in consultations – which makes it particularly easy to implement.”
“Every patient asks about risks and benefits because information provides reassurance. That’s precisely why we need to train therapists and clinicians to communicate diagnoses, treatments, and potential side effects in a way that is sensitive to expectations,” emphasizes Bingel. Current studies provide clear guidance on what matters. Patients should not be left to search for explanations online on their own, Bingel warns.
Link to the Jama Letter
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2844450#
Original Work:
Zikmund-Fisher, B. J., Thorpe, A. & Fagerlin, A. How to Communicate Medical Numbers. JAMA (2025). https://doi.org:10.1001/jama.2025.13655
Kube T, Riecke J, Heider J, Glombiewski JA, Rief W, Barsky AJ. Same same, but different: effects of likelihood framing on concerns about a medical disease in patients with somatoform disorders, major depression, and healthy people. Psychol Med. 2023 Dec;53(16):7729-7734. doi: 10.1017/S0033291723001654. Epub 2023 Jun 13. PMID: 37309182.
Collaborative Research Center 289 “Treatment Expectation”
The nationwide Collaborative Research Center (CRC/TRR 289) “Treatment Expectation”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), has been investigating how patient expectations influence the effectiveness of medical treatments since 2020. The interdisciplinary research network spans the universities of Duisburg-Essen, Marburg, and Hamburg. Germany holds a leading international position in placebo and nocebo research. In May 2024, the Collaborative Research Center was awarded approximately €15 million by the DFG for a further four-year funding phase. The aim of this interdisciplinary collaboration is to understand the complex mechanisms of expectation effects – from the molecular to the systemic level – using state-of-the-art scientific methods. A central focus lies in identifying psychological and neurobiological differences between individual patients and conditions, and in examining how expectation effects can be used to optimize established pharmacological and other therapeutic approaches. To this end, around 100 researchers from medicine, psychology, and neuroscience are conducting extensive experimental and clinical studies. The overarching goal is to improve the tolerability of existing medications, enhance their effectiveness, and reduce side effects by harnessing the effects of positive expectations. The spokesperson of the research consortium, Prof. Dr. Ulrike Bingel from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen, explains: “Patient expectations have a substantial influence on the course of diseases and the effectiveness of treatments. Our goal is to integrate scientifically grounded knowledge demonstrating the importance of expectation, context, and communication into conventional medical care.”
Further information on the current state of research and guidance for patients is available online: www.treatment-expectation.de/en.
Photos of Prof. Ulrike Bingel, Prof. Tobias Kube and Prof. Winfried Kief can be downloaded at: https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/182668122.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Tobias Kube, Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Varrentrappstr. 40-42, 60486 Frankfurt. kube@psych.uni-frankfurt.de
Prof. Dr. Winfried Rief, Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology, Head of the Psycholoical Emergency Services, Marbug University, Gutenbergstraße 18, 35032 Marburg. riefw@staff.uni-marburg.de
Editor: Dr. Dirk Frank, Press Officer/ Deputy Press Spokesperson, PR & Communications Office, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt, Tel.: +49 (0)69/798-13753, frank@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de
U.S. organization supporting prostate cancer research awards early-career prize to a scientist at Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt
Science Award: Frankfurt cancer researcher Anne Fassl receives USD 225,000 from Prostate Cancer Foundation
Junior research group leader Dr. Anne Fassl from the Department of Urology at Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt has been awarded a Young Investigator Award 2025 by the U.S.-based Prostate Cancer Foundation for her research into the interaction between genes and the immune system in advanced prostate cancer. The award includes three years of funding totaling the equivalent of EUR 195,000.
FRANKFURT. Nearly one in four cancer diagnoses in Germany involves the prostate gland. In her project funded by the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Dr. Anne Fassl is investigating a specific form of prostate carcinoma in which one copy of a particular gene – the BRCA2 gene – is defective from birth and in all cells of the body. This gene supports the repair of DNA damage.
Because the BRCA2 gene is present in two copies in every cell, it becomes critical only when an additional, acquired mutation damages the second copy as well, causing the affected cell to lose an important checkpoint for DNA repair. As a result, mutations can accumulate, eventually causing the cell to lose control over cell division. Since the immune system eliminates aged and damaged body cells, the emerging cancer cells must also evade immune surveillance in order for a tumor to develop.
In advanced prostate cancer – when the tumor has formed metastases outside the prostate – newer therapeutic approaches pursue a dual strategy. On the one hand, a protein called PARP, which is also important for DNA repair, is specifically inhibited. In tumor cells that are already pre-damaged due to the defective BRCA2 gene, this leads to such extensive DNA damage that the cells die. PARP inhibition is complemented by drugs that lift the immune system blockade imposed by tumors, known as immune checkpoint inhibitors. This is intended to enable the immune system to support tumor control.
The problem is that cells of the immune system themselves also possess only one intact copy of BRCA2. Whether this affects the response to therapy is what Fassl is investigating in her newly funded project, “Evaluating the impact of BRCA2 immune cell heterozygosity on therapeutic approaches for advanced prostate cancer." Her aim is to test various drug combinations in laboratory experiments to identify particularly promising therapeutic options.
Professor Felix Chun, Director of the Department of Urology at Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt, says: “Anne Fassl is a very talented scientist, and I congratulate her on this award. The Young Investigator Award underscores the great potential of her research on genetic alterations of the immune system in the context of prostate cancer therapy. The funding will enable Anne Fassl to further establish herself in the field of prostate cancer research, as her work is expected to make a significant contribution to gene-based, personalized treatment of people with prostate carcinoma in the coming years."
Dr. rer. nat. Anne Fassl studied biology in Leipzig and earned her doctorate at the German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg. After postdoctoral positions at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston, she was recruited from the United States to Frankfurt as a junior research group leader by the Mildred Scheel Career Center Frankfurt–Marburg and has been conducting research at the Department of Urologyat Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt since 2023. Building on her research and her postdoctoral experience at Harvard Medical School, she focuses in Frankfurt on precision medicine for hormone-driven tumors, with a particular emphasis on prostate and breast cancer.
The non-profit Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is a global leader in supporting and funding prostate cancer research. Since its founding in 1993, it has provided around USD 1 billion for cutting-edge research in more than 2,000 projects at 245 leading cancer centers in 28 countries. The PCF's Young Investigator Awards program identifies promising early-career researchers and provides career and project support for innovative research ideas aimed at combating prostate cancer. By specifically promoting the next generation of leading researchers in this field, the program seeks to enable longer survival, fewer complications, and a higher quality of life for people affected by the disease worldwide.
Picture download:
https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/182499636
Caption: Dr. rer. nat. Anne Fassl, Department of Urology at Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt, receives the Prostate Cancer Foundation's Young Investigator Award. Photo: private
Further information
Dr. rer. nat. Anne Fassl
Head or Research Laboratory
Department of Urology
Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt
Tel.: +49 69 6301 - 80073
anne.fassl@unimedizin-ffm.de
https://www.uct-frankfurt.de/msnz/fellows/anne-fassl.html
Bluesky: @goetheuni.bsky.social
Linkedin: @Goethe-Universität Frankfurt @Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt @Felix KH Chun @UCT University Cancer Center Frankfurt
The Mildred Scheel Career Center (MSNZ) Frankfurt–Marburg is funded by the German Cancer Aid as one of five Centers in Germany. it's the excellence program of the MSNZ Frankfurt–Marburg provides targeted support for clinician scientists and medical scientists in cancer research at all career stages, from medical students to junior group leaders. Protected research time, dedicated research budgets, and access to excellent scientific infrastructure enable early career researchers to conduct their own projects in an internationally recognized environment. With internationally competitive, continuous career paths and attractive target positions, the MSNZ aims to create optimal conditions in basic, translational, and clinical cancer research. A particular concern of the MSNZ is promoting equal opportunities and the compatibility of family and career.
Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt, founded in 1914, is one of Germany's leading academic medical centers. It provides optimal medical care to patients in 33 clinics and clinical institutes. Its close integration of research and medicine—more than 20 research institutes are operated by Universitätsmedizin and the Faculty of Medicine—ensures the rapid translation of new findings into diagnostic and therapeutic practice. Approximately 1,300 inpatient and day-care beds are available, and numerous clinics and institutes are dedicated to specialized medical and scientific services.
Each year, around 46,000 inpatients and more than 480,000 outpatients are treated. Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt has particular interdisciplinary expertise in areas such as neuroscience, oncology, and cardiovascular medicine. It also plays a special role in supra-regional medical care as a center for organ and bone marrow transplantation, dialysis, cardiac surgery, and neurosurgery. The Liver Center is the only facility for liver transplantation in the state of Hesse. Under the Hessian Hospital Act, Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt holds a unique regional mandate for Frankfurt–Offenbach not only in cardiac surgery but also in oral and maxillofacial surgery, dermatology, and child and adolescent psychiatry. More than 8,500 employees provide round-the-clock care for patients.
Goethe University Frankfurt is a cosmopolitan workshop of the future based in the heart of Europe. Founded in 1914 by Frankfurt citizens, it resumed this tradition as a foundation university in 2008: as an autonomous citizens' university embedded in urban society, both ensuring and offering a high degree of social participation in and support for metropolitan life. With more than 40,000 students, Goethe University Frankfurt is one of Germany's largest and most research-intensive universities and one of Frankfurt's largest employers.
As an internationally oriented comprehensive university, Goethe University Frankfurt's excellent research is clustered along six interdisciplinary, interdepartmental profile areas as well as the diversity of its faculties and subjects, spanning the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, life sciences and medicine. Together with TU Darmstadt and the University of Mainz, it makes up the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) alliance (https://www.rhein-main-universitaeten.de/en), and is also a member of the "German U15", the association of the 15 most research-intensive German universities. Goethe University Frankfurt is the only university in the “Frankfurt Alliance" network, whose 15 other members consist of non-university research institutions in the Rhine-Main region. www.goethe-universitaet.de/en
Editor: Dr. Markus Bernards, Science Editor, PR & Communications Office, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt, Tel: +49 (0) 69 798-12498, bernards@em.uni-frankfurt.de
New study examines why people respond differently to trauma
How Experiences of Violence Affect Mental Health
Experiences of violence can leave deep and lasting marks on the victim's mental health. While some individuals remain affected for years, others recover and are able to move on. The study “Life After Violence," conducted by the universities of Frankfurt, Giessen, and Marburg, investigates why people respond so differently to traumatic experiences and which factors shape these outcomes.
FRANKFURT. With the new study “Life After Violence," researchers from the universities of Frankfurt, Giessen, and Marburg are examining how experiences of violence affect mental health – and why their psychological consequences vary so widely. The study is funded by the State of Hesse through the LOEWE program (State Initiative for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence), which supports cutting-edge research. The project forms part of the broader research network DYNAMIC, which brings together researchers from Frankfurt, Giessen, Marburg, and Darmstadt under the leadership of Winfried Rief and Andreas Reif. The study proposal was submitted by Regina Steil and Rolf van Dick (Goethe University Frankfurt), Christiane Hermann (University of Giessen), and Nina Alexander (University of Marburg), who also serve as the study's principal investigators.
What the Study Examines
The study focuses on the psychological challenges that can emerge after experiences of violence: how these challenges manifest in everyday life, how they change over time, and how different symptoms interact. For the first time in this form, psychological, biological, and social factors are examined together within a single integrated framework.
Participants are followed over several weeks using a combination of questionnaires, structured interviews, and biological measures (such as hair samples). In addition, participants use a specially developed smartphone app to report on their daily well-being, stressors, and protective factors. This approach provides a detailed, real-time picture of psychological experiences in everyday life following violence. The study is recruiting both individuals who have developed psychological disorders after experiencing violence and those who report only mild or transient symptoms.
Why This Matters
Violence can have profound psychological and physical consequences. Some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex PTSD, while others show remarkable resilience despite comparable experiences. The researchers aim to better understand the mechanisms and conditions that shape these different trajectories – for example, how symptoms such as sleep disturbances, tension, or self-doubt interact and influence one another over time.
Using advanced analytical methods known as dynamic psychological network models, the project seeks to develop a new, holistic understanding of trauma outcomes. In the long term, these insights may contribute to improved diagnostics and more personalized, targeted therapeutic interventions.
Participation Requirements
The study is seeking adults aged 18 to 70 who have experienced physical violence at least once in their lives (for example, physical assault, childhood sexual abuse, rape, or other forms of physical violence). Participation in the approximately four-week study phase will be compensated with up to €420. Participants will also receive a comprehensive assessment of their mental health and, if psychological disorders are identified, information on appropriate treatment options. Participants need to be fluent in German to take part.
Study Procedure
Following an initial telephone contact, a brief screening will determine eligibility for participation. The study includes three in-person appointments, with the first two sessions lasting approximately three to four hours each. These sessions involve structured interviews on traumatic experiences and psychological symptoms, as well as standardized questionnaires. At the second appointment, biological samples (saliva and hair) are collected, and participants are introduced to the smartphone app mPath, which is used for daily data collection. This is followed by a three-week phase of ecological momentary assessment (EMA), during which participants respond several times a day to short app-based questions about their current feelings, thoughts, and symptoms.
The study concludes with a one-hour final session to address remaining questions, reflect on participants' experiences, and formally complete participation.
Quote from the Study Leadership
“We want to understand in detail what happens psychologically when a person experiences physical violence and how this changes over time," explains Regina Steil, one of the study's principal investigators. “By identifying the underlying mechanisms, we aim to improve support and treatment for those affected."
Contact and further information
Study Website: https://www.dynamic-center.net/leben-nach-gewalt/
E-Mail: Lebennachgewalt@psych.uni-frankfurt.de or Lebennachgewalt@uni-giessen.de
Contacting the study's organizers (for journalists):
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Regina Steil
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Goethe University Frankfurt
E-Mail: steil@psych.uni-frankfurt.de
Prof. Dr. Christiane Hermann
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Justus Liebig University Giessen
E-Mail: Christiane.Hermann@psychol.uni-giessen.de
Prof. Dr. Rolf van Dick
Department of Social Psychology
Goethe University Frankfurt
E-Mail: van.dick@psych.uni-frankfurt.de
Prof. Dr. Nina Alexander
Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
University Hospital Marburg
E-Mail: nina.alexander@uni-marburg.de
The study is funded by the DYNAMIC Center, which is supported by the Hessian Ministry for Science and Research, Art, and Culture. (LOEWE1/16/519/03/09.001(0009)/98)
Editor: Dr. Anke Sauter, Science Communication, PR & Communications Office, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt, Tel. +49 (0)69 798-13066, sauter@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de
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