Developmental Psychiatry

Neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders appear in childhood and adolescence and then persist into adulthood. We are especially interested in Transitional Psychiatry (Transition meaning the period from adolescence into adulthood and the treatment of psychiatric disorders in this special phase of life) and the research of  neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders with a focus on ADHD (attention-deficit-/hyperactivity disorder) and affective disorders (bipolar disorder and major depression). Furthermore we are interested in peripartal psychiatric disorders, meaning psychiatric disorders during pregnancy and breast-feeding period and their impact on the development of children of affected parents.

Aims and research areas

We investigate molecular pathomechanisms to define biomarkers to identify persons-at-risk and thus improving prevention or at least early detection to facilitate early treatment to improve the prognosis of the patients and/or their children. To reach this goal we use genetic and epigenetic data as well as gene expression and protein profiles. Those data will be combined with behavioural and imaging data from collaboration partners. 

A technique we apply in our lab is the generation of neuronal cell models via induced-pluripotent stem cells, which we reprogram from skin punches from our patients. Thereby, we will model gene-environment-development interaction  in the cell culture dish to gain insight for novel prevention- and therapy options.

Team

Head

Prof. Dr. med. Sarah Kittel-Schneider

E-Mail: Kittel_S@ukw.de

Phone: +49 931 201-77110

Team cell culture lab

• Dr. rer. nat. Rhiannon McNeill
• Dr. med. Matthias Nieberler
• Dr. med. Franziska Radtke (KJP)

Technician

• Nicole Döring

Team Peripartal Psychiatry

• Dr. med. Bodo Warrings
• Dr. med. Andrea Gehrmann
• Dr. rer. nat. Dipl.-Psych. Agnes Gajewska
• Jasmin Schuster
• Amely Bauch

Publications

Publications of the working group can be found on pubmed or in the list of publications of our hospital.