Matthias Mack

Matthias Mack is a Researcher and laboratory manager in the Department of Clinical and Biological Psychology at the University of Ulm since May 2020, with expertise spanning molecular toxicology, DNA repair mechanisms, and psychoneuroimmunology. His interdisciplinary work bridges laboratory research with clinical applications in stress-related psychiatric disorders.

Education:

• Biochemistry, Ulm University (2010-2013)
• Life Science, University of Konstanz (2013-2016)
• Master's Thesis: DNA repair mechanisms and cellular aging
• Doctoral Thesis: Screening method for specific DNA damage detection, University of Konstanz

His research centers on pathomechanisms of stress and trauma-associated psychiatric disorders (MDD/PTSD), with emphasis on mitochondrial energy production, oxygen homeostasis, and immunometabolism. He investigates disease-associated biological parameters during therapy and alterations in DNA damage/repair processes within inflammatory pathways. This work integrates molecular biology with clinical psychology to identify reversible biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Publication trends (2019-2023) reveal a cohesive focus on mitochondrial dysfunction in immune cells under psychological stress, DNA repair deficits in PTSD, and novel screening methodologies. Key themes include psychoneuroimmunological mechanisms linking relaxation/hypnosis interventions to cellular bioenergetics, transdiagnostic inflammatory markers across mental disorders, and metabolic switches in low-grade inflammatory diseases. His interdisciplinary approach combines molecular toxicology, clinical psychology, and systems biology.

Scientific recognition:

• Nachwuchs Science Day (2nd Place, €30,000) - Ulm University, 2023-2024
• Promotionsstipendium: Kooperatives Promotionskolleg InViTe, 2016-2019

As Co-Principal Investigator on multiple grants totaling over €400,000, he leads projects investigating endocrine-immunometabolic crosstalk in depression (Early Career Incubator Funding, €87,945) and metabolic switches in inflammatory diseases (Research Incubator Funding, €295,969). His active projects—MitO2Health, ENHANCE, MitoSwitch, and MDDex—examine biological mechanisms of depression therapy response and trauma-focused psychotherapy biomarkers through longitudinal, multi-omics approaches.

He collaborates within Ulm University's Clinical and Biological Psychology department on interdisciplinary teams studying stress-pathology interfaces, contributing molecular expertise to clinical research groups focused on developing biomarker-guided therapeutic interventions for stress-related disorders.