Winfried Rief

Prof. Dr. Winfried Rief is a leading Professor in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg. He heads a multidisciplinary team conducting cutting-edge research in chronic pain, depression, anxiety disorders, and behavioral addictions. His work bridges clinical psychology with psychosomatics and behavioral medicine, focusing on the role of expectations in treatment outcomes and disease progression.

• Key Research Areas: Expectation-Placebo Effects, ICD-11 Chronic Pain Classification, Biopsychosocial Mechanisms, Translational Psychotherapy, Network Analysis in Mental Health

Projects and Collaborations: He leads the LOEWE Center DYNAMIC, a €33 million initiative (2024-2027) involving Marburg, Frankfurt, Gießen, TU Darmstadt, and international partners. He co-chairs the ICD-11 Chronic Pain Classification Taskforce with the IASP and WHO, and directs the PSY-HEART II Trial evaluating preoperative psychological interventions for heart surgery patients. His work spans experimental studies, clinical trials, and global field testing of diagnostic systems.

Recent Publications highlight his expertise in expectation dynamics, chronic pain mechanisms, and translational research. Key themes include placebo-nocebo effects, network approaches to mental health, and improving patient outcomes through evidence-based classifications like ICD-11. His team explores AI integration in psychotherapy, mindfulness interventions for pain, and the psychosocial impact of persistent physical symptoms.