David Weiss

David Weiss is a Senior Lecturer in Developmental Psychology at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. He leads the Developmental Psychology Section since November 2021 and has held prestigious roles including a Heisenberg Fellowship at the University of Leipzig (2018–2021) and Assistant Professor at Columbia University (2014–2018).

• Doctorate in Psychology (summa cum laude), Friedrich-Alexander University (2009)
• Habilitation, Venia legendi, Martin Luther University (2023)

His research focuses on developmental lifespan psychology, examining how aging-related changes, negative age stereotypes, and social status dynamics impact physiological and psychological well-being. He employs experimental, longitudinal, and cross-cultural methods to study self-regulatory processes and motivational factors across adulthood.

Recent publications analyze subjective aging, social status mobility, and essentialist beliefs about aging. His work appears in top journals like Psychology and Aging, Developmental Psychology, and Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Awards include the Karl-Giehrl Award for Best PhD Thesis, Vontobel Award for Age Research, Calderone Award for Junior Faculty Excellence, and the DFG's Heisenberg Fellowship. His research has been cited in media outlets such as The New York Times and PBS Next Avenue.

Current projects investigate social-cognitive mechanisms of aging, cross-cultural aging perceptions, and the interplay between social status and well-being. He collaborates with institutions in Switzerland, the USA, and China, and mentors students in experimental psychology and lifespan research.