Judith Alferink

Judith Alferink is a full Professor at the University of Münster's Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, where she leads the Alferink Lab focused on Immune-Neurobiology. Her research investigates bidirectional interactions between the central nervous system and peripheral immune system in affective disorders and Alzheimer's disease, with emphasis on dendritic cells, chemokine signaling, and neuroinflammation.

Research Focus: Dr. Alferink's work centers on immune mechanisms in depression, neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's models, and predictive immune signatures for affective disorders. Key areas include:

• Dendritic cell phenotyping in mood disorders
• CCL17 chemokine pathways in neurodegeneration
• Translational studies identifying immune biomarkers
• Microglial functions in CNS autoimmunity
• Cannabinoid receptor immunomodulation

Publication Trends: Her recent articles (2015-2025) predominantly explore neuroimmunological mechanisms in depression, Alzheimer's, MS, and encephalitis using murine models and clinical correlations. Works consistently feature chemokine signaling (CCL17/CCR4), interferon responses, microglial activation, and cannabinoid receptor immunology.

Grants & Projects:

• Principal investigator for DFG-FOR2107 on inflammatory mechanisms in affective disorders
• Lead for 'Cells in Motion' project FF-2014-01: Molecular control of dendritic cell migration in CNS autoimmunity (2014-2016)

Team & Collaborations: Leads a research team including postdocs, PhD students, and technical staff. Regularly collaborates with Prof. Scheu, Prof. Arolt, and international consortia including ECNP networks.