Lars White

Lars White, Ph.D., is a Research Professor and leader of a research group at the Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Leipzig University. His work focuses on childhood maltreatment's neurobiological impacts, attachment theory dynamics, developmental neuroscience, and psychoanalytic child psychotherapy. He holds a permanent full-time position and has been active since 2018.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Psychology (2015), University of Leipzig (collaboration with Max-Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology)
• M.Sc. in Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology (2009), University College London & Yale University
• B.Sc. in Psychology (2007), University of Manchester

Research Interests: White investigates how childhood trauma affects neurobiological development, attachment representations' role in psychological outcomes, and the application of social neuroscience in clinical settings. His work bridges basic research and clinical practice, emphasizing interventions for maltreated children and adolescents.

Key Contributions: His studies on cortisol levels in maltreated youth, cooperative behavior in public goods games, and neural responses to social exclusion have advanced understanding of developmental psychopathology. He co-edited a special issue on the social neuroscience of attachment (2021) and leads the AMIS consortium studying maltreatment pathways.

Awards & Roles:

• WAIMH New Investigator Award (2020)
• SRCD Early Career Travel Award (2019)
• Moderator of the 2018 Wilhelm Wundt Dialogue on Attachment Theory

Supervision & Grants: White supervises IMPRS PhD students and directs the AMIS consortium. He has secured funding for pre-doctoral training programs and collaborates with the Max-Planck Society.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Leipzig research group investigating developmental psychiatry and chairs the AMIS consortium.