Michael Witthöft

Michael Witthöft is a Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the Ruhr University Bochum, where he leads research on somatic symptom disorders, health anxiety, and interoception. His career includes prior professorships at Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz (2014–2025) and Universität Mannheim (2013). He specializes in experimental psychopathology, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mechanisms of mental disorders.

• Key Research Areas: Somatic symptom disorders, health anxiety, interoception, emotion regulation, and placebo effects.
• Awards: Multiple teaching awards (2016–2018), Mercator Science-Policy Fellowship (2019–2024), and DGVT Förderpreis (2012).
• Publications: Recent work focuses on interoception, cyberchondria, and climate anxiety, with 15 articles (2022–2025) in journals like Psychological Medicine and Clinical Psychology Review.
• Leadership Roles: Co-editor of Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, editorial board member for several journals, and program committee roles in EAPM and DGVT conferences.