Nils Haller

PD Dr. Nils Haller serves as Professor of Training and Movement Science at the Institute of Sports Science, University of Göttingen since April 2025. Previously, he held postdoctoral research positions at the University of Salzburg (2020-2025) and research assistant roles at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (2018-2020) and University Hospital Mainz's Psychiatry Department (2015-2019).

Education

• Habilitation (Venia legendi) in Sports Science, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 2024
• PhD in Sports Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 2019

Research Focus

Dr. Haller's work centers on sports therapy applications for mental health, investigating acute/chronic physiological adaptations to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in elite athletes. His research pioneers blood-based biomarker analysis for individualized training control, with emphasis on cell-free DNA dynamics and pre-analytical considerations in sports diagnostics. Current projects explore digital health interventions for depression and cancer rehabilitation.

Publication Landscape

His 2023-2025 publications reveal dominant themes: HIIT optimization in elite sports (particularly shock microcycles combining HIIT/LIT), sex-specific biomarker responses, and telerehabilitation for post-COVID conditions. Key methodological contributions include meta-analyses of HIIT efficacy, pre-analytical standardization protocols, and digital therapeutics validation through randomized controlled trials.

Research Affiliations

Dr. Haller leads the Training and Movement Science research unit at Göttingen, building on prior work with Salzburg's Training and Motor Science Research Group (AG Trainings- und Motorikwissenschaft) and Mainz's Sports Medicine Department. His collaborations span sports physiology, psychiatry, and digital health domains.