Nils Kroemer

Nils Kroemer is a Professor of Medical Psychology at the University of Bonn’s Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, leading the Section of Medical Psychology. He also serves as Group Leader at the University of Tübingen’s Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and is a Principal Investigator at the German Center for Mental Health (DZPG). Kroemer’s research focuses on the neurobiological mechanisms of motivation, action, and desire, with translational applications to psychiatric disorders such as depression and obesity-related conditions.

Education: He earned a Diplom in Psychology from TU Chemnitz (2009) and a PhD in Psychology from TU Dresden (2013). Postdoctoral training included work at TU Dresden, Yale University, and the John B. Pierce Laboratory under Prof. Dana Small.

Research interests span reward processing, effort-based decision-making, and the role of gut-brain signaling (e.g., ghrelin, dopamine) in psychiatric and metabolic disorders. His lab, neuroMADLAB, employs computational modeling, neuroimaging, and neuromodulation techniques (e.g., vagus nerve stimulation) to bridge basic neuroscience and clinical applications.

Recent articles highlight advancements in vagus nerve stimulation for mood regulation, metabolic state modulation, and decision-making in depression. His work emphasizes the interplay between neural circuits, hormonal signals, and behavioral outcomes.

• Awards: Werner Straub Award (2014), DFG IZKF Junior Research Group (2017), DGPPN Research Award (2023).
• Grants: DFG-funded projects on ghrelin and vagus nerve stimulation.
• Labs: neuroMADLAB (Tübingen/Bonn), Translational Psychiatry Section (Tübingen).