معرفی
Stephan Claes is a full professor and head of the Research Group Psychiatry within the Department of Neurosciences at KU Leuven's Faculty of Medicine. He holds leadership roles in the Steering Group of the Leuven Centre for Health Humanities (LCH²) and serves on councils for the Faculty of Medicine and Department of Neurosciences. His work bridges clinical psychiatry with interdisciplinary humanities through affiliations with the Leuven Interdisciplinary Centre Lived Religion and Meaning and the KU Leuven Brain Institute.
Claes' research centers on stress-pathology mechanisms across developmental stages, with emphasis on epigenetic regulation (particularly NR3C1 gene methylation), neuroendocrine responses (HPA axis/ANS), and real-time stress dynamics. His program spans adolescent mental health, autism spectrum disorder (focusing on oxytocin-cortisol interactions), suicidal behavior pathways, and inflammation-depression links. Methodologically, he integrates ecological momentary assessment, digital phenotyping, molecular analyses, and machine learning to capture dynamic biopsychosocial processes.
Analysis of his recent publications reveals a cohesive trajectory toward biologically-informed mental health interventions. Key trends include leveraging epigenetic markers for depression stratification, developing just-in-time adaptive interventions using digital stress phenotyping, and elucidating oxytocinergic mechanisms in autism. His work consistently connects molecular findings (e.g., DNA methylation patterns) with real-world clinical outcomes through innovative longitudinal and ecological study designs.
As principal investigator, Claes directs major grants including INSTA-MD (inflammation-based depression treatment stratification) and ClarEToL (multilayered analysis of 'tiredness of life' experiences). He supervises doctoral candidates like V. Chubar and leads cross-disciplinary teams across neurosciences, psychology, and clinical psychiatry. Current projects extend through 2029, focusing on real-time risk prediction and personalized mental health interventions.
The Research Group Psychiatry he directs operates at UZ Leuven's Herestraat campus, collaborating with the University Hospitals Leuven and multiple KU Leuven interdisciplinary hubs. His team combines clinical expertise with advanced computational and molecular methodologies to address complex psychiatric disorders through translational research frameworks.