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Dr. Martin Löffler
Lebenslauf

Academic Background

  • Since 04/2023: Deputy Head - Clinical Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Since 2023: Visiting Scientist - Department of Neuropsychology and Psychological Resilience Research, Research Group Learning and Brain Plasticity in Mental Disorders, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
  • 2021 - 2023: PostDoc - Integrative Spinal Research Group, Department of Chiropractic Medicine, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zürich, Switzerland
  • 2019 - 2022: PostDoc - Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
  • 2015 - 2016: Visiting Scientist - Clinical Research and Imaging Centre (CRICBristol), University of Bristol, United Kingdom

Education

  • 2019: Doctor (PhD) in human sciences (Dr. sc. hum.), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University; Dissertation: „Cognitive and Affective Mechanisms of Pain Modulation and their Neuronal and Neurochemical Correlates“
  • 2011: Diploma in Psychology (Mag. rer. nat.), University of Innsbruck

 

Research Interests 

General experimental human pain research, individualized treatment for patients with chronic pain, endogenous pain modulation, brain imaging, cognitive and clinical neurosciences

Specific research topics

  • Psychobiological mechanisms underlying the transition from acute to chronic pain
  • Predictors of individual treatment success in patients with primary chronic pain
  • Learning mechanisms in primary chronic pain
  • Quality of life, neuropsychological symptoms, and pain in patients with mitochondrial diseases

Selected Publications

  1. Löffler, A., Beier, F., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Hausner, L., Desch, S., Silvoni, S., Kleinböhl, D., Löffler, M., Nees, F., Frölich, L., & Flor, H. (2024). Reduced tactile sensitivity is associated with mild cognitive impairment. EBioMedicine, 99, 104896. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104896
  2. Löffler, M., Schneider, P., Schuh-Hofer, S., Kamping, S., Usai, K., Treede, R. D., Nees, F., & Flor, H. (2023). Stress-induced hyperalgesia instead of analgesia in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Neurobiol Pain, 13, 100110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynpai.2022.100110
  3. Vulser, H., Lemaître, H., Guldner, S., Bézivin-Frere, P., Löffler, M., Sarvasmaa, A., Massicotte-Marquez, J., Artiges, E., Paillère Martinot, M., Filippi, I., Miranda, R., Stringaris, A., van Noort, B., Penttilä, J., Grimmer, Y., Becker, A., Banaschewski, T., Bokde, A., Desrivieres, S., Fröhner, J., Garavan, H., Grigis, A., Gowland, P., Heinz, A., Papadopoulos Orfanos, D., Poustka, L., Smolka, M., Spechler, P., Walter, H., Whelan, R., Schumann, G., Flor, H., Martinot, J., Nees, F., & IMAGEN Consortium. Chronotype, Longitudinal Volumetric Brain Variations Throughout Adolescence and Depressive Symptom Development. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2023 62(1):48-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2022.06.003
  4. Löffler, M., Levine, S. M., Usai, K., Desch, S., Kandic, M., Nees, F., & Flor, H. (2022). Corticostriatal circuits in the transition to chronic back pain: The predictive role of reward learning. Cell Rep Med, 3(7), 100677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100677
  5. Löffler, M., Gamroth, C., Becker, S., & Flor, H. (2020). Chronic pain as a neglected core symptom in mitochondrial diseases. Neurology, 94(8), 357-359. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000009011

For a full list see of publications see: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=de&user=fI-4kPkAAAAJ

 

 

Research Funding, Awards & Honors

  • DAAD (2024): 1.140 € – Travel grant
  • BMBF (2020–2023): 465.051€ – „PerPain: Improving outcomes in chronic musculoskeletal pain through a personalized medicine approach using cross-illness multilevel assessments and mechanism-based interventions” Project #2, Flor/Löffler: “Pain extinction and retraining-tailored approach for chronic musculoskeletal pain and analysis of dysfunctional behavior and brain networks“
  • DGSS (2023): 7.000 € – Förderpreis für Schmerzforschung [Award for Pain Research] (1st place) in the category „clinical research“ for the publication “Corticostriatal circuits in the transition to chronic back pain: The predictive role of reward learning”

 

Collaborations

  • Prof. Dr. Tilman Supprian, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-Clinic Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Prof. Dr. Jonas Tesarz, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
  • Prof. Dr. Dorit Pud, The human experimental pain research laboratory, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel
  • Prof. Dr. Herta Flor, Department of Neuropsychology and Psychological Resilience Research, Research Group Learning and Brain Plasticity in Mental Disorders, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
  • Dipl.-Psych. Carsten Gamroth, Patient representative, International Mito Patients, Lübeck

 

Review Activities

Cell Reports Medicine, Biological Psychiatry, Pain, NeuroImage, BMC Psychology, Human Brain Mapping, The Journal of Pain, Journal of Neural Transmission, European Journal of Pain, Frontiers in Pain Research