Research

Herta Flor is distinguished for seminal discoveries in the field of pain and phantom phenomena including the cortical processing of pain-related information in humans. Her research focuses on the interaction of brain and behavior, in particular the question how behavior and experience influence neural processes and how neural processes alter behavior and experience. A special focus is on the role of implicit learning and memory processes in the development and maintenance of mental and psychophysiological disorders. This includes research on memory processes in chronic pain, tinnitus, anxiety disorders, addiction and depression. The methods that are employed range from experimental psychology to non-invasive brain imaging and peripheral psychophysiology.

Herta Flor has received an impressive number of awards and honours including the Award for Basic Research of the State of Baden-Württemberg (2004), the German Psychology Award (2002), Muscle Pain Research Award (2001), the Max-Planck-Award for International Cooperation (2000) and the German Pain Research Prize (1992 und 2000).

Career

• Since 2000 Scientific Director, Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim and Professor  and Chair for Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology, Medical Faculty Mannheim,  Heidelberg University
• 1999–2000 Interim Professor (C4) for Clinical Psychology, University of Marburg
• 1995–2000 Professor and Chair of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Humboldt-University Berlin
• 1993-1995 Professor of Clinical and Somatic Psychology, Department of Psychology, Humboldt-University Berlin
• 1991-1993 Heisenberg Fellow of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Tübingen
• 1990-1991 Interim Professor of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Marburg
• 1990 Habilitation, Clinical Psychology and Psychophysiology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Tübingen, Germany; venia legendi for clinical psychology and psychophysiology
• 1989-1990 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Tübingen
• 1987-1989 Habilitation scholarship of the  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Tübingen
• 1985-1987 Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
• 1984-1985 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Section of Clinical and Applied Psychology, University of Bonn
• 1983-1984 University of Tübingen, Ph.D.(“magna cum laude”), Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences
• 1983-1984 Yale University, New Haven, CT, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychology
• 1984 Research Associate to Dr. P. F. Schlottke, Department of Psychology, Section of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Tübingen
• 1981-1984 Research Associate, Pain Management Program, West Haven Veterans Administration Medical Center, West Haven, CT, USA  
• 1981-1984 Research Associate, Pain Management Program, West Haven Veterans Administration Medical Center, West Haven, CT, USA
• 1981-1983 Yale University, New Haven, CT, DAAD Fellow, Department of Psychology, Training in behavioral therapy
• 1981 Diploma, Psychology, University of Tübingen

Functions

(Selection)

• 2012-2018 Councillor of the International Association of Pain
• 2012-2016 Member of the Research Board, Heidelberg-Karlsruhe Research Partnership
• Since 2011 Member of the Foundation Council, the Foundation Board and the Foundation Board of Medicine of the University of Göttingen
• 2011-2013 President of the German Neuroscience Society
• 2009-2011 Vicepresident of the German Neuroscience Society
• Since 2010 Member of the Research Advisory Board of the Cluster of Excellence „NeuroCure“ at Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin
• Since 2010 Member of the Consortium for the Future in the framework of the Excellence-Initiative of the Heidelberg University
• 2009-2013 Member of the Advisory University Council of the Hochschule Mannheim, University of Applied Sciences
• 2007-2017 Member of the Excellence-Cluster “Cellular Networks” at the Heidelberg University and the “Graduate School Behavioral and Social Sciences” at the University Mannheim within the framework of the Excellence Initiative
• 2007-2010 Member of the Academic Senate of the Heidelberg University
• 2007 Member of the Program Committee of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies
• 2006-2010 Member of the scientific advisory board of the Society for Neuropsychology
• 2006-2010 Member of the Faculty Board and the Faculty Executive Committee of the Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Heidelberg University
• 2006-2009 Board Member, Society for Psychophysiological Research
• 2005-2008 Member of the Scientific Committee Health Research of the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
• 2005-2008 Member of the Program Committee of the XIIth World Congress on Pain in Glasgow, 2008
• 2004-2011 Member of the Review Board for Neuroscience and associated member of the Review Board for Psychology of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
• 2002-2011 Member of the Research Committee and the Publication Committee of the International Association for the Study of Pain
• 2002-2005 Chairperson of the Program Committee of the 11th World Congress on Pain in Sydney, 2005
• 2001-2005 Member of the Faculty Board and the Faculty Executive Committee; Member of the Presidential Commission Bioquant, Heidelberg University
• Since 2000 Member of the commission for Dr. sc. hum. of the Faculty for Clinical Medicine of the Heidelberg University (partly as chairperson)
• 2000-2002/2007-2013 Member of the scientific advisory board of the German Society for the Study of Pain (DGSS)
• 1999-2000 Member of the Berlin Committee for the promotion of young researchers
• 1995-2004 Member of the Claude Bernard Club of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
• Since 1994 Program Committee of the Congresses of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, the European Federation of IASP Chapters, the German Society for Behavioral Medicine, the International Association for the Study of Pain, the German Society for the Study of Pain, the World Congress of Pain, the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies
• Since 1993 Member of the Editorial Board or Associate editor, Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie, International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, der Psychotherapeut, Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, Verhaltenstherapie und Verhaltensmodifikation, Pain, Clinical Journal of Pain, International Journal of Psychology, Journal of Psychology, Psychophysiology, International Journal of Psychophysiology, Frontiers
• 1992-1996 Member of the Board of the German Society for Behavioral Medicine

Projects

Projects on pain, learning, cortical reorganization, conditioning, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, German Society for Behavioural Therapy, German Academic Exchange Service, British Council, Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Humboldt Foundation, German-American Council, American Tinnitus Association, Tinnitus Research Initiative and European Union and membership and project („Affective and cognitive modulation of pain perception in persons with fibromyalgia, persons with masochistic tendencies and healthy controls“) within the research network „The modulation of pain perception by emotional and cognitive processes: Basic research and insights from clinical groups“ supported by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung.

• 2004-2015 Collaborative Research Center 636 “Learning, memory and brain plasticity: Implications for the psychopathology” and interdisciplinary graduate programme “Translational Neurosciences”, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Spokesperson: H. Flor)
• 2001-2007 Clinical Research Unit “Neuronal plasticity and learning processes in pain chronicity: basic research, prevention, therapy”, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Director and coordinator: H. Flor; handed over to M. Schmelz in 2005)
• 1997-1999 Research Training Group “Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience” at the Free University and Humboldt-University, Berlin, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Spokesperson: H. Flor)
• 1995-2001 Research unit “Cortical plasticity” at Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Spokesperson: H. Flor)
• 1995-2001 Priority program “Mechanisms of associative learning”, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Spokesperson: H. Flor, together with T. Elbert and A. Hamm)
• 1992-1997 Clinical Research Unit “Clinical psychophysiology of Pain”, University of Tübingen, Germany, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Spokesperson: N. Birbaumer, Director: H. Flor)

Honours and Memberships

• Since 2008 Member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 2008-2010 Fellow at the Marsilius Kolleg (Center for Advanced Study) at the Heidelberg University
• Since 2004 Member of the Academia Europaea
• 2004 Award for Basic Research of the State of Baden-Württemberg
• 2003 Research Award of the German Society for Neurotraumatology and Clinical Neuropsychology
• 2002 German Psychology Award
• 2001 Muscle Pain Research Award of the International Myopain Society
• 2000 Max-Planck-Award for Basic Research and International Cooperation
• 2000 Research Award of the German Association of Study of Pain
• 1999 Sertürner Award for Pain Research
• 1996 Prize for Clinical Research of the SmithKline-Beecham Foundation
• 1992 Research Award of the German Association of Study of Pain
• 1991-1993 Heisenberg Career Development Award, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
• 1990 Medtronic Award of the German Association of Study of Pain