Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Binder
- Section Neurosciences
- Location München, Germany
- Election year 2016
Research
Research Priorities: Human medicine, psychiatry, anxiety disorder, depression, stress, genetics, epigenetics
Elisabeth Binder is an Austrian neuroscientist and medical expert. She works in the field of psychiatry, with a focus on researching the molecular, cellular and systemic factors that lead to stress- and trauma-related psychiatric disorders.
Elisabeth Binder is primarily interested in researching the interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors in the development of psychiatric disorders, in particular anxiety disorders and depression. Her working group uses endocrine, molecular-genetic and psychometric methods to shed light on this connection. More precise knowledge about these interactions may allow biologically distinct patient groups to be identified and thus receive more specific and improved treatment.
Her research interests among psychiatric illnesses are stress- and trauma-associated psychiatric disorders. Stress or adverse life events are the biggest risk factors for both depression and anxiety disorders as well as other psychiatric and medical conditions. An improved understanding of both the adaptive and maladaptive molecular, cellular and systemic factors can help to recognise the pathophysiological mechanisms of psychiatric disorders associated with stress and trauma. For this reason, Elisabeth Binder wants to investigate the sequence of molecular, cellular and systemic changes associated with the development of psychiatric symptoms following stress or trauma or with resilience against the development of such disorders.
In addition, she wants to investigate the genetic, environmental and developmental factors which are linked to different sequences and thus influence the risk of suffering from illnesses that can be triggered by stress or trauma.
In biomarker-based studies Elisabeth Binder is also dedicated to developing a new scientific classification for psychiatric illnesses.
Elisabeth Binder is an Austrian neuroscientist and medical expert. She works in the field of psychiatry, with a focus on researching the molecular, cellular and systemic factors that lead to stress- and trauma-related psychiatric disorders.
Elisabeth Binder is primarily interested in researching the interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors in the development of psychiatric disorders, in particular anxiety disorders and depression. Her working group uses endocrine, molecular-genetic and psychometric methods to shed light on this connection. More precise knowledge about these interactions may allow biologically distinct patient groups to be identified and thus receive more specific and improved treatment.
Her research interests among psychiatric illnesses are stress- and trauma-associated psychiatric disorders. Stress or adverse life events are the biggest risk factors for both depression and anxiety disorders as well as other psychiatric and medical conditions. An improved understanding of both the adaptive and maladaptive molecular, cellular and systemic factors can help to recognise the pathophysiological mechanisms of psychiatric disorders associated with stress and trauma. For this reason, Elisabeth Binder wants to investigate the sequence of molecular, cellular and systemic changes associated with the development of psychiatric symptoms following stress or trauma or with resilience against the development of such disorders.
In addition, she wants to investigate the genetic, environmental and developmental factors which are linked to different sequences and thus influence the risk of suffering from illnesses that can be triggered by stress or trauma.
In biomarker-based studies Elisabeth Binder is also dedicated to developing a new scientific classification for psychiatric illnesses.
Career
- since 2016 Full Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
- since 2013 Executive Director, Department of Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- 2007-2013 Head, Research Group “Molecular Genetics of Depression”, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- 2011-2016 Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
- 2004-2011 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
- 2000-2004 Clinical Training for Psychiatry and Postdoctoral Fellow in Human Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- 1995-2000 PhD in Neurosciences, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
- 1992-1995 ERASMUS Scholarship, University Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- 1989-1995 Degree in Medicine, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Functions
- since 2021 Fellow, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- since 2020 Fellow, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), Brentwood, USA
- since 2019 Member, Executive Committee and Vice President, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- since 2019 Member, Advisory Committee und Chair, Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Canada
- Member, Board of Directors, ALBA Network Towards Diversity and Equity in Brain Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- 2016-2020 Secretary, International Society of Psychiatric Genetics
- 2014-2020 Member, Board, International Society of Psychiatric Genetics
- since 2009 External Member, Advisory Board, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury Clinical Consortium, USA
- since 2008 Deputy Head, Department for Genetic, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Germany
- since 2007 Member, ACNP, Brentwood, USA
Projects
- since 2021 Project “Deciphering epigenetic changes related to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in a genetically informative, longitudinal twin family study: The TwinLife Epigenetic Change Satellite (TECS)”, German Research Foundation (DFG), Germany
- 2015-2022 Project “Translational Imaging Studies on the Genotype-Phenotype Relationships in the Longitudinal Course of Psychosis”, DFG, Germany
- 2014-2017 Project “Biological Mechanisms of Transgenerational Transmission of Early Life Stress”, NEURON MecTranGen, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
- 2011-2016 Starting Grant “Gene x environment interactions in affective disorders – elucidating molecular mechanisms”, European Research Council (ERC)
- 2010-2012 “Genetic variants influencing the impact of early trauma on risk for affective disorders”, Behrens-Weise Stiftung, Hamburg, Germany
- 2009-2013 Project “Emory-GSK-NIMH Collaborative Mood Disorders Initiative”, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), USA
- 2007-2010 Project “Molecular predictors of peripartum depression”, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, New York City, USA
- 2006-2008 Project “Peripartum Depression and Genetics of Glucocorticoid Receptor Regulating Genes”, NIMH, USA
- 2006-2008 Project “Chaperones of the Glucocorticoid Receptor, Early Life Stress and Depression”, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD), USA
- 2006-2011 Mental Health Centers for the Intervention, Development and Applied Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA
Honours and Memberships
- since 2020 Member, National Academy of Medicine, USA
- 2019 Ron de Kloet Award for Stress Research, Stress-NL Consortium, The Netherlands
- 2019 Valkhof Chair, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- 2017 Carus Medal, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
- since 2016 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
- 2016 Eva King Killam Research Award, ACNP, Brentwood, USA
- 2012 Max Hamilton Memorial Prize, International College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP)
- 2010 Theodore Reich Young Investigator Award, International Society of Psychiatric Genetics
- 2007 Doris Duke Clinical Scientist Development Award, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, New York City, USA
- 2007 NARSAD Michael F. Kaplan Investigator, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (previously: National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia & Depression, NARSAD), New York City, USA
- 1997-1999 Doctoral Fellowship, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria
- 1995-2000 Fulbright Scholarship, German-American Fulbright Program, German-American Fulbright Commission, Berlin, Germany
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