Von April 2016 bis September 2017 forschte sie am Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Leipzig an der Entwicklung... Melissa Hitzler studied Psychology at the University of Ulm and the University of Leipzig from 2011 to 2017. From April 2016 to September 2017, she conducted research at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig on the develop
ment of cognitive and language abilities in toddlers. Additionally, from August 2016 to November 2017, she worked as a research assistant at the Clinic and Polyclinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in Leipzig, contributing to a study on the treatment of complicated grief. During her undergraduate studies at the University of Ulm, she was a student assistant in the research department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Ulm University Hospital. Since November 2017, she has been pursuing her Ph.D. at the Chair of Clinical & Biological Psychology at the University of Ulm. Her research focuses on the biomolecular consequences of chronic and traumatic stress and their reversibility through trauma-focused psychotherapy. Contact:
Melissa Hitzler
Postdoc
✉ Melissa Hitzler
☎ +49-(0)731/50 26595
Π 47.2.407
Office hours
By appointment
Research Interests:
Transdisciplinary trauma research
The role of stressful childhood experiences and traumatic events in the etiology of mental disorders
(Intergenerational) Impact and association of stress, trauma, and stressful childhood experiences on mitochondrial function, inflammation, oxidative stress, and physiological stress regulation
Reversibility of biomolecular consequences of chronic and traumatic stress through trauma therapy in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder
Projects:
“My Childhood – Your Childhood”: Intergenerational transmission of psychological and biological effects of abuse, maltreatment, and neglect experiences in childhood
ENHANCE: Molecular, bioenergetic, and immunological effects of trauma-focused psychotherapy in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder and experiences of abuse, maltreatment, and neglect in childhood and adolescence
Psychological stressors and protective factors in emergency medical services workers of the German Red Cross
Teaching:
WS18/19 "Nutrition and Mental Health" (M.Sc. Seminar)
External:
SS 2018 "Molecular Psychotraumatology meets molecular Nutritional Physiology: Can a healthy diet help us stay mentally healthy?" Seminar, Summer School of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation
Awards:
11/2021 Project Start-Up Funding, Funding Program for Young Researchers, University of Ulm
since 11/2018 Doctoral Fellowship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
02/2020 Poster Prize from the German-Speaking Society for Psychotraumatology (DeGPT)
02/2020 Travel Award from the German-Speaking Society for Psychotraumatology (DeGPT)
Publications:
(Sauer, K.S., Wendler-Bödicker, Boos, A., Niemeyer, H., Palmer, S., Rojas, R., Hoyer, J., & Hitzler, M. (submitted) Treatment of comorbidities of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder related to childhood maltreatment with STAIR-NT: Clinical recommendations and challenges. Journal of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.) (Köhler-Dauner, J., Mayer, I., Hitzler, M., Karabatsiakis, A., Matits, L., Bach, A.M., Fegert, J.M., Kolassa, I.-T., & Ziegenhain, U. Atypical maternal interaction is associated with elevated levels of hair cortisol in children. (Hitzler, M., Behnke, A., Gündel, H., Ziegenhain, U., Kindler, H., Kolassa. I.-T., & Zimmermann, J. Sources of social support for postpartum women with a history of childhood maltreatment: Consequences for perceived stress and general mental health in the first year after birth. Child Abuse & Neglect.) (Rojas, R. Hitzler, M., Palmer, S., Sauer, K.S., Wendler-Bödicker, C., Boos, A., Hoyer, J., & Niemeyer, H. (accepted). Complex trauma symptoms after childhood maltreatment: Strengths and challenges of the therapy program STAIR-NT. Behavioral Therapy.) (Hitzler, M., Bach, A. M., Köhler-Dauner, F., Gündel, H., & Kolassa, I. Long-Term Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment Among Postpartum Women—Prevalence of Psychosocial Risk Factors for Child Welfare: An Independent Replication Study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13.) (Karrasch, S., Hitzler, M., Behnke, A., Tumani, V., Kolassa, I. T., & Rojas, R. (2020). Chronic and traumatic stress among emergency medical services personnel: A narrative review on vulnerability factors, resilience, and intervention. Journal of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 49(4), 204-217.) (Hitzler, M., Karrasch, S., Gumpp, A. M., Karabatsiakis, A., & Kolassa, I. Molecular-Toxic Consequences of Chronic and Traumatic Stress and Their Reversibility through Mind-Body Interventions. Behavioral Therapy, 1-15.) (Hitzler, M., Karabatsiakis, A., & Kolassa, I.T. (2019). Biomolecular vulnerability factors of mental disorders. Influence of chronic and traumatic stress on the immune system, free radicals and mitochondria. Psychotherapist, 4.) (Behnke, A., Rojas, R., Karrasch, S., Hitzler, M., & Kolassa, I. Deconstructing traumatic mission experiences: Identifying critical incidents and their relevance for the mental and physical health among emergency medical service personnel. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2305.) International Conference Contributions:
"Social Support for Mothers with a History of Childhood Maltreatment: Protective Effects on Stress Perception and Mental Health". Poster & Short Talk presented at the annual Conference of the German-speaking Society of Psychotraumatology, DeGPT, 2020, Berlin, Germany. "Lifelong Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment: Psychosocial Risk Factors for Child Welfare". "Alterations of the serum N-glycan profile in female patients with Major Depressive Disorder". Talk at the Conference of the German Endocrine Brain Immune Network, GEBIN, 2019, Berlin, Germany. Poster presented at the 26th Conference of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society, PNIRS, 2019, Berlin, Germany. "Investigating intergenerational gene × environment interaction of allelic variation in FKBP5 and childhood maltreatment on hair steroid levels in mother-infant dyads". Talk at the Conference of the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics, and Neurology,
