Stellvertretende Direktorin / Professur für Soziale Neurowissenschaften

Berufung auf eine W2 Professur für Soziale Neurowissenschaft am Institut für Psychosoziale Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Jena

Unabhängige Forschungsgruppenleiterin, Gruppe „Sozialer Stress und Familiengesundheit“, Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Leipzig

Gruppenleiterin, Social Stress Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Leipzig

Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin, Abteilung Soziale Neurowissenschaft, Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Leipzig

Postdoc, Douglas Mental Health University Institute und Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Kanada

Dr. rer. nat. in Psychologie: “Behavioral response to methylphenidate challenge: Influence of early life parental care and personality”, Abteilung für Klinische und Physiologische Psychologie, Universität Trier

Vordiplom in Psychologie, Universität Trier

63. Blasberg, J.U., Gallistl, M., Degering, M., Baierlein, F., Engert, V. (2023). You look stressed: A pilot study on facial action unit activity in the context of psychosocial stress. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100187

62. Blasberg, J.U., Jost, J., Kanske, P., Engert, V. (2023). Empathic stress in the mother-child dyad: Multimodal evidence for empathic stress in children observing their mothers during direct stress exposure.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001430 

61. Degering, M., Linz, R., Puhlmann, L. M. C., Singer, T., & Engert, V. (2023). Revisiting the stress recovery hypothesis: Differential associations of cortisol stress reactivity and recovery after acute psychosocial stress with markers of long-term stress and health. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity-Health, 28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100598

60. Engert, V., Hoehne, K., & Singer, T. (2023). Specific reduction in the cortisol awakening response after socio-affective mental training. Mindfulness, 14, 681-694. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02074-y

59. Engert, V., Klimecki, O. M., Kanske, P., & the Mindful Universities Research Group (2023). Spreading positive change: Societal benefits of meditation. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1038051

58. Köhne, S., Engert, V., & Rosendahl, J. (2023). Stability of resilience in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Personality and Mental Health, 17(1), 55-66. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmh.1560

57. Konrad, A. C., Engert, V., Albrecht, R., Dobel, C., Döring, N., Haueisen, J., Klimecki, O., Sandbothe, M., & Kanske, P. (2023). A multicenter feasibility study on implementing a brief mindful breathing exercise into regular university courses. Scientific Reports, 13, 7908. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34737-0

56. Marheinecke, R., Strauss, B., & Engert, V. (2023). Visible wounds of invisible repression: A perspective on the importance of investigating the biological and psychological impact of political repression. Psychological Trauma. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001548

55. Uhlig, M., Reinelt, J.D., Lauckner, M.E., Kumral, D., Schaare, H.L., Mildner, T., Babayan, A., Möller, H.E., Engert, V., Villringer, A., & Gaebler, M. (2023). Rapid volumetric brain changes after acute psychosocial stress. Neuroimage, 265, 119760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119760

54. Blasberg, J.U., Kanske, P., Böckler, A., Trautwein, F.M., Singer, T., & Engert, V. (2022). Associations of social processing abilities with psychosocial stress sensitivity. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 12, 100159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100159

53. Chand, T., Alizadeh, S., Jamalabadi, H., Herrmann, L., Krylova, M., Surova, G., van der Meer, J., Wagner, G., Engert, V., & Walter, M. (2022). Corrigendum to ""EEG revealed improved vigilance regulation after stress exposure under Nx4 - A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial"" [IBRO Neurosci. Rep. 11C (2021) 175-182]. IBRO Neuroscience Report, 12, 81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibneur.2021.12.006

52. Hoehne, K., Vrticka, P., Engert, V., & Singer, T. (2022). Plasma oxytocin is modulated by mental training, but does not mediate its stress-buffering effect. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 141, 105734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105734

51. Linz, R., Puhlmann, L.M.C., Engert, V., & Singer, T. (2022). Investigating the impact of distinct contemplative mental trainings on daily life stress, thoughts and affect-Evidence from a nine-month longitudinal ecological momentary assessment study. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 142, 105800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105800

50. Mayer, A.V., Preckel, K., Ihle, K., Piecha, F.A., Junghanns, K., Reiche, S., Rademacher, L., Müller-Pinzler, L., Stolz, D.S., Kamp-Becker, I., Stroth, S., Roepke, S., Küpper, C., Engert, V., Singer, T., Kanske, P., Paulus, F.M., & Krach, S. (2022). Assessment of reward-related brain function after a single dose of oxytocin in autism: a randomized controlled trial. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, 2(2), 136-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.10.004

49. Chand, T., Alizadeh, S., Jamalabadi, H., Herrmann, L., Krylova, M., Surova, G., van der Meer, J., Wagner, G., Engert, V., & Walter, M. (2021). EEG revealed improved vigilance regulation after stress exposure under Nx4 – A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial. IBRO Neuroscience Report, 11, 175-182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibneur.2021.09.002

48. Engert, V., Blasberg, J., Köhne, S., Strauss, B., & Rosendahl, J. (2021). Resilience and personality as predictors of the biological stress load during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany. Translational Psychiatry, 11(1), 443. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01569-3

47. Linz, R., Pauly, R., Smallwood, J., & Engert, V. (2021). Mind-wandering content differentially translates from lab to daily life and relates to subjective stress experience. Psychological Research, 85(2), 649-659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-019-01275-2

46. Puhlmann, L.M.C., Linz, R., Valk, S.L., Vrticka, P., de Wael, R.V., Bernasconi, A., Bernasconi, N., Caldairou, B., Papassotiriou, I., Chrousos, G.P., Bernhardt, B.C., Singer, T., & Engert, V. (2021). Association between hippocampal structure and serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in healthy adults: A registered report. Neuroimage, 236, 118011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118011

45. Puhlmann, L.M.C., Vrticka, P.,  Linz, R., Stalder, T., Kirschbaum, C., Engert, V., & Singer, T. (2021). Contemplative mental training reduces hair glucocorticoid levels in a randomized clinical trial. Psychosomatic Medicine, 83(8), 894-905. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000970

44. Engert, V., Grant, J., & Strauss, B. (2020). Psychosocial factors in disease and treatment – a call for the biopsychosocial model. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(10), 996-997. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0364

43. Engert, V., Linz, R., & Grant, J. A. (2019). Embodied stress: The physiological resonance of psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 105, 138-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.12.221

42.Linz, R., Puhlmann, L. M. C., Apostolakou, F., Mantzou, E., Papassotiriou, I., Chrousos, G. P., Engert, V., & Singer, T. (2019). Acute psychosocial stress increases serum BDNF levels: an antagonistic relation to cortisol but no group differences after mental training. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(10), 1797-1804. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0391-y

41. Przyrembel, M., Vrticka, P., Engert, V., & Singer, T. (2019). Loving-Kindness Meditation -- A Queen of Hearts?: A Physio-Phenomenological Investigation on the Variety of Experience. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 26(7-8), 95-129.

40. Puhlmann, L. M. C., Engert, V., Apostolakou, F., Papassotiriou, I., Chrousos, G. P., Vrtička, P., & Singer, T. (2019). Only vulnerable adults show change in chronic low-grade inflammation after contemplative mental training: evidence from a randomized clinical trial. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 19323. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-55250-3

39. Puhlmann, L. M. C., Valk, S. L., Engert, V., Bernhardt, B. C., Lin, J., Epel, E. S., Vrticka, P., & Singer, T. (2019). Association of Short-term Change in Leukocyte Telomere Length With Cortical Thickness and Outcomes of Mental Training Among Healthy Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open, 2(9), e199687. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.9687

38. Singer, T., & Engert, V. (2019). It matters what you practice: differential training effects on subjective experience, behavior, brain and body in the ReSource Project. Current Opinion in Psychology, 28, 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.005

37. Engert, V., Kok, B. E., Puhlmann, L. M. C., Stalder, T., Kirschbaum, C., Apostolakou, F., Papanastasopoulou, C., Papassotiriou, I., Pervanidou, P., Chrousos, G. P., & Singer, T. (2018). Exploring the multidimensional complex systems structure of the stress response and its relation to health and sleep outcomes. Brain Behavior, and Immunity, 73, 390-402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2018.05.023

36. Engert, V., Ragsdale, A. M., & Singer, T. (2018). Cortisol stress resonance in the laboratory is associated with inter-couple diurnal cortisol covariation in daily life. Hormones and Behavior, 98, 183-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.12.018

35. Linz, R., Singer, T., & Engert, V. (2018). Interactions of momentary thought content and subjective stress predict cortisol fluctuations in a daily life experience sampling study. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 15462. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-33708-0

34. Miller, R., Wojtyniak, J. G., Weckesser, L. J., Alexander, N. C., Engert, V., & Lehr, T. (2018). How to disentangle psychobiological stress reactivity and recovery: A comparison of model-based and non-compartmental analyses of cortisol concentrations. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 90, 194-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.019

33. Engert, V., Kok, B. E., Papassotiriou, I., Chrousos, G. P., & Singer, T. (2017). Specific reduction in cortisol stress reactivity after social but not attention-based mental training. Science Advances, 3(10), e1700495. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700495

32.Dedovic, K., Giebl, S., Duchesne, A., Lue, S. D., Andrews, J., Efanov, S., Engert, V., Beaudry, T., Baldwin, M. W., & Pruessner, J. C. (2016). Psychological, endocrine, and neural correlates of attentional bias in subclinical depression. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 29(5), 479-496. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2015.1101457

31. Engert, V., Koester, A. M., Riepenhausen, A., & Singer, T. (2016). Boosting recovery rather than buffering reactivity: Higher stress-induced oxytocin secretion is associated with increased cortisol reactivity and faster vagal recovery after acute psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 74, 111-120. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.08.029

30. Radenbach, C., Reiter, A. M., Engert, V., Sjoerds, Z., Villringer, A., Heinze, H. J., Deserno, L., & Schlagenhauf, F. (2015). The interaction of acute and chronic stress impairs model-based behavioral control. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 53, 268-280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.12.017

29. Steinbeis, N., Engert, V., Linz, R., & Singer, T. (2015). The effects of stress and affiliation on social decision-making: Investigating the tend-and-befriend pattern. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 62, 138-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.08.003

28. Dedovic, K., Duchesne, A., Engert, V., Lue, S. D., Andrews, J., Efanov, S. I., Beaudry, T., & Pruessner, J. C. (2014). Psychological, endocrine and neural responses to social evaluation in subclinical depression. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 9(10), 1632-1644. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nst151

27. Engert, V., Merla, A., Grant, J. A., Cardone, D., Tusche, A., & Singer, T. (2014). Exploring the Use of Thermal Infrared Imaging in Human Stress Research. PLoS One, 9(3), e90782. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0090782

26. Engert, V., Plessow, F., Miller, R., Kirschbaum, C., & Singer, T. (2014). Cortisol increase in empathic stress is modulated by emotional closeness and observation modality. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 45, 192-201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.04.005

25. Engert, V., Smallwood, J., & Singer, T. (2014). Mind your thoughts: associations between self-generated thoughts and stress-induced and baseline levels of cortisol and alpha-amylase. Biological Psychology, 103, 283-291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.10.004

23. Admon, R., Leykin, D., Lubin, G., Engert, V., Andrews, J., Pruessner, J., & Hendler, T. (2013). Stress-induced reduction in hippocampal volume and connectivity with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex are related to maladaptive responses to stressful military service. Human Brain Mapping, 34(11), 2808-2816. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.22100

22. Engert, V., Efanov, S. I., Duchesne, A., Vogel, S., Corbo, V., & Pruessner, J. C. (2013). Differentiating anticipatory from reactive cortisol responses to psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38(8), 1328-1337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.11.018

21. Duchesne, A., Tessera, E., Dedovic, K., Engert, V., & Pruessner, J. C. (2012). Effects of panel sex composition on the physiological stress responses to psychosocial stress in healthy young men and women. Biological Psychology, 89(1), 99-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.09.009

24. Engert, V., Efanov, S. I., Dedovic, K., Dagher, A., & Pruessner, J. C. (2011). Increased cortisol awakening response and afternoon/evening cortisol output in healthy young adults with low early life parental care. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 214(1), 261-268. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-010-1918-4

20. Engert, V., Vogel, S., Efanov, S. I., Duchesne, A., Corbo, V., Ali, N., & Pruessner, J. C. (2011). Investigation into the cross-correlation of salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase responses to psychological stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 36(9), 1294-1302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.02.018

19. Dedovic, K., Engert, V., Duchesne, A., Lue, S. D., Andrews, J., Efanov, S. I., Beaudry, T., & Pruessner, J. C. (2010). Cortisol awakening response and hippocampal volume: vulnerability for major depressive disorder? Biological Psychiatry, 68(9), 847-853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.07.025

18. Engert, V., Buss, C., Khalili-Mahani, N., Wadiwalla, M., Dedovic, K., & Pruessner, J. C. (2010). Investigating the association between early life parental care and stress responsivity in adulthood. Developmental Neuropsychology, 35(5), 570-581. https://doi.org/10.1080/87565641.2010.494752

17. Engert, V., Efanov, S. I., Dedovic, K., Duchesne, A., Dagher, A., & Pruessner, J. C. (2010). Perceived early-life maternal care and the cortisol response to repeated psychosocial stress. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 35(6), 370-377. https://doi.org/10.1503/jpn.100022

16. Khalili-Mahani, N., Dedovic, K., Engert, V., Pruessner, M., & Pruessner, J. C. (2010). Hippocampal activation during a cognitive task is associated with subsequent neuroendocrine and cognitive responses to psychological stress. Hippocampus, 20(2), 323-334. https://doi.org/10.1002/hipo.20623

15. Lord, C., Engert, V., Lupien, S., & Pruessner, J. (2010). Striatal and hippocampal structural changes associated with estrogen therapy use in lifelong reproductive events. Menopause, 17, 846-851.

14. Dedovic, K., Duchesne, A., Andrews, J., Engert, V., & Pruessner, J. C. (2009). The brain and the stress axis: The neural correlates of cortisol regulation in response to stress. Neuroimage, 47, 864-871.

13. Dedovic, K., Rexroth, M., Wolff, E., Duchesne, A., Scherling, C., Beaudry, T., Lue, S. D., Lord, C., Engert, V., & Pruessner, J. C. (2009, Oct 13). Neural correlates of processing stressful information: an event-related fMRI study. Brain Research, 1293, 49-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2009.06.044

12. Dedovic, K., Wadiwalla, M., Engert, V., & Pruessner, J. C. (2009). The role of sex and gender socialization in stress reactivity. Developmental Psychology, 45(1), 45-55. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014433

11. Engert, V., Joober, R., Meaney, M. J., Hellhammer, D. H., & Pruessner, J. C. (2009). Behavioral response to methylphenidate challenge: influence of early life parental care. Developmental Psychobiology, 51(5), 408-416. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.20380

10. Engert, V., & Pruessner, J. C. (2008). Dopaminergic and noradrenergic contributions to functionality in ADHD: the role of methylphenidate. Current Neuropharmacology, 6(4), 322-328. https://doi.org/10.2174/157015908787386069

9. Pruessner, J. C., Dedovic, K., Khalili-Mahani, N., Engert, V., Pruessner, M., Buss, C., Renwick, R., Dagher, A., Meaney, M. J., & Lupien, S. (2008). Deactivation of the limbic system during acute psychosocial stress: evidence from positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Biological Psychiatry, 63(2), 234-240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.04.041

8. Dedovic, K., Renwick, R., Mahani, N. K., Engert, V., Lupien, S. J., & Pruessner, J. C. (2005). The Montreal Imaging Stress Task: using functional imaging to investigate the effects of perceiving and processing psychosocial stress in the human brain. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, JPN, 30(5), 319-325.

7. Gaab, J., Rohleder, N., Heitz, V., Engert, V., Schad, T., Schürmeyer, T. H., & Ehlert, U. (2005). Stress-induced changes in LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in chronic fatigue syndrome. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 30(2), 188-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2004.06.008

6. Gaab, J., Engert, V., Heitz, V., Schad, T., Schürmeyer, T. H., & Ehlert, U. (2004). Associations between neuroendocrine responses to the Insulin Tolerance Test and patient characteristics in chronic fatigue syndrome. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 56(4), 419-424. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(03)00625-1

5. Hellhammer, J., Fries, E., Buss, C., Engert, V., Tuch, A., Rutenberg, D., & Hellhammer, D. (2004). Effects of soy lecithin phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine complex (PAS) on the endocrine and psychological responses to mental stress. Stress, 7(2), 119-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890410001728379

4. Gaab, J., Hüster, D., Peisen, R., Engert, V., Heitz, V., Schad, T., Schürmeyer, T., & Ehlert, U. (2003). Assessment of cortisol response with low-dose and high-dose ACTH in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy comparison subjects. Psychosomatics, 44(2), 113-119. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psy.44.2.113

3. Gaab, J., Rohleder, N., Heitz, V., Schad, T., Engert, V., Schürmeyer, T. H., & Ehlert, U. (2003). Enhanced glucocorticoid sensitivity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Acta Neuropsychiatrica, 15(4), 184-191. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1601-5215.2003.00033.x

2. Gaab, J., Hüster, D., Peisen, R., Engert, V., Heitz, V., Schad, T., Schürmeyer, T. H., & Ehlert, U. (2002). Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity in chronic fatigue syndrome and health under psychological, physiological, and pharmacological stimulation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 64(6), 951-962. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000038937.67401.61

1. Gaab, J., Hüster, D., Peisen, R., Engert, V., Schad, T., Schürmeyer, T. H., & Ehlert, U. (2002). Low-dose dexamethasone suppression test in chronic fatigue syndrome and health. Psychosomatic Medicine, 64(2), 311-318. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-200203000-00015