Our team

Introduction of the Early Stage Researchers

ESR1

My name is Tara Petzke and I come from a multicultural family with roots in Germany, Croatia, and Australia. I completed my degrees in psychology in Würzburg and Leiden, and have a special interest in unexplained diseases such as functional disorders (FD). During my studies, I did many internships in a broad range of psychology-related fields, such as on an intensive care unit, in a human resources department, in various research settings, and in healthcare policymaking. I wrote my master’s thesis at the department of clinical genetics at the Leiden University Medical Center, where I investigated the effects of a couples’ therapy on wellbeing and relationship satisfaction of Huntington’s-Disease gene carriers. These experiences taught me that as healthcare providers, we need to take a holistic approach and consider disease mechanisms, stigma, family factors and political constraints when providing care. Currently, I am working at the Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Experimental Psychopathology at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Together with Prof. Michael Witthöft and his team we are investigating the mechanisms behind FD. Specifically, we want to examine how cognitive and emotional factors relate to symptom perception, and how we can influence these factors to lower the symptom burden for people living with these disorders. In my free time I enjoy reading, crocheting, and hanging from the ceiling in various contorted ways (aerial silks).

ESR2

My name is Franzi Regnath and I am from a small town in the south of Germany. I have spent the last few years studying in the Netherlands, where I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Groningen. During this time, I discovered my love for research and subsequently obtained a Research Master’s degree in psychology at the University of Amsterdam. As a student and research assistant, I have gained experience with research on eye movements and pupillometry, intrusive memories, detection of concealed memories, and sleep. Over the course of my studies, I became particularly fascinated by eye-tracking research and the field of clinical psychology. When I found out about the ETUDE programme, I was thrilled to learn that the ESR2 project combined these two passions. Therefore, I have now moved back to Germany to complete my doctoral studies at the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy of the Technical University Munich. Together with my supervisor Prof. Nadine Lehnen and her research team, we investigate sensory-motor processing in the brain as a transdiagnostic mechanism underlying functional disorders (FD). My project will focus on individuals with functional dizziness and functional movement disorders and combines a computational-experimental approach to shed more light on a potentially unifying mechanism of FD. Apart from my academic interest, I love animals, plants, food, and a walk in nature.

ESR3

My name is Saya Niwa, I am originally from Japan but have been studying and working in the UK for the past 7 years. My interest in functional disorders (FD) stemmed from my BSc in Applied Clinical Psychology and subsequent five years of clinical practice within the National Health Service, where I witnessed the vast discrepancy between the prevalence and debilitating effects of FD, and awareness amongst healthcare practitioners and access to suitable support. This experience drove my decision to pursue an MSc in Clinical Neuropsychiatry in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, with the aim of pursuing a professional career in FD research. During this time, I worked on developing a study utilizing virtual reality to investigate sense of body ownership and agency in patients with Functional Neurological Disorder, for which I was awarded the Grey Matters Award for Research Excellence. My clinical and academic experiences informed my desire to conduct research investigating the mechanisms behind symptom generation in FD, with a further emphasis on the use of extended reality (XR) in the development of novel, mechanism-specific diagnostic and treatment options. Currently, I am working as an ETUDE early stage researcher within the Department of Psychiatry at Wroclaw Medical University in Poland. Along with my supervisor Prof. Joanna Rymaszewska, co-supervisor Prof. Dorota Szcześniak, and our collaborators Prof. Krzysztof Małyszczak and Ms. Karolina Fila-Witecka, we aim to investigate dysfunctional breathing as a transdiagnostic mechanism underlying FD. Aside from my academic interests, I enjoy playing volleyball, travelling, and getting out into the mountains for climbs and hikes!

ESR4

My name is Lina Münker, I am 25 years old and am originally from Germany. Throughout my education, I specialized myself in both health and developmental psychology. So far, my research interests laid in the field of both emotional maltreatment in childhood as well as pediatric psycho-oncology, wherein I took part in projects investigating how either maltreatment or cancer at younger ages impact different levels of psychosocial functioning across the lifespan. Furthermore, I began to gather experience in the clinical setting during diverse internships with both children, adolescents as well as adult patients, through the active participation in diverse therapeutic individual and group activities. Within ETUDE, I am able to further pursue my research interest on the different facets of dynamic child development within the framework of chronic medical conditions such as Functional Disorders (FD). More specifically, together with Prof. Charlotte Rask and my Co-supervisors Dr. Martin Rimvall, Prof. Lisbeth Frostholm and Prof. Judith Rosmalen, I will focus my research on early-life risk factors, long-term adverse somatic and psychiatric outcomes as well as the developmental trajectory of Functional Somatic Symptoms, with the aim of contributing to our understanding of the trans-diagnostic developmental mechanisms underlying FD.

Work package Diagnosis

ESR5

My name is Abigail Smakowski, I am an Experimental Psychology graduate from the University of Bristol. I hold a Master’s degree from King’s College London in Clinical Neuropsychiatry. It was here that I first discovered my interest in Functional and Somatic Disorders. Since my master, I have worked in a variety of clinical research positions within this area, including Functional Stroke in hyper acute stroke units across London, and Dissociative Seizures and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the Maudsley hospital of South London and Maudsley NHS Trust. I have published a number of articles, amongst others on long-COVID, as part of King’s College London initiative to build a live-systematic review. Within ETUDE, I will be working on a project on the predictive validity of diagnostic criteria of Functional Disorders used in mental health care at the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, together with my supervisors Prof. Bernd Löwe and Dr. Anne Toussaint.

ESR6

My name is Mais Tattan, I am from Syria but I’ve lived most of my life in the United Arab Emirates. I have a Medical Degree from Damascus University Faculty of Medicine, and a Master of Science in Public health from Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the UK. I’m passionate about population health and health inequalities. My past experiences include working as a physician, a front-line worker during the Covid-19 pandemic and as a researcher working with Syrian refugees. I joined the ETUDE program, and I will be based at the Psychiatry Department of the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands. Under the supervision of Prof. Judith Rosmalen and Dr. Denise Hanssen, my project will focus on studying the effects of receiving a diagnostic label of Functional Disorder on the quality of life of patients. This will be done through multiple studies combining the analysis of large cohorts and in-depth interviews with patients. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, listening to music and exploring cafés in search of good coffee!

ESR7

My name is Asma Chaabouni and I am a specialist in Family Medicine from Tunisia. I have spent the last few years in London to complete a MSc in the Psychology of Mental Health awarded with Distinction. In addition to my educational background, I have gained clinical experience working in a range of health care settings. My interest in Functional Disorders (FD) started from the early years of medical school and later on when being myself responsible for taking care of patients with FD. In my project, we aim to study the predictive factors of an unfavorable course of symptom diagnosis. Along with my supervisor Dr. Tim olde Hartman and the research team, we aim to build a prediction rule of the evolution into persistent and severe symptom diagnosis. I am currently working at the Department of Primary and Community Care at Radboud University Medical Centre in Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

Work package Treatment

ESR8

My name is Caroline Rometsch, I’m a German psychologist and physician at the end of my specialization of becoming a doctor for psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy. I finished my parallel studies in medicine and psychology at the University of Tübingen, and afterwards I started to work for the University Hospital of Tübingen and Essen. From the beginning I was interested in the inpatient and outpatient treatment of patients with Functional Disorders (FD). Especially, I joined a clinical education in treating patients with chronic pain as a main symptom (and independence diagnosis) of persistent somatic symptoms. Since years I was involved in research groups of persistent somatic symptoms, also in a migration context, using qualitative and quantitative research methods. I applied for the project to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence and additionally on predictors of evidence-based treatment options for FD, as well as to work on an online survey with other researchers of ETUDE under the supervision of my primary supervisor Prof. Fiammetta Cosci and secondary supervisor Prof. Alexandra Martin. I am so much grateful and happy to be based in the wonderful city of Florence (Italy) and that I will contribute to the (statistical) review of existing knowledge and thus support the improvement of treatment options for patients with FD. Apart from my work, I’m playing water polo, therefore I love sports, further, I enjoy meeting friends, reading, and most important, spending time with my lovely daughter.

ESR9

My full name is Aleksandra Kustra, but everyone calls me Ola. I come from a small town located in the southwest of Poland, called Prudnik. However, in the last couple of years, I have been studying and working in Groningen, a lovely city located in the northern part of the Netherlands. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Groningen. In addition to this, I completed my Research Master’s in Clinical and Psychosocial Epidemiology with a specialization in Health Psychology from the University Medical Center Groningen. As part of the ETUDE project, I am currently working at the Institute and Outpatients Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, located at the University Medical Center Hamburg- Eppendorf (UKE), in Germany, under supervision of Prof. Bernd Löwe and Dr. Angelika Weigel. The main goal of this research project is to identify aspects of the organization of health care that contribute to patients’ persistence and exacerbation of somatic symptoms. Based on the insights achieved in this project and collaboration with the ETUDE team, we aim to develop European recommendations on treatment and health care for patients with persistent somatic symptoms. I am happy to be part of the ETUDE network and work towards improving early recognition, treatment initiation, and helping avoid a long duration of untreated illness in persistent somatic symptoms. Aside from my academic interests, I enjoy meeting new people from diverse cultural backgrounds, traveling, playing board games, and playing video games.

ESR10

My name is Chloe Saunders. I am a medical doctor from the UK and am taking a break from psychiatry training in Edinburgh to work on this project in Aarhus, Denmark. I will be working at the Department of Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics under the supervision of Prof. Lisbeth Frostholm. I am interested in philosophy, nature and holistic ways to help people reconnect with their bodies after stress or trauma.

ESR11

My name is Verónica Cabreira, I am 29 and I come from Póvoa de Varzim, a small town in the North of Portugal. Since an early age I have developed a special interest in helping people on both personal and career levels. Regarding my educational and professional paths, I graduated in Medicine from the University of Porto. I had the opportunity to develop expertise in clinical research methods, at first in the field of cancer and genetics. Given the role of a health care professional and its contribution for the common well-being and society fairness, I started volunteering with stigmatized communities such as homeless, patients with disabilities and refugees. From 2018, I am enrolled in a Neurology residency program. It gave me the opportunity to develop my knowledge and proficiency in a broad range of evolving topics in clinical neurology, as well as working in different challenging environments. In 2020, I have also graduated in Clinical Research Training from Harvard Medical School and Evidence Based Medicine from Erasmus+ in collaboration with the European Academy of Neurology. Using this knowledge, I have further developed my research activities and contribution in the neurology field focusing on patients and their caregivers. For the last few years, I have focused on diagnosing and treating distinct cognitive and behavioral disorders, in a clinical and translational level, being the principal investigator for clinical trials in these fields. I have also been supervising master students from the University of Porto. From 2019 I take part of regular meetings of the Functional Movement Disorders Study Group and have translated the neurosymptoms.org website for Portuguese patients. Currently, I am working at the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (University of Edinburgh) on the ETUDE project focusing on treatment for patients with functional cognitive symptoms with my supervisor Prof. Alan Carson and co-supervisors Prof. Jon Stone and Prof. Lisbeth Frostholm.

ESR12

My name is Nick Mamo. I am from Malta and I will be doing my project within ETUDE at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, working also with the Dimence Groep in Deventer and the Radboud University in Nijmegen. I went to Medical School in Malta, after which I worked as a doctor in the UK, where I also completed my specialty training in General Practice in Glasgow. During my time in the UK I also read for a Master of Science in Medical Anthropology. Through this I gained a lot of interest in qualitative research. I am especially interested in underserved communities, and the ways in which we can harness the resources already available to us to provide a better service and improve health outcomes, preferably with minimal disruption to the community and with minimal cost-implications. For my project, I will be based primarily with the Dimence Groep in Deventer in the Netherlands, a Mental Health care provider, where I will be using qualitative research methods to develop a Collaborative Care Network, under the supervision of Prof. Judith Rosmalen (University of Groningen), Dr. Lineke Tak (Dimence Groep), Dr. Tim olde Hartman (Radboud University) and Dr. Denise Hanssen (University of Groningen).

Work package Stigma

ESR13

My name is Brodie McGhie-Fraser and I have a background in qualitative research. I will be working at the Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc) in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The aim of my project is to measure attitudes about functional somatic symptoms and syndromes among healthcare professionals. The promotion team includes Dr. Tim olde Hartman (Radboudumc), Dr. Peter Lucassen (Radboudumc), Prof. Sandra van Dulmen (Radboudumc; NIVEL) and Prof. Evelien Brouwers (Tranzo, University of Tilburg).

ESR14

My name is Hõbe Treufeldt and I am originally from Estonia but I am currently based in Sheffield, the United Kingdom under the supervision of Prof. Chris Burton. I hold Bachelor Degrees in special education and psychology and a Master Degree in experimental and clinical psychology. I am a certified clinical psychologist in Estonia and I hold a EuroPsy certification in Health and Clinical Psychology. I have been a practicing psychologist for the last six years and helping people to improve their lives has been very rewarding for me. I am passionate about the interconnection of mental and physical health, I have therefore specialized in helping people with chronic health conditions. Perhaps due to my background in education, I have very much enjoyed sharing science-based knowledge on psychological functioning and creating informational content in both work settings and through volunteering. My experience has shown me that it is important to pursue a patient-centered approach to communication, so as to offer appropriate explanations, and to demonstrate empathy. My experience has also reinforced a willingness to remain up to date with the current research and implement new practices. This has shaped how I approach communication around well-being, and I have continued working with patients who suffer both from long term psychiatric disorders and chronic somatic symptoms.

ESR15

My name is Caoimhe McLoughlin. My placement on the ETUDE program is in the University of Edinburgh, where I am working under the supervision of Professors Jon Stone and Alan Carson. Our project will focus on studying the patient experience in Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). We as a team hope to learn more about how and when stigma occurs for patients with FND and later in the project aim to develop pilot interventions that address it

Introduction of the primary supervisors

University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands

Prof. dr. Judith Rosmalen

Prof. dr. Judith Rosmalen is full professor in psychosomatic medicine at the Departments of Psychiatry and Internal medicine of the University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands. Her multidisciplinary research focuses on interactions between biomedical and psychosocial aspects of health problems, with a focus on persistent somatic symptoms. She uses epidemiological and qualitative methods to study etiology, and eHealth interventions to improve care. Judith Rosmalen is a member of the board of the European Association of Psychosomatic Medicine (EAPM), as well as president of the Dutch Network Persistent Somatic Symptoms. She is the programme coordinator of ETUDE.

Wroclaw Medical University, Poland

Prof. dr. Joanna Rymaszewska

Prof. dr. Joanna Rymaszewska is a professor of psychiatry, head of the Department of Clinical Neuroscience of the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology and chief of the Clinic of Psychiatry in the University Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland. She is a member of the European Association of Psychosomatic Medicine (EAPM) board, as well as vice-president of the Polish Psychiatric Association. With over 20 years of clinical experience and over 320 scientific papers, as well as several books published, she combines hands-on clinical work with research. Her scientific interests include dementia research as well as the use of innovative techniques in psychiatry (transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation, cryotherapy) and C-L psychiatry. Since the start of her career, she has taken part in several international grants and projects, including two projects in dementia care and research: SHARED (Social Health And REserve in the Dementia patient journey) and COGNISANCE (COdesiGning demeNtia dIagnoSis ANd post-diagnostic CarE). For ETUDE, Joanna Rymaszewska was appointed as Training Coordinator.

Karolina Fila-Witecka, MA, MSc

Karolina Fila-Witecka is a psychologist and a PhD student as well as member of the staff at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience of Wrocław University of Science and Technology. Her research interests include neurostimulation methods in psychiatry (transcranial magnetic stimulation and deep brain stimulation). Her current projects also revolve around the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychopathological symptoms and lifestyle changes among the Polish population. Her clinical work includes the outpatient as well as the inpatient clinics of the Wrocław University Hospital, where she works as a psychologist and a CBT psychotherapist.

University of Florence, Italy

Prof. dr. Fiammetta Cosci

Prof. dr. Fiammetta Cosci is associate professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Florence, Italy. She is also guest associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. She is associate editor of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics and past-president of the International College of Psychosomatic Medicine (ICPM). Her research focuses on application of diagnostic criteria for psychosomatic research (DCOR-R) in different medical and non-medical settings, development of clinimetric tools for psychosomatic assessment, and implementation of psychotherapeutic strategies in the medically ill.

Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Dr. Tim olde Hartman

Dr. Tim olde Hartman is associate principle investigator and associate principal clinician at the Department of Primary and Community Care of Radboudumc, The Netherlands. As dedicated general practitioner running his own private practice and as chair of the primary care research group he is fascinated by person-centered care. He received his PhD in 2011 in the field of persistent symptoms and mental health. Most of his research activities focus on the therapeutic context of the clinical consultation, in particular optimization of doctor-patient communication and relationship.

University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany

Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Psych. Bernd Löwe

Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Psych. Bernd Löwe is full professor and head of the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. He is an internist, specialist for psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, psychologist and psychotherapist. His research focuses on functional and somatic symptom disorders and has conducted multiple studies on the bi-directional relationship between psychological and somatic factors in gastroenterological and cardiac diseases. He has established and led several local, national, and international research groups (e.g. EURONET-SOMA, SOFU-NET, DEPSCREEN.INFO, GET.FEEDBACK.GP), and he is the speaker of the Research Unit 5211 “SOMACROSS” on persistent symptoms, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). For ETUDE, Bernd Löwe was appointed as Research Coordinator.

Dr. Anne Toussaint

Dr. Anne Toussaint is a psychologist and senior researcher at the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Her research focuses on the diagnosis and management of persistent somatic symptoms. She conducted several studies on the assessment of somatic symptom and related disorders, is a primary investigator in the research unit SOMACROSS, and a member of the EURONET-SOMA network.

Dr. Angelika Weigel

Dr. Angelika Weigel is a post-doctoral researcher and head psychologist at the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Her research focuses on early interventions for persistent somatic symptoms and eating disorders with a particular emphasis on illness perceptions and explanatory models of affected patients and their practitioners. She uses both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Dimence mental health care, The Netherlands

Dr. Lineke Tak

Dr. Lineke Tak is psychiatrist and researcher at the Specialist Center for Persistent Somatic Symptoms and Somatic Symptom Disorders at mental health care institution Dimence, Deventer, the Netherlands. Her current research focuses on personalizing (multidisciplinary) treatment for patients with functional disorders (FD) and improving collaboration and health care organization for FD. In her research, she uses both qualitative and quantitative methods.

University of Edinburgh, The United Kingdom

Prof. dr. Alan Carson

Prof. dr. Alan Carson is consultant neuropsychiatrist and honorary professor at the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, the United Kingdom. His research focuses on disorders at the interface of psychiatry and neurology. The particular focus has been on enhancing the understanding and treatment of functional paralysis and seizures.

Prof. dr. Jon Stone

Prof. dr. Jon Stone is honorary professor of neurology and consultant neurologist. His research has focused on Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) for over 20 years. He has led epidemiological, mechanism and treatment studies, as well as studies of new phenotypes. He is cofounder and secretary of the FND Society. He created neurosymptoms.org, a self-help site for FND and co-leads the FND research group in Edinburgh with Prof. dr. Alan Carson.

Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark

Prof. dr. Charlotte Ulrikka Rask

Prof. dr. Charlotte Ulrikka Rask is a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry since 2010. She has been working as a consultant and clinical professor since 2016 at Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital and Aarhus University, Denmark. Her clinical work and research are centered around functional disorders and health anxiety in children and adolescents. Researchwise she works mainly in two areas: epidemiology/basic research and clinical projects, primarily on new treatment- both early intervention and more specialised treatment programs (face to face or internet-based psychological treatment).

Prof. dr. Lisbeth Frostholm

Prof. dr. Lisbeth Frostholm is full professor and leading psychologist at the Department of Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. Her research focuses on persistent physical symptoms, functional disorders and health anxiety with a specific interest in psychological interventions, eHealth, and epidemiological studies.

University of Sheffield, The United Kingdom

Prof. dr. Chris Burton

Prof. dr. Chris Burton is a general practitioner (family physician) and researcher. He leads the research group in the Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care at the University of Sheffield, the United Kingdom. His work aims to add to our understanding of persistent symptoms and functional disorders and to translate that understanding into teachable explanations which are useful for clinicians and patients. He uses a wide range of research methods including qualitative research, intensive longitudinal methods and clinical trials.

Technische Universität München, Germany

Prof. dr. Nadine Lehnen

Prof. dr. Nadine Lehnen is a senior physician at the Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the Technical University Munich (TUM), Germany, where she is head of inpatient treatment with focus on severe functional disorders. Lehnen is trained in psychosomatic medicine, psychotherapy, neurology and neuroscience. Her main interest is the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of physical complaints in the context of somatic and mental illnesses – but especially those complaints for which neither a plausible physical nor psychological cause can be found. She uses computational-experimental research approaches and translates them to individual patient care. Besides ETUDE, she is a member of EURONET-SOMA, the EAPM, the German Society for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy (DGPM), faculty member of TUM medical faculty and of the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Munich, and founding partner of EyeSeeTec GmbH.

Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany

Prof. dr. Michael Witthöft

Prof. dr. Michael Witthöft is a full professor of clinical psychology, psychotherapy, and experimental psychopathology at the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Germany. He is head of the postgraduate cognitive-behavioural training program, as well as head of a psychotherapy outpatient clinic. His research focuses on chronic somatic symptoms and related clinical conditions across the lifespan, as well as on key processes (e.g. emotion regulation and interoception) that are of transdiagnostic relevance for our understanding of somatic and mental disorders. By elucidating the central mechanisms of somatic symptom distress and symptoms of psychopathology using experimental and correlational research designs, his research aims at discovering innovative ways of improving the treatment of complex clinical conditions.

Introduction of the Early Stage Researchers

Introduction of the primary supervisors

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