Translational neurogenetics of psychiatric disorders

The research interests of Prof. Tost are neural mechanisms of genetic and environmental risk factors for mental illness, neurobiology of mood and psychosis spectrum disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, autism), multimodal neuroimaging, neural plasticity, network connectivity, neuroimaging biomarkers for pharmacological challenge and therapy research.

National and international Joint Research Projects

DFG GRK 2350, TPB02 ACE and Stress Sensitivity: the Modulatory Role of the Social Environment, 04/2018-09/2022

BMBF: Removing language barriers in treating refugees, RELATER, WP3, 02/2019-01/2023

DFG SFB 1158/2nd FP, TPB04 Translational studies in pain chronicity: role of corticothalamostriatal pathway in stress-sensitisation and comorbidity development, 07/2019-06/2023

DFG TRR265, A04 Intense characterization of triggers, modifying factors and mechanisms at course transition points in human addiction, 07/2019-06/2023

Selected publications

1. Early Social Adversity, Altered Brain Functional Connectivity, and Mental Health.
   Holz NE, Berhe O, Sacu S, Schwarz E, Tesarz J, Heim CM, Tost H (2023). Biol Psychiatry. 93(5):430-441.
2. Brain network dynamics during working memory are modulated by dopamine and diminished in schizophrenia.
   Braun U, Harneit A, Pergola G, Menara T, Schäfer A, Betzel RF, Zang Z, Schweiger JI, Zhang X, Schwarz K, Chen J, Blasi G, Bertolino A, Durstewitz D, Pasqualetti F, Schwarz E, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Bassett DS, Tost H (2021). Nat Commun. 12(1):3478.
3. Neural Correlates of Affective Benefit From Real-life Social Contact and Implications for Psychiatric Resilience.
   Gan G, Ma R, Reichert M, Giurgiu M, Ebner-Priemer UW, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Tost H (2021). JAMA Psychiatry. 78(7):790-792.
4. Generative network models of altered structural brain connectivity in schizophrenia.
   Zhang X, Braun U, Harneit A, Zang Z, Geiger LS, Betzel RF, Chen J, Schweiger JI, Schwarz K, Reinwald JR, Fritze S, Witt S, Rietschel M, Nöthen MM, Degenhardt F, Schwarz E, Hirjak D, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Bassett DS, Tost H (2021). Neuroimage. 2021.225:117510
5. Neural correlates of individual differences in affective benefit of real-life urban green space exposure.
   Tost H, Reichert M, Braun U, Reinhard I, Peters R, Lautenbach S, Hoell A, Schwarz, Ph.D E, Ebner-Priemer U, Zipf A, Meyer-Lindenberg A (2019). Nat Neurosci. 22(9):1389-1393.
6. Environmental influence in the brain, human welfare and mental health.
   Tost H, Champagne FA, Meyer-Lindenberg A (2015). Nat Neurosci. 18(10):1421-31.
7. Puzzling over schizophrenia: Schizophrenia, social environment and the brain.
   Tost H, Meyer-Lindenberg A (2012). Nat Med. 18(2):211-3.

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