Professor Dr. Dr. Katharina Domschke, M.A. (USA)
Medical Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Professor Dr. Dr. Katharina Domschke is a distinguished psychiatrist and psychotherapist with extensive clinical and scientific expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of the full spectrum of adult psychiatric disorders, particularly in depression, anxiety disorders, stress-related disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Under her leadership, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy provides comprehensive, evidence-based care for patients with a broad range of mental health conditions. Since 2016, she serves as Medical Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Medical Center – University of Freiburg and as Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Freiburg. She also holds an adjunct professorship in psychiatry at the Medical University of Vienna.
Professor Domschke studied medicine and psychology at the University of Münster and Trinity College Dublin, with additional academic training at Boston University in the United States (Master of Arts in Psychology) and Maastricht University in the Netherlands (PhD). In 2012, she was appointed Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Würzburg, where she later served as Vice Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy before taking up her position at the University of Freiburg in 2016.
Areas of Expertise
- Depression and other affective disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Stress-related disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Adult psychiatry and psychotherapy
- Psychopharmacology
- Evidence-based psychotherapy
- Personalized treatment strategies in psychiatry
Research & Innovation
Professor Domschke leads an internationally recognized research program in experimental psychiatry and psychotherapy, focusing on the biological mechanisms underlying mental disorders and the development of more precise and personalized approaches to their prediction, prevention, and treatment.
A major focus of her scientific work is identifying the genetic, epigenetic, and neurobiological factors involved in anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental health conditions. Her work aims to translate these findings into individualized prevention and treatment strategies, supporting the advancement of precision medicine in psychiatry.
Professor Domschke has authored more than 550 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as three books and 26 book chapters. Her research has received substantial support from major national and international funding organizations, including the European Union, the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education.
Professor Domschke is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and has received numerous scientific distinctions, including research awards from the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP), the German Society of Biological Psychiatry (DGBP), and the German Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (DGPPN), as well as fellowship awards from the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) and the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP).
She is actively involved in leading national and international professional organizations such as ACNP, ECNP, CINP, DGPPN and WPA as well as multiple research networks. She has chaired the ECNP Anxiety Disorders Research Network and holds leadership and advisory roles within major psychiatric societies. Professor Domschke is also co-editor of the peer-reviewed medical journal Der Nervenarzt and serves on the editorial boards of several international scientific journals.