• repetitive negative thinking and anhedonia
• network analysis in clinical contexts
• psychopharmacology, drug use
• Predictive Processing and Active Inference

Research Interests

• repetitive negative thinking and anhedonia
• network analysis in clinical contexts
• psychopharmacology, drug use
• Predictive Processing and Active Inference

Links

• Google Scholar
• ResearchGate

Curriculum Vitae

• Inhalt ausklappen Inhalt einklappen Education

  01/2018 - 04/2024	Postgradual training for a psychotherapy license (cognitive behavioral therapy) at the Institute for Psychotherapy Training Marburg (IPAM).
  01/2018 - 12/2022	Doctorate in psychology (Dr. rer.nat) with the thesis: “Do dopamine D2 antagonists induce anhedonia, amotivation or dampened stress experience - studies on adverse effects of amisulpride” Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Tania Lincoln, Prof. Dr. Winfried Rief
  10/2016 - 03/2018	M.Sc. Translational Neuroscience, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg.  Master thesis: “Does obesity alter structural parameters of the human brain? A morphometric MRI study.” Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Martin Herrmann, Prof. Dr. Ulrike Lüken
  03/2015 - 08/2017	M.Sc. Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg.  Master's thesis: “Are N2P3 amplitudes sensitive to deceptive intentions or choice? An event related potential study” Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Kristina Suchotzki, Prof. Dr. Matthias Gamer
  04/2012 - 02/2015	B.Sc. Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg. Bachelor thesis: “Generation of individual, noxious heat stimuli for use in a psychological placebo/nocebo paradigm” Supervisor: Dr. Philipp Reicherts

• Inhalt ausklappen Inhalt einklappen Professional Positions

  since 01/2024	Postdoc / Scientific Coordination in LOEWE DYNAMIC, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Group, Marburg
  05/2022 - 12/2022	Postdoc in the PsyChange project, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Group, Marburg
  01/2018 - 12/2022	PhD student in the Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Group, Marburg. Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Tania Lincoln (Hamburg), Prof. Dr. Winfried Rief
  since 01/2018	Therapist at the Institute for Psychotherapy Training Marburg (IPAM).

Teaching

• Seminars about the neurobiology and therapy of schizophrenia.
• Hands-on beginners’ courses in CBT.
• Clinical methods courses about clinical trials and network analyses.

Selected Publications

Berg, M.*, Feldmann, M.*, Kirchner, L., & Kube, T. (2022). Oversampled and undersolved: Depressive rumination from an active inference perspective. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 142, 104873. * shared first authorship
Berg, M., Riehle, M., Rief, W., & Lincoln, T. (2023). Does partial blockade of dopamine D2 receptors with Amisulpride cause anhedonia? An experimental study in healthy volunteers. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 158, 409-416. 
Kirchner, L., Rief, W., Müller, L., Buchwald, H., Fuhrmann, K., & Berg, M. (2024). Depressive symptoms and the processing of unexpected social feedback: Differences in surprise levels, feedback acceptance, and “immunizing” cognition. Plos one, 19(8), e0307035.
Kirchner, L., Kube, T., Berg, M., Eckert, A. L., Straube, B., Endres, D., & Rief, W. (2024). Social expectations in depression. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1-15.
Stenzel K. L., Keller J., Kirchner L., Rief, W., & Berg M. (2025). Efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy in treating repetitive negative thinking, rumination, and worry – a transdiagnostic meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine. 2025; 55:e31. 

Cooperations/Memberships

• LOEWE DYNAMIC
• PsyChange Consortium

Acquired research funds

Partydrug Related Affectivity– The PRAY study
Mini Grant LOEWE DYNAMIC
With Lukas Basedow
3700 Euros
Reference Number: LOEWE1/16/519/03/09.001(0009)/98