GRK 3136:  Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of Infectious Diseases – NEURINFECT

• Subject Area: Neurosciences ; Medicine
• Term: since 2026
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 545535395

Post-infectious neuropsychiatric sequelae (NPI) are increasingly recognized as substantial contributors to brain disease and mental health impairment. However, our current understanding of the processes that mediate NPI upon infection is still very limited and therapeutic options are missing. Notably, the lack of interdisciplinary research groups integrating expertise in infection medicine, neurology, and psychiatry hinders young scientists from acquiring essential research experience and skills in this relevant and promising research area. NEURINFECT addresses this gap by establishing a unique interdisciplinary research and training environment for PhD and MD researchers, covering the entire translational chain of research on post-infectious neuropsychiatric sequelae. The NEURINFECT concept involves mechanistic research in animal models, multimodal clinical research, and bed-side validation in clinical routine. Focused at the intersection of infection medicine, immunology, neurology, and psychiatry, NEURINFECT aims to unveil the mechanisms mediating the causative relationship between respiratory infections and NPI. Its forward and reverse translational research agenda integrates pre-clinical and clinical expertise across disciplines. The core hypothesis of NEURINFECT posits that respiratory infection and systemic inflammation trigger an acute immune-neuronal response, leading to encephalopathy and acute changes in social behavior, which in turn results in long-term NPI through persistent neural circuit dysfunction. We furthermore suggest that metabolic dysregulation, immunological status, host-microbiome interactions, and stress system activity act as significant moderators in this relationship, explaining the heterogeneity among patients and their clinical trajectories. Building on the outlined interdisciplinary research agenda, NEURINFECT will establish a novel translational research frontier by training a new generation of scientists to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying post-infectious neuropsychiatric sequelae. Deciphering the mechanisms of NPI will provide essential guidance for developing personalized preventive strategies and innovative interventions to address neuropsychiatric sequelae resulting from infectious disorders.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
• Participating Institution: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Leibniz-Institut für Alternsforschung - Fritz-Lipmann-Institut e.V. (FLI); Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie e.V.; Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI)
• Participating Researchers: Privatdozentin Dr. Stefanie Deinhardt-Emmer; Professorin Dr. Veronika Engert; Professorin Dr. Kathrin Finke; Professorin Dr. Ilse Denise Jacobsen; Professorin Dr. Manja Marz; Dr.-Ing. Geraldine Nouailles; Professor Dr. Nils Opel; Professor Dr. Mathias W. Pletz; Professor Dr. Christoph Schmidt-Hieber; Professor Dr. Andreas Stallmach; Professor Dr. Martin Walter; Professor Dr. Sebastian Weis; Professor Dr. Martin Witzenrath; Professorin Dr. Christina Zielinski
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Christian Geis