Dr. rer. nat. Kira Flinkenflügel, M.Sc.
Post-doc
flinkenf@uni-muenster.de 
+49 (0)251 83-51850

Projects: CRC-TRR 393, projects S02 and A02, DFG FOR2107 work package 1, and additional extensions DFG FOR2107: Anxiety, DFG FOR2107: Psychoses, DFG FOR2107: 5 year 

  • CV

    Research Profiles

    X x.com/kflinkenflue
    Open Science Framework osf.io/xpmeb
    ORCID id orcid.org/0000-0001-7738-5429
    Research Gate www.researchgate.net/profile/Kira-Flinkenfluegel
    Google scholar scholar.google.com/citations

    Academic Career

    Since 2022 Research Associate
    Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Germany, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. Udo Dannlowski
    • Expertise: Management of large longitudinal cohort studies with multimodal (neuroimaging, biomaterial, phenotyping) data assessments of affective and psychotic disorders
    • Academic degree: PhD in psychology finished in 03/2026
    2022-2026 PhD in Psychology (summa cum laude)
    Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Germany Dissertation: "White Matter Alterations in Depression: Deciphering Development, Progression, and Outcome from a Biopsychosocial Perspective using Diffusion-Weighted Imaging" (Dr.rer.nat) supervised by Prof. Dr. Ricarda Schubotz / Prof. Dr. Dr. Udo Dannlowski
    2020-2022 Master of Science in Clinical Psychology (Ø 1.0)
    University of Osnabrück, Germany
    2018-2020 Bachelor of Science Psychology (Ø 1.2)
    University of Osnabrück, Germany
    2016-2018 Bachelor of Science Business Psychology
    Hochschule Osnabrück, Germany
    2007-2015 A-levels (Ø 1.2) at the Gymasium Remigianum, Borken, Germany

    Clinical Work and Training

    Since 04/2024 Out-patient psychotherapy
    Institute for Psychological Psychotherapy Training (IPP), Münster, Germany
    Since 2023 Postgraduate Training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
    Institute for Psychological Psychotherapy Training (IPP), Münster, Germany
    2024 Out-patient Group Therapy (PT2)
    Procrastination outpatient clinic, Psychotherapy Outpatient Clinic (PTA), University of Münster, Germany
    2022 In-patient psychotherapy (PT1)
    Day Clinic, University Hospital Münster, Germany

    Awards, scholarships, and competitive funds

    2026 Travel Grant
    Santander Mobility Fund, University of Münster For the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP), New York, USA (500€)
    2025 Paper of the Month
    Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung "Associations between white matter microstructure and cognitive decline in major depressive disorder versus controls in Germany: a prospective case-control cohort study
    2024 Travel Grant
    Santander Mobility Fund, University of Münster For the Deutscher Psychotherapie Kongress (DPK), Berlin, Germany (500€)
    2024 Travel Fellowship Award
    2024 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP), Austin, Texas, USA (1800€)
    2023 Invited Speaker
    “New Findings” Symposium, Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), Barcelona, Spain, Barcelona, Spain
    2023 Travel Grant
    Santander Mobility Fund, University of Münster For the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, Seoul, South Korea (500€)
    2023 Congress Travel Scholarship
    ECNP Workshop for Early Career Scientists in Europe, Nice, France
    2020 – 2022 Deutschlandstipendium
    Scholarship for academic excellence, University of Osnabrück, Germany
    2019 Niedersachsenstipendium
    Merit-based scholarship of Lower Saxony, University of Osnabrück, Germany

  • Research

    Research Interests

    • Affective disorders (especially Depression)
    • Cognitive deficits
    • Diffusion-weighted imaging (TBSS, Connectomics) 
    • Risk and protective factors
    • Disease trajectories of mental disorders
    • Interventions (CBT, physical activity) 

     

    Research projects:

    • SFB/TRR 393: Trajektorien affektiver Erkrankungen: Kognitiv-emotionale Mechanismen von Symptomänderungen (since 2025) 
    • FOR 2107:  Neurobiologie affektiver Störungen - Eine translationale Perspektive auf Gehirnstruktur und -funktion (2022-2025)

  • Publications

    Notable publications

    Peer-Reviewed Publications

    *Indicates equal contribution

    First-authored

    Flinkenflügel, K.*, Borgers, T.*, Klug, M., Mummendey, M. M., Leehr, E. J., Meinert, S… & Redlich, R. (2025). Longitudinal associations between white matter integrity, early life adversities, and treatment response following cognitive-behavioral therapy in depression. Neuropsychopharmacology. 50(6), 1000–1007. doi.org/10.1038/s41386-025-02070-x

    Flinkenflügel, K.*, Meinert, S.*, Hirtsiefer, C., Grotegerd, D., Gruber, M., Goltermann, J., Winter, N. R., Stein, F., Brosch, K., Leehr, E. J., Böhnlein, J., Dohm, K., Bauer, J., Redlich, R., Hahn, T., Repple, J., Opel, N., Nitsch, R., Jamalabadi, H., … Dannlowski, U. (2024). Associations between white matter microstructure and cognitive decline in major depressive disorder versus controls in Germany: A prospective case-control cohort study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 11(11), 899–909. doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00291-8

    Flinkenflügel, K.*, Gruber, M.*, Meinert, S., Thiel, K., Winter, A., Goltermann, J., Usemann, P., Brosch, K., Stein, F., Thomas-Odenthal, F., Wroblewski, A., Pfarr, J.-K., David, F. S., Beins, E. C., Grotegerd, D., Hahn, T., Leehr, E. J., Dohm, K., Bauer, J., … Dannlowski, U. (2024). The interplay between polygenic score for tumor necrosis factor-α, brain structural connectivity, and processing speed in major depression. Molecular Psychiatry, 29(10), 3151–3159. doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02577-7

    Flinkenflügel, K., Meinert, S., Thiel, K., Winter, A., Goltermann, J., Strathausen, L., Brosch, K., Stein, F., Thomas-Odenthal, F., Evermann, U., Wroblewski, A., Usemann, P., Pfarr, J.-K., Grotegerd, D., Hahn, T., Leehr, E. J., Dohm, K., Bauer, J., Jamalabadi, H., …  Dannlowski, U. (2023). Negative Stressful Life Events and Social Support Are Associated With White Matter Integrity in Depressed Patients and Healthy Control Participants: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study. Biological Psychiatry, 94(8), 650–660. doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.03.022