Prof. Dr. med. Gerhard Gründer

Head of the Department for Molecular Neuroimaging Central Institute for Mental Health

Gerhard Gründer, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, is a Professor at the Medical Faculty Mannheim at Heidelberg University. He heads the Department for Molecular Neuroimaging at the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim. His main research interests include the neurobiology of mental disorders as well as molecular and clinical psychopharmacology. He uses functional imaging methods, in particular positron emission tomography (PET). His most recent interest is the clinical evaluation of psychedelic drugs in severe mental disorders, and he leads the largest academic-initiated clinical trial with a psychedelic (in treatment-resistant depression) ever done. He recently discussed his thoughts on the ethics and philosophy of psychiatry and their contribution to the further development of society in a book (German: “Wie wollen wir leben?” Springer-Verlag 2020; English translation: "How do we want to live?", Springer-Verlag 2021).