Prof. Dr. Johanna Löchner

In the "Three questions to" section we ask our new scientists three questions on their research, what they like the most about their new task in Tübingen and how they spend their free time.

1. You are at your class reunion. How do you explain your former classmates what you do for a living?

My research focuses on how to detect pyschic disorders in children and adolescents early, prevent them, and treat them effectively using digital methods. Specifically, I evaluated, for example, apps for the prevention of pyschic diseases or the use of fitness watches and the exploration of risk and protective factors in the development of a pyschic disease. A particular focus of my research is on children of pyschic parents who are at very high risk of developing the disease themselves.

2. What attracts you to the task in Tübingen?

Tübingen offers an outstanding networking and infrastructure like no other location in Germany, especially for research with digital technology in childhood and adolescence. The colleagues of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pyschosomatics and Pyschotherapy have been dealing with challenging topics of innovative digital research methods, such as data protection or transfer of sensitive data and the use of apps in therapy, for several years. With my junior professorship for mobile assessment and telepyschotherapy, I can tie in wonderfully here and benefit greatly from the scientific exchange. In addition, my research interests are strongly reflected in the initiatives of the German Center for Mental Health.

3. And what do you like to do most in your free time?

I prefer to spend my free time outdoors and in motion, with family and friends and if possible in the mountains. I am very experimental and go jogging, hiking and horseback riding regularly, but I also like to explore the Swabian Alb and the Schönbuch Nature Park by road bike or mountain bike. Surprisingly, I cover significantly more vertical meters on the bike in Tübingen than I did during my time in Munich!