André Schulz holds the position of an Associate Professor in Psychology in the Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, Head of Research Group “Brain-Body Interaction” and Head of the “Clinical Psychophysiology Laboratory” (CLIPSLAB). Furthermore, he is Deputy Director of the Experimental Psychology Laboratories Network (EPSYLON) at the University of Luxembourg – a coordinating structure of 10 laboratories that conduct research in experimental psychology at the Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHES). Dr Schulz is member of the Faculty Council of FHES.

His research foci include

• interoception
• the psychobiology of stress
• mental disorders associated with physical symptoms (e.g., somatic symptom disorders)
• mental health in chronic conditions (e.g., gastrointestinal, respiratory or cardiovascular conditions)
• psychophysiological research methods

Dr Schulz has published 71 articles in high-ranked, international peer-reviewed journals, such as JAMA Psychiatry (IF: 16.6), Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (IF: 6.2), Resuscitation (IF: 5.2) or Psychoneuroendocrinology (IF: 4.9). Moreover, he is Associate Editor of the renowned journal Biological Psychology (IF: 3.2).His research projects were continuously funded by the University of Luxembourg and the Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR).

His teaching activities include courses in psychophysiology (Bachelor of Science in Psychology), health psychology (Master in Psychological Intervention), as well as in the Doctoral School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Currently, he supervises 12 PhD students (9 former PhD students successfully completed their studies).

André Schulz studied Psychology at the University of Trier (Diplom, MSc equiv., 2007), where he also completed his PhD (2009) within the International Research Training Group “Psychoneuroendocrinology of Stress” (Trier-Leiden/NL), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). After his first postdoc period at the University of Trier, Division of Clinical Psychophysiology, he joined the University of Luxembourg in 2012. He has also an assignment as external lecturer at the University of Trier, Germany.

Current projects

Interoception in medically unexplained symptoms (INMEDEX) – funded by: University of Luxembourg Research Fund (PUL). Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are highly prevalent in Western societies. However, psychobiological processes underlying MUS remain unclear. Interoception, the perception of bodily processes, may play an important role in the generation of physical symptoms in MUS. Stress contributes to the development and maintenance of MUS and may also affect interoception. Therefore, in the INMEDEX project the relationships between interoception, stress and MUS are investigated.

Interoception and chronic stress (INSTRESS) – funded by: University of Luxembourg Research Fund (PUL). Chronic stress affects the perception of internal bodily states, i.e. interoception, thereby contributing to the generation of physical symptoms and subsequently the development of mental disorders in which physical symptoms play an important role (e.g. panic disorder, somatoform disorders, depression). The psychobiological processes underlying the generation of physical symptoms under conditions of chronic stress, however, are yet unclear. The current project will investigate alterations in interoception and physiological stress responses in schoolteachers with high and low in chronic stress, as the teaching profession represents a highly stressful occupation due to its enduring work-related demands.

„Stress effects on interoceptive learning and memory as a mechanism of somatic symptom generation” (INMEMO) – funded by Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR). Somatic symptom disorders (SSD) are characterized by enduring physical symptoms without a sufficient medical explanation; they have a high lifetime prevalence of 4.4-12.9% and are associated with a significant impairment of quality of life. Although altered interoception, the processing of internal bodily signals, is observed in SSD, the psychobiology underlying symptom generation remains, however, unclear. Learning and memory associated with physical symptoms (i.e. interoceptive learning) may represent one key mechanism to explain symptom generation. As post-learning stress may facilitate (mainly declarative) learning and memory, this project aims at investigating stress facilitation effects on interoceptive learning and memory.”

Interoception of bodily sensations across organ domains and its relevance for somatic symptoms (INBODY) – co-funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) and the Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR). Functional somatic syndromes (FSS) are characterized by chronic, disabling symptoms that do not correspond to observable organic dysfunction, and come at great individual and societal costs. Treatment options for FSS are limited, which is largely due to insufficient knowledge about the mechanisms underlying these symptoms. Disturbed interoception, the ability to process and perceive sensory signals from within the body, is believed to be crucially involved. Therefore, the present project aims to examine several important aspects of interoception in healthy individuals and patients with FSS. Specifically, we will investigate whether interoception is a general ability that shares neural processing characteristics across multiple organ domains and that predicts affective responses. Moreover, we will test whether altered interoceptive processing of bodily signals from different organs can explain the heterogeneity of somatic symptoms, especially in FSS, and how this can be modified by new treatment approaches. Our multidisciplinary research team combines expertise from the fields of psychology, neuroscience and gastroenterology. In interrelated observational and experimental work packages, we will combine state-of-the-art methods including psychophysiological, neural and behavioural measures to improve the understanding of interoception within and across multiple organ domains and to establish interoception-based intervention strategies to reduce symptom burden in FSS patients.

Shared Underlying Mechanisms of Long-COvid and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - A psychoneuroendocrinological and psychoimmunological perspective (SUMCO) – funded by the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Luxembourg. At least 10 % of patients recovering from Covid-19 develop persistent health consequences such as fatigue, myalgia, or post-exertional malaise. “Long-Covid” is one of the many terms used to describe the occurrence of respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, and/or gastrointestinal symptoms weeks after the initial infection is resolved. Although some symptoms seem to be unique to Long-Covid (e.g., olfactory & gustatory dysfunction), there is a large symptom overlap with the condition of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). ME/CFS is a complex, multisystem condition affecting 0.89 % of the global population. Different factors have been hypothesized to be involved in the aetiology of ME/CFS, including immune system dysregulation, metabolic alteration, autonomic nervous system (ANS) and limbic system dysfunction, as well as abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. One popular hypothesis postulates that ME/CFS is a post-infectious fatigue syndrome, as up to 50 % of ME/CFS cases develop after a viral infection (e.g., infection with Epstein-Barr Virus/EBV). This observation raises the question if Long-Covid and ME/CFS share similarities in underlying pathophysiology, as both conditions seem to occur after viral infections (SARS-CoV-2 & EBV), which trigger dysregulations in the immune system, the ANS, or the HPA axis. A proper characterization of Long-Covid and ME/CFS by a thorough, interdisciplinary psychological and physiological assessment may help to make a differential diagnostic distinction of the two patient groups. The aims of the current project are: (1) To reveal similarities and differences in the pathophysiology of Long-Covid and ME/CFS, as an in-depth understanding of the underlying psychobiology is essential to design adequate prevention in terms of early detection of pathological biomarkers and treatment interventions for Long-Covid syndromes and ME/CFS in terms of a graded exercise therapy. We specifically focus on potential alterations in the immune system, the ANS, and the HPA axis. (2) We aim to elucidate how these processes translate into severity of fatigue, as the relationship between these alterations and actual symptom distress remains yet unclear. Ultimately, as biological and psychological markers of Long-Covid and ME/CFS can help to monitor the course of symptoms and the potential responsiveness to treatment intervention, we aim (3) at investigating the effectiveness of a graded exercise therapy on symptom severity and potential improvement in alterations of the immune system, the ANS and the HPA axis.

Last updated on: Montag, den 13. Februar 2023

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Professional Experience

Higher Education

Awards and Grants (as Principal Investigator)

Awards and Grants (as Co-Investigator)

Management activities

Ad-hoc Reviewing for International Journals

• Anxiety, Stress & Coping
• Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical
• Behavioural Brain Research
• Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
• Biological Psychology
• BMC Psychology
• Brain and Cognition
• Brain Imaging and Behavior
• Clinical Psychological Review
• Clinical Psychology in Europe
• Cognition
• Cognition and Emotion
• Cortex
• Frontiers in Psychiatry
• Frontiers in Psychology
• International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
• International Journal of Psychophysiology
• Journal of Affective Disorders
• Journal of Applied Biomedicine
• Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
• Journal of Individual Differences
• Journal of Personality Disorders
• Journal of Psychiatric Research
• Journal of Psychophysiology
• NeuroImage
• Neuropsychologia
• Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
• Perception
• Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior
• Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
• Physiology & Behavior
• PLOS ONE
• Psychiatry Research
• Psychological Medicine
• Psychological Reports
• Psychological Research
• Psychosomatic Medicine
• Psychoneuroendocrinology
• Psychophysiology
• Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
• Scientific Reports
• Trends in Cognitive Sciences
• Trials
• Verhaltenstherapie
• Zeitschrift für Gesundheitspsychologie

Ad-hoc Reviewing for International Funding Agencies

• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)/German Research Fund
• Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS)/National Fund for Scientific Research
• Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)/Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research
• Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW)/Austrian Academy of Sciences
• Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF)/Swiss National Fund
• UK Economic and Social Research Council
• UK Medical Research Council
• Wellcome Trust

Current Teaching Activities

University of Luxembourg
  
Bachelor in Psychology (academic)/BAP (since 2012):
Psychophysiology A: Concepts and Methods (5^th Sem.)
Psychophysiology B: Applications (6^th Sem.)
  
Master in psychological Intervention/MPI (since 2013):
Health Psychology A: Theories and Models (1^st Sem.)
Health Psychology B: Methods and Assessment (2^nd Sem.)       

PhD Studies/Doctoral School (since 2017):
Research Colloquium “Interoception, Stress and Physical Symptoms”
Scientific Writing for Psychophysiologists

University of Trier
                       
Psychophysiology and Health/Graduate studies (since 2012)         
                                     

Supervision of PhD theses

Last updated on: 13 Feb 2023

„Leierpersonal fir Etud iwwer Stress gesicht“, RTL Radio Luxembourg, Mar 25, 2022

„Lehrkräfte im Dienste der Wissenschaft“, Luxemburger Wort, Feb 17, 2022

„Etued lauschter op dain Haerz“, RTL Radio Luxembourg, Mar 23, 2021

„So beeinflusst Corona das Jahr 2021“, Tageblatt Lëtzebuerg, Feb 06, 2021

„Corona und die Psyche: Probanden für Uni-Studie gesucht“, Luxemburger Wort, May 23, 2020.

„Ein einziger (Alb-)Traum”, Tageblatt Lëtzebuerg, May 08, 2020.

„Lehrer unter Dampf“, Tageblatt Lëtzebuerg, Sept 20, 2019

„Wenn der Darm chronischen Stress hat, leidet die Psyche“, Tageblatt Lëtzebuerg, Sept 07, 2019.

"Sonnenvitamin und Stimmungsmacher“, Tageblatt Lëtzebuerg, Mar 16, 2019.

"Darm krank – Psyche krank“, Luxemburger Wort, Dec 20, 2018.

"Die Weisheit des Körpers“, DIE ZEIT and ZEIT doctor, Nov 08, 2018.

"Gesundheit zu Fuß“, Tageblatt Lëtzebuerg, Oct 27, 2018.

„Jeder ist seiner Erholung Schmied“, Tageblatt Lëtzebuerg, Sept 01, 2018.

„Mehr als nur Raucherhusten“, Luxemburger Wort, Jul 12, 2018.

„Lehrer unter Hochdruck“, Luxemburger Wort, Jul 06, 2018.

RTL Radio Luxembourg: Heart-brain communication in cardiac arrest, 18.05.2018.

„Ein Gespräch, das Leben rettet“, Luxemburger Wort, May 17, 2018.

„Hochsensible Menschen: Welt ohne Filter“, Télécran, Oct 22, 2017.

„Der vermeintlich eingebildete Kranke“, Luxemburger Wort, Sept 28, 2017.

„Gehirn and Lunge: – ‚bitte melden!‘“, Luxemburger Wort, Dec 15, 2016.

Last updated on: 14 Apr 2022

Since 2021: Associate Editor Biological Psychology (IF: 3.2)

https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-psychology/editorial-board

Since 2020: Guest Editor Biological Psychology, Special Issue “Interoceptive Methods”, co-edited by Sarah Garfinkel and Manos Tsakiris.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/biological-psychology/special-issue/10V1PPNC6LC

Since 2019: Editorial Board Member Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (IF: 3.2), section Brain-Computer Interfaces

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/sections/brain-computer-interfaces#editorial-board

Last updated on: 22 Sep 2021