Clinical depressive disorders in children and adolescents.
Developmental disabilities in school.
Coordinating the development of S3 guidelines (depression, reading and/or spelling difficulties (dyslexia), arithmetic disability (dyscalculia)).
Scientific neurophysiological and genetic studies of depressive disorders and school development disorders, development and evaluation of therapy, prevention research.

• 1981-1988 medical studies at RWTH Aachen and Philipps University Marburg
• 1988 license to practice
• 1991 Doctorate, Philipps University Marburg
• 1988-1989 Researcher, Educational Assistance Association Training and Consulting Center e. V., Marburg, researcher at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Philipps University in Marburg
• 1989-1994 Researcher at the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Philipps University Marburg
• 1995-1998 habilitation grant from the German Research Foundation
• 1999 habilitation, Philipps University Marburg
• 1999-2006 Senior Physician at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Philipps University of Marburg
• 1998-2006 Deputy Head of the Training and Consulting Center of the Association for Assistance in Education e. W. Marburg and the medical-pedagogical youth protection service of the Philipps University of Marburg
• 2001-2006 Lecturer in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents at Philipps University Marburg
• since 2006, Professor (Department) of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Director of the Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
• Member of the Scientific Advisory Council for Psychotherapy since 2009.
• Member of various professional societies, including the German Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy (president of the professional society from 2012 to 2013).
• Co-editor of the Journal of Learning and Learning Disabilities
• Member of the scientific advisory board of various specialized journals, including the Annals of Dyslexia, the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy.