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Short Bio

Born 1985 in Kassel (Germany), Koenig completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in music therapy and therapeutic sciences (Diploma and Master of Arts) in Heidelberg (Germany). He received his doctor scientiarum humanarum in 2013 at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University (major: psychiatry, minor: history of medicine and medical psychology). Koenig completed his postdoctoral training at The Ohio State University (with Prof. Dr. Julian F. Thayer in Columbus, USA), the University of Bern (with Prof. Dr. Michael Kaess, in Bern, Switzerland) and Heidelberg University (with Prof. Dr. Franz Resch in Heidelberg, Germany), where he received the venia legendi for experimental child and and adolescent psychiatry in 2019. Koenig led independent research groups at the University of Bern and the University of Heidelberg before his appointment as tenured associate professor for biological child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Cologne in 2020, where he took office in 2021. 

Koenig received many international awards and recognitions including the Carlsson-Wedemeyer-Award (2011), the Marianne Ringler Award (2013), the Rising Star Award by the American Psychosomatic Society (2014), the Adolf-Ernst-Meyer Award (2014), the Thrasher Early Career Award (2016), the Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution by the Society for Psychophysiological Research (2019), the Hermann-Emminghaus Award (2022) by the German Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the Excellence Award (2024) by the European Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ESSPD). His research received funding by international agencies and foundations; among others the German Research Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Daimler and Benz Foundation, the Dietmar Hopp Foundation, and the Thrasher Research Fund for medical research in children. 

Koenig ist editor of European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Affiliate Editor of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Associate Editor of the International Journal of Psychophysiology, and on the editorial board of journals including Psychosomatic Medicine, and Psychophysiology. He published more than 300 peer-reviewed publications. Koenig is married and has one daughter.

Professional Affiliations

• 07/2021 – present Clinic and Polyclinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
• 10/2017 – 04/2021 University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
• 05/2015 – 06/2021 Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
• 03/2014 – 05/2015 Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University,  Columbus, OH, USA
• 09/2008 – 12/2013 SRH University Heidelberg, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Heidelberg, Germany

Education

• 02/2018 – 11/2019 Habiliation (PD) Venia Legendi in Experimental Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg, Germany
• 04/2010 – 12/2013 Dr. sc. hum. (Major: Psychiatry, Minor: History of Medicine & Medical Psychology), Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg, Germany
• 10/2008 – 09/2009 Master of Arts in Music Therapy, SRH University Heidelberg, School of Therapeutic Sciences Heidelberg, Germany 
• 10/2004 – 09/2008 Diploma in Music Therapy, SRH University Heidelberg, School of Therapeutic Sciences Heidelberg, Germany

Editor and Editorial Board Membership

• Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (Wiley) - Affiliate Editor
• European Child + Adolescent Psychiatry (Springer) - Editor
• International Journal of Psychophysiology (Elsevier) - Associate Editor
• Psychosomatic Medicine (Lippincott) - Editoral Board
• Psychophysiology (Wiley) - Consulting Editor

Prizes and Awards (Selection)

• Excellence Award 2024 by the European Scoiety for the Study of Personality Disorders
• Herrman Emminghaus Award 2022 by the German Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy (DGKJP)
• Distinguished Scientific Award 2019 for an Early Career Contribution to Psychophysiology by the Society for Psychophysiological Research (SPR)
• Thrasher Early Career Award 2016 by the Thrasher Research Fund for Medical Research in Children
• Early Career Investigator – International Travel Award 2016 by the Society of Biological Psychiatry
• Outstanding Research Mentor Award 2015 by The Ohio State University
• Adolf-Ernst-Meyer Award 2014 for Research in Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy by the German College of Psychosomatic Medicine (DKPM)
• “Rising Star” Award 2014 by the American Psychosomatic Society (APS)
• Carlsson-Wedemeyer-Award 2011 for Applied Research in Depression by the German Foundation for Depression