From university research to routine care

Prof. Dr. David Daniel Ebert completed his doctorate in psychology with summa cum laude at the Philipps-Universität Marburg in 2013 and his habilitation at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, where he has been head of the Digital Health department to this day. He is president of the International Society for Research on Internet Interventions (ISRII) and has published over 160 scientific articles and written over 20 book chapters. At HelloBetter, David is responsible for scientific quality assurance, among other things.

Dr. Elena Heber completed her doctorate in psychology in 2016 as part of the GET.ON research project at Leuphana University Lüneburg and was awarded the university's transfer prize for her work. She is responsible for the development and evaluation of HelloBetter's digital health applications and heads the Content & Research department. Elena received her diploma in psychology from the University of Konstanz and worked as a research fellow at the University of Southampton.

Dr. Hanne Horvath completed her doctorate in psychology in 2016 as part of the GET.ON research project at Leuphana University Lüneburg and was awarded the Wilhelm Exner Prize for Psychology for her work. At HelloBetter, Hanne is responsible for Business Development & Services and is in charge of expanding our cooperation with health insurance companies and providing psychological support for our courses. Hanne received her diploma in psychology from the University of Trier.

Dr. Alena Rentsch is a licensed psychological psychotherapist for adults, adolescents, children, and groups. She earned her PhD in 2016 from the Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg and was awarded the ROMIUS Foundation’s Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Science and Research and the Young Scientist Award from the North German Addiction Research Network. Her research and experience as a psychological psychotherapist have significantly influenced the development and evaluation of our online therapy programmes for alcohol, chronic pain, stress and burnout, as well as sleep. At HelloBetter, she leads the multidisciplinary content team and is responsible for the further development of our online therapy programmes.

Anne Etzelmüller studied psychology at the Philipps University Marburg and has been a licensed psychological psychotherapist since 2018. During her research activities at the Leuphana University Lüneburg, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, and the Free University Amsterdam, she worked as a Work Package Lead in various Horizon 2020 projects of the European Commission (H-Work, MasterMind, ImpleMentAll). In her research, Anne focuses on the effectiveness of digital therapy programmes under routine conditions and their implementation.

Anne is a past elected board member of the European Implementation Collaborative (EIC) and founder of the working group “Digital Health Implementation.” Additionally, she is a visiting scientist at the Chair of Psychology & Digital Mental Health at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). At HelloBetter, she researches the facilitating and hindering factors in the implementation of digital health applications (DiGA).

Dr. Lara Ebenfeld completed her PhD in 2020 within the GET.ON research project at the Leuphana University Lüneburg, focusing on panic disorder and agoraphobia. Following her research, she transitioned into practical application. Her research led to the development and evaluation of our online therapy programme for panic disorder and agoraphobia. At HelloBetter, Lara is responsible for the Services Team, ensuring the onboarding, support, and safety of patients within our digital health applications (DiGA) alongside a team of 40 psychologists.

Marie Feiler completed her Master’s degree in Psychology at the Humboldt University of Berlin in 2021. As a working student, she was involved in data analysis at the interface between Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg and HelloBetter.

Since 2021, Marie has been working at HelloBetter as a Clinical Data Analyst Researcher in the field of Digital Health. She is involved in the planning and evaluation of clinical studies and Real World Evidence, and supports price negotiations for our online therapy programmes as well as application procedures with the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) with her scientific expertise. Additionally, she actively leads the Evidence Working Group at the SVDGV.

Vanessa Danzer studied Psychology at the LMU Munich, the University of Mannheim, and the Utrecht University, as well as Communication Science at the LMU Munich.
As a research fellow and research associate at LMU Munich, she gained extensive experience in clinical and cognitive basic research as well as healthcare research.
At HelloBetter, she works as a Senior Digital Health Researcher, involved in the planning and execution of clinical studies, and supports application procedures with the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) with her scientific expertise.

Dr. Luisa Balzus completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology in 2024 at the Humboldt University of Berlin and the interdisciplinary graduate school Berlin School of Mind and Brain. Her doctoral research focused on neurocognitive risk factors for obsessive-compulsive disorders and their potential as treatment targets. Currently, Luisa is a research associate at MSB Medical School Berlin, where she investigates risk factors and psychopathology models of mental disorders using neural markers.
At HelloBetter, she works as a Senior Clinical Data Analyst in the field of Digital Health. She is involved in the planning and evaluation of clinical studies and the analysis of Real World Evidence. She is responsible for clinical evaluation and supports the application procedures for our online therapy programmes with the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and price negotiations with the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) with her scientific expertise.

Dr. Tommaso Ballarini completed his PhD in 2020 at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, in cooperation with the University of Leipzig, focusing on neuroimaging biomarkers for the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. He then conducted postdoctoral research at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn. His research on lifestyle and dementia has been featured by renowned national and international media. In recent years, Tommaso has worked as a scientist in the healthcare industry, both in digital health and the pharmaceutical industry.
As Senior Research Project Manager at HelloBetter, he is responsible for the development and evaluation of transdiagnostic, AI-supported approaches.

Dr. Peter Eric Heinze completed his PhD in 2023 at the University of Potsdam, focusing on psychotherapy preferences. He is currently training to become a psychological psychotherapist with a focus on cognitive behavioural therapy for adults. At HelloBetter, he works as a Digital Health Researcher, involved in the planning and execution of studies in the field of transdiagnostic and personalised interventions.

Prof. Dr. Ron Kessler is McNeil Family Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Professor Kessler is one of the most renowned psychiatric-oriented researchers worldwide. He works closely with the World Health Organization (WHO). With over 600 published articles Professor Kessler is one of the most cited researchers in quantitative social sciences.

Prof. Dr. Martin Hautzinger is Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Tübingen University. Professor Hautzinger is a leading and groundbreaking researcher in cognitive behavioural therapy for affective disorders in Germany. He has also authored numerous manuals and textbooks on clinical psychology and behavioural therapy, and developed the German version of the Beck Depression Inventory, a key resource for diagnosing depression.

Prof. Dr. Heleen Riper is Professor of E-Mental Health at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Professor Riper is former president of the International Society for Research on Internet Interventions (ISRII). She has worked on over 40 national and international research projects on the development of innovative digital concepts for the prevention and treatment of mental health problems.

Prof. Dr. Dirk Lehr is Professor of Health Psychology and Applied Biological Psychology at Leuphana University Lüneburg. A medical psychologist and psychological psychotherapist with years of experience, his research focuses on occupational health interventions, particularly in the context of stress, sleep and depressive disorders.

Prof. Dr. Burkhardt Funk is Professor of Computer Science at Leuphana University Lüneburg. His research includes looking at innovative, data-driven “quantified self” methods in e-mental health interventions.

Prof. Dr. Matthias Berking is Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. Dr. Berking ranks among Germany’s top psychotherapy and emotion researchers. He is a pioneer in the research of app-based treatment methods.

Prof. Dr. Pim Cuijpers is Professor of Clinical Psychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. With more than 500 peer-reviewed publications he is one of the world’s most eminent depression researchers. Together with Professor Andersson he is regarded as a pioneer in the fields of digital psychological interventions and prevention research.

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Andersson is Professor of Clinical Psychology at Linköping University in Sweden. Professor Andersson has conducted trailblazing research on online treatments for mental health problems, and is one of the most high-profile researchers in the field.

Prof. Dr. Stefan Hofmann is Professor of Clinical Psychology at Boston University, where he heads the Psychotherapy and Emotion Research Laboratory. Prof. Dr. Hofmann is one of the leading international experts in the treatment of anxiety disorders and depression. He works at the interface between neuroscience and clinical psychology and has been one of the most cited researchers in his field since 2016.

Prof. Dr. Anna-Carlotta Zarski completed her PhD in 2019 as part of the GET.ON research project at the Leuphana University Lüneburg, focusing on sexual health and dysfunctions in women. For her work, she received the Wilhelm Exner Award for Psychology for innovations in clinical and health psychology. After her postdoctoral fellowship at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg and her training as a psychological psychotherapist, she now holds the qualification professorship for eHealth in Clinical Psychology at the Philipps University Marburg. Her research on women’s sexual health significantly influenced the development and evaluation of our online therapy programme for vaginismus.