Dr. Verena Klusmann

Associated Professor

Psychological Assessment and Health Psychology
Department of Psychology
University of Konstanz
P.O. Box 47
D-78457 Konstanz

Phone: +49 (0) 7531 88 5317
Email: verena.klusmann [at] uni-konstanz.de

Curriculum Vitae

Professional experience

Since 09/2022	Professor for Health Promotion and Prevention Department of Health, Security, Society, Furtwangen University
10/2018 - 09/2021	Temporary Professorship for Public Health Department of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Hamburg University
10/2014 - 09/2016	Temporary Professorship of Evidence-Based Health Promotion and Prevention at the University of Bremen Department of Human and Health Sciences, University of Bremen
01/2011 - 09/2014	Post doc, Psychological Assessment and Health Psychology Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz
01/2009 - 12/2010	Research Associate (Pre doc), Prof. Dr. Isabella Heuser, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin
10/2009 - 03/2010	Teaching Assistant, Prof. Dr. Florian Schmiedeck, Humboldt-University of Berlin
10/2008 - 12/2008	Scholarship of the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin
05/2006 - 09/2008	Scholarship of the German Research Foundation, Graduate School Neuropsychiatry and Psychology of Aging (GK 429)

Education

10/2010	Ph.D. in Psychology: Physical and Cognitive Activity in Older Women - Promoting Cognitive Fitness and Aging Satisfaction Free University Berlin
04/2006	Diploma in Psychology (Dipl.-Psych.) Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg

Awards

2019	Editor's Choice of the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Science for the Article: Klusmann, Sproesser, Wolff, & Renner (2019). Positive self-perceptions of aging promote healthy eating behavior across the lifespan via social-cognitive processes. Free access at: https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology/article/74/5/735/4668509
2015	Poster Award of the Division of Health Psychology of the German Psychological Society: Musculus, L., Klusmann, V., Sproesser, G., Renner, B. (2015).
2014	Study Award of the German Society of Sport Psychology (asp) for the supervised Master's Thesis of Lisa Musculus "The Dynamic of Outcome Expectancies in the Process of Health Behavior Change"
2011	Marie-Schlei-Dissertation Award 2011 of the Free University Berlin
2010	Presentation Award of the Health Psychology Division of the International Association of Applied Psychology
2009	Poster Award of the Division of Health Psychology of the German Psychological Society
2008	Poster Award of the German Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gerontologie und Geriatrie e.V.)

Membership in Editorial Boards

Associate Editor of the European Journal of Health Psychology
Associate Editor of Frontiers in Eating Behavior
Editorial Scholars Panel of the British Journal of Health Psychology

Membership in Professional Organizations

	European Health Psychology Society (EHPS)
	German Psychological Society (DGPs), Subdivisions: Health Psychology, Developmental Psychology
	Gerontological Society of America (GSA)

Positions in Professional Organizations

2012 - 2015

Spokesperson of the junior scientists of the Health Psychology Divison of the German Psychological Society (DGPs)

Research

Research interests

Social cognitions and self-regulation in the context of health-behavior change
Health promotion in old age
Motives for eating behavior over the life span
Emotion and action regulation over the life span
Promotion and maintenance of cognitive fitness
Subjective assessment of cognitive faculties
Subjective well-being over the life span
Images of aging/Views on aging/Aging perceptions
Mixed methods
Using artificial intelligence (AI) for research

Projects

Current projects:

	Scientific network 'Images of aging: Via a dynamic life-span model to new perspectives for research and practice'; Role: PI; funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG); 2017 - 2022
	DIE KONSTANZER LIFE-STUDIE: Interdisciplinary research project on the health of Konstanz citizens; Role: Project conception/management; PI: Prof. Dr. Britta Renner; funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF); launched in 2012
	Study on Risks and Benefits for Our Health: Germany, Japan 2011 and 2013

Finished projects:

	2011-2014: EATMOTIVE: Why we eat, what we eat. Motives, social context, and implications (funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF)
	2006-2010: Berlin stays fit – An intervention study to promote cognitive fitness in old age, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, PI: Prof. Dr. Isabella Heuser

Citable Abstracts & Talks

2010

Talk

Cognitive benefits from mental and physical activity in older women: The Berlin Stays Fit study

Klusmann, V., Evers, A., & Heuser, I. (2010). Cognitive benefits from mental and physical activity in older women: The Berlin Stays Fit study. Invited paper presented at the International Conference on Aging & Cognition 2010, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany.

2010

Citable abstract

Die subjektive Wahrnehmung von Aktivitätsförderungsprogrammen im Alter [The subjective perception of activity promotion programs in old age]

Klusmann, V., Evers, A., Schwarzer, R., & Heuser, I. (2010). Die subjektive Wahrnehmung von Aktivitätsförderungsprogrammen im Alter [The subjective perception of activity promotion programs in old age]. In: F. Petermann & U. Koglin (Hg.). 47. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie (S. 467-468). Lengerich: Pabst Science Publishers.

2010

Citable abstract

Subjectively appreciated benefits from cognitive fitness interventions in older women.

Klusmann, V., Evers, A., Schwarzer, R., & Heuser, I. (2010). Subjectively appreciated benefits from cognitive fitness interventions in older women. The Gerontologist, 50(S1), 399.

2010

Talk

The subjective perception of benefits from cognitive fitness interventions in older women remains domain-specific

Klusmann, V., Evers, A., Schwarzer, R., & Heuser, I. (2010). The subjective perception of benefits from cognitive fitness interventions in older women remains domain-specific. Paper presented at the 27th International Congress of Applied Psychology, Melbourne, Australia.

2009

Citable abstract

Individueller Zeitaufwand zur Teilnahme an einer 6-monatigen mentalen bzw. körperlichen Aktivität: Wer profitiert? [Individual time effort to participate in a 6-month mental or physical activity: Who benefits?]

Evers, A., Klusmann, V., Schwarzer, R., Reischies, F. M., & Heuser, I. (2009). Individueller Zeitaufwand zur Teilnahme an einer 6-monatigen mentalen bzw. körperlichen Aktivität: Wer profitiert? [Individual time effort to participate in a 6-month mental or physical activity: Who benefits?]. Zeitschrift für Gesundheitspsychologie, Suppl. 1/09, 12.

2009

Citable abstract

Time effort of older women in a 6-month mental or physical intervention: Who benefits

Evers, A., Klusmann, V., Schwarzer, R., Reischies, F. M., Dimeo, F. C., & Heuser, I. (2009). Time effort of older women in a 6-month mental or physical intervention: Who benefits? Psychology and Health, 24(S1), 166.

2009

Talk

Neueste medizinische Erkenntnisse aus der Studie „Berlin bleibt fit“ – Auswirkungen von körperlichen und geistigen Aktivitäten auf die Hirnleistung älterer Menschen [Recent medical findings from the „Berlin stays fit“ study: Effects of physical and cognit

Klusmann, V. (2009). Neueste medizinische Erkenntnisse aus der Studie „Berlin bleibt fit“ – Auswirkungen von körperlichen und geistigen Aktivitäten auf die Hirnleistung älterer Menschen [Recent medical findings from the „Berlin stays fit“ study: Effects of physical and cognitive activities on the cognitive performance of older people]. Invited Paper presented at the Symposium 'Gehirnjogging: Neueste medizinische Erkenntnisse – Prävention durch Bewegung und Sport?', Landessportbund Berlin, Germany.

2009

Citable abstract

Complex mental and physical activity in older women maintains episodic memory and working memory: A 6-month randomized controlled trial

Klusmann, V., Evers, A., Schwarzer, R., Dimeo, F. C., Reischies, F. M., & Heuser, I. (2009). Complex mental and physical activity in older women maintains episodic memory and working memory: A 6-month randomized controlled trial. Biological Psychiatry, 65(8S), 106S.

2009

Talk

Complex mental and physical activity in older women maintains episodic memory and working memory: A 6-month randomized controlled trial

Klusmann, V., Evers, A., Schwarzer, R., Dimeo, F. C., Reischies, F. M., & Heuser, I. (2009). Complex mental and physical activity in older women maintains episodic memory and working memory: A 6-month randomized controlled trial. Paper presented at the 11th European Congress of Psychology, Oslo, Norway.

2009

Talk

Körperliche und geistige Interventionen im Alter: Objektive kognitive Leistungsgewinne und subjektive kognitive Fitness [Physical and cognitive interventions in old age: Objective cognitive performance benefits and subjective cognitive fitness]

Klusmann, V., Evers, A., Schwarzer, R., Dimeo, F. C., Reischies, F. M., & Heuser, I. (2009). Körperliche und geistige Interventionen im Alter: Objektive kognitive Leistungsgewinne und subjektive kognitive Fitness [Physical and cognitive interventions in old age: Objective cognitive performance benefits and subjective cognitive fitness]. Paper presented at the 'Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Nervenheilkunde' 2009, Berlin, Germany.