Peer-Reviewed Journals

• Müller, A., Joshi,M., Kessling, A., Erdal, N., Tilk, K., Merz, C.J., Wolf, O.T., Wegmann, E., Brand, M. (2025). Effects of acute stress on cue reactivity and implicit cognitions in online compulsive buying-shopping disorder. Journal of Behavioral Addictions. 14, 537-547.
• Kessling, A., Müller, A., Wolf, O.T., Merz, C.J., Brand, M., Wegmann, E. (im Druck). Effects of acute psychosocial stress on cue-reactivity, attentional bias, and implicit associations in women with problematic social network use: An experimental study. Addiction.
• Klein, N., Zöllner, C., Otto, T., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2025). Cortisol modulates hippocampus activation during scenario substitution in men. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 219, 108049.
• Langer, L., Wolf, O.T., Merz, C.J. & Jentsch, V.L. (2025). The effects of stress hormones on cognitive emotion regulation: A systematic review and integrative model. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 170, 106040.
• Müller, A., Joshi, M., Kessling, A., Erdal, N., Müller, S.M., Tilk, K., Merz, C.J., Wolf, O.T., Wegmann, E. & Brand, M. (2025). Effects of acute stress on cue reactivity and implicit cognitive mechanisms in compulsive buying-shopping disorder. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 14, 534-547.
• Petrenko, M., Coenen, L., Doubliez, A., Ernst, T.M., Nio, E., Diekmann, N., Uengoer, M., Cheng, S., Merz, C.J., Timmann, D. & Batsikadze, G. (2025). Appetitive and aversive classical conditioning: Self-reports and physiological responses. Behavioral Brain Research, 484, 115509.
• Heyers, K., Pfeifer, L.S., Merz, C.J., Stockhorst, U., Güntürkün, O., Wolf, O.T. & Ocklenburg, S. (2025). TSST-OL: Comparison between online and laboratory application and effects on empathy. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 171, 107211.
• Kaczmarczyk, M., Deuter, C.E., Deus, H., Kallidou, A., Merz, C.J., Hellmann-Regen, J., Otte, C. & Wingenfeld, K. (2024). Effects of separate and combined estradiol and progesterone administration on fear extinction in healthy pre-menopausal women. Translational Psychiatry, 14, 449.
• Schmid, A.M., Thomas, T.A., Blümel, S., Erdal, N., Müller, S.M., Merz, C.J., Wolf, O.T., Brand, M., Müller, A. & Steins-Loeber, S. (2024). Transfer from goal-directed behavior to stimulus-response habits and its modulation by acute stress in individuals with risky gaming behavior. Scientific Reports, 14, 26015.
• Pan, D., Hoid, D., Wolf, O.T., Merz, C.J. & Li, X. (2024). Conflict dynamics of post-retrieval extinction: a comparative analysis of unconditional and conditional reminders using skin conductance responses and EEG. Brain Topography, 37, 834-848.
• Pfeifer, L.S., Heyers, K., Wolf, O.T., Stockhorst, U., Güntürkün, O., Merz, C.J. & Ocklenburg, S. (2024). Using the online version of the Trier Social Stress Test to investigate the effect of acute stress on functional lateralization. Scientific Reports, 14, 20826.
• Pötzl, L., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2024). The influence of time of day on memory recognition for faces. Hormones and Behavior, 165, 105633.
• Nostadt, A., Schlaffke, L., Merz, C.J., Wolf, O.T., Nitsche, M.A, Tegenthoff, M. & Lissek, S. (2024). Microstructural differences in the cingulum and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus are associated with (extinction) learning. BMC Psychology, 12, 324.
• Pfeifer, L.S., Zöllner, C., Wolf, O.T., Domes, G. & Merz, C.J. (2024). Prior exposure to a sensorimotor game in virtual reality does not enhance stress reactivity towards the OpenTSST VR. Stress, 27, 2361237.
• Rüttgens, T., Suchan, B., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2024). Acute stress does not moderate selective attention in a composite letters task. Stress, 27, 2330704.
• Merz, C.J. (2023). How different factors in combination change fear extinction learning: the case of sex and stress hormones. In M.R. Milad & S.D. Norrholm (Eds.), Fear extinction - From basic neuroscience to clinical implications. Cham: Springer.
• Schellen, S., Zeidan, P., Ernst, T.M., Thieme, A., Nicksirat, A., Merz, C.J., Nitsche, M.A., Yavari, F., Timmann, D. & Batsikadze, G. (2024). Absence of modulatory effects of 6HZ cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation on fear learning in men. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 17, 1328283.
• Batsikadze, G.*, Pakusch, J.*, Klein, M., Ernst, T.M., Thieme, A.G., Nicksirat, S.A., Steiner, K.M., Nio, E., Genc, E., Maderwald, S., Deuschl, C., Merz, C.J., Quick, H.H., Mark, M.D. & Timmann, D. (2024). Mild deficits in fear learning: Evidence from humans and mice with cerebellar cortical degeneration, eNeuro, 11, doi: https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0365-23.2023.
• Schmidt, K.*, Schlitt. F.*, Wiech, K., Merz, C.J., Kleine-Borgmann, J., Wolf, O.T., Engler, H., Forkmann, K., Elsenbruch, S. & Bingel, U. (2024). Hydrocortisone differentially affects reinstatement of pain-related responses in patients with chronic back pain and healthy volunteers. Journal of Pain, 25, 1082-1093.
• Nostadt, A., Merz, C.J., Wolf, O.T., Tegenthoff, M. & Lissek, S. (2023). Cortisol decreases activation in extinction related brain areas resulting in an impaired recall of context-dependent extinction memory. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 205, 107844.
• Nebe, S., Reutter, M., Baker, D.H., Bölte, J., Domes, G., Gamer, M., Gärtner, A., Gießing, C., Gurr née Mann, C., Hilger, K., Jawinski, P., Kulke, L., Lischke, A., Markett, S., Meier, M., Merz, C.J., Popov, T., Puhlmann, L.M.C., Quintana, D.S., Schäfer, T., Schubert, A.-L., Sperl, M.F.J., Antonia Vehlen, A., Lonsdorf, T.B. & Feld, G.B. (2023). Enhancing precision in human neuroscience. eLife, 12:e85980.
• Diers, E., Zomorodpoosh, S., Labrenz, F., Merz, C.J., Pacharra, M. & Otto, T. (2023). DatabaseApp v2.0 (v2.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8039273.
• Jentsch, V.L., Wolf, O.T., Otto, T. & Merz, C.J. (2023). The impact of physical exercise on the consolidation of fear extinction memories. Psychophysiology, e14373.
• Zomorodpoosh, S., Diers, E., Linn, S., Merz, C.J., Pacharra, M. & Otto, T. (2023). MetaDataApp v2.0 (v2.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8040229 .
• Labrenz, F., Merz, C.J. & Icenhour, A. (2023). Connecting dots in disorders of gut-brain interactions: The interplay of stress and sex hormones in shaping visceral pain. Frontiers in Psychiatry, section Psychological Therapy and Psychosomatics. 14, 1204136.
• Pan, D., Jentsch, V.L., Langer, K., Hagedorn, B., Höffken, O., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2023). What a difference timing makes: Cortisol effects on neural underpinnings of emotion regulation. Neurobiology of Stress, 25, 100544.
• Otto, T., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2023). EDA-Analysis App (5.11). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7965376.
• Diers, E., Pacharra, M., Merz, C.J., Ernst, T.M., & Otto, T. (2023). Subject Code Generator v1.1 (v1.1). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7634563.
• Raeder, F., Merz, C.J., Tegenthoff, M., Dere, E., Wolf, O.T., Margraf, J., Schneider, S. & Zlomuzica, A. (2023). Do oral contraceptives modulate the effects of stress induction on one-session exposure session efficacy and generalization in women? Psychopharmacology, 240, 1075-1089.
• Bach, D.R., Sporrer, J., Abend, R., Beckers, T., Dunsmoor, J.E., Fullana, M.A., Gamer, M., Gee, D.G., Hamm, A., Hartley, C.A., Herringa, R.J., Jovanovic, T., Kalisch, R., Knight, D.C., Lissek, S., Lonsdorf, T.B., Merz, C.J., Milad, M.R., Morriss, J., Phelps, E.A., Pine, D.S., Olsson, A., van Reekum, C.M. & Schiller, D. (2023). Consensus design of a calibration experiment for human fear conditioning. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 148, 105146.
• Pötzl, L., Wolf, O.T., Merz, C.J. (2023). Rapid and delayed stress effects on recognition of female and male faces. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 150, 106043.
• Pacharra, M., Winter, N.O.C., Kumsta, R., Uengoer, M., Caviola, J.K., Ernst, T.M., Reichert, R., Yavari, F., Merz, C.J., Cheng, S., Linn, S., Wolf, O.T., Güntürkün, O. & Otto, T.. (2022). Research Data Management Policy of the collaborative research centre SFB 1280 "Extinction Learning" (v1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8004432 .
• Beck, K., Meir Drexler, S., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2022). Stress effects on memory retrieval of aversive and appetitive instrumental counterconditioning in men. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 196, 107697.
• Merz, C.J. & Wolf, O.T. (2022). How stress hormones shape memories of fear and anxiety in humans. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 142, 104901.
• Batsikadze, G., Diekmann, N., Ernst, T.E., Klein, M., Maderwald, S., Deuschl, C., Merz, C.J., Cheng, S., Quick, H.H. & Timmann, D. (2022). The cerebellum contributes to context-effects during fear extinction learning: a 7T fMRI study. Neuroimage, 253, 119080.
• Hagedorn, B., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2022). Cortisol before extinction generalization alters its neural correlates during retrieval. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 105607.
• Lonsdorf, T.B., Hartwigsen, G., Kübler, A., Merz, C.J., Schmidt, B., Sperl, M.F.J. & Feld, G.B. (2022). Mehr als nur fragwürdig: Reproduzierbarkeit und Open Science in der Lehre aus Sicht der Biologischen Psychologie und Neuropsychologie. Psychologische Rundschau, 73, 30-33.
• Jentsch, V.L., Pötzl, L., Wolf, O.T.* & Merz, C.J.* (2022). Hormonal contraceptive usage influence stress hormone effects on cognition and emotion. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 67, 101012.
• Schlitt, F., Schmidt, K., Merz, C.J., Wolf, O.T., Kleine-Borgmann, J., Elsenbruch, S., Wiech, K., Forkmann, K. & Bingel, U. (2022). Impaired pain-related threat and safety learning in patients with chronic back pain. Pain, 163, 1560-1570.
• Sobanski, E.*, Hammerle, F.*, Dixius, A., Möhler, E., Koudela-Hamila, S., Ebner-Priemer, U., Merz, C.J., In-Albon, T., Pollit, B., Christiansen, H., Kolar, D., Ocker, S., Fischer, N., Burghaus, I., Huss, M. (2021). START Adolescents: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of a low-threshold group treatment program in traumatized adolescent refugees. BMJ Open, 11, e057968.
• Icenhour, A. Petrakova, L., Hazzan, N., Theysohn, N., Merz, C.J. & Elsenbruch, S. (2021). When gut feelings teach the brain to fear pain: Context-dependent activation of the central fear network in a novel interoceptive conditioning paradigm. Neuroimage. 238, 118229.
• Hagedorn, B., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2021). Stimulus-based extinction generalization – neural correlates and disruption by cortisol. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 24, 354-365.
• Inoue, L., Ernst, T.M., Ferber, I.I., Merz, C.J., Timmann, D. & Batsikadze, G. (2020). Interaction of fear conditioning with eyeblink conditioning supports the sensory gating hypothesis of the amygdala. eNeuro, 7, 1-15.
• Meir Drexler, S., Merz, C.J., Jentsch, V.L. & Wolf, O.T. (2020). Stress modulation of fear and extinction in psychopathology and treatment. Neuroforum, 26, 133-141.
• Zlomuzica, A., Schneider, S., Wolf, O.T., Merz, C.J., Konrad, C., Raeder, F. & Margraf, J. (2020). Against the return of fear: novel ways to treat anxiety. Neuroforum, 26, 143-149.
• Raeder, F., Merz, C.J., Margraf, J. & Zlomuzica, A. (2020). The association between fear extinction, the ability to accomplish exposure and exposure therapy outcome in specific phobia. Scientific Reports, 10, 4288.
• Merz, C.J., Eichholtz, A. & Wolf, O.T. (2020). Acute stress reduces out-group related safety signaling during fear reinstatement in women. Scientific Reports, 10, 2092.
• Hermann, A., Stark, R., Müller, E.A., Kruse, O., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2020). Multiple extinction contexts modulate the neural correlates of context-dependent extinction learning and retrieval. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 168, 107150.
• Lonsdorf, T.B., Klingelhöfer-Jens, M., Andreatta, M., Beckers, T., Chalkia, A., Gerlicher, A., Jentsch, V.L., Meir Drexler, S., Mertens, G., Richter, J., Sjouwerman, R., Wendt, J. & Merz, C.J. (2020). Navigating the garden of forking paths for data exclusions in fear conditioning research. eLife, e52465.
• Jentsch, V.L., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2020). Temporal dynamics of conditioned skin conductance and pupillary responses during fear acquisition and extinction. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 147, 93-99.
• Meir Drexler, S., Merz, C.J., Lissek, S., Tegenthoff, M. & Wolf, O.T. (2019). Reactivation of the unconditioned stimulus inhibits the return of fear independent of cortisol. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 13, 254.
• Haaker, J., Maren, S., Andreatta, M., Merz, C.J., Richter, J., Richter, S.H., Meir Drexler, S., Lange, M.D., Jüngling, K., Seidenbecher, T., Nees, F., Fullana, M.A., Wotjak, C.T. & Lonsdorf, T.B. (2019). Making translation work: Harmonizing cross-species methodology in the behavioural neuroscience of Pavlovian fear conditioning. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 107, 329-345.
• Ernst, T.M., Brol, A., Gratz, M., Ritter, C., Bingel, U., Schlamann, M., Maderwald, S., Quick, H.H., Merz, C.J.* & Timmann, D.* (2019). The cerebellum is involved in processing of predictions and predicition errors in a fear conditioning paradigm. eLife, 8, e46831.
• Jentsch, V.L., Merz, C.J. & Wolf, O.T. (2019). Restoring emotional stability: cortisol effects on the neural networks of cognitive emotion regulation. Behavioural Brain Research, 374, 111880.
• Merz, C.J., Hagedorn, B. & Wolf, O.T. (2019). An oral presentation causes stress and memory impairments. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 104, 1-6.
• Lonsdorf, T.B., Merz, C.J. & Fullana, M.A. (2019). Fear extinction retention - is it what we think it is? Biological Psychiatry, 85, 1074-1082.
• Meir Drexler, S., Merz, C.J., Jentsch, V.L. & Wolf, O.T. (2019). How stress and glucocorticoids timing-dependently affect extinction and relapse. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 98, 145-153.
• Merz, C.J. & Wolf, O.T. (2019). The immediate extinction deficit occurs in a non-emotional learning paradigm. Learning and Memory, 26, 39-45.
• Merz, C.J. & Lonsdorf, T.B. (2020). Methodische Anmerkungen und Anwendungsbereiche der Furchtkonditionierung in verschiedenen psychologischen Disziplinen. Psychologische Rundschau, 71, 273-287.
• Raeder, F., Merz, C.J., Tegenthoff, M., Wolf, O.T., Margraf, J. & Zlomuzica, A. (2019). Post-exposure cortisol administration does not augment the success of exposure therapy: a randomized placebo-controlled study. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 99, 174-182.
• Stock, L.-M. & Merz, C.J. (2018). Memory retrieval of everyday information under stress. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 152, 32-38.
• Kinner, V.L., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2018). Cortisol increases the return of fear by strengthening amygdala signaling in men. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 91, 79-85.
• Meir Drexler, S., Merz, C.J. & Wolf, O.T. (2018). Pre-extinction stress prevents context-related renewal of fear. Behavior Therapy, 49, 1008-1019.
• Merz, C.J., Kinner, V.L., & Wolf, O.T. (2018). Let’s talk about sex … differences in human fear conditioning. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 23, 7-12.
• Merz, C.J., Hamacher-Dang, T.C., Stark, R., Wolf, O.T. & Hermann, A. (2018). Neural underpinnings of cortisol effects on fear extinction and extinction retrieval. Neuropsychopharmacology, 43, 384-392.
• Lonsdorf, T.B. & Merz, C.J. (2017). More than just noise: Individual differences in fear acquisition, extinction and return of fear in humans - Biological, experiential, temperamental factors, and methodological pitfalls. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 80, 703-728.
• Merz, C.J. (2017). Contribution of stress and sex hormones to memory encoding. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 82, 51-58.
• Hermann, A., Stark, R., Blecker, C.R., Milad, M.R. & Merz, C.J. (2017). Brain structural connectivity and context-dependent extinction memory. Hippocampus, 27, 883-889.
• Lonsdorf, T.B., Menz, M., Andreatta, M., Fullana, M., Golkar, A., Haaker, J., Heitland, I., Hermann, A., Kuhn, M., Kruse, O., Meir Drexler, S., Meulders, A., Nees, F., Pittig, A., Richter, J., Römer, S., Shiban, Y., Schmitz, A., Straube, B., Vervliet, B., Wendt, J., Baas, J.M.P.* & Merz, C.J.* (2017). Don’t fear ‘fear conditioning’: Methodological considerations for the design and analysis of studies on human fear acquisition, extinction, and return of fear. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 77, 247-285.
• Kinner, V.L., Kuchinke, L., Dierolf, A.M., Merz, C.J., Otto, T. & Wolf, O.T. (2017). What our eyes tell us about feelings: Tracking pupillary responses during emotion regulation processes. Psychophysiology, 54, 508-518.
• Merz, C.J., Dietsch, F. & Schneider, M. (2016). The impact of psychosocial stress on conceptual knowledge retrieval. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 134, 392-399.
• Merz, C.J. & Wolf, O.T. (2017). Sex differences in stress effects on emotional learning. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 95, 93-105.
• Kinner, V.L., Wolf, O.T. & Merz, C.J. (2016). Cortisol alters reward processing in the human brain. Hormones and Behavior, 84, 74-83.
• Biehl, S., Merz C.J., Dresler, T., Heupel, J., Reichert, S., Jacob, C.P., Deckert, J. & Herrmann, M.J. (2016). Increase or decrease of fMRI activity in adult attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder – does it depend on task difficulty? International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 19, 1-10.
• Meir Drexler, S., Merz, C.J., Hamacher-Dang, T.C. & Wolf, O.T. (2016). Cortisol effects on fear memory reconsolidation in women. Psychopharmacology, 233, 2687-2697.
• Hermann, A., Stark, R., Milad M.R. & Merz, C.J. (2016). Renewal of conditioned fear in a novel context is associated with hippocampal activation and connectivity. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11, 1411-1421.
• Kinner, V.L., Merz, C.J., Lissek, S. & Wolf, O.T. (2016). Cortisol disrupts the neural correlates of extinction recall. NeuroImage, 133, 233-243.
• Merz, C.J.*, Hamacher-Dang, T.C.*, Wolf, O.T. (2016). Immediate extinction promotes the return of fear. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 131, 109-116.
• Meir Drexler, S., Merz, C.J., Hamacher-Dang, T.C., Tegenthoff, M. & Wolf, O.T. (2015). Effects of cortisol on reconsolidation of reactivated fear memories. Neuropsychopharmacology, 40, 3036-3043.
• Icenhour, A., Kattoor, J., Benson, S., Boekstegers, A., Schlamann, M., Merz, C.J., Forsting, M., Elsenbruch, S. (2015). Neural circuitry underlying effects of context on human pain-related fear extinction in a renewal paradigm. Hum Brain Mapp, 36, 3179-3193.
• Merz, C.J., Wolf, O.T. (2015). Examination of cortisol and state anxiety at an academic setting with and without oral presentation. Stress, 18, 138-142.
• Utz, A., Thürling, M., Ernst, T.M., Hermann, A., Stark, R., Wolf, O.T., Timmann, D., Merz, C.J. (2015). Cerebellar vermis contributes to the extinction of conditioned fear. Neurosci Lett, 604, 173-177.
• Hamacher-Dang, T.C.*, Merz, C.J.*, Wolf, O.T. (2015). Stress following extinction learning leads to a context-dependent return of fear. Psychophysiology, 52, 489-498.
• Mosig, C., Merz C.J., Mohr, C., Adolph, D., Wolf, O.T., Schneider, S., Margraf, J., & Zlomuzica, A. (2014). Enhanced discriminative fear learning of phobia-irrelevant stimuli in spider-fearful individuals. Front Behav Neurosci, 8, 328.
• Meir Drexler, S., Merz, C.J., Hamacher-Dang, T.C., Marquardt, V., Fritsch, N. & Wolf, O.T. (2014). Effects of post-retrieval extinction learning on return of contextual-controlled cued fear. Beh Neurosci, 128, 474–481.
• Merz, C.J.*, Hamacher-Dang, T.C.* & Wolf, O.T. (2014). Exposure to stress attenuates fear retrieval in healthy men. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 41, 89-96.
• Merz, C.J., Hermann, A., Stark, R. & Wolf, O.T. (2014). Cortisol modifies extinction learning of recently acquired fear in men. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 9, 1426-1434.
• Schweckendiek, J., Klucken, T., Merz, C. J., Kagerer, S., Walter, B., Vaitl, D. & Stark, R. (2013). Learning to like disgust: Neuronal correlates of counterconditioning. Front Hum Neurosci, 7, 346.
• Merz, C. J., Wolf, O. T., Schweckendiek, J., Klucken, T., Vaitl, D. & Stark, R. (2013). Stress differentially affects fear conditioning in men and women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38, 2529-2541.
• Baioui, A., Pilgramm, J., Merz, C.J., Walter, B., Vaitl, D. & Stark, R. (2013). Neural response in obsessive-compulsive washers depends on individual fit of triggers. Front Hum Neurosci, 7, 134.
• Klucken, T., Schweckendiek, J., Merz, C. J., Vaitl, D. & Stark, R. (2013). Dissociation of neuronal electrodermal, and evaluative responses in disgust extinction. Beh Neurosci, 127, 380-386.
• Merz, C. J., Tabbert, K., Schweckendiek, J., Klucken, T., Vaitl, D., Stark, R. & Wolf, O. T. (2012). Oral contraceptive usage alters the effects of cortisol on implicit fear learning. Horm Behav, 62, 531-538.
• Klucken, T., Wehrum, S., Schweckendiek, J., Merz, C. J., Hennig, J., Vaitl, D. & Stark, R. (2013). The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism is associated with altered hemodynamic responses during appetitive conditioning. Hum Brain Mapp, 34, 2549-2560.
• Merz, C. J., Stark, R., Vaitl, D., Tabbert, K. & Wolf, O. T. (2013). Stress hormones are associated with the neuronal correlates of instructed fear conditioning. Biol Psychol, 92, 82-89.
• Klucken, T., Alexander, N., Schweckendiek, J., Merz, C. J., Kagerer, S., Osinsky, R., Walter, B., Vaitl, D., Hennig, J. & Stark, R. (2013). Individual differences in neural correlates of fear conditioning as a function of 5-HTTLPR and stressful life events. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 8, 315-321.
• Klucken, T., Schweckendiek, J., Koppe, G., Merz, C. J., Kagerer, S., Walter, B., Sammer, G., Vaitl, D. & Stark, R. (2012). Neural correlates of disgust- and fear-conditioned responses. Neuroscience, 201, 209-218.
• Merz, C. J., Tabbert, K., Schweckendiek, J., Klucken, T., Vaitl, D., Stark, R. & Wolf, O. T. (2012). Neuronal correlates of extinction learning are modulated by sex hormones. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 7, 819-830.
• Schwabe, L., Merz, C. J., Walter, B., Vaitl, D., Wolf, O. T. & Stark, R. (2011). Emotional modulation of the attentional blink: The neural structures involved in capturing and holding attention. Neuropsychologia. 49, 416-425.
• Stark, R., Bauer, E., Merz, C. J., Zimmermann, M., Reuter, M., Plichta, M. M., Kirsch, P., Lesch, K.-P., Fallgatter, A. J., Vaitl, D. & Hermann, M. (2011). ADHD related behaviors are associated with brain activation in the reward system. Neuropsychologia. 49, 426-434.
• Tabbert, K., Merz, C. J., Klucken, T., Schweckendiek, J., Vaitl, D., Wolf, O. T. & Stark, R. (2010). Cortisol enhances neural differentiation during fear acquisition and extinction in contingency aware young women. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 94, 392-401.
• Schweckendiek, J., Klucken, T., Merz, C. J., Tabbert, K., Walter, B., Ambach, W., Vaitl, D. & Stark, R. (2011). Weaving the (neuronal) web: Fear learning in spider phobia. Neuroimage. 54, 681-688.
• Tabbert, K., Merz, C. J., Klucken, T., Schweckendiek, J., Vaitl, D., Wolf, O. T. & Stark, R. (2011). Influence of contingency awareness on neural, electrodermal, and evaluative responses during fear conditioning. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 6, 495-506.
• Merz, C. J., Wolf, O. T. & Hennig, J. (2010). Stress impairs retrieval of socially relevant information. Beh Neurosci. 124, 288-293.
• Merz, C. J., Tabbert, K., Schweckendiek, J., Klucken, T., Vaitl, D., Stark, R. & Wolf, O. T. (2010). Investigating the impact of sex and cortisol on implicit fear conditioning with fMRI. Psychoneuroendocrinology 35, 33-46.
• Klucken, T., Schweckendiek J., Merz, C. J., Tabbert, K., Kagerer, S., Walter, B., Vaitl, D. & Stark, R. (2009). Neural activations of the acquisition of conditioned sexual arousal: Effects of contingency awareness and sex. J Sex Med. 6, 3071-3085.
• Klucken, T., Tabbert, K., Schweckendiek, J., Merz, C.J., Kagerer, S., Vaitl, D., & Stark, R. (2009). Contingency learning in human fear conditioning involves the ventral striatum. Hum Brain Mapp. 30, 3636-3644.

* shared authorship

Book Chapters:

• Merz, C.J. (in press). How different factors in combination change fear extinction learning: the case of sex and stress hormones. In M. Milad & S. Norrholm (Hrsg.), Fear extinction - From basic neuroscience to clinical implications. Berlin: Springer.
• Merz, C.J. & Wolf, O.T. (2022). Lernen und Gedächtnis. In A. Schütz, M. Brand & S. Steins-Löber (Eds.), Psychologie (6., rev. edition). Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
• Merz, C.J., Elzinga, B.M. & Schwabe, L. (2016). Stress, fear, and memory in healthy individuals. In J.D. Bremner (Hrsg.), Post-traumatic stress disorder: From neurobiology to treatment. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Merz, C.J., Wolf, O.T. (2015). Stress and emotional learning in humans: Evidence for sex differences. In R. Shansky (Hrsg.), Sex Differences in the Central Nervous System. London, San Diego, Waltham, Oxford: Academic Press.

• 2021: DFG Research Grant, Subproject of SFB 1280 “Extinction Learning”
  “Stress hormone effects on contextualized extinction memories”, Joint Application with V. L. Jentsch & O. T. Wolf
• 2020: International Scientific Event Grant (DFG, ME 3831/6-1)
  to organize the “12th European Meeting on Human Fear Conditioning (EMHFC) 2020" in Bochum
• 2019: DFG Research Grant (ME3831/5-1)
  “Genomic and non-genomic cortisol effects on memory retrieval dependent on sex hormone status”
• 2018: Scholarship for Conference Participation (DAAD)
  „30th Winter Conference on Neural Plasticity“, Curaçao
• 2017: DFG Research Grant, Subproject of SFB 1280 “Extinction Learning”
  “The impact of stress and stress hormones on extinction, renewal, reinstatement and reconsolidation”, Joint Application with O. T. Wolf
• 2017: Project Funds, eLearning Contest 5x5000 (Center for Teaching and Learning, Ruhr University Bochum)
  „RightCite: Richtiges Zitieren und Umgang mit Plagiaten“, Joint Application with S. Brandhorst, S. Hahn, M. Krause, K. Lucht-Roussel, M. Luhmann, C. Peifer, J. Rose, A. Schüffler & M. Theile
• 2016: Research Grant, Mercator Research Center Ruhr (MERCUR)
  “The influence of stress on retrieval of socially relevant fear memories”
• 2016: Teaching Award (Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum)
  Best Seminar in M.Sc. Psychology
• 2015: Teaching Award (Students Representatives, Faculty of Psychology, Trier University)
  Best Lecture and Best Seminar in B.Sc. Psychology
• 2015: Event Award (Ruhr University Bochum)
  to organize the “7th European Meeting on Human Fear Conditioning“
• 2015: DFG Research Grant (LO 1980/2-1)
  “Research network for the (European) Interdisciplinary study of Fear and Extinction Learning as well as the Return of Fear (EIFEL-ROF)“, Joint Application with T. Lonsdorf; 2020: Commendation from the Society for Improving Psychological Science; SIPS
• 2014: Scholarship for Conference Participation (DAAD)
  “44th annual ISPNE conference", Montreal
• 2013: DFG Research Grant, Subproject of FOR 1581 "Extinction Learning: Neural Mechanisms, Behavioural Manifestations, and Clinical Implications" (WO733/13-2)
  "Effects of the stress hormone cortisol on extinction retrieval: In search of the neural correlates", Joint Application with O.T. Wolf
• 2012: DFG Research Grant (ME 3831/4-1)
  “Neurobiology of context-dependent extinction learning: Modulation by multiple extinction contexts and cortisol”, Joint Application with A. Hermann
• 2012: Scholarship for Conference Participation (DAAD)
  "Neuroscience 2012", New Orleans
• 2012: Research Grant (Justus Liebig University Giessen)
  Neuronal basis of generalization of extinction learning“, Joint Application with A. Hermann
• 2011: Young Investigator Award (International Society for Psychoneuroendocrinology)
• 2011: Scholarship for participation at the Spring School (DGPA)
  "Genes, brain, and behavior: From personality to psychopathology", St. Goar
• 2009: Research Grant (Women’s Representative of the Justus Liebig University Giessen)
  “Neurobiological bases of social anxiety in women”, Joint Application with A. Hermann

German Psychological Society (DGPs)

• since 2016: Member of the Ethics Committee
• Section General Psychology
• Section Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
• Section Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology (since 2021: Committee Member of the Board and Treasurer)
• Interest Group Biopsychology and Neurosciences in Clinical Psychology
• Interest Group Open and Reproducible Research in the Section Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology (Founding Member)

German Society for Psychophysiology and its Applications (DGPA)

• 2015-2016: Committee Member of the Board and Speaker of the Young Scientists

International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology (ISPNE)

Research Funding Programs

• German Research Foundation (DFG)
• German-American Fulbright Commission
• German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD)
• European Research Council (ERC)
• Austrian Science Fund (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF)
• Israel Science Foundation (ISF)
• Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
• Research Foundation Flanders (FWO)
• Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)

Consulting Editor

• Biological Psychology

Peer-Reviewed Journals

Acta Neuropsychiatrica, Acta psychologica, American Journal of Psychiatry, Behavioural Brain Research, Behavioral Neuroscience, Behavior Research Methods, Behaviour Research and Therapy, Biological Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Biological Psychology, BMC Women’s Health, Brain Imaging and Behavior, Brain Sciences, Clinical Psychological Science, Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, Communications Biology, Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, Contraception, Depression and Anxiety, European Neuropsychopharmacology, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, Hormones and Behavior, Human Brain Mapping, International Journal of Psychophysiology, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, Journal of Experimental Psychology, Journal of Individual Differences, Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Neuroscience Research, Journal of Vision, Memory, Memory & Cognition, Molecular Psychiatry, Motivation and Emotion, Nature Communications, Nature Protocols, Neural Networks, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Neurobiology of Stress, Neuroimage, Neuropsychobiology, Neuropsychologia, Neuropsychopharmacology, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, Physiology and Behavior, PLOS Biology, PLOS ONE, Psychological Medicine, Psychological Reports, Psychological Science, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Psychopathology Review, Psychopharmacology, Psychophysiology, Science Advances, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Social Neuroscience, Stress, The Cerebellum, Thinking & Reasoning, Translational Psychiatry, Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie

Current Teaching Activities:

• Lecture "Stress"
  M.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Lecture  "Cognition I: Perception, Attention, Memory"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum

Past Teaching Activities:

• Lecture "Cognition and Brain"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Lecture "Cognition II: Language, Thinking, Problem Solving"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Seminar "Cognition I: Cognition I: Perception, Attention, Memory"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Lecture "Stress"
  M.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Lecture  "Cognition I: Perception, Attention, Memory"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Seminar "Stress and Cognition"
  M.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Discourse “Neurobiology of Mental Disorders”
  M.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Seminar "Cognition II: Language, Thinking, Problem Solving"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Practical Course in Experimental Psychology "Context and Memory"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Practical Course in Experimental Psychology "Stress and Memory"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Seminar "Learning and Memory Processes under Stress I + II"
  B.Sc./M.Sc. Psychology, Trier University
• Lecture "Biopsychology I"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Trier University
• Lecture "Biopsychology II"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Trier University
• Colloquium "Biological and Clinical Psychology"
  B.Sc./M.Sc. Psychology, Trier University
• Seminar "Focus in Basics: Biopsychology"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Trier University
• Seminar "Selected Problems: Neurobiology of Mental Disorders"
  M.Sc. Psychology, Trier University
• Seminar "Research-Oriented Focus: Neurobiology of Mental Disorders"
  M.Sc. Psychology, Trier University
• Seminar "Hormonal Aspects of Mental Disorders"
  M.Sc. Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen
• Practical Course "Professional Field"
  M.Sc. Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen
• Seminar "Stress and Memory"
  M.Sc. Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen
• Seminar "Obsessive-Compulsive Disordes"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen
• Teaching Research Project
  M.Sc. Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen
• Seminar "Cognitive Neurosciences: Emotional Learning"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Seminar "Biological Psychology"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen
• Seminar "Psychoneuroendocrinology, Hormones and Behavior"
  M.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Seminar "Conditioning Processes in Cognitive Neurosciences"
  B.Sc. Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum