Scientific Focus
My research centers on understanding how long-term habits (e.g. dietary practices and physical activity) impact psychological well-being and brain health, with a focus on preventive strategies against cognitive decline. My research group uses Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to gather real-time data on participants’ behaviors and experiences, allowing them to capture insights into how lifestyle factors and mental states interact on a day-to-day basis. These insights can be used to inform the design of behavior-based interventions as a complimentary treatment for psychiatric conditions.
Methods
Ecological Momentary Assessment to capture real -life data
Neuropsychological assessment
Imaging techniques: sMRI, rs-MRI, fMRI
Clinical Trial Design
Selected Publications
Ruf, A., Ahrens, K. F., Gruber, J. R., Neumann, R. J., Kollmann, B., Kalisch, R., Lieb, K., Tüscher, O., Plichta, M. M., Nöthlings, U., Ebner-Priemer, U., Reif, A., & Matura, S. (2025). Move past adversity or bite through it? Diet quality, physical activity, and sedentary behavior in relation to resilience. Am Psychol, 80(2), 180-192.https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001423
Roth, A. M., Gruber, J. R., Reif, A., Schultze, M., & Matura, S. (2024). Exploring weight-related self-monitoring as a potential risk factor for eating disorder symptoms in adults – A systematic review and meta-analysis. Appetite, 202, 107610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107610
Gruber, J. R., Ruf, A., Suss, E. D., Tariverdian, S., Ahrens, K. F., Schiweck, C., Ebner-Priemer, U., Edwin Thanarajah, S., Reif, A., & Matura, S. (2024). Impact of blood glucose on cognitive function in insulin resistance: novel insights from ambulatory assessment. Nutr Diabetes, 14(1), 74. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41387-024-00331-0
Ruf, A., Neubauer, A. B., Koch, E. D., Ebner-Priemer, U., Reif, A., & Matura, S. (2023). Microtemporal Dynamics of Dietary Intake, Physical Activity, and Impulsivity in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study Within Nutritional Psychiatry. JMIR Ment Health, 10, e46550. https://doi.org/10.2196/46550
Rowley, C. D., Bock, N. A., Deichmann, R., Engeroff, T., Hattingen, E., Hellweg, R., Pilatus, U., Fuzeki, E., Gerten, S., Vogt, L., Banzer, W., Pantel, J., Fleckenstein, J., & Matura, S. (2020). Exercise and microstructural changes in the motor cortex of older adults. Eur J Neurosci, 51(7), 1711-1722. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.14585