Rainer Spanagel

Rainer Spanagel (born 24 June 1961) is a German scientist. He is a professor of psychopharmacology at the Central Institute of Mental Health (Mannheim) of Heidelberg University, where he is director of the Institute of Psychopharmacology. His work has been published in multiple publications across prestigious scientific journals.

Based on preclinical findings, he pursues three objectives along with other faculty at the Central Institute of Mental Health:

1) The development of new behavioral therapies, pharmacological interventions, and neuromodulatory approaches in addicted patients.

2) To clarify the neurobiological long-term consequences of drug abuse and binge-drinking in adolescents

3) The identification of risk factors for addictive disorders and development of preventive strategies.

General field of study: Psychopharmacology, Addiction Research, Alcohol Abuse

Education Spanagel completed his undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of Tübingen and LMU Munich (1983-1989) and his Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology from the Max Planck Institute of Neuropharmacology (Martinsried, Germany), working under Prof. Albert Herz (1991). In 1989, he obtained his Diploma in Neuropharmacology from the Max Planck Institute of Neuropharmacology (Martinsried, Germany). He followed up with his post-doctoral training with Prof. Wolfgang Forth in the Habilitation, Pharmacology & Toxicology Department at LMU Munich (Munich, Germany) in 1996.

Awards and honors Spanagel has received multiple awards and honors for his work:

2024 - Animal Research and Ethics Committee (AREC) Annual Award, Research Society of America 2019 - H. David Archibald Lectureship Award from CAMH, Toronto 2018 - IBANGS Distinguished Investigator Award 2017 - European Alcohol Research Award, ESBRA 2015 - NEATOR Award from American College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2011 - AGNP Award for Excellence in Psychopharmacology 2010 - Reinhart-Koselleck-Award from the DFG 2008 - James B. Isaacson Award 2005 - Albrecht-Ludwig-Berblinger Award 2003 - Sir Hans Krebs Award 1998 - Wilhelm Feuerlein Award for Alcohol Research