New Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Professor Joins University of Basel – Gertraud Gradl-Dietsch

Gertraud Gradl-Dietsch has been appointed the new director of the Clinic for Children and Adolescents (UPKKJ) at the University Psychiatric Clinics (UPK) Basel, effective June 1, 2026. The decision was made by the UPK Basel’s administrative board, according to a statement released Tuesday.

Gradl-Dietsch, currently a senior physician at the University Hospital Essen in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, will similarly become a member of the UPK’s executive board. She succeeds Alain Di Gallo, who is retiring after many years leading the clinic.

Gradl-Dietsch completed her medical studies at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and received her doctorate in 2009 from RWTH Aachen University. Her initial clinical and scientific work focused on orthopedics and trauma surgery, leading to her habilitation in 2015. She subsequently transitioned her clinical and research career to child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy, receiving board certification in the field four years ago, and adapting her habilitation to the specialty in 2024.

Her research centers on the neurobiological mechanisms of anorexia nervosa, with a particular focus on metabolic and hormonal changes associated with weight loss. Additional research interests include the use of virtual reality in therapy and education, as well as sport psychiatry and treatment expectations in depressive disorders. She also has clinical experience in acute psychiatry and the treatment of autism spectrum disorders, tic disorders, and psychotic illnesses in children and adolescents.

According to the UPK Basel, Gradl-Dietsch sees potential for advancing care through early intervention and innovative treatment models, such as home treatment approaches and hospital-equivalent care for eating disorders.

“We are convinced that with Gertraud Gradl-Dietsch we have found the optimal successor for a great child and adolescent psychiatrist,” said Katja Schott-Morgenroth, the new chair of the UPK’s administrative board.

Prior to her current role at the University Hospital Essen, Gradl-Dietsch completed a research fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Hand and Upper Extremity Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA, from July 2011 to June 2012. She is affiliated with the University of Duisburg-Essen.