Dr. rer. biol. hum. Gisela Immich, M.Sc. (TUM) BA

Work areas

Health promotion and prevention through nature-based interventions. Indication-specific nature-based interventions, with integration of the public health aspect, planetary health, biodiversity and health, conception and evaluation of nature-based interventions.

Area of interests

• Nature-based use of forests and natural areas
• Effect of biodiverse forests or natural areas on psychological, mental and physical health
• Forest bathing and forest therapy (conception, evaluation, implementation, indication-based concepts, further training)
• Development of criteria for spa and medicinal forests, definition of a standardized designation process
• Promote mental and general health and resilience by implementing new outdoor health/prevention programs (e.g. nature-based mindfulness-based stress reduction interventions, nature-based stress prevention/management).
• Closeness to nature as an innovative health resource

Projects (project scientist or *project support)

• Effective factors of the natural healing resources forest and water to increase health and quality of life as a tourism contribution to sustainable living space development
• Pilot project: Health effects of forest bathing in Long Covid sufferers, in cooperation with the Institute of Psychology at the University of Hildesheim*.
• The Potential of the Forest as a Site-Based Remedial Treatment in the Bavarian Health Resorts - Guide to the Structural Requirements (completed).
• Forest use for health purposes - monitoring and analysis of current developments for the strategic positioning of forestry actors (cooperation project with TU Munich) (completed).*
• Conception and implementation of a further training course for forest health trainers and forest therapists (completed).
• Evaluation of the ANFT training "Forest Therapy Guide" (completed)
• Evaluation of a Core Curriculum for Forest Therapy in collaboration with ANFTA (completed)
• Intervention study to evaluate a prevention programme for stress reduction - "AGES" study in Bad Birnbach.(completed)*.
• "In the moor to inner balance" - initial implementation, execution and scientific evaluation of a model project on the medical topic of the future "secondary prevention in the risk group burnout" in the health resort Bad Aibling. (completed)*
• "DurchatemZeit" - Development, implementation and evaluation of a 7-day prevention programme for deceleration in the spa town of Bad Reichenhall. (completed)*

Professional activity

• 1981 - 1984 State Vocational School for Medical-Technical Radiology Assistants (Munich)
• 1984 - 1985 Radiotherapy at the LMU Munich, MTRA
• 1985 - 1990 Institute for Medical Balneology and Climatology of the LMU, MTRA in the BMBF research project on contamination and decontamination of radionuclides
• 1991 - 1999 Institute of Medical Balneology and Climatology of the LMU Munich, Prof. Dr. Dr. Schuh, MTRA in the Department of Medical Climatology
• 2001 - 2009 Institute of Medical Balneology and Climatology, from 2005: Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Scientific Assistant Prof. Dr. med. Stucki
• 2009 - 2011 Institute for Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the LMU Munich, Research Assistant Prof. Dr. med. Nowak
• 2011 - 06/2022 Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research at the IBE of LMU Munich, research assistant and assistant to Prof. Dr. Dr. Schuh
• From 07/2022 Post-doctoral researcher/research associate in the Department of Health Promotion and Prevention

Professional Trainings and Education

• since 2017 in work: doctoral thesis Dr. rer.biol.hum at the LMU Munich
• 2018-2019: training and certification as "certified Forest Therapy Guide" by the American Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guide and Program ANFT in Europe
• 2018: Teaching to "Certified Trainee in Forest Medicine" by the International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine (INFOM) in Japan
• February 2017: Certification Master of Science DIPL (TUM)
• 2014-2017: M.Sc. program "Physical activity and Health - diagnosis, prevention and intervention in the life span" at the TU Munich
• March 2014: Certification B.Sc. CAM
• 2010-2014 Bachelor Sc. program  in complementary and alternative Medicine (B. Sc. CAM)
• 2005 certification as medical climatotherapist
• 1991 naturopathic practioner certification