Hilmar Klaus Luckhoff

I am a clinician-researcher with interdisciplinary training in clinical medicine, pathology, and psychiatry, and an established research programme focused on first-episode psychosis, schizophrenia, and related disorders. I obtained my MBChB (2012), HonsBSc (Pathology) cum laude (2013), MPath cum laude (2016), and PhD in Psychiatry from Stellenbosch University (SU). My doctoral research examined metabolic syndrome and clinical outcomes in first-episode psychosis, providing a strong foundation in longitudinal clinical research, study design, and quantitative analysis.

I also bring lived experience of psychosis and an LGBTQ+ perspective to my research, informing an approach that integrates biological, clinical, social, and minority stress frameworks. Since joining the SU Department of Psychiatry as a full-time researcher within the Psychosis Research Programme at Stikland Hospital, I have developed a broad interdisciplinary research portfolio spanning the biological, clinical, and social dimensions of psychosis. My overarching research examines how interactions between biological vulnerabilities, social adversities, and cultural context shape the onset and clinical course of schizophrenia, including illness expression, treatment engagement, recovery, and wellbeing.

My work incorporates genetic, metabolic, experimental, virtual reality, and qualitative approaches to investigate relapse risk, stress reactivity, social disconnectedness, and psychiatric outcomes. Within this broader programme, my research increasingly focuses on sex and gender as related but distinct influences on psychosis, mental health, and sexual health and wellness. This work encompasses sexual functioning, sexual orientation, gender-role endorsement, and sex-related differences in relation to neurodevelopmental characteristics, symptom profiles, depressive symptoms, childhood adversity, and clinical outcomes in first-episode psychosis.

By examining how biological, gendered, and social experiences intersect, I aim to advance understanding of the diverse pathways through which schizophrenia develops and is experienced, while recognising the limitations of approaches that rely on biological sex alone. This research addresses important gaps in understanding marginalised populations and the relevance of cultural and social context to mental health in South Africa and other low- and middle-income settings. In addition, I am a leading member of the International Consortium for Equity in Neuroscience (ICEN) and African Psychosis Research Network (APRN), in which I am involved in promoting research equality and representation across LMIC context.

I am also a core investigator on the LeNS project, which seeks to foster a collective of mental health researchers in South Africa committed to understanding lived experiences of mental health struggles. This work strengthens my research profile through meaningful engagement with lived-experience research, co-production, interdisciplinary collabor

Researcher, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University (2017 – 2026)

• Develop and implement clinical and translational research projects focused on first-episode psychosis, schizophrenia, and related psychiatric disorders.
• Design research protocols, contribute to grant applications, and coordinate study implementation in accordance with ethical and regulatory requirements.
• Conduct participant screening, recruitment, informed consent, and clinical assessments involving psychiatric patients and healthy controls.
• Coordinate longitudinal cohort studies, experimental investigations, and virtual reality-based assessments of stress reactivity and related clinical outcomes.
• Collect, manage, prepare, and analyse clinical, psychometric, biological, genetic, metabolic, and experimental research data.
• Perform statistical analyses using R, Stata, and MATLAB, and interpret findings from longitudinal and cross-sectional studies.
• Contribute to laboratory-based genetic and molecular investigations, neuroimaging assessments, and the evaluation of biological markers associated with psychosis.
• Prepare research manuscripts, scientific reports, conference abstracts, presentations, and funding applications for national and international audiences.
• Lead and contribute to peer-reviewed publications, research collaborations, and the dissemination of findings through scientific conferences and academic forums.
• Supervise and mentor postgraduate students and emerging researchers in research design, clinical assessments, data management, statistical analysis, scientific writing, and dissemination.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary research teams and national and international partners to advance psychiatric research and strengthen research capacity.
• Contribute to lived-experience-informed and equity-focused mental health research, with attention to sex, gender, sexual orientation, social adversity, and cultural context.
• Oversee research activities, monitor study progress, maintain data quality, and support adherence to study protocols and research governance standards.

Senior Writing Consultant and Academic Workshop Presenter at Writing Lab, Stellenbosch University (2017 – 2019)

• Design and deliver academic writing workshops and presentations on scientific writing, research communication, thesis development, and publication strategies.
• Provide individualised writing consultancy, proofreading, and critical editing to postgraduate students and researchers, supporting the development of clear, coherent, and academically rigorous manuscripts and theses.
• Advise on research writing structure, argument development, scientific interpretation, referencing, and journal submission requirements to strengthen academic outputs and research dissemination.

Research Assistant, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University (2014 – 2016)

• Conduct laboratory-based biomedical research, applying molecular, genetic, and biochemical techniques to investigate biological mechanisms underlying disease.
• Perform laboratory procedures, sample processing, biological specimen handling, and experimental data collection in accordance with established protocols and quality standards.
• Apply molecular biology and genetic testing methods to support investigations of disease-associated biological markers and clinical outcomes.
• Prepare research protocols, contribute to study design, and support the planning, coordination, and implementation of laboratory and translational research projects.
• Manage, organise, validate, and prepare laboratory and clinical datasets for statistical analysis and interpretation.
• Perform statistical analyses using appropriate software and methods, and contribute to the interpretation of experimental and clinical research findings.
• Conduct literature reviews

MBChB in Medicine – Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa (2012-12)

HonsBSc (Pathology) — cum laude in Chemical Pathology – Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa (2013-12)

MPath — cum laude in Anatomical Pathology – Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa (2016-03)

PhD in Psychiatry – Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa (2021-03)