Prof. Dr. Ulrike Ehlert

 

Main Goals, Keywords

• Interaction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hormones, immune functions, and autonomic nervous system (ANS).
• Etiological models for effects of acute and chronic stress as well as psychosocial protective and risk factors on endocrine-immune interplay.
• Role of psycho-neuro-endocrine and –immunological processes for the progression of stress related disorders.

Group Members

The group consists of researchers from the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy University Zurich (1 professor, 2 senior research fellows, 4 postdoctoral fellows, 7 PhD students).

Previous and Current Research

The following studies have been conducted by individual members of the group:

• Longitudinal psychoneuroendocrine monitoring of high risk populations for chronic and/or traumatic stress
• Cross-sectional studies on endocrine and psychophysiological reactivity in stress-exposed populations
• Studies of dysfunctions of endocrine-immunological processes in stress-related disorders
• Testing of HPA axis and SAM functioning using pharmacological and non-pharmacological stimulation

Further current studies:

• Longitudinal studies to investigate the relation between immune and endocrine reactivity and long term health outcomes in pregnancy, early childhood, and adulthood
• Studies on the interplay of HPA and SAM in healthy subjects and selected populations of patienrs
• Effects of stress exposure on gene expression

Future Projects

• Association between protective and risk-enhancing psychosocial factors and the progression of stress related disorders
• Prospective cohort studies to elucidate possible pathways: a) chronic activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis b) chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system c) related alterations in functions of immune parameters
• Evaluation of psychophysiological methods for the measurement of parasympathetic activation
• Evaluation of different standardized laboratory human stress tests

Techniques and Equipment

• Ambulatory physiological monitoring and activity monitoring systems
• Cell cultures, fluorescence microscopy
• Event related potentials and psychophysiological biofeed-back methods

Selected Publications

• Kuebler U, Wirtz PH, Sakai M, Stemmer A, Ehlert U. Acute stress reduces wound-induced activation of microbicidal potential of ex vivo isolated human monocyte-derived macrophages. PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e55875. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055875. Epub 2013 Feb 8.
• Erni K, Shaqiri-Emini L, La Marca R, Zimmermann R, Ehlert U. Psychobiological effects of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure in 10-year-old-children. Front Psychiatry. 2012;3:104. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2012.00104. Epub 2012 Dec 10.
• Perini T, Ditzen B, Fischbacher S, Ehlert U. Testosterone and relationship quality across the transition to fatherhood. Biol Psychol. 2012 Jul;90(3):186-91. Epub 2012 Mar 15.
• Suárez-Hitz KA, Otto B, Bidlingmaier M, Schwizer W, Fried M, Ehlert U. Altered psychobiological responsiveness in women with irritable bowel syndrome. Psychosom Med. 2012 Feb-Mar;74(2):221-31. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e318244fb82. Epub 2012 Jan 27.

Selected Lectures, Seminars or Colloquia

• Einführung in die Verhaltensmedizin
• Psychophysiologie und ihr Bezug zur Klinischen Psychologie
• Research colloquium of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

Funding

Swiss Science Foundation, Jacobs Foundation, Forschungskredit University of Zurich

URL

http://www.psychologie.uzh.ch/fachrichtungen/klipsypt.html