Department of Psychology

Graduate Student:

Gretchen Sholty

I am currently a second year clinical psychology graduate student at UCLA. My research interests lie in the physiological mechanisms underlying stress reactivity in schizophrenia. Although theory and research on schizophrenia suggest that life stress likely contributes to the onset and course of schizophrenia, the biological mechanisms that mediate this relationship remain poorly understood. I am currently investigating when and how schizophrenia patients react to stress using measures of salivary cortisol, heart rate, and self-reported anxiety levels.

Furthermore, I am also examining the degree to which psychosocial factors (e.g., social support, coping style, chronic stress, and early life adversity) can moderate levels of stress reactivity among schizophrenia patients. Ultimately, I hope to incorporate genetic analyses into this project and examine how the combined interplay of genes and the environment can influence adrenocortical reactivity across the prodromal, first-episode, and chronic phases of schizophrenia.

gsholty@ucla.edu

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