Pauline Maki

Dr. Pauline Maki is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), with joint appointments in Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology. She is Director of the Women’s Mental Health Research Program and Senior Director of Research at the Center for Research on Women and Gender. Her work focuses on hormonal influences on women’s cognitive and mental health across the lifespan, particularly during menopause, pregnancy/postpartum, and HIV infection.

Education:

• PhD in Experimental Psychology (University of Minnesota, 1994)
• Postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Alzheimer’s disease) and National Institute on Aging (neuroimaging)

Research Interests:

• Menopause: Hormone therapy effects on cognition and brain function; vasomotor symptom management
• HIV/AIDS: Cognitive dysfunction in women; neurocognitive working group leadership in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS)
• Perinatal Mental Health: Depression screening innovations; gut microbiome and neuroactive steroids in perinatal depression

Funding: Multiple NIH grants including studies on vasomotor symptoms and brain health (RF1 AG053504), Stellate Ganglion Blockade for menopausal symptoms (R01 AG049924), and HIV and aging (Chicago CFAR).

Awards & Mentorship:

• 2015 Capstone Mentor of the Year (UIC Honors College)
• Past President of North American Menopause Society (NAMS)
• Mentor to 6 PhD students, 2 Master’s students, and 11 undergraduates

Labs & Teams: Leads the Women’s Mental Health Research Program at UIC, collaborating across Psychiatry, Obstetrics, and Neuroscience.