معرفی
Suzanne C. Segerstrom is a Professor in the School of Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University’s College of Health. She holds the Jo Anne Leonard Petersen Endowed Chair for Gerontology and Family Studies and serves as Director of the Center for Healthy Aging Research. Previously, she was a Professor of Psychology at the University of Kentucky, where she conducted long-standing NIH-funded research before retiring in 2023 and returning to Oregon.
Dr. Segerstrom earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from UCLA (1997) and an MPH in Biostatistics from the University of Kentucky (2017). Her academic journey reflects a deep integration of psychological theory, statistical rigor, and translational research in aging and health.
Her research focuses on the interplay between psychological self-regulation, personality, cognitive function, and physical health in older adults. Key interests include repetitive thought (e.g., worry, rumination), immunological aging, neuroimmune health, and the measurement of biomarkers such as cortisol. She employs advanced longitudinal and multilevel modeling techniques to analyze complex psychoneuroimmunological data.
Her recent publications reflect a consistent trajectory in understanding how mental processes influence immune and brain health in aging. Themes include personality-health links, inflammation, cognitive aging, and methodological innovation in salivary bioscience. She leads two major longitudinal studies: the Thought, Stress, and Immunity (TSI) Study and the DAHLiA Study, both investigating psychosocial and biological interactions in aging populations.
- Fellow, Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research
- Fellow, American Psychological Association
- Fellow, Association for Psychological Science
- Fellow, Gerontological Society of America
- Fellow, Society for Behavioral Medicine
- President, American Psychosomatic Society (2016–2017)
- University Research Professor, University of Kentucky
- Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor, University of Kentucky
- Kirwin Prize, University of Kentucky
Dr. Segerstrom actively mentors graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, with a strong record of training future scientists. Her lab has received substantial funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), including a $3.3 million R01 grant to expand the TSI study into brain health. She also provides statistical consulting expertise, particularly in longitudinal data analysis and multilevel modeling, and has served as statistical editor for the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.
She leads the Segerstrom Lab, which conducts research on self-regulation, aging, and health. The lab runs the DAHLiA Study (Daily Activity and Health in the Lives of Adults) and the Thought, Stress, and Immunity Study, both of which involve longitudinal data collection, biomarker analysis, and neuroimaging components. The lab also offers statistical consulting services and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration.
