Jane Leserman, Ph.D.

Email: JLes@med.unc.edu

Office Phone: (919) 966-4755

Education:

B.A., Sociology, University of Illinois, Chicago Circle

M.A., Sociology, University of Illinois, Chicago Circle

Ph.D., Sociology, Duke University

Summary Statement:

Jane Leserman, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine. She is a medical sociologist with extensive research background in the areas of: behavioral and psychosomatic medicine, psychoneuroimmunology, issues related to women's health, and quantitative research methods. Dr. Leserman has published extensively in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, particularly on how stress, depression and social support affect immune change and disease progression in HIV infection. She has served as the principal investigator of the University of North Carolina portion of the Coping in Health and Illness Project, a 14-year NIMH funded study to examine the effects of psychiatric, psychosocial, and neuroendocrine correlates of immune change and disease progression in HIV-infected men. More recently, she is studying the effects of a trauma treatment intervention on the psychological and physical health of HIV infected men and women.

In addition, Dr. Leserman's research has examined the long-term physical and mental health effects of sexual and physical abuse history among women with gastrointestinal disorders, pelvic pain and other painful conditions. Currently, she is also examining the effects of psychosocial and biological variables on postpartum depression. Dr. Leserman's interest in women's health led to the publishing of a report entitled, "In Sickness and in Health: The Status of Women's Health in North Carolina," a comprehensive assessment including heart disease, cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, violence against women, reproductive health, and access to health care. Dr. Leserman is on the board of the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County.
 

Representative Publications:

1. J. Leserman, D.A. Drossman, T.C. Toomey, G. Nachman, L. Glogau. Sexual and Physical Abuse History in Gastroenterology Practice: How Types of Abuse Impact Health Status, Psychosomatic Medicine, 58: 4-15, 1996.

2. J. Leserman, J.M. Petitto, R.N. Golden, B. N. Gaynes, H. Gu, D.O. Perkins, S.G. Silva, J.D.Folds, D.L. Evans. “The Impact of Stressful Life Events, Depression, Social Support, Coping and Cortisol on Progression to AIDS,” Am J Psychiatry, 157: 1221-1228, 2000.

3. J. Leserman, “HIV Disease Progression: Depression, Stress and Possible Mechanisms,” Biological Psychiatry, 2003, 54:295-306.

4. J. Leserman. “Sexual abuse history: Prevalence, health effects, mediators and psychological treatment,” Psychosomatic Medicine, 2005, 67: 906-915.

5. J. Leserman, D. Zolnoun, S. Meltzer-Brody, G. Lamvu, J. S. Steege. “Identifying Diagnostic Subtypes of Chronic Pelvic Pain and How Subtypes Differ in Health Status and Trauma History,” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2006, 195(2):554-561.

6. J. Leserman, B.W. Pence, K. Whetten, M.J. Mugavero, N.M. Thielman D, M.S. Swartz, D. Stangl, Lifetime Trauma and Depressive Symptoms Predict Mortality in HIV, Am J Psychiatry, 2007, 164 (11):1707-1713.

7. J. Leserman. Role of depression, stress, and trauma in HIV disease progression. Psychosomatic Medicine, 2008, 70(5): 539-45.

8. J. Leserman, G. Ironson, C. O’Cleirigh, J. Fordiani. Stressful Life Events and Adherence in HIV. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 2008;22(5):403-11.

9. J. Leserman, J. Barroso, B.W. Pence, N. Salahuddin, J.L. Harmon. Trauma, stressful life events, and depression predict HIV-related fatigue, AIDS Care, 2008 Nov 20(10): 1258-65.