Education:
B.A., Sociology: University of Illinois
M.A., Sociology: University of Illinois
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.

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 and other painful conditions. 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," which was funded by the North Carolina general assembly. The report is a comprehensive assessment of major areas affecting women's health such as heart disease, cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, violence against women, reproductive health, and access to health care.

Representative Publications:
1. Leserman J, Petitto JM, Perkins DO, Folds JD, Golden RN, Evans DL: Severe stress, depressive symptoms, and changes in lymphocyte subsets in human immunodeficiency virus-infected men. A 2-year follow-up study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 54:279-285, 1997.

2. Leserman J, Li Z, Drossman DA, Toomey TC, Nachman G, Glogau L: Impact of sexual and physical abuse dimensions on health status: development of an abuse severity measure. Psychosom Med 59:152-160, 1997.

3. Leserman J, Li Z, Hu YJ, Drossman DA: How multiple types of stressors impact on health. Psychosom Med 60:175-181, 1998.

4. Leserman J, Jackson ED, Petitto JM, Golden RN, Silva SG, Perkins DO, Cai J, Folds JD, Evans DL: Progression to AIDS: the effects of stress, depressive symptoms, and social support. Psychosom Med 61:397-406, 1999.

5. Leserman J, Petitto JM, Golden RN, Gaynes BN, Gu H, Perkins DO, Silva SG, Folds JD, Evans DL: Impact of stressful life events, depression, social support, coping, and cortisol on progression to AIDS. Am J Psychiatry 157:1221-1228, 2000.

6. J. Leserman. In Sickness and In Health: The Status of Women's Health in North Carolina, North Carolina Equity, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1993.