Dr. Lorah Dorn, PhD
Dr. Dorn's research focuses on adolescent behavioral endocrinology. She is one of a few investigators who have begun to examine the interface between hormonal biology and normal and abnormal health and behavior in later childhood and adolescence. Specifically her work focuses on how biological transitions (such as puberty), may be a period of vulnerability for negative physical and mental health outcomes in some adolescents. Her work is multidisciplinary and spans developmental psychology, pediatric endocrinology, psychiatry and neuroendocrinology.
Currently, Dr. Dorn has three NIH-funded studies that focus on these biological transitions. The first study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and is a study of girls with an early type of puberty called premature adrenarche. This early group is compared to girls with on-time development in terms of hormone concentrations, cortisol reactivity, psychopathology, and neuropsychological functioning. The second study is a treatment study of boys and girls, age 6-11 who have severe disruptive behavior disorders. We are examining the relationship of endocrine changes to treatment outcomes. This study takes place in Pittsburgh and is in its second phase. It is following these boys and girls for five additional years at which time they will be age 10-16. Funding is from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). The third study is funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA). Girls, ages 11-17 years are enrolled in a longitudinal study to examine the influence of mood (such as anxiety and depression) and various health behaviors on bone density and the menstrual cycle.
Visit Dr. Dorn's Faculty page
Current Studies
