Dimensional Affective Sensitivity to Hormones across the Menstrual Cycle: Experimental evidence for a transdiagnostic perspective
Speaker: Dr. Tory Eisenlohr-Moul, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine
Tory Eisenlohr-Moul, PhD, is a tenured Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she also serves as Associate Director of Translational Research in Reproductive Psychiatry and Associate Director of the Medical Scientist (MD/PhD) Training Program. A leading expert on hormone–mood interactions, Dr. Eisenlohr-Moul has authored over 130 peer-reviewed publications and serves as Principal Investigator on multiple NIH-funded R-level grants focused on the role of ovarian hormones in emotional disorders. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research and an Associate Member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Since founding her laboratory in 2018, Dr. Eisenlohr-Moul has led research integrating longitudinal modeling and mechanistic hormone trials to investigate why some individuals experience menstrual cycle–related changes in mood, substance use, and suicidality. In addition to her research, she is a practicing clinician specializing in treatment-resistant premenstrual disorders, and served for many years as Chair of the Clinical Advisory Board at the International Association for Premenstrual Disorders.
Talk summary: This talk introduces the DASH (Dimensional Affective Sensitivity to Hormones) framework, which conceptualizes hormone sensitivity as a dimensional, transdiagnostic risk factor for mood symptoms across the menstrual cycle. Drawing on experimental evidence, I show how multiple distinct hormonal triggers help explain the female-biased risk for mood disorders and suicidality, challenging traditional diagnostic boundaries and informing precision psychiatry.
Agenda:
12-12:45 pm EDT: Speaker presentation
12:45-1:00 pm EDT: Question and answer period
