
- Phone: (585) 273-4786
- Office: HWH 2W101
- Email: Kathi Heffner
Kathi Heffner, PhD
- Associate Chief of Research, URMC Division of Geriatrics and Aging
- Director, Elaine C. Hubbard Center for Nursing Research on Aging
- Professor of Nursing, Medicine, and Psychiatry
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Psychoneuroimmunology, 2003. The Ohio State University. Columbus, OH
- PhD in Social Psychology, 2001. University of Nevada. Reno, NV
- BA in Psychology, 1994. State University of New York at Buffalo. Buffalo, NY
Bio
Kathi Heffner joined the School of Nursing faculty in 2016 after eight years as a faculty member in the UR Department of Psychiatry, where she maintains a secondary appointment. Dr. Heffner is also the associate chief of research for the Division of Geriatrics & Aging in the Department of Medicine, supporting multidisciplinary aging research within the division and across the University of Rochester.
Dr. Heffner's research centers on how psychosocial and behavioral factors affect physiological stress adaptation and the immune system. In particular, she is interested in the implications of stress for healthy aging; the influence of sleep on stress physiology and clinical symptoms, including chronic pain and trauma-related symptomatology; and the role of social relationships in stress and health links. Her work has been supported by multiple organizational, NIH and other federally funded grants.
Over the course of her career, her research has evolved from a primary focus on human laboratory experiments to a complementary emphasis on clinical behavioral intervention trials. That approach has led to multidisciplinary collaborations with expert clinician researchers, including nurses, psychologists, physicians, and geriatricians, contributing to a better understanding of the basic mechanisms of stress and health, with the potential for immediate translation to clinical intervention.
Current Focus
My interests in stress and healthy aging have led to a current focus on behavioral interventions to promote well-being and immune health in caregivers of a family member with dementia. In one clinical trial, we are examining whether computerized cognitive training will promote stress adaptation and slow immune aging in family caregivers. In another trial, we are testing whether a mindfulness intervention will improve caregivers' antibody responses to influenza vaccine. Finally, I and my collaborators are advancing the development of behavioral interventions to promote social connectedness in lonely and isolated caregivers through our Rochester Roybal Center for Social Ties & Aging Research. This research on caregivers is supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health.
In addition, I and my collaborators are investigating the impact of behavioral sleep interventions on management of insomnia and its comorbidities, including chronic pain, depression, and trauma-associated stress. I am particularly interested in the role of inflammation in pathways linking poor sleep to these clinical outcomes, and the impact of sleep intervention on older adults' quality of life.
NIH R01 Renewal
5/11/2020 - 2/28/2025
Role: MPI
PI: Vankee Lin and Kathi Heffner
NIH
9/15/2019 - 5/31/2024
Role: MPI
PI: Kathi Heffner and Kimberly Van Orden
NIH
5/15/2016 - 4/30/2022
Role: Principal Investigator
NIH
1/15/2016 - 12/31/2021
Role: Principal Investigator
NIA
1/15/2016 - 12/31/2021
Role: Principal Investigator and Primary Mentor
NIH
7/3/2019 - 5/30/2021
Role: Co-Investigator
PI: Vankee Lin