Professional Positions

Since Jan. 2011	Lichtenberg Professor of Clinical Biopsychology (W3), Dept. of Psychology, University of Marburg, Germany
Since Nov. 2007	Guest Researcher at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, Atlanta/GA, USA
2007-2010	Oberassistent, University of Zurich, Department of Psychology, Dept. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, Zurich, Switzerland
2007	Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
2005-2007	Post-doctoral Fellow Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta/GA, USA, and at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, Division of Chronic Viral Diseases, Atlanta/GA, USA
2001-2005	Fellow and Lecturer, University of Zurich, Department of Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, Zurich, Switzerland

Education

Apr. 2004	Ph.D. Title: "The role of alpha-amylase in stress research" (summa cum laude) (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. U. Ehlert)
2002-2004	International Ph.D. program of the Center of Neuroscience of Zurich, Switzerland (Certificate in Neuroscience)
1995-2002	Licentiat - M.Sc. University education in psychology, psychopathology and neuophysiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland Title of master thesis: "Critical life events and psychological well-being in adolescents" (sehr gut) (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Dr. H.-C. Steinhausen)

Main Areas of Research

Experimental stress research

Mechanisms of stress-related morbidity

Development of methods in stress measurement

Biomarkers of stress-related medically unexplained symptoms

Relation between gene expression profiles and stress-relevant physiological systems (e.g. hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, autonomic nervous system, immune system)

Interventions in stress-related disorders (e.g. stress management training, music interventions)

Awards

Research Fellowship Awards

Swiss National Science Foundation (2005-2006, 2006-2007)

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), USA (2007-2008)

Awards and Prizes

Irmela-Florin-Forschungspreis, German Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2007

Early Career Award, International Society for Behavioral Medicine (ISBM), 2006

Young Investigator Travel Award, International Neuroendocrine Federation (INF), 2006

Scholar Award, American Psychosomatic Society (APS), 2006

Best Clinical Case Award, Swiss Society for Neuroscience (SSN), 2006

Jungwissenschaftlerpreis/Young Scientist Award, Swiss Society of Psychology, 2005

Young Investigator Award, International Society for Psychoneuroendocrinology (ISPNE), 2005

1st Student Poster Prize, 25th European Congress for Psychosomatic Research in Berlin, Germany, 2004

Best Poster Award, 5th Conference of the European Society for Cognitive Sciences in Music in Hanover, Germany, 2003

Editorial Board Membership

BMC Research Notes (Associate Editor)

Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine (Springer, Associate Editor)

International Journal of Behavioral Medicine (Associate Editor)

ISRN Neuroendocrinology

Open Neuroendocrinology Journal

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Ad hoc reviewer for scientific journals

 

Anesthesia & Analgesia

Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Archives of General Psychiatry

Archives of Oral Biology

Archives of Public Health

Behavioral Medicine

Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychology (Top Reviewer 2007)

BMC Research Notes

Brain Behavior and Immunity

British Journal of Anaesthesia

Clinica Chimica Acta

Clinical Endocrinology

CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics

Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice

European Journal of Oral Sciences

Hormones & Behavior

Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental

International Journal of Behavioral Medicine

International Journal of Endocrinology

International Journal of Primatology

International Journal of Psychophysiology

ISRN Neuroendocrinology

Journal of Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Journal of Health Psychology

Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences

Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases

Journal of Psychophysiology

Journal of Psychosomatic Research

Journal of Traumatic Stress

Life Sciences

Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences

Medical Science Monitor

Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

Neuropsychobiology

Neuropsychopharmacology

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews

Neuroscience Letters

Physiology and Behavior

Physiology Research

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry

Psychiatry Research

Psychological Medicine

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

Psychology and Aging

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychophysiology

Psychosomatic Medicine

Psychotherapeut

Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics

Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports

Social Neuroscience

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

Stress

Stress and Health

Zeitschrift für Gesundheitspsychologie

Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie & Psychotherapie

Publishers

Bentham Books

Ad hoc reviewer for scientific organizations

Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development

Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO, Belgium)

CFIDS Association of America

Research Council K.U. Leuven

Swiss National Science Foundation

German Research Foundation

European Science Foundation

Professional Services (University and Scientific Organizations)

Since 2010	Co-Chair of the Liaison Committee of the American Psychosomatic Society (APS)
Since 2010	Member of the Council of the American Psychosomatic Society (APS)
Since 2009	Member of the Membership Committee of the American Psychosomatic Society
Since 2009	Member of the Board and the Executive Committee (Secretary) of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM)
2008-2010	Newsletter Editor of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM)
2008-2009	Member of the Organisation Committee of the 6th Workshop Congress of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
2007-2010	Member of the Program Committee of the American Psychosomatic Society
2006-2010	Member of the Committee for Emerging Scientists of the International Society for Behavioral Medicine
Since 2005	Member of the Committee for Certification of the Swiss Society of Clinical Psychology
2004	Member of the Committee for PhD Guidelines at the University of Zurich, Switzerland
2003	Member of the Committee for the Advancement of Staff and Junior Faculty at the Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Publications

Journal Articles (peer-reviewed)

In press

Nater, U. M., Fischer, S., Bunschoten, S., Ruoss, D. & Gaab, J. (in press). FFSS – Fragebogen zur Erfassung funktioneller somatischer Syndrome. Verhaltenstherapie.

Nater, U. M., Maloney, E., Lin, J.-M., Heim, C. & Reeves, W. C. (in press). Coping styles in chronic fatigue syndrome – findings from a population-based study in Georgia, USA. Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics.

2012

Thoma, M. V., Ryf, S., Mohiyeddini, C., Ehlert, U. & Nater, U. M. (2012). Emotion regulation in everyday situations by listening to music. Cognition & Emotion, 27 (2), 227-241.

2011

Angerer, P., Rothermund, E., Limm, H., Heinmüller, M., Marten-Mittag, B., Nater, U.M. & Gündel, H.(2011). Stress management intervention at the workplace - Results of a randomized controlled trial [Stressbewältigungsintervention am Arbeitsplatz - Ergebnisse einer randomisierten, kontrollierten Studie]. Psychotherapeut, 56, 34-39.

Boneva, R. S., Maloney, E., Lin, J.-M., Wieser, F., Nater, U. M., & Reeves, W. C. (2011). Gynecologic history in chronic fatigue syndrome: a population-based case-control study. Journal of Women’s Health, 20 (1), 21-28.

Nater, U. M. (2011). Die Bedeutung von Stress bei chronischer Erschöpfung – ein psychobiologischer Ansatz [invited review]. Psychotherapeut, 56, 203-210.

Nater, U. M., Fischer, S. & Ehlert, U. (2011). Stress as a pathophysiological factor in functional somatic syndromes [invited review]. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 7, 152-169.

Nater, U. M., Maloney, E., Heim, C. & Reeves, W. C. (2011). Cumulative life stress in chronic fatigue syndrome. Psychiatry Research, 189, 318-320.

Thoma, M. V., Scholz, U., Ehlert, U. & Nater, U. M. (2011). Listening to music and physiological and psychological functioning: The mediating role of emotion regulation and stress reactivity. Psychology & Health. Jul 8. [Epub ahead of print] 

2010

Limm, H., Angerer, P., Heinmüller, M., Marten-Mittag, B., Siegrist, J., Nater, U. M. & Gündel, H.(2010). Self-perceived stress reactivity is an indicator of psychosocial impairment at the workplace. BMC Public Health,10, 252.

Limm, H., Gündel, H., Heinmüller, M., Marten-Mittag, B., Nater, U. M., Siegrist, J. & Angerer, P.(2010). Stress management interventions at the workplace improves perceived stress reactivity in employees in the production line with leadership responsibility: a randomized, prospective, controlled trial. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 68 (2). 126-133. 2010, Sep 10. [Epub ahead of print]

Majer, M., Nater, U. M., Welberg, L., Capuron, L. & Reeves, W. C. (2010). Impact of early adverse experiences on neuropsychological function in adulthood. BMC Neurology, 10 (1), 61.

Nater, U. M., Bohus, M., Abbruzzese, E., Ditzen, B., Gaab, J., Ebner-Priemer, U., Mauchnik, J. & Ehlert, U. (2010). Psychological and endocrine responses to social stress in female patients with Borderline Personality Disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 35 (10), 1565-1572. 2010 Jul 12. [Epub ahead of print] Article included in Faculty of 1000 Medicine

Nater, U. M., Heim, C. & Reeves, W. C. (2010). The role of stress in chronic fatigue syndrome. International Journal of Medical and Biological Frontiers, 16 (7-8), 869-884.

Nater, U. M., Hoppmann, C. & Klumb, P. L. (2010). Neuroticism and conscientiousness are associated with cortisol diurnal profiles in adults – role of positive and negative affect. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 35 (10), 1573-1577. 2010 Mar 16. [Epub ahead of print]

Nater, U. M., Jones, J. F., Lin, J.-M., Maloney, E. M., Reeves, W. C. & Heim, C. (2010). Personality features and personality disorders in chronic fatigue syndrome – findings from a population-based study. Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, 79 (5), 312-318.

Nater, U. M., Lin, J.-M., Maloney, E., Jones, J. F., Tian, H., Raison, C. L., Reeves, W. C. & Heim, C. (2010). Criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome and co-morbid psychiatric conditions - The authors reply. Psychosomatic Medicine, 72, 507-509.

Silverman, M. N., Heim, C. M., Nater, U. M., Marques, A. H. & Sternberg, E. M. (2010). Neuroendocrine and immune contributors to fatigue [invited review]. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 2 (5), 338-346. 

Suarez, K., Mayer, C., Ehlert, U. & Nater, U. M. (2010). Psychological stress and self-reported functional gastrointestinal disorders. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 198 (3), 226-229.

2009

Heim, C., Nater, U. M., Maloney, E., Boneva, R., Jones, J. F. & Reeves, W. C. (2009). Childhood trauma and risk for chronic fatigue syndrome – association with neuroendocrine dysfunction. Archives of General Psychiatry, 66 (1), 72-80. Article included in Faculty of 1000 Medicine

Jones, J. F., Lin, J.-M., Maloney, E. M., Boneva, R. S., Nater, U. M., Unger, E. R. & Reeves, W. C. (2009). Exploration of exclusionary criteria in chronic fatigue syndrome: to exclude or not to exclude. BMC Medicine, 7 (1), 57.

Klinkenberg, A., Nater, U. M., Nierop, A., Bratsikas, A., Zimmermann, R. & Ehlert, U. (2008). Heart rate variability in progressive pregnancy during standardized psychosocial stress. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 88 (1), 77-82.

Maloney, E., Boneva, R., Nater, U. M. & Reeves, W. C. (2009). High allostatic load is associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): Results from a population-based case-control study in Georgia. Psychosomatic Medicine, 71 (5), 549-556. 2009 May 4. [Epub ahead of print]

Nater, U. M., Lin, J.-M., Maloney, E., Jones, J. F., Tian, H., Raison, C. L., Reeves, W. C. & Heim, C. (2009). Psychiatric comorbidity in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome in the general population of Georgia. Psychosomatic Medicine, 71 (5), 557-565. 2009 May 4. [Epub ahead of print]

Nater, U. M. & Rohleder, N. (2009). Salivary alpha-amylase as a non-invasive biomarker for the sympathetic nervous system: Current state of research. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 34 (4), 486-496. 2009 Feb 25. [Epub ahead of print]

Nater, U. M., Whistler, T., Lonergan, W., Vernon, S. D. & Heim, C. (2009). Impact of acute psychosocial stress on peripheral blood gene expression pathways in healthy men. Biological Psychology, 82 (2), 125-132. 2009 Jul 2. [Epub ahead of print]

Rohleder, N. & Nater, U. M. (2009). Determinants of salivary alpha-amylase in humans and methodological considerations. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 34 (4), 469-485. 2009 Jan 18. Epub ahead of print]

Scholz, U., La Marca, R., Nater, U. M., Aberle, I., Ehlert, U., Hornung, R., Martin, M. & Kliegel, M. (2009). Go no-go performance under psychosocial stress: Beneficial effects of implementation intentions. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 91, 89-92. 2008 Oct 10.

2008

Ditzen, B., Schmidt, S., Strauss, B., Nater, U. M., Ehlert, U. & Heinrichs, M. (2008). Attachment and social support interact to reduce psychological but not physiological stress responses. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 64 (5), 479-486.

Nater, U. M., Maloney, E., Boneva, R. S., Gurbaxani, B. M., Lin, J.-M., Jones, J. F., Reeves, W. C. &   Heim, C. (2008). Attenuated morning salivary cortisol concentrations in a population-based study of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome and well controls. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 93 (3), 703-709. 2007 Dec 26 [Epub ahead of print].

Nater, U. M., Solomon-Youngblood, L., Jones, J. F., Unger, E. R., Miller, A. H., Reeves, W. C. & Heim, C. (2008). Alterations in diurnal salivary cortisol rhythm in a population-based sample of cases with chronic fatigue syndrome. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70, 298-305.

2007

Nater, U. M., Moor, C., Okere, U., Stallkamp, R., Martin, M., Ehlert, U. & Kliegel, M. (2007). High glucocorticoid responders after psychosocial stress show enhanced acquisition of declarative memory. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 32 (6), 758-763.

Nater, U. M., Rohleder, N., Schlotz, W., Ehlert, U. & Kirschbaum, C. (2007). Determinants of the diurnal course of salivary alpha-amylase. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 32 (4), 392-401.      

2006

Ehlert, U., Erni, K., Hebisch, G. & Nater, U. M. (2006). Salivary alpha-amylase secretion in healthy men following yohimbine challenge. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 91 (12), 5130-5133.

Nater, U. M., Abbruzzese, E., Krebs, M. & Ehlert, U. (2006). Sex differences in emotional and psychophysiological responses to musical stimuli. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 62 (2), 300-308.

Nater, U. M., Gaab, J., Rief, W. & Ehlert, U. (2006). Recent trends in behavioral medicine. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 19 (2), 180-183.

Nater, U. M., La Marca, R., Florin, L., Moses, A., Langhans, W., Koller, M. M. & Ehlert, U. (2006). Stress-induced changes in human salivary alpha-amylase activity – associations with adrenergic activity. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 31 (1), 49-58.

Nater, U. M., Okere, U., Stallkamp, R., Moor, C., Ehlert, U. & Kliegel, M. (2006). Glucocorticoid effects of psychosocial stress enhance prospective memory. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 86 (3), 344-348.

Nater, U. M., Wagner, D., Solomon, L., Jones, J. F., Unger, E. R., Papanicolaou, D. A., Reeves, W. C. & Heim, C. (2006). Coping styles in people with chronic fatigue syndrome identified from the general population of Wichita, Kansas. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 60 (6), 567-573.

Nierop, A., Bratsikas, A., Klinkenberg, A., Nater, U. M., Zimmermann, R. & Ehlert, U. (2006). Prolonged salivary cortisol recovery in second trimester pregnant women and attenuated salivary alpha-amylase responses to psychosocial stress in human pregnancy. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 91 (4), 1329-1335.

2005

Böhmelt, A. H., Nater, U. M., Franke, S., Hellhammer, D. H. & Ehlert, U. (2005). Basal and stimulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders and healthy controls. Psychosomatic Medicine, 67 (2), 288-294. 

Ehlert, U., Nater, U. M. & Böhmelt, A. H. (2005). High and low unstimulated salivary cortisol levels correspond to different symptoms of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 59 (1), 7-10.

Gaab, J., Rohleder, N., Nater, U. M. & Ehlert, U. (2005). Psychological determinants of the neuroendocrine stress response. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 30, 599-610.

Nater, U. M., Krebs, M. & Ehlert, U. (2005). Sensation seeking, music preference, and psychophysiological reactivity to music. Musicae Scientiae, 9 (2), 239-254.

Nater, U. M., Rohleder, N., Gaab, J., Berger, S., Jud, A., Kirschbaum, C. & Ehlert, U. (2005). Human salivary alpha-amylase reactivity in a psychosocial stress paradigm. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 55, 333-342.

2004

Rohleder, N., Nater, U. M., Wolf, J. M., Ehlert, U. & Kirschbaum, C. (2004). Psychosocial stress-induced activation of salivary alpha-amylase - an indicator of sympathetic activity? Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1032, 258-263.


Book Chapters

In press

Nater, U. M., Heim, C. & Raison, C. L. (in press). Chronic fatigue syndrome. In Handbook of Clinical Neurology 3^rd Series (Eds. M. J. Aminoff, F. Boller & D. F. Swaab), Volume Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders (Eds. C. B. Nemeroff & T. E. Schlaepfer). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

2011

Thoma, M. V. & Nater, U. M. (2011). The psychoneuroendocrinology of music effects on health. In A. Costa & E. Villalba (Eds.), Horizons in Neuroscience Research, Vol. 6 (pp. 1-15). Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers.

Nater, U. M., Ditzen, B. & Ehlert, U. (2011). Stressabhängige körperliche Störungen. In H.-U. Wittchen & J. Hoyer (Hrsg.), Lehrbuch Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie (2. Auflage), S. 1039-1052. Berlin: Springer.

2010

Nater, U. M. (2010). Funktionelle somatische Beschwerden. In U. Ehlert & R. von Känel (Hrsg.), Psychoendokrinologie und Psychoimmunologie (S. 219-229). Berlin: Springer.

Nater, U. M. & Heim, C. (2010). The role of stress in chronic fatigue syndrome. In E. Svoboda & K. Zelenjcik (Eds.), Chronic fatigue syndrome: Symptoms, causes and prevention. Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers.

Nater, U. M. & Heim, C. (2010). Childhood trauma and functional somatic syndromes. In C. M. Worthman, P. M. Plotsky, D. S. Schechter & C. Cummings (Eds.), Formative experiences: The interaction of caregiving, culture, and developmental psychobiology (pp. 270-277). Cambridge: University Press.

Nater, U. M. & Heim, C. (2010). Mind-Body-interacties bij functionele somatische syndromen. De rol van life stress en fysiologische veranderingen [Mind-body interactions in functional somatic syndromes: role of life stress and physiological alterations]. In P. Luyten, J. Vandenberghe, B. Van Houdenhove (Eds.), Luisteren naar het lichaam. Het dualisme voorbij [Listening to the body. Beyond dualism] (pp. 97-113). Leuven: Lannoo Campus.

Nater, U. M., Miller, A. H., Reeves, W. C. & Raison, C. L. (2010). Chronic fatigue syndrome. In I. Weiner & E. Craighead (Eds.), Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology (4^th edition). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Published Online: 30 JAN 2010

2007 

Heim, C. M. & Nater, U. M. (2007). Hypocortisolism and stress. In G. Fink, T. Cox, E. de Kloet, B. McEwen, N. Rose, N. Rothwell, R. Rubin, A. Steptoe, L. Swanson (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Stress (p. 400-407), Second Edition. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Nater, U. M. (2007). Salivary alpha-amylase as an indicator in stress research. In M. T. Czerbska (Ed.), Psychoneuroendocrinology Research Frontiers (pp. 117-148). Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers.

2006

Ehlert, U. & Nater, U. M. (2006). Psychobiologische Forschungsperspektiven in der Verhaltensmedizin und ihr Beitrag zur Erklärung gestörter Entwicklung. In A. Remmel, O. F. Kernberg, W. Vollmoeller & B. Strauss (Hrsg.), Körper und Persönlichkeit. Diagnostik und Therapie gestörter Entwicklung (S. 117-123). Stuttgart: Schattauer.

Nater, U. M. & Ehlert, U. (2006). Stressabhängige körperliche Störungen. In H.-U. Wittchen & J. Hoyer (Hrsg.), Lehrbuch Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie (S. 871-881). Berlin: Springer.

2004

Heinrichs, M., Nater, U. M. & Ehlert, U. (2004). Biopsychologische Modelle von Gesundheit und Krankheit. In B. Strauß, U. Berger, J. von Troschke & E. Brähler (Hrsg.), Lehrbuch Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie (S. 61-77). Göttingen: Hogrefe.

Nater, U. M. (2004). The role of salivary alpha-amylase in stress research. Göttingen: Cuvillier.