Leighann Litcher-Kelly, Ph.D.

BA in Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania (1997)

My research examines the interaction between the psychosocial environment and symptomatology in people with chronic autoimmune disease. Specifically, I am interested in the relationship between stress and symptom exacerbation/relapse in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and how this relationship can be moderated using stress-reduction techniques (e.g., relaxation, mindfulness, CBT).

Other research interests include 1) conceptualizing chronic illness as a chronic stressor and how this affects the patients' ability to handle daily stress, and 2) the interaction between psychological risk and resiliency factors and environmental triggers to include risk of chronic gut inflammation.