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Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton
B.A. (Simon Fraser University), M.A., Ph.D. (University of Texas at Austin) Assistant Professor Office: Crabtree 220 Telephone: (506) 364-3458 Email: ldhamilton@mta.ca |
Courses taught:
Psychology 1011 Introduction to Psychology II
Psychology 2101 Biological Psychology
Psychology 3511 Psychology of Women
Psychology 3991 Human Sexuality
Psychology 4991 Clinical Human Sexuality
Research interests:
My research interests lie at the intersection of behavioral neuroscience, social/personality psychology, and clinical psychology with a focus on human sexuality and stress. Broadly, I am interested in the interactions that occur between the social environment, biological responses, and behavior. In particular, I am interested in the reciprocal relationship between behavior, adrenal and gonadal hormones, and the autonomic nervous system. My main research focus is on the relationship between stress and sexual functioning in sexually healthy men and women. I am interested in how different types of stressors (acute vs. chronic; psychological vs. physical) affect sexual function. My overarching goal with this line of research is to understand
1) How acute and chronic stress affect the nervous system, 2) How changes in physiological and cognitive function resulting from stress alter sexual response and 3) How individual differences in stress sensitivity affect the relationship between stress and sexual function.
I also have secondary interests in the neural and social correlates of monogamy and nonmonogamy and the social factors involved in sexual health behaviors.
Recent publications:
Hamilton, L. D., & Meston, C. M. (2011). The role of salivary cortisol and DHEA-S in sexual, humorous, and anxiety-inducing stimuli. Hormones and Behavior. 59, 765-771.
Hamilton, L. D., & Meston, C. M. (2010). The effects of partner togetherness on salivary testosterone in women in long distance relationships. Hormones and Behavior, 57 , 198-202.
Meston, C. M., Hamilton, L. D., & Harte, C. B. (2009). Sexual motivation in women as a function of age. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 6, 3305-3319.
Rellini, A. H., Hamilton, L. D., Delville, Y., & Meston, C. M. (2009). The cortisol response during physiological sexual arousal in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 22, 557-565.
Hamilton, L. D., Rellini, A. H., & Meston, C. M. (2008). Cortisol, arousal, and affect in response to sexual stimuli. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 5, 2111-2118.
Hamilton, L. D., Fogle, E. A., & Meston, C. M. (2008). The roles of testosterone and alpha-amylase in exercise-induced sexual arousal in women. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 5, 845-853.
Lab webpage:
Mount Allison Sexual Health Lab - www.mashlab.ca