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Margaret Gatz

Professor of Psychology, Gerontology and Preventive Medicine

Contact Information
Office: SGM 520
Phone: (213)740-2212
E-mail: gatz@usc.edu

LINKS
Gatz Lab Website
Going for the Goal--Southern California
 

Biographical Sketch

Professor Gatz studies the mental health of older adults, particularly psychological well-being over the life-span, mental health interventions, and the effects aging has on families. Her research interests encompass age-related change in depressive symptoms, risk and protective factors for Alzheimer's disease, and evaluation of the effects of interventions. She directs the Study of Dementia in Swedish Twins, a large longitudinal investigation of genetic and environmental factors in Alzheimer's disease.
 

Academic Appointment, Affiliation, and Employment History

Tenure Track Appointments

Professor, University of Southern California, 01/01/1985-  
 

Non-Tenure Track Appointments

Foreign Adjunct Professor, The Karolinska Institute, Sweden, 01/01/2000-  
 

Publications

Book

Karel, M. J., Ogland-Hand, S., Gatz, M., Unützer, J. (2002). Assessing and treating late-life depression: A casebook and resource guide. New York: Basic Books, 2002. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Gatz, M., Messner, M. A., Ball-Rokeach, S. J. (2002). Paradoxes of youth and sport. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press.
Gatz, M. (1995). Emerging issues in mental health and aging. Washington, DC: Emerging issues in mental health and aging/American Psychological Association.
 

Journal Article

Gatz, M., Brown, V., Hennigan, K., Recheberger, E., O’Keefe, M., Rose, T., Bjelajac, P. (2007). Effectiveness of an integrated, trauma-informed approach to treating women with co-occurring disorders and histories of trauma: The Los Angeles site experience. Journal of Community Psychology. Vol. 35, pp. 863-878.
Gatz, M. (2007). Genetics, dementia, and the elderly. Current Directions in Psychological Science. Vol. 16, pp. 123-127.
Kendler, K. S., Gatz, M., Gardner, C. O., Pedersen, N. L. (2006). Personality and major depression: A Swedish longitudinal population-based twin study. Archives of General Psychiatry. Vol. 63, pp. 1113-1120.
Gatz, M., Reynolds, C. A., Fratiglioni, L., Johansson, B., Mortimer, J. A., Berg, S., Fiske, A. E., Pedersen, N. L. (2006). The role of genes and environments for explaining Alzheimer’s disease. Archives of General Psychiatry. Vol. 63, pp. 168-174.
Gatz, M., Mortimer, J. A., Fratiglioni, L., Johansson, B., Berg, S., Reynolds, C. A., Pedersen, N. L. (2006). Potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia in identical twins. Alzheimer's & Dementia. Vol. 2, pp. 110-117.
Chui, H. C., Gatz, M. (2005). Cultural diversity in Alzheimer disease: The interface between biology, belief, and behavior. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders. Vol. 19, pp. 250-255..
Gatz, M. (2005). Educating the brain to avoid dementia: can mental exercise prevent Alzheimer's disease?. PLOS Medicine. Vol. 2 (1), pp. e7. Public Library of Science
 

Honors and Awards

Recipient of National or International Prize in Discipline, Donald F. Kent Award, Gerontological Society of America, 11/2006  
Recipient of National or International Prize in Discipline, Award for the Advancement of Psychology and Aging, American Psychological Association Committee on Aging, 11/2005  
Recipient of National or International Prize in Discipline, Distinguished Research Achievement Award, American Psychological Association, Division 20, 8/2005  
Zenith Fellowship, Alzheimer's Association, 1/2003-12/2004  
USC Raubenheimer Outstanding Senior Faculty Award, 2001  
Recipient of National or International Prize in Discipline, Master Mentor Award, Retirement Research Foundation and American Psychological Association, 1999  
Recipient of National or International Prize in Discipline, Distinguished Mentorship Award, Gerontological Society of America, 1997  
 
 
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