Kavita Vedhara

Contact

• workRoom B32 International House
  Jubilee Campus
  Wollaton Road
  Nottingham
  NG8 1BB
  UK
• work0115 823 2209
• fax0115 846 6625
• kavita.vedhara@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

Kavita did her first degree and PhD in the Department of Psychology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her PhD research was concerned with the role of psychological stress in the progression of HIV infection. Her first post-doctoral position was in the Department of Medicine at the University of Wales in Cardiff. Here she examined emotional, cognitive and immunological responses to polio vaccination (an enterovirus) in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Her interests in the role of psychological factors in health and disease outcomes continued in subsequent postdoctoral positions at the University of Bristol where she examined the effects of upper respiratory illness on mood and cognitive performance and the effects of chronic caregiver stress on vulnerability to infectious disease in older people.

In 1998 she was appointed as a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bristol. In 1999 she joined the MRC's Health Services Research Collaboration (HSRC) as a Career Track Scientist and was later promoted to a Senior Scientist. During her time with the HSRC she led a behavioural medicine research group which conducted experimental and applied research into the diverse ways psychological factors influence health and disease outcomes and the development of psychological interventions to improve these outcomes. The research at this time included: investigations into the effects of emotional disclosure on disease activity in patients with autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis; the role of psychosocial factors in the healing of chronic wounds (diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers); the effects of psychological distress on primary and secondary immunity; the role of early life experiences on stress reactivity in adolescence and studies investigating the emotional responses of men undergoing screening for prostate cancer and the relationship between psychological distress and the diagnosis of prostate cancer. In March 2009, Kavita was appointed as Professor of Health Psychology at the Institute of Work, Health & Organisations at the University of Nottingham.

Expertise Summary

Keywords:

Psychological stress, psychoneuroimmunology, chronic disease including prostate cancer, chronic pain, patient/lay beliefs of illness and treatment, patient expectations, placebo effect, psychological interventions, foetal programming hypothesis

Teaching Summary

Prof. Vedhara delivers two Master's modules in Health Psychology:

Chronic Illness, Disability and Stress

Read the course outline for Chronic Illness, Disability and Stress

Biomedical Perspectives in Psychology and Health

Read the course outline for Biomedical Perspectives in Psychology and Health

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She co-ordinates the applied research projects for all postgraduates in IWHO with Dr Shirley Thomas and supervises Master's level research in Health Psychology

She has also developed an international PhD with colleagues in Greece

Read more about the PhD in Behavioural Medicine or Applied Psychology (Greece)

Research Summary

Kavita is interested in experimental and applied research which examines the diverse ways psychological factors influence health and disease outcomes and the development of psychological… read more

Recent Publications

• VEDHARA K, METCALFE C, BRANT H, CROWN A, NORTHSTONE K, DAWE K, LIGHTMAN S and SMITH GD, 2012. Maternal Mood And Neuroendocrine Programming: Effects Of Time Of Exposure And Sex. Journal Of Neuroendocrinology. (In Press.)
• AVERY KNL, METCALFE C, VEDHARA K, LANE JA, DAVIS M, NEAL DE, HAMDY FC, DONOVAN JL and BLAZEBY JM, 2012. Predictors Of Attendance For Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening Tests And Prostate Biopsy. European Urology. (In Press.)
• VEDHARA K, 2012. Psychoneuroimmunology: The Whole And The Sum Of Its Parts. Brain, Behavior, And Immunity. 26(2), 210-1
• MACEFIELD, R C, METCALFE, C, LANE, J A, DONOVAN, J L, AVERY, K N L, BLAZEBY, J M, DOWN, L, NEAL, D E, HAMDY, F C, VEDHARA, K and ,, 2010. Impact of prostate cancer testing: an evaluation of the emotional consequences of a negative biopsy result. British Journal of Cancer. 102(9), 1335-40

• View all publications

• Chair of IWHO Post-graduate Research Committee
• British Journal Health Psychology- Editor
• Conference track chair for European Health Psychology Society and International Society of Behavioural Medicine.
• Chair of Research sub-committee for the Division of Health Psychology of the British Psychological Society
• Medical Research Council (MRC) NIHR- Member of funding panels

Current Research

Kavita is interested in experimental and applied research which examines the diverse ways psychological factors influence health and disease outcomes and the development of psychological interventions to improve these outcomes. To date, she has edited 3 textbooks, published over 60 peer reviewed papers and her work has been funded by, amongst others, the MRC, ESRC, NIHR, EU, Fulbright Commission, Cancer Research UK, BUPA, Auckland Medical Research Foundation, Bial Foundation and the Neuroendocrinology Charitable Trust. Her current research interests include:

• The development of psychological interventions to improve clinical outcomes in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.
• Examining the psychosocial determinants of treatment choice and emotional adjustment in men with prostate cancer.
• Exploring the effects of psychological distress on markers of angiogenesis in prostate cancer.
• The foetal programming hypothesis (or developmental origins of adult disease).
• The role of psychological factors in determining treatment success in in vitro fertilisation
• Treatment expectations and the placebo effect in chronic disease
• The effects of psychological distress on taste perception.

• VEDHARA K, METCALFE C, BRANT H, CROWN A, NORTHSTONE K, DAWE K, LIGHTMAN S and SMITH GD, 2012. Maternal Mood And Neuroendocrine Programming: Effects Of Time Of Exposure And Sex. Journal Of Neuroendocrinology. (In Press.)
• AVERY KNL, METCALFE C, VEDHARA K, LANE JA, DAVIS M, NEAL DE, HAMDY FC, DONOVAN JL and BLAZEBY JM, 2012. Predictors Of Attendance For Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening Tests And Prostate Biopsy. European Urology. (In Press.)
• VEDHARA K, 2012. Psychoneuroimmunology: The Whole And The Sum Of Its Parts. Brain, Behavior, And Immunity. 26(2), 210-1
• MACEFIELD, R C, METCALFE, C, LANE, J A, DONOVAN, J L, AVERY, K N L, BLAZEBY, J M, DOWN, L, NEAL, D E, HAMDY, F C, VEDHARA, K and ,, 2010. Impact of prostate cancer testing: an evaluation of the emotional consequences of a negative biopsy result. British Journal of Cancer. 102(9), 1335-40
• VEDHARA, K, MILES, J N V, WETHERELL, M A, DAWE, K, SEARLE, A, TALLON, D, CULLUM, N, DAY, A, DAYAN, C, DRAKE, N, PRICE, P, TARLTON, J, WEINMAN, J and CAMPBELL, R, 2010. Coping style and depression influence the healing of diabetic foot ulcers: observational and mechanistic evidence. Diabetologia. 53(8), 1590-8
• PETRIE KJ and VEDHARA K, 2010. Man Of Unconscious Sorrow. Journal Of Psychosomatic Research. 69(4), 417-8
• VEDHARA K, BRANT H, ALEXIOU A, PETRIE KJ, MILES JNV and LIGHTMAN SL, 2010. An Investigation Into The Effects Of Social Evaluation On Cardiovascular And Endocrine Responses To The Co2 Stress Test In Humans. Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 13(3), 195-202
• VEDHARA K, BRANT H, ADAMOPOULOS E, BYRNE-DAVIS L, MACKINTOSH B, HOPPITT L, TOVEE M, MILES J and PENNEBAKER JW, 2010. A Preliminary Investigation Into Whether Attentional Bias Influences Mood Outcomes Following Emotional Disclosure. International Journal Of Behavioral Medicine. 17(3), 195-206
• BRANT H, WETHERELL MA, LIGHTMAN S, CROWN A and VEDHARA K, 2010. An Exploration Into Physiological And Self-Report Measures Of Stress In Pre-Registration Doctors At The Beginning And End Of A Clinical Rotation. Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 13(2), 155-62
• CHIDA, YOICHI and VEDHARA, KAVITA, 2009. Adverse psychosocial factors predict poorer prognosis in HIV disease: a meta-analytic review of prospective investigations. Brain, behavior, and immunity. 23(4), 434-45
• WELTON, NICKY J, CALDWELL, D M, ADAMOPOULOS, E and VEDHARA, K, 2009. Mixed treatment comparison meta-analysis of complex interventions: psychological interventions in coronary heart disease. American journal of epidemiology. 169(9), 1158-65
• WALBURN, JESSICA, VEDHARA, KAVITA, HANKINS, MATTHEW, RIXON, LORNA and WEINMAN, JOHN, 2009. Psychological stress and wound healing in humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of psychosomatic research. 67(3), 253-71
• TURNER, EMMA L, LANE, J ATHENE, METCALFE, CHRIS, DOWN, LIZ, DONOVAN, JENNY L, HAMDY, FREDDIE, NEAL, DAVID and VEDHARA, KAVITA, 2009. Psychological distress and prostate specific antigen levels in men with and without prostate cancer. Brain, behavior, and immunity. 23(8), 1073-8
• SEARLE, AIDAN, WETHERELL, MARK A, CAMPBELL, RONA, DAYAN, COLIN, WEINMAN, JOHN and VEDHARA, KAV, 2008. Do patients' beliefs about type 2 diabetes differ in accordance with complications: an investigation into diabetic foot ulceration and retinopathy. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 15(3), 173-9
• GALE, LONE, VEDHARA, KAVITA, SEARLE, AIDAN, KEMPLE, TERRY and CAMPBELL, RONA, 2008. Patients' perspectives on foot complications in type 2 diabetes: a qualitative study. British Journal of General Practice. 58(553), 555-63
• SEARLE, AIDAN, GALE, LONE, CAMPBELL, RONA, WETHERELL, MARK, DAWE, KAREN, DRAKE, NIKKI, DAYAN, COLIN, TARLTON, JOHN, MILES, JEREMY and VEDHARA, KAVITA, 2008. Reducing the burden of chronic wounds: prevention and management of the diabetic foot in the context of clinical guidelines. Journal of Health Services Research and Policy. 13 Suppl 3, 82-91
• VEDHARA, KAVITA, MORRIS, RONA MOSS, BOOTH, ROGER, HORGAN, MIRIAM, LAWRENCE, MANDY and BIRCHALL, NICHOLAS, 2007. Changes in mood predict disease activity and quality of life in patients with psoriasis following emotional disclosure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 62(6), 611-9
• SEARLE, AIDAN, NORMAN, PAUL, THOMPSON, RACHEL and VEDHARA, KAV, 2007. A prospective examination of illness beliefs and coping in patients with type 2 diabetes. British Journal of Health Psychology. 12(Pt 4), 621-38
• CARROLL, DOUGLAS, BENNETT, PAUL and VEDHARA, KAVITA, 2007. Minds and gaps. British Journal of Health Psychology. 12(Pt 2), 159-60
• LOFT, PATRICIA, THOMAS, MARK G, PETRIE, KEITH J, BOOTH, ROGER J, MILES, JEREMY and VEDHARA, KAVITA, 2007. Examination stress results in altered cardiovascular responses to acute challenge and lower cortisol. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 32(4), 367-75
• SEARLE, AIDAN, NORMAN, PAUL, THOMPSON, RACHEL and VEDHARA, KAV, 2007. Illness representations among patients with type 2 diabetes and their partners: relationships with self-management behaviors. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 63(2), 175-84
• PANAGOPOULOU, EFHARIS, VEDHARA, KAVITA, GAINTARZTI, CHRYSSOULA and TARLATZIS, BASIL, 2006. Emotionally expressive coping reduces pregnancy rates in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization. Fertility and sterility. 86(3), 672-7
• WETHERELL, MARK A, CROWN, ANNA L, LIGHTMAN, STAFFORD L, MILES, JEREMY N V, KAYE, JOEY and VEDHARA, KAVITA, 2006. The four-dimensional stress test: psychological, sympathetic-adrenal-medullary, parasympathetic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses following inhalation of 35% CO2. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 31(6), 736-47
• VEDHARA, KAVITA, TUINSTRA, JOLANDA, MILES, JEREMY N V, SANDERMAN, ROBBERT and RANCHOR, ADELITA V, 2006. Psychosocial factors associated with indices of cortisol production in women with breast cancer and controls. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 31(3), 299-311
• WETHERELL, MARK A, BYRNE-DAVIS, LUCIE, DIEPPE, PAUL, DONOVAN, JENNY, BROOKES, SARA, BYRON, MARGARET, VEDHARA, KAVITA, HORNE, ROBERT, WEINMAN, JOHN and MILES, JEREMY, 2005. Effects of emotional disclosure on psychological and physiological outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an exploratory home-based study. Journal of Health Psychology. 10(2), 277-85
• TYTHERLEIGH, MICHELLE Y, VEDHARA, KAV and LIGHTMAN, STAFFORD L, 2004. Mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors and their differential effects on memory performance in people with Addison's disease. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 29(6), 712-23
• NORMAN, PAUL, SEARLE, AIDAN, HARRAD, RICHARD and VEDHARA, KAV, 2003. Predicting adherence to eye patching in children with amblyopia: an application of protection motivation theory. British Journal of Health Psychology. 8(Pt 1), 67-82
• LOWE, ROB, VEDHARA, KAV, BENNETT, PAUL, BROOKES, EMILY, GALE, LONE, MUNNOCH, KATHY, SCHREIBER-KOUNINE, CHRISTA, FOWLER, CLARE, RAYTER, ZEN, SAMMON, ALISTAIR and FARNDON, JOHN, 2003. Emotion-related primary and secondary appraisals, adjustment and coping: associations in women awaiting breast disease diagnosis. British Journal of Health Psychology. 8(Pt 4), 377-91
• VEDHARA, KAV, MILES, JEREMY, BENNETT, PAUL, PLUMMER, SUE, TALLON, DEBORAH, BROOKS, EMILY, GALE, LONE, MUNNOCH, KATHERINE, SCHREIBER-KOUNINE, CHRISTA, FOWLER, CLARE, LIGHTMAN, STAFFORD and SAMMON, ALISTAI, 2003. An investigation into the relationship between salivary cortisol, stress, anxiety and depression. Biological psychology. 62(2), 89-96
• VEDHARA, KAVITA, MCDERMOTT, MICHAEL P, EVANS, THOMAS G, TREANOR, JOHN J, PLUMMER, SUE, TALLON, DEBORAH, CRUTTENDEN, KIM A and SCHIFITTO, GIOVANNI, 2002. Chronic stress in nonelderly caregivers: psychological, endocrine and immune implications. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 53(6), 1153-61
• SARAVANAN, P, CHAU, W-F, ROBERTS, N, VEDHARA, K, GREENWOOD, R and DAYAN, C M, 2002. Psychological well-being in patients on 'adequate' doses of l-thyroxine: results of a large, controlled community-based questionnaire study. Clinical Endocrinology. 57(5), 577-85
• SEARLE, A, NORMAN, P, HARRAD, R and VEDHARA, K, 2002. Psychosocial and clinical determinants of compliance with occlusion therapy for amblyopic children. Eye. 16(2), 150-5
• VEDHARA, K, HYDE, J, GILCHRIST, I D, TYTHERLEIGH, M and PLUMMER, S, 2000. Acute stress, memory, attention and cortisol. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 25(6), 535-49
• BAUER, M E, VEDHARA, K, PERKS, P, WILCOCK, G K, LIGHTMAN, S L and SHANKS, N, 2000. Chronic stress in caregivers of dementia patients is associated with reduced lymphocyte sensitivity to glucocorticoids. Journal of Neuroimmunology. 103(1), 84-92
• VEDHARA, K, FOX, J D and WANG, E C, 1999. The measurement of stress-related immune dysfunction in psychoneuroimmunology. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 23(5), 699-715
• NOTT, K H and VEDHARA, K, 1999. Nature and consequences of stressful life events in homosexual HIV-positive men: a review. AIDS Care. 11(2), 235-43
• VEDHARA, K, SCHIFITTO, G and MCDERMOTT, M, 1999. Disease progression in HIV-positive women with moderate to severe immunosuppression: the role of depression. Dana Consortium on Therapy for HIV Dementia and Related Cognitive Disorders. Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.). 25(1), 43-7
• VEDHARA, K, COX, N K, WILCOCK, G K, PERKS, P, HUNT, M, ANDERSON, S, LIGHTMAN, S L and SHANKS, N M, 1999. Chronic stress in elderly carers of dementia patients and antibody response to influenza vaccination. Lancet. 353(9153), 627-31
• MARKS, D I, GALE, D J, VEDHARA, K and BIRD, J M, 1999. A quality of life study in 20 adult long-term survivors of unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplantation. 24(2), 191-5
• HUENGSBERG, M, VEDHARA, K, NOTT, K H and BRADBEER, C, 1998. An exploration into occupational stress experienced by HIV health care professionals who work within genitourinary medicine settings. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 3(1), 83-9
• HOLT, R, COURT, P, VEDHARA, K, NOTT, K H, HOLMES, J and SNOW, M H, 1998. The role of disclosure in coping with HIV infection. AIDS Care. 10(1), 49-60
• VEDHARA, K, NOTT, K H, BRADBEER, C S, DAVIDSON, E A, ONG, E L, SNOW, M H, PALMER, D and NAYAGAM, A T, 1997. Greater emotional distress is associated with accelerated CD4+ cell decline in HIV infection. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 42(4), 379-90
• WANG, E C, LAWSON, T M, VEDHARA, K, MOSS, P A, LEHNER, P J and BORYSIEWICZ, L K, 1997. CD8high+ (CD57+) T cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism. 40(2), 237-48
• VEDHARA, K, LLEWELYN, M B, FOX, J D, JONES, M, JONES, R, CLEMENTS, G B, WANG, E C, SMITH, A P and BORYSIEWICZ, L K, 1997. Consequences of live poliovirus vaccine administration in chronic fatigue syndrome. Journal of Neuroimmunology. 75(1-2), 183-95
• VEDHARA, K and NOTT, K H, 1996. Psychosocial vulnerability to stress: a study of HIV-positive homosexual men. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 41(3), 255-67
• VEDHARA, K, NOTT, K H, HOLT, R, COURT, P, SOUTHWORTH, D, HOLMES, J and SNOW, M H, 1996. Continuing transmission of sexually transmitted diseases among patients infected with HIV. Qualitative study gave different results. British Medical Journal. 312(7045), 1540-1
• VEDHARA, K and NOTT, K, 1996. The assessment of the emotional and immunological consequences of examination stress. Journal of behavioral medicine. 19(5), 467-78
• NOTT, K H, VEDHARA, K and POWER, M J, 1995. The role of social support in HIV infection. Psychological Medicine. 25(5), 971-83
• NOTT, K H, VEDHARA, K and SPICKETT, G P, 1995. Psychology, immunology, and HIV. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 20(5), 451-74
• VEDHARA, K, NOTT, K H and RICHARDS, S M, 1995. Individual variability in the reliability of CD4+ cell counts. AIDS. 9(1), 98-9
• VEDHARA, K, NOTT, K H, RICHARDS, S M, BRADBEER, C, DAVIDSON, E A, ONG, E L and SNOW, M H, 1995. A technique for accurate use of CD4+ cell counts. AIDS patient care. 9(6), 276-80
• NOTT, K H and VEDHARA, K, 1995. The measurement and significance of stressful life events in a cohort of homosexual HIV positive men. AIDS Care. 7(1), 55-69
• MILLER, D, NOTT, K H and VEDHARA, K, 1994. HIV and psychoimmunology: evidence promising and forthcoming. Journal of The Royal Society of Medicine. 87(11), 687-90
• VEDHARA, KAV, BENNETT, PAUL D, CLARK, SIAN, LIGHTMAN, STAFFORD L, SHAW, SAMANTHA, PERKS, PAULA, HUNT, MOIRA A, PHILIP, JUDITH M D, TALLON, DEBORAH, MURPHY, PETER J, JONES, ROY W, WILCOCK, GORDON K and SH, Enhancement of antibody responses to influenza vaccination in the elderly following a cognitive-behavioural stress management intervention. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics. 72(5), 245-52
• VEDHARA, KAVITA, MILES, JEREMY, CROWN, ANNA, MCCARTHY, ANNE, SHANKS, NOLA, DAVIES, DAVID, LIGHTMAN, STAFFORD, DAVEY-SMITH, GEORGE and BEN-SHLOMO, YOAV, Relationship of early childhood illness with adult cortisol in the Barry Caerphilly Growth (BCG) cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 32(8-10), 865-73
• VEDHARA, K, SHANKS, N, ANDERSON, S and LIGHTMAN, S, The role of stressors and psychosocial variables in the stress process: a study of chronic caregiver stress. Psychosomatic medicine. 62(3), 374-85
• VEDHARA, K, BEATTIE, A, METCALFE, C, ROCHE, S, WEINMAN, J, CULLUM, N, PRICE, P, DAYAN, C, COOPER, AR, CAMPBELL, R and CHALDER, T, Development and evaluation of a psychosocial intervention for modifying the psychosocial risk factors associated with re-ulceration risk in people living with diabetes Behaviour Research and Therapy. (In Press.)
• BEATTIE, AM, CAMPBELL, R and VEDHARA, K, “Whatever I do it’s a lost cause.” The emotional and behavioural experiences of individuals who are ulcer free living with the threat of developing further diabetic foot ulcers: a qualitative interview study Health Expectations. (In Press.)