Faculty


Margaret Gatz

Professor of Psychology, Gerontology and Preventive Medicine
Chair

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

LINKS
SCRAP Lab Website
Alzheimer Disease Research Center
 

Biographical Sketch

Professor Gatz studies the mental health of older adults, particularly psychological well-being over the life-span, age-related change in depressive symptoms, risk and protective factors for Alzheimer 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 disease, and she is director of the Education Core of the USC Alzheimer Disease Research Center.

Academic Appointment, Affiliation, and Employment History

Tenure Track Appointments
  • Professor, University of Southern California, 01/01/1985-  

Non-Tenure Track Appointments
  • Foreign Adjunct Professor, Karolinska Institutet, 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: American Psychological Association.

Journal Article
  • Karel, M. J., Gatz, M., Smyer, M. (2012). Aging and mental health in the decade ahead: What psychologists need to know. American Psychologist. Vol. 67 (184-198)
  • Xu, W., Atti, A. R., Gatz, M., Pedersen, N. L., Johansson, B., Fratiglioni, L. (2011). Midlife overweight and obesity increase late-life dementia risk: a population-based twin study. Neurology. Vol. 76, pp. 1568-1564. abstract
  • Gatz, M., Reynolds, C. A., Finkel, D., Pedersen, N. L. (2010). Dementia in Swedish twins: Predicting incident cases. Behavior Genetics. Vol. 40, pp. 768–775. article
  • Sharp, E. S., Reynolds, C. A., Pedersen, N. L., Gatz, M. (2010). Personality and cognitive aging: Is openness protective?. Psychology and Aging. Vol. 25, pp. 60-73. article
  • Kendler, K. S., Fiske, A., Gardner, C. O., Gatz, M. (2009). Delineation of two genetic pathways to major depression. Biological Psychiatry. Vol. 65, pp. 808-811. abstract
  • Fiske, A., Wetherell, J. L., Gatz, M. (2009). Depression in older adults. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. Vol. 5, pp. 363-389. article
  • Carpenter, B. D., Balsis, S., Otilingam, P. G., Hanson, P. K., Gatz, M. (2009). The Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale: Development and psychometric properties. Gerontologist. Vol. 49, pp. 236-247. article
  • Xu, W., Qiu, C., Gatz, M., Pedersen, N. L., Johansson, B., Fratiglioni, L. (2009). Mid- and late-life diabetes in relation to the risk of dementia: A population-based twin study. Diabetes. Vol. 59, pp. 71-77. article
  • Watts, A., Crimmins, E. M., Gatz, M. (2008). Inflammation as a potential mediator for the association between periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. Vol. 4, pp. 865-876. article
  • Gatz, M., Mortimer, J. A., Fratiglioni, L., Johansson, B., Berg, S., Andel, R., Crowe, M., Fiske, A., Reynolds, C. A., Pedersen, N. L. (2007). Accounting for the relationship between low education and dementia: A twin study. Physiology & Behavior. Vol. 92, pp. 232-237. abstract
  • 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. article
  • 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. abstract
  • 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. abstract
  • Gatz, M. (2005). Educating the brain to avoid dementia: can mental exercise prevent Alzheimer's disease?. PLOS Medicine. Vol. 2 (1), pp. e7. article


Honors and Awards

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, 11/2012-  
  • Honorary degree (MDhc) from Karolinska Institutet, 5/2011  
  • Donald P. Kent Award, Gerontological Society of America, 11/2006  
  • Zenith Fellowship, Alzheimer's Association, 1/2003-12/2004  
  • USC Raubenheimer Outstanding Senior Faculty Award, 2001  
  • Distinguished Mentorship Award, Gerontological Society of America, 1997  


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  • Department of Psychology
  • University of Southern California
  • SGM 501
  • 3620 South McClintock Ave.
  • Los Angeles, CA 90089-1061