Telephone: 020 7911 5000 ext:2106
Email: thornl@wmin.ac.uk

Research Interests

The circadian rhythm of cortisol in relation to health, environmental and psychological factors

General Information

Lisa completed her first degree at the University of Westminster and remained to do her doctorate, which she completed in 2007. She is a member of the Psychophysiology and Stress Research Group (PSRG), which investigates the physiological pathways by which stress and well-being can affect health. In particular she studies daily patterns of cortisol secretion, a hormone important in the regulation of day-night cycles as well as stress responding. Recent research has focused on seasonal differences in the diurnal pattern of cortisol in healthy participants and in those with seasonal affective disorder.

Clow A, Hucklebridge F, Thorn L (2010). The cortisol awakening response in context. International Review of Neurobiology, 93, 153-175

Clow, A., Hucklebridge, F., Stalder, T., Evans, P. and Thorn, L. (2010). The cortisol awakening response: more than a measure of HPA axis function. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, special issue: Psychophysiological Biomarkers of Health, 35, 97-103

Thorn L, Hucklebridge F, Evans P, Clow A. (2009). The awakening cortisol response: day differences in relation to state variables and trait seasonality, Pyschoneuroendocrinology, 34, 299-306

Oskis, A., Loveday, C., Hucklebridge, F., Thorn, L., Clow., A. (2009). Diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol across the adolescent period in healthy females, Psychoneuroendocrinology,34, 307-316

Thorn, L., Hucklebridge, F., Evans, P. and Clow, A. (2006) Suspected non-adherence and weekend versus week day differences in the awakening cortisol response. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 31, 1009-1018

Thorn L, Hucklebridge F, Esgate A, Evans P, Clow A. (2004). The effect of dawn simulation on the cortisol response to awakening in healthy participants. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 29, 925-930.

Clow A, Thorn L, Evans P, Hucklebridge F. (2004). The awakening cortisol response: methodological issues and significance. Stress, 7, 29-37.

Books/Book Chapters:

The Science of Awakening: International Review of Neurobiology, Volume 93. Eds: A. Clow and L. Thorn. Elsevier, 2010

Conferences:

Thorn L, Evans P, Cannon A, Oskis A, Hucklebridge F, Clow A. Seasonal difference in the diurnal pattern of cortisol secretion in healthy participants and those with seasonal affective disorder.  American Psychosomatic Society annual meeting, Portland USA, March 2010.

Oskis A, Clow A, Thorn L, Loveday C, Hucklebridge F.  Patterns of salivary DHEA secretion in healthy female adolescents: relationships with salivary cortisol and developmental markers.  American Psychosomatic Society annual meeting, Portland USA, March 2010.

Oskis A, Clow A, Hucklebridge F, Thorn L, Loveday C.  Diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol and DHEA in female adolescents with anorexia nervosa.  American Psychosomatic Society annual meeting, Portland USA, March 2010.

Thorn L, Evans P, Cannon A, Hucklebridge F, Clow A. (2010). Seasonal differences in the diurnal pattern of cortisol secretion in healthy participants and those with seasonal affective disorder.  Bial Foundation conference, Porto, Portugal, April.

Thorn L, Hucklebridge F, Evans P, Clow A.  (2009). The cortisol awakening response, seasonality, stress and arousal: a study of trait and state influences. Annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society, Chicago, March 

Oskis A, Loveday C, Hucklebridge F, Thorn L, Clow A. (2009). Attachment style and HPA axis dysregulation in healthy female adolescents. Annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society, Chicago, March

Thorn, L., Evans, P., Hucklebridge, F. & Clow, A. (2008). The diurnal pattern of cortisol secretion in relation to season in healthy participants and seasonal affective disorder. Bial Symposium: Behind and Beyond the Brain, Porto, Portugal, March

Thorn, L., Hucklebridge, F., Evans, P., Clow, A. (2008). The awakening cortisol response: sample-day variation and self-reported arousal. Poster presentation, BPS Annual Conference, Dublin, April

Dewart,H., Hixenbaugh,P., Thorn,,L. & Drees, D. (2008). Supporting first year students in HE: evaluation of peer e-mentoring. Poster presented at BPS Annual Conference, Dublin, April

Clow, A., Lynam-Smith, A., Evans, P., Thorn, L., Fredhoi, C. & Hucklebridge, F. (2007). Salivary S-IgA secretion during a brief sympathetically arousing stimulus. The American Psychosomatic Society annual conference,  Budapest, March

Thorn, L., Evans, P., Hucklebridge, F. & Clow, A. (2007). The awakening cortisol response in relation to seasonality. The American Psychosomatic Society annual conference, Budapest, March

Dewart, H., Hixenbaugh P. Drees, D. and Thorn, L. From mentoring to

e-mentoring. Presented at the Conference of International Society for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning July 2007. Sydney Australia

Hixenbaugh, P., Dewart, H., Drees, D., and Thorn, L. (2006). E-mentoring to support first year university students in the United Kingdom. Poster presented at Campus 2006 Technology, Boston, U.S.A. 31 July- 3 August.

Dewart, H., Drees, D., Hixenbaugh, P., and Thorn, L. Engaging first year students at a metropolitan university: is electronic mentoring an effective strategy? Presented at First Year in Higher Education Conference Brisbane July 2006 and full paper published in the Proceedings. 

Evans P, Clow A, Hucklebridge F, Thorn L. (2006). Stress, awakening time, weekend vs. weekday sampling, and adherence issues in the study of the cortisol awakening response. American Psychosomatic Society Annual conference, Denver USA, March

Dewart, H., Drees, D., Hixenbaugh, P., and Thorn, L. (2006). Engaging first year students at a metropolitan university: is electronic mentoring an effective strategy? Presented at First Year in Higher Education Conference Brisbane, July

Dewart, H., Hixenbaugh, P., Drees, D. and Thorn, L. (2006) Non-traditional students: supporting one another. Poster presented at The Challenge of Diversity: Teaching, Support and Student Learning NUI. Galway, Ireland, 8-9 June

Hixenbaugh, P., Dewart, H., Drees, D., and Thorn, L. (2006). E-mentoring to support first year university students in the United Kingdom. Poster presented at Campus 2006 Technology, Boston, U.S.A. 31 July- 3 August

Hixenbaugh, P., Dewart, H., Drees, D., and Thorn, L. (2005) Invited Talk Enhancing Personal Tutoring: Peer e-mentoring. Invited paper given at HEA Psychology Network Workshop: Enhancing Personal Tutoring. London, 17 November

Drees, D., Dewart, H., Hixenbaugh, P., Thorn, L. (2005) E-mentoring at University of Westminster: supporting first year students in a metropolitan setting. Presented at International Complutense: Mentora. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain, 24 - 25 November

Dewart, D., Hixenbaugh, P., Swirsky, R., Drees, D., Thorn, L. (2005) Considering and e-mentoring scheme? Here's how it works. Paper presented at University of Westminster EIC Teaching and learning symposium, 28 June

Drees, D., Dewart, H., Hixenbaugh, P., Thorn, L. (2005) Diversity in HE: The non-traditional student: Paper presented at the BPS Quinquennial Conference, Manchester, UK. 30 March-1 April

Hixenbaugh, P., Dewart, H., Drees, D., Thorn, L. (2005) Peer E-mentoring: An addition to the personal tutorial system. Paper presented at the University of Westminster/Higher Education Academy conference, Perspectives on Personal Tutoring in Mass Higher Education: Supporting Diverse Students, 26 May 

Clow A, Thorn L, Evans P, Hucklebridge F. The awakening cortisol response: relationship with self-esteem, perceived stress and light at dawn. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, October 2004.

Fredhoi C, Lynam-Smith A, Mandzukic-Kanlic L, Hucklebridge F, Thorn L, Evans P, Clow A. Psychosocial variables and health in an opportunistic sample of visitors to the Science Museum in London. Psychobiology Section of the British Psychological Society Annual Conference, Cumbria, September 2004.

Clow A, Thorn L, Evans P, Hucklebridge F. Invited lecture. The awakening cortisol response: issues of sampling compliance and relationship with self-esteem and perceived stress. Eighth International Congress of Behavioural Medicine. Mainz, Germany. August 2004.

Hucklebridge F, Thorn L, Esgate A, Evans P, Clow A. The effect of dawn simulation on the cortisol response to awakening in healthy participants. Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRS) conference, Florida, USA, June 2003.

Clow A, Thorn L, Evans P, Hucklebridge F. The awakening cortisol response in relation to perceived stress and symptom reporting. Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRS) conference, Florida, USA, June 2003.

Thorn L, Clow A, Hucklebridge F, Evans P. The awakening cortisol response: issues of sampling compliance in a domestic setting. Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRS) conference, Florida, USA, June 2003.

Thorn L, Hucklebridge F, Esgate A, Evans P, Clow A. The effect of dawn simulation on the cortisol response to awakening in healthy participants. The 5th International Congress of Neuroendocrinology. Bristol, September 2002.