Dr Julie Turner-Cobb
Profile
Dr Julie Turner-Cobb is a Senior Lecturer in the department of Psychology and is Director of Studies for the MSc in Health Psychology. As a Health Psychologist and a Chartered Psychologist, she has an established programme of interdisciplinary research examining the effects of psychosocial factors, particularly stress and social support, on immune related health conditions. She specialises in the measurement of the hormone, cortisol, in adults and in children as a biomarker of stress and her work involves both longitudinal field work and laboratory assessment. Dr Turner-Cobb has received funding for her research from a number of sources including the Nuffield Foundation, the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council (ARC), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the NHS Research and Development fund. Media interest in her work has included BBC1’s Child of Our Time and BBC radio 4’s Today programme. She is actively involved as a member of the steering committee for Cancer Research at Bath (CR@B) and is an associate editor for the British Journal of Health Psychology. Dr Turner-Cobb has been awarded a University sabbatical for six months from August 2010 to focus on her research.
Research interests
- Biological aspects of health psychology
- Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
- Cortisol as a biomarker of acute and chronic stress
- Psychosocial influences on acute upper respiratory tract infection (URI)
- Chronic illness including autoimmune disease and cancer
- Intergenerational transmission of stress and lifespan health effects of childhood stress
- Psychosocial coping responses, the role of social support and the concept of belonging
- Interventions to reduce stress
Teaching
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
- Biopsychosocial mechanisms in health (unit 2, MSc Health Psychology)
- Multivariate statistics for use in health research (unit 7, MSc Health Psychology)
Publications
Book Sections
Turner-Cobb, J. M., 2007. Childhood Influences on Health. In: Ayers, S., Baum, A., McManus, C., Newman, S., Wallston, K., Weinman, J. and West, R., eds. Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine, 2nd edition. Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press, pp. 33-38.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., Sephton, S. and Spiegel, D., 2001. Psychosocial effects on immune function and disease progression in cancer: human studies. In: Ader, R., Felten, D. and Cohen, N., eds. Psychoneuroimmunology (3rd ed.). Vol. 2. New York: Academic Press, pp. 565-582.
Articles
Begen, F. and Turner-Cobb, J., 2012. The need to belong and symptoms of acute physical health in early adolescence. Journal of Health Psychology, 17 (6), pp. 907-916.
Turner-Cobb, J., Jessop, D. S. and Lightman, S., 2012. Forthcoming. Effects of childhood stress: Hardwired or reversible? The Biologist, 59 (4), pp. 31-35.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., Rixon, L. and Jessop, D. S., 2011. Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity and upper respiratory tract infection in young children transitioning to primary school. Psychopharmacology, 214 (1), pp. 309-317.
Protogerou, C. and Turner-Cobb, J., 2011. Predictors of non-condom use intentions by university students in Britain and Greece: the impact of attitudes, time perspective, relationship status, and habit. Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 23 (2), pp. 91-106.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., Osborn, M., da Silva, L., Keogh, E. and Jessop, D. S., 2010. Sex differences in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in patients with chronic pain syndrome. Stress - The International Journal on the Biology of Stress, 13 (4), pp. 293-301.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., Palmer, J., Aronson, D., Russell, L., Purnell, S., Osborn, M. and Jessop, D. S., 2010. Diurnal cortisol and coping responses in close relatives of persons with acquired brain injury: a longitudinal mixed methods study. Brain Injury, 24 (6), pp. 893-903.
Brosnan, M. J., Turner-Cobb, J., Munro-Naan, Z. and Jessop, D., 2009. Absence of a normal Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) in adolescent males with Asperger Syndrome (AS). Psychoneuroendocrinology, 34 (7), pp. 1095-1100.
Protogerou, C. and Turner-Cobb, J., 2008. The influence of Time Perspective (TP) on university students' non-condom use. Psychology and Health, 23 (Suppl. 1), pp. 216-217.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., Rixon, L. and Jessop, D. S., 2008. A prospective study of diurnal cortisol responses to the social experience of school transition in four-year-old children: anticipation, exposure, and adaptation. Developmental Psychobiology, 50 (4), pp. 377-389.
Scott, J., Rodham, K., Taylor, G. J. and Turner-Cobb, J., 2008. "You can't stop undergraduates asking silly questions": academics’ views on submission of undergraduate student projects for ethical review. Research Ethics Review, 4 (4), pp. 147-151.
Jessop, D. S. and Turner-Cobb, J. M., 2008. Measurement and meaning of salivary cortisol: A focus on health and disease in children. Stress - The International Journal on the Biology of Stress, 11 (1), pp. 1-14.
Protogerou, C. and Turner-Cobb, J., 2006. A cross-cultural study of psychosocial factors influencing young peoples' intended noncondom use. Psychology and Health, 21, p. 126.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., Bloor, L. E., Whittemore, A. S., West, D. and Spiegel, D., 2006. Disengagement and social support moderate distress among women with a family history of breast cancer. Breast Journal, 12 Jan-Feb (1), pp. 7-15.
Palesh, O. G., Shaffer, T., Larson, J., Edsall, S., Chen, X. H., Koopman, C., Turner-Cobb, J. M., Kreshka, M. A., Graddy, K. and Parsons, R., 2006. Emotional self-efficacy, stressful life events, and satisfaction with social support in relation to mood disturbance among women living with breast cancer in rural communities. Breast Journal, 12 Mar-Apr (2), pp. 123-129.
Chryssanthopoulou, C. C., Turner-Cobb, J. M., Lucas, A. and Jessop, D., 2005. Childcare as a stabilizing influence on HPA axis functioning: A reevaluation of maternal occupational patterns and familial relations. Developmental Psychobiology, 47 (4), pp. 354-368.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., 2005. Psychological and stress hormone correlates in early life: A key to HPA-axis dysregulation and normalisation. Stress - The International Journal on the Biology of Stress, 8 (1), pp. 47-57.
Turner-Cobb, J., 2005. Psychosocial regulation of immune susceptibility in childhood: The role of maternal stress, child temperament and experience of transition to school. Psychology and Health, 20, p. 266.
Collie, K., Wong, P., Tilston, J., Butler, L. D., Turner-Cobb, J., Kreshka, M. A., Parsons, R., Graddy, K., Cheasty, J. D. and Koopman, C., 2005. Self-efficacy, coping, and difficulties interacting with health care professionals among women living with breast cancer in rural communities. Psycho-Oncology, 14 (10), pp. 901-912.
Abercrombie, H. C., Giese-Davis, J., Sephton, S., Epel, E. S., Turner-Cobb, J. M. and Spiegel, D., 2004. Flattened cortisol rhythms in metastatic breast cancer patients. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 29 (8), pp. 1082-1092.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., Koopman, C., Rabinowitz, J. D., Terr, A. I., Sephton, S. E. and Spiegel, D., 2004. The interaction of social network size and stressful life events predict delayed-type hypersensitivity among women with metastatic breast cancer. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 54 (3), pp. 241-249.
Angell, K. L., Kreshka, M. A., McCoy, R., Donnelly, P., Turner-Cobb, J. M., Graddy, K., Kraemer, H. C. and Koopman, C., 2003. Psychosocial Intervention for Rural Women with Breast Cancer: The Sierra Stanford Partnership. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 18 (7), pp. 499-507.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., Gore-Felton, C., Marouf, F., Koopman, C., Kim, P., Israelski, D. and Spiegel, D., 2002. Coping, social support, and attachment style as psychosocial correlates of adjustment in men and women with HIV/AIDS. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 25 (4), pp. 337-353.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., 2002. Psychological and neuroendocrine correlates of disease progression. International Review of Neurobiology, 52, pp. 353-381.
Gore-Felton, C., Koopman, C., Turner-Cobb, J. M., Duran, R., Israelski, D. and Spiegel, D., 2002. The influence of social support, coping and mood on sexual risk behavior among HIV-positive men and women. Journal of Health Psychology, 7 (6), pp. 713-722.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., 2001. Book review. Health Psychology. Theory, research and practice. Marks, D.F. Murray, M., Evans, B., & Willig, C. London,: SAGE Publications. British Journal of Health Psychology, 6 (1), pp. 99-100.
Koopman, C., Angell, K., Turner-Cobb, J., Kreshka, M. A., Donnelly, P., McCoy, R., Turkseven, A., Graddy, K., Giese, D. and Spiegel, D., 2001. Distress, coping, and social support among rural women recently diagnosed with primary breast cancer. Breast Journal, 7 (1), pp. 1-9.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., Sephton, S. E., Koopman, C., Blake-Mortimer, J. and Spiegel, D., 2000. Social support and salivary cortisol in women with metastatic breast cancer. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62 May-Jun (3), pp. 337-345.
Blake-Mortimer, J., Gore-Felton, C., Kimerling, R., Turner-Cobb, J. M. and Spiegel, D., 1999. Improving the quality and quantity of life among patients with cancer: A review of the effectiveness of group psychotherapy. European Journal of Cancer, 35 (11), pp. 1581-1586.
Turner-Cobb, J. M. and Steptoe, A., 1998. Psychosocial influences on upper respiratory infectious illness in children. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 45 (4), pp. 319-330.
Turner-Cobb, J. M., Steptoe, A., Perry, L. and Axford, J., 1998. Adjustment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and their children. Journal of Rheumatology, 25 (3), pp. 565-571.
Cobb, J. M. and Steptoe, A., 1996. Psychosocial stress and susceptibility to upper respiratory tract illness in an adult population sample. Psychosomatic Medicine, 58 (5), pp. 404-412.
Conference or Workshop Items
Brosnan, M., Turner-Cobb, J., Munro-Naan, Z. and Jessop, D., 2010. Insistence on sameness in Aspergers Syndrome is related to cortisol. In: IMFAR, 2010-05-01.
Brosnan, M., Turner-Cobb, J., Munro-Naan, Z. and Jessop, D., 2008. Awakening cortisol response in school-aged males with ASD. In: Autism Neuroscience Conference, 2010-09-01, Cambridge.
