Dr. Eva Unternährer

Bentele, Ulrike U., Strobel, Paula, Meier, Maria, Benz, Annika B. E., Gaertner, Raphaela J., Klink, Elea S. C., Denk, Bernadette F., Dimitroff, Stephanie J., Unternaehrer, Eva, & Pruessner, Jens C. (2025). The effect of mortality salience and early-life maternal care on neuroendocrine, autonomic, and psychological stress responses [Journal-article]. Scientific Reports, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85380-w

Raschle, Nora Maria, Borbás, Réka, Dimanova, Plamina, Unternaehrer, Eva, Kohls, Gregor, De Brito, Stephane, Fairchild, Graeme, Freitag, Christine M., Konrad, Kerstin, & Stadler, Christina. (2025). Losing Control: Prefrontal Emotion Regulation Is Related to Symptom Severity and Predicts Treatment-Related Symptom Change in Adolescent Girls With Conduct Disorder [Journal-article]. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 10(1), 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.08.005

Meier, Maria, Kantelhardt, Sina, Gurri, Laura, Stadler, Christina, Schmid, Marc, Clemens, Vera, O’Donovan, Aoife, Boonmann, Cyril, Bürgin, David, & Unternaehrer, Eva. (2024). Childhood trauma is linked to epigenetic age deceleration in young adults with previous youth residential care placements [Journal-article]. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2024.2379144

Bentele, U. U., Klink, E. S. C., Benz, A. B. E., Meier, M., Gaertner, R. J., Denk, B. F., Dimitroff, S. J., Unternaehrer, E., & Pruessner, J. C. (2024). The effect of cognitive reappraisal and early-life maternal care on neuroendocrine stress responses [Journal-article]. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57106-x

Stadler, Christina, Freitag, Christine M., Popma, Arne, Nauta‐Jansen, Lucres, Konrad, Kerstin, Unternaehrer, Eva, Ackermann, Katharina, Bernhard, Anka, Martinelli, Anne, Oldenhof, Helena, Gundlach, Malou, Kohls, Gregor, Prätzlich, Martin, Kieser, Meinhard, Limprecht, Ronald, Raschle, Nora M., Vriends, Noortje, Trestman, Robert L., Kirchner, Marietta, & Kersten, Linda. (2024). START NOW: a cognitive behavioral skills training for adolescent girls with conduct or oppositional defiant disorder – a randomized clinical trial [Journal-article]. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 65(3), 316–327. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13896

Bacher, Janine, Stadler, Christina, Unternaehrer, Eva, & Brunner, Donja. (2024). Testing the effectiveness of the culturally adapted skills training START NOW to reduce mental health problems in adolescent refugees: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial [Journal-article]. Frontiers in Public Health, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1408026

Benz, Annika B. E., Dimitroff, Stephanie J., Jeggle, Christin, Gaertner, Raphaela J., Meier, Maria, Unternaehrer, Eva, Bentele, Ulrike U., Denk, Bernadette F., Klink, Elea S. C., & Pruessner, Jens C. (2023). Increased empathic distress in adults is associated with higher levels of childhood maltreatment [Journal-article]. Scientific Reports, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30891-7

Varghese, Nimmy, Buergin, David, Boonmann, Cyril, Stadler, Christina, Schmid, Marc, Eckert, Anne, & Unternaehrer, Eva. (2023). Interplay between stress, sleep, and BDNF in a high-risk sample of young adults [Journal-article]. Scientific Reports, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47726-0

Dimitroff, Stephanie J., Würfel, Lisa, Meier, Maria, Faig, Kelly E., Benz, Annika B.E., Denk, Bernadette, Bentele, Ulrike U., Unternaehrer, Eva, & Pruessner, Jens C. (2023). Estimation of antibody levels after COVID-19 vaccinations: Preliminary evidence for immune interoception [Journal-article]. Biological Psychology, 182, 108636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108636

Cost, Katherine T., Mudiyanselage, Piyumi, Unternaehrer, Eva, Korczak, Daphne J., Crosbie, Jennifer, Anagnastou, Evdokia, Monga, Suneeta, Kelley, Elizabeth, Schachar, Russell, Maguire, Jonathon, Arnold, Paul, Burton, Christie L., Georgiades, Stelios, Nicolson, Rob, Birken, Catherine S., & Charach, Alice. (2023). The role of parenting practices in parent and child mental health over time [Journal-article]. BJPsych Open, 9(5). https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2023.529

Cost, Katherine T., Unternaehrer, Eva, Tsujimoto, Kimberley, Vanderloo, Leigh L., Birken, Catherine S., Maguire, Jonathon L., Szatmari, Peter, & Charach, Alice. (2023). Patterns of parent screen use, child screen time, and child socio-emotional problems at 5 years. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 35(7). https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.13246

Cubillo, A., Tkalcec, A., Oldenhof, H., Unternaehrer, E., Raschle, N., Kohls, G., Nauta-Jansen, L., Hervas, A., Fernandez-Rivas, A., Konrad, K., Popma, A., Freitag, C., de Brito, S., Fairchild, G., & Stadler, C. (2023). Linking heart rate variability to psychological health and brain structure in adolescents with and without conduct disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1101064

Bürgin D, Clemens V, Varghese N, Eckert A, Huber M, Bruttin E, Boonmann C, Unternährer E, O’Donovan A, & Schmid M. (2022). Adverse and traumatic exposures, posttraumatic stress disorder, telomere length, and hair cortisol – Exploring associations in a high-risk sample of young adult residential care leavers. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - Health, 26, 100524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100524

Bürgin D, Varghese N, Eckert A, Clemens V, Unternährer E, Boonmann C, O’Donovan A, & Schmid M. (2022). Higher hair cortisol concentrations associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length in high-risk young adults. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 11730. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14905-4

Meier, Maria, Haub, Kristina, Schramm, Marie-Luise, Hamma, Marc, Bentele, Ulrike U., Dimitroff, Stephanie J., Gärtner, Raphaela, Denk, Bernadette F., Benz, Annika B.E., Unternaehrer, Eva, & Pruessner, Jens C. (2022). Validation of an online version of the trier social stress test in adult men and women [Journal-article]. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 142, 105818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105818

Benz, Annika B. E., Gaertner, Raphaela J., Meier, Maria, Unternaehrer, Eva, Scharndke, Simona, Jupe, Clara, Wenzel, Maya, Bentele, Ulrike U., Dimitroff, Stephanie J., Denk, Bernadette F., & Pruessner, Jens C. (2022). Nature-Based Relaxation Videos and Their Effect on Heart Rate Variability [Journal-article]. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.866682

Benz, Annika B. E., Kloker, Liliane Vanessa, Kuhlmann, Tim, Meier, Maria, Unternaehrer, Eva, Bentele, Ulrike U., Dimitroff, Stephanie J., Denk, Bernadette F., Reips, Ulf-Dietrich, & Pruessner, Jens C. (2022). Psychometric Properties of a German Translation of the Parental Bonding Instrument Psychometrische Kennwerte einer deutschen Übersetzung des Parental Bonding Instrument. PPmP Psychotherapie Psychosomatik Medizinische Psychologie, 72(1), 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1503-5328

Schwartz, Lyla, Brunner, Donja, Unternaehrer, Eva, & Stadler, Christina. (2022). Feasibility and relatability of cultural adaptation amongst conflict-affected populations [Journal-article]. Journal of Migration and Health, 6, 100134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2022.100134

Carleial, Samuel, Nätt, Daniel, Unternährer, Eva, Elbert, Thomas, Robjant, Katy, Wilker, Sarah, Vukojevic, Vanja, Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana, Zeller, Anja C., & Koebach, Anke. (2021). DNA methylation changes following narrative exposure therapy in a randomized controlled trial with female former child soldiers [Journal-article]. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98067-9

Meier, M., Bentele, U. U., Benz, A. B. E., Denk, B., Dimitroff, S., Pruessner, J. C., & Unternaehrer, E. (2021). Effects of psychological, sensory, and metabolic energy prime manipulation on the acute endocrine stress response in fasted women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105452

Denk, B., Dimitroff, S. J., Meier, M., Benz, A. B. E., Bentele, U. U., Unternaehrer, E., Popovic, N. F., Gaissmaier, W., & Pruessner, J. C. (2021). Influence of stress on physiological synchrony in a stressful versus non-stressful group setting. Journal of Neural Transmission, 128(9), 1335–1345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-021-02384-2

Bentele, Ulrike U., Meier, Maria, Benz, Annika B. E., Denk, Bernadette F., Dimitroff, Stephanie J., Pruessner, Jens C., & Unternaehrer, Eva. (2021). The impact of maternal care and blood glucose availability on the cortisol stress response in fasted women. Journal of Neural Transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996), 128(9), 1287–1300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-021-02350-y

McEwen, Lisa M, O’Donnell, Kieran J, McGill, Megan G, Edgar, Rachel D, Jones, Meaghan J, MacIsaac, Julia L, Lin, David Tse Shen, Ramadori, Katia, Morin, Alexander, Gladish, Nicole, Garg, Elika, Unternaehrer, Eva, Pokhvisneva, Irina, Karnani, Neerja, Kee, Michelle Z L, Klengel, Torsten, Adler, Nancy E, Barr, Ronald G, Letourneau, Nicole, et al. (2020). The PedBE clock accurately estimates DNA methylation age in pediatric buccal cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(38), 23329–23335. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1820843116

Bouvette-Turcot, Andrée-Anne, Fleming, Alison S, Unternaehrer, Eva, Gonzalez, Andrea, Atkinson, Leslie, Gaudreau, Hélène, Steiner, Meir, & Meaney, Michael J. (2020). Maternal symptoms of depression and sensitivity mediate the relation between maternal history of early adversity and her child temperament: The inheritance of circumstance. Development and Psychopathology, 32(2), 605–613. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579419000488

Lönnberg, Gunilla, Jonas, Wibke, Unternaehrer, Eva, Bränström, Richard, Nissen, Eva, & Niemi, Maria. (2020). Effects of a mindfulness based childbirth and parenting program on pregnant women’s perceived stress and risk of perinatal depression-Results from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 262, 133–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.10.048

Meier, Maria, Unternaehrer, Eva, Dimitroff, Stephanie J., Benz, Annika B. E., Bentele, Ulrike U., Schorpp, Sabine M., Wenzel, Maya, & Pruessner, Jens C. (2020). Standardized massage interventions as protocols for the induction of psychophysiological relaxation in the laboratory: a block randomized, controlled trial. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 14774. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71173-w

Meier, Maria, Unternaehrer, Eva, Schorpp, Sabine M., Wenzel, Maya, Benz, Annika, Bentele, Ulrike U., Dimitroff, Stephanie J., Denk, Bernadette, & Prüssner, Jens C. (2020). The Opposite of Stress. Experimental Psychology, 67(2), 150–159. https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169/a000483

Unternaehrer, Eva, Cost, Katherine T, Bouvette-Turcot, Andrée-Anne, Gaudreau, Hélène, Massicotte, Rachel, Dhir, Sabine K, Hari Dass, Shantala A, O’Donnell, Kieran J, Gordon-Green, Cathryn, Atkinson, Leslie, Levitan, Robert D, Wazana, Ashley, Steiner, Meir, Lydon, John E, Clark, Roseanne, Fleming, Alison S, Meaney, Michael J, & MAVAN Research Team. (2019). Dissecting maternal care: Patterns of maternal parenting in a prospective cohort study. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 31(9), e12784. https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.12784

Benz, Annika, Meier, Maria, Mankin, Mara, Unternaehrer, Eva, & Pruessner, Jens C. (2019). The duration of the cortisol awakening pulse exceeds sixty minutes in a meaningful pattern. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 105, 187–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.12.225

Unternaehrer, Eva, Cost, Katherine Tombeau, Jonas, Wibke, Dhir, Sabine K., Bouvette-Turcot, Andrée-Anne, Gaudreau, Hélène, Dass, Shantala Hari, Lydon, John E., Steiner, Meir, Szatmari, Peter, Meaney, Michael J., Fleming, Alison S., & Mavan research team. (2019). Once and Again : History of Rearing Experiences and Psychosocial Parenting Resources at Six Months in Primiparous Mothers. Human Nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.), 30(4), 448–476. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-019-09355-3

Tombeau Cost, Katherine, Jonas, Wibke, Unternaehrer, Eva, Dudin, Aya, Szatmari, Peter, Gaudreau, Hélène, Kennedy, James, Atkinson, Leslie, Steiner, Meir, Meaney, Michael, & Fleming, Alison. (2018). Maternal perceptions of paternal investment are associated with relationship satisfaction and breastfeeding duration in humans. Journal of Family Psychology, 32(8), 1025–1035. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000468

Chen, Lawrence M, Yao, Nelson, Garg, Elika, Zhu, Yuecai, Nguyen, Thao T T, Pokhvisneva, Irina, Hari Dass, Shantala A, Unternaehrer, Eva, Gaudreau, Hélène, Forest, Marie, McEwen, Lisa M, MacIsaac, Julia L, Kobor, Michael S, Greenwood, Celia M T, Silveira, Patricia P, Meaney, Michael J, & O’Donnell, Kieran J. (2018). PRS-on-Spark (PRSoS): A novel, efficient and flexible approach for generating polygenic risk scores. BMC Bioinformatics, 19(1), 295. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12859-018-2289-9

Garg, Elika, Chen, Li, Nguyen, Thao T T, Pokhvisneva, Irina, Chen, Lawrence M, Unternaehrer, Eva, MacIsaac, Julia L, McEwen, Lisa M, Mah, Sarah M, Gaudreau, Helene, Levitan, Robert, Moss, Ellen, Sokolowski, Marla B, Kennedy, James L, Steiner, Meir S, Meaney, Michael J, Holbrook, Joanna D, Silveira, Patricia P, Karnani, Neerja, et al. (2018). The early care environment and DNA methylome variation in childhood. Development and Psychopathology, 30(3), 891–903. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579418000627

Sokolowski, H Moriah, Vasquez, Oscar E, Unternaehrer, Eva, Sokolowski, Dustin J, Biergans, Stephanie D, Atkinson, Leslie, Gonzalez, Andrea, Silveira, Patricia P, Levitan, Robert, O’Donnell, Kieran J, Steiner, Meir, Kennedy, James, Meaney, Michael J, Fleming, Alison S, & Sokolowski, Marla B. (2017). The Drosophila foraging gene human orthologue PRKG1 predicts individual differences in the effects of early adversity on maternal sensitivity. Cognitive Development, 42, 62–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2016.11.001

Tombeau Cost, K, Unternaehrer, E, Plamondon, A, Steiner, M, Meaney, M, Atkinson, L, Kennedy, J L, Fleming, A S, & MAVAN Research Team. (2017). Thinking and doing: the effects of dopamine and oxytocin genes and executive function on mothering behaviours. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 16(2), 285–295. https://doi.org/10.1111/gbb.12337

Bouvette-Turcot, Andrée-Anne, Unternaehrer, Eva, Gaudreau, Hélène, Lydon, John E, Steiner, Meir, Meaney, Michael J, & MAVAN Research Team. (2017). The joint contribution of maternal history of early adversity and adulthood depression to socioeconomic status and potential relevance for offspring development. Journal of Affective Disorders, 207, 26–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.08.012

Cost, Katherine T, Plamondon, André, Unternaehrer, Eva, Meaney, Michael, Steiner, Meir, Fleming, Alison S, & MAVAN team. (2016). The more things change, the more things stay the same: Maternal attitudes 3 to 18 months postpartum. Acta Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics, 105(7), e320–e327. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.13409

Unternaehrer, E., Meier, M., Bouvette-Turcot, A.-A., & Hari Dass, S. A. (2020). Long-term epigenetic effects of parental caregiving (pp. 105–117). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819262-7.00006-4

Unternaehrer, Eva, & Meinlschmidt, Gunther. (2016). Psychosocial stress and DNA methylation. In Spengler, Dietmar; Binder, Elisabeth (Ed.), Epigenetics and neuroendocrinology: Clinical focus on psychiatry (Vol. 2, pp. 227–261). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29901-3_11

Schmid, J., Unternaehrer, E., Benecchi, E., Bernath, J., Bolten, M., Bossi, C. B., Iskrzycki, K., Mazzoni, P., Steiner, O., Sticca, F., & Dimitrova, N. (2025). Digital Media Use in 0–5-Year-Old Children in Switzerland [Posted-content]. Center for Open Science. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/ecmxt_v3

Meier, M., Unternaehrer, E., Dimitroff, S., Denk, B., Gaertner, R., Klink, E. S. C., Wienhold, S., Volkmer, N., & Pruessner, J. C. (2024). Interaction of glucose and standardized massage administration on cardiac reactivity in healthy adults [Posted-content]. Center for Open Science. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/dw3zx

Meier, M., Dimitroff, S., Denk, B., Unternaehrer, E., & Pruessner, J. C. (2022). Effect of sweet and caloric drinks on cardiac reactivity to slow paced breathing in healthy adults [Posted-content]. Center for Open Science. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/dwm93

Cost, K. T., Unternaehrer, E., Pruessner, J. C., Abramovich, A., Cleverley, K., szatmari, p., & Lai, M.-C. (2022, January 28). Checking assumptions: Advancing the analysis of sex and gender in human health and psychological sciences [Posted-content]. Center for Open Science. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/c29kg

Unternaehrer, E., Greenlaw, K., Ciampi, A., Chen, L. M., Bouvette-Turcot, A.-A., Dass, S. H., Pokhvisneva, I., Silveira, P. P., Cost, K. T., Gaudreau, H., Garg, E., Zhu, Y., Nguyen, T. T., Forest, M., Yao, N., MacIsaac, J. L., McEwen7, L. M., Kobor, M. S., Fleming, A. S., et al. (2021, March 14). Genetic and environmental factors predict multivariate trajectories of maternal distress after birth [Posted-content]. Center for Open Science. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/gqpzv

Benz, A., Meier, M., Bentele, U. U., Dimitroff, S. J., Denk, B., Pruessner, J. C., & Unternaehrer, E. (2020, August 6). Early life adversity, dispositional mindfulness, and longitudinal stress experience during the COVID-19 pandemic [Posted-content]. Center for Open Science. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/5kt6z

Unternaehrer, Eva, Bolten, Margarete, Nast, Irina, Staehli, Simon, Meyer, Andrea H., Dempster, Emma, Hellhammer, Dirk H., Lieb, Roselind, & Meinlschmidt, Gunther. (2016). Maternal adversities during pregnancy and cord blood oxytocin receptor (OXTR) DNA methylation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(9), 1460–1470. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw051

Unternaehrer, Eva, Meyer, Andrea Hans, Burkhardt, Susan C. A., Dempster, Emma, Staehli, Simon, Theill, Nathan, Lieb, Roselind, & Meinlschmidt, Gunther. (2015). Childhood maternal care is associated with DNA methylation of the genes for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in peripheral blood cells in adult men and women. Stress, 18(4), 451–461. https://doi.org/10.3109/10253890.2015.1038992

Unternährer, Eva. (2014). Psychosocial Stress Experience and DNA Methylation in Humans - Implications for Stress-Adaptation and -Resilience [Dissertation].

Giese, Maria, Unternaehrer, Eva, Brand, Serge, Calabrese, Pasquale, Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith, & Eckert, Anne. (2013). The interplay of stress and sleep impacts BDNF level. PLoS ONE, 8(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0076050

Giese, M., Unternaehrer, E., Huettig, H., Beck, J., Brand, S., Calabrese, P., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., & Eckert, A. (2013). BDNF : an indicator of insomnia? Molecular Psychiatry, 23(2), S340–S340. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2013.10

Unternaehrer, E., Luers, P., Mill, J., Dempster, E., Meyer, A. H., Staehli, S., Lieb, R., Hellhammer, D. H., & Meinlschmidt, G. (2012). Dynamic changes in DNA methylation of stress-associated genes (OXTR, BDNF) after acute psychosocial stress. Translational Psychiatry, 2(8), e150. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2012.77