Wendy Berry Mendes, PhD

Director of HPL
Psychiatry
+1 415 476-7409

Wendy Berry Mendes is the Sarlo/Ekman Professor of Emotion at UC San Francisco.  Her research questions sit at the intersection of social, personality, and biological psychology and primarily concern questions regarding embodiment - how emotions, thoughts, and intentions are experienced in the body and how bodily responses shape and influence thoughts, behavior and emotions. Some current research areas include coping with stigma and discrimination, dyadic intergroup interactions, affect contagion, mind-body relations across the life course, influence of emotional labeling on emotional experience, and effects of stress on decision-making.

Publications: 

Provider implicit and explicit bias in person-centered maternity care: a cross-sectional study with maternity providers in Northern Ghana.

BMC health services research

Afulani PA, Okiring J, Aborigo RA, Nutor JJ, Kuwolamo I, Dorzie JBK, Semko S, Okonofua JA, Mendes WB

Lifespan psychosocial stressors, optimism, and hemodynamic acute stress response in a national sample.

Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association

Lee LO, Chen R, Mendes WB, Kubzansky LD

Cardiac Vagal Control Among Community Cigarette Smokers with Low to Moderate Depressive Symptoms.

Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback

Brinkman HR, Hoyt DL, Fedorenko EJ, Mendes WB, Leyro TM

Individual and situational predictors of psychological and physiological stress and burnout among maternity providers in Northern Ghana.

PloS one

Nutor JJ, Aborigo RA, Okiring J, Kuwolamo I, Dorzie JBK, Getahun M, Mendes WB, Afulani PA

An Examination of Cardiac Vagal Control Indices and Cognitive Stress Appraisal in Cigarette Smokers.

Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback

Brinkman HR, McCarthy DE, Mendes WB, Leyro TM

Detecting Physiological Responses Using Multimodal Earbud Sensors.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference

Rahman MM, Xu X, Nathan V, Ahmed T, Ahmed MY, McCaffrey D, Kuang J, Cowell T, Moore J, Mendes WB, Gao JA

Improving the language specificity of stress in psychological and population health science.

Psychosomatic medicine

Crosswell AD, Epel ES, Mendes WB, Prather AA, Stress Measurement Network

Oxytocin increases physiological linkage during group therapy for methamphetamine use disorder: a randomized clinical trial.

Scientific reports

Thorson KR, McKernan SM, West TV, Woolley JD, Mendes WB, Stauffer CS

A Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego-Depletion Effect.

Psychological science

Vohs KD, Schmeichel BJ, Lohmann S, Gronau QF, Finley AJ, Ainsworth SE, Alquist JL, Baker MD, Brizi A, Bunyi A, Butschek GJ, Campbell C, Capaldi J, Cau C, Chambers H, Chatzisarantis NLD, Christensen WJ, Clay SL, Curtis J, De Cristofaro V, Del Rosario K, Diel K, Dogruol Y, Doi M, Donaldson TL, Eder AB, Ersoff M, Eyink JR, Falkenstein A, Fennis BM, Findley MB, Finkel EJ, Forgea V, Friese M, Fuglestad P, Garcia-Willingham NE, Geraedts LF, Gervais WM, Giacomantonio M, Gibson B, Gieseler K, Gineikiene J, Gloger EM, Gobes CM, Grande M, Hagger MS, Hartsell B, Hermann AD, Hidding JJ, Hirt ER, Hodge J, Hofmann W, Howell JL, Hutton RD, Inzlicht M, James L, Johnson E, Johnson HL, Joyce SM, Joye Y, Kaben JH, Kammrath LK, Kelly CN, Kissell BL, Koole SL, Krishna A, Lam C, Lee KT, Lee N, Leighton DC, Loschelder DD, Maranges HM, Masicampo EJ, Mazara K, McCarthy S, McGregor I, Mead NL, Mendes WB, Meslot C, Michalak NM, Milyavskaya M, Miyake A, Moeini-Jazani M, Muraven M, Nakahara E, Patel K, Petrocelli JV, Pollak KM, Price MM, Ramsey HJ, Rath M, Robertson JA, Rockwell R, Russ IF, Salvati M, Saunders B, Scherer A, Schütz A, Schmitt KN, Segerstrom SC, Serenka B, Sharpinskyi K, Shaw M, Sherman J, Song Y, Sosa N, Spillane K, Stapels J, Stinnett AJ, Strawser HR, Sweeny K, Theodore D, Tonnu K, van Oldenbeuving Y, vanDellen MR, Vergara RC, Walker JS, Waugh CE, Weise F, Werner KM, Wheeler C, White RA, Wichman AL, Wiggins BJ, Wills JA, Wilson JH, Wagenmakers EJ, Albarracín D

A large-scale study of stress, emotions, and blood pressure in daily life using a digital platform.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Gordon AM, Mendes WB

Understanding disparities in person-centred maternity care: the potential role of provider implicit and explicit bias.

Health policy and planning

Afulani PA, Ogolla BA, Oboke EN, Ongeri L, Weiss SJ, Lyndon A, Mendes WB

[Venetoclax with low-dose cytarabine for patients with untreated acute myeloid leukemia ineligible for intensive chemotherapy: results from the Chinese cohort of a phase three randomized placebo-controlled trial].

Zhonghua xue ye xue za zhi = Zhonghua xueyexue zazhi

Hu Y, Jin J, Zhang Y, Hu JD, Li JM, Wei XD, Gao SJ, Zha JH, Jiang Q, Wu J, Mendes W, Wei AH, Wang JX

Correlation of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity during rest and acute stress tasks.

International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology

Effects of acute stress on cognition in older versus younger adults.

Psychology and aging

Crosswell AD, Whitehurst L, Mendes WB

Emotional Empathy in the Social Regulation of Distress: A Dyadic Approach.

Personality & social psychology bulletin

Brown CL, West TV, Sanchez AH, Mendes WB

Predicting mortality from 57 economic, behavioral, social, and psychological factors.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Puterman E, Weiss J, Hives BA, Gemmill A, Karasek D, Mendes WB, Rehkopf DH

Keep it to yourself? Parent emotion suppression influences physiological linkage and interaction behavior.

Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)

Waters SF, Karnilowicz HR, West TV, Mendes WB

Affective Science.

Affective science

Gross JJ, Levenson RW, Mendes WB

A consensus-based transparency checklist.

Nature human behaviour

Aczel B, Szaszi B, Sarafoglou A, Kekecs Z, Kucharský Š, Benjamin D, Chambers CD, Fisher A, Gelman A, Gernsbacher MA, Ioannidis JP, Johnson E, Jonas K, Kousta S, Lilienfeld SO, Lindsay DS, Morey CC, Monafò M, Newell BR, Pashler H, Shanks DR, Simons DJ, Wicherts JM, Albarracin D, Anderson ND, Antonakis J, Arkes HR, Back MD, Banks GC, Beevers C, Bennett AA, Bleidorn W, Boyer TW, Cacciari C, Carter AS, Cesario J, Clifton C, Conroy RM, Cortese M, Cosci F, Cowan N, Crawford J, Crone EA, Curtin J, Engle R, Farrell S, Fearon P, Fichman M, Frankenhuis W, Freund AM, Gaskell MG, Giner-Sorolla R, Green DP, Greene RL, Harlow LL, de la Guardia FH, Isaacowitz D, Kolodner J, Lieberman D, Logan GD, Mendes WB, Moersdorf L, Nyhan B, Pollack J, Sullivan C, Vazire S, Wagenmakers EJ

Author Correction: A consensus-based transparency checklist.

Nature human behaviour

Aczel B, Szaszi B, Sarafoglou A, Kekecs Z, Kucharský Š, Benjamin D, Chambers CD, Fisher A, Gelman A, Gernsbacher MA, Ioannidis JP, Johnson E, Jonas K, Kousta S, Lilienfeld SO, Lindsay DS, Morey CC, Munafò M, Newell BR, Pashler H, Shanks DR, Simons DJ, Wicherts JM, Albarracin D, Anderson ND, Antonakis J, Arkes HR, Back MD, Banks GC, Beevers C, Bennett AA, Bleidorn W, Boyer TW, Cacciari C, Carter AS, Cesario J, Clifton C, Conroy RM, Cortese M, Cosci F, Cowan N, Crawford J, Crone EA, Curtin J, Engle R, Farrell S, Fearon P, Fichman M, Frankenhuis W, Freund AM, Gaskell MG, Giner-Sorolla R, Green DP, Greene RL, Harlow LL, de la Guardia FH, Isaacowitz D, Kolodner J, Lieberman D, Logan GD, Mendes WB, Moersdorf L, Nyhan B, Pollack J, Sullivan C, Vazire S, Wagenmakers EJ

Bidirectional Links Between Social Rejection and Sleep.

Psychosomatic medicine

Gordon AM, Del Rosario K, Flores AJ, Mendes WB, Prather AA

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindfulness-Based Weight Loss Intervention on Cardiovascular Reactivity to Social-Evaluative Threat Among Adults with Obesity.

Mindfulness

Daubenmier J, Epel ES, Moran PJ, Thompson J, Mason AE, Acree M, Goldman V, Kristeller J, Hecht FM, Mendes WB

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Device-Guided Slow-Paced Respiration In Women with Overactive Bladder Syndrome.

The Journal of urology

Huang AJ, Grady D, Mendes WB, Hernandez C, Schembri M, Subak LL

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in HIV Infection.

Brain, behavior, and immunity

Hecht FM, Moskowitz JT, Moran P, Epel ES, Bacchetti P, Acree M, Kemeny ME, Mendes WB, Duncan LG, Weng H, Levy JA, Deeks SG, Folkman S

When anger expression might be beneficial for African Americans: The moderating role of chronic discrimination.

Cultural diversity & ethnic minority psychology

Park J, Flores AJ, Aschbacher K, Mendes WB

More than a feeling: A unified view of stress measurement for population science.

Frontiers in neuroendocrinology

Epel ES, Crosswell AD, Mayer SE, Prather AA, Slavich GM, Puterman E, Mendes WB

Emotion, health decision making, and health behaviour.

Psychology & health

Ferrer RA, Mendes WB

A multi-method investigation of the association between emotional clarity and empathy.

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)

Eckland NS, Leyro TM, Mendes WB, Thompson RJ

Effects of oxytocin administration on receiving help.

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)

Human LJ, Woolley JD, Mendes WB

Contagious Anxiety: Anxious European Americans Can Transmit Their Physiological Reactivity to African Americans.

Psychological science

West TV, Koslov K, Page-Gould E, Major B, Mendes WB

The social side of sleep: Elucidating the links between sleep and social processes.

Current directions in psychological science

Gordon AM, Mendes WB, Prather AA

Cardiac autonomic function and hot flashes among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Menopause (New York, N.Y.)

Gibson CJ, Mendes WB, Schembri M, Grady D, Huang AJ

Affect contagion between mothers and infants: Examining valence and touch.

Journal of experimental psychology. General

Waters SF, West TV, Karnilowicz HR, Mendes WB

Physiological and Relational Predictors of Mother-Infant Behavioral Coordination.

Adaptive human behavior and physiology

Waters SF, Mendes WB

Circulating angiogenic cell function is inhibited by cortisol in vitro and associated with psychological stress and cortisol in vivo.

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Aschbacher K, Derakhshandeh R, Flores AJ, Narayan S, Mendes WB, Springer ML

Social stress facilitates risk in youths.

Journal of experimental psychology. General

Jamieson JP, Mendes WB

Suspicion of Motives Predicts Minorities' Responses to Positive Feedback in Interracial Interactions.

Journal of experimental social psychology

Major B, Kunstman JW, Malta BD, Sawyer PJ, Townsend SS, Mendes WB

Vagal flexibility: A physiological predictor of social sensitivity.

Journal of personality and social psychology

Muhtadie L, Koslov K, Akinola M, Mendes WB

Stress contagion: physiological covariation between mothers and infants.

Psychological science

Waters SF, West TV, Mendes WB

Intergroup relations and health disparities: a social psychological perspective.

Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association

Major B, Mendes WB, Dovidio JF

Experiencing discrimination increases risk taking.

Psychological science

Jamieson JP, Koslov K, Nock MK, Mendes WB

Brittle smiles: positive biases toward stigmatized and outgroup targets.

Journal of experimental psychology. General

Mendes WB, Koslov K

A heartfelt response: Oxytocin effects on response to social stress in men and women.

Biological psychology

Kubzansky LD, Mendes WB, Appleton AA, Block J, Adler GK

Mind over matter: reappraising arousal improves cardiovascular and cognitive responses to stress.

Journal of experimental psychology. General

Jamieson JP, Nock MK, Mendes WB

Simulating murder: the aversion to harmful action.

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)

Cushman F, Gray K, Gaffey A, Mendes WB

Asymmetry in resting intracortical activity as a buffer to social threat.

Psychological science

Koslov K, Mendes WB, Pajtas PE, Pizzagalli DA

From "in the air" to "under the skin": cortisol responses to social identity threat.

Personality & social psychology bulletin

Townsend SS, Major B, Gangi CE, Mendes WB

Can the absence of prejudice be more threatening than its presence? It depends on one's worldview.

Journal of personality and social psychology

Townsend SS, Major B, Sawyer PJ, Mendes WB

Intergroup Contact Facilitates Physiological Recovery following Stressful Intergroup Interactions.

Journal of experimental social psychology

Page-Gould E, Mendes WB, Major B

Cardiovascular and affective recovery from anticipatory threat.

Biological psychology

Waugh CE, Panage S, Mendes WB, Gotlib IH

Turning the knots in your stomach into bows: Reappraising arousal improves performance on the GRE.

Journal of experimental social psychology

Jamieson JP, Mendes WB, Blackstock E, Schmader T

Decisions under distress: stress profiles influence anchoring and adjustment.

Psychological science

Kassam KS, Koslov K, Mendes WB

A metacognitive perspective on the cognitive deficits experienced in intellectually threatening environments.

Personality & social psychology bulletin

Schmader T, Forbes CE, Zhang S, Mendes WB

Fear extinction to an out-group face: the role of target gender.

Psychological science

Navarrete CD, Olsson A, Ho AK, Mendes WB, Thomsen L, Sidanius J

An in-group advantage in detecting intergroup anxiety.

Psychological science

Gray HM, Mendes WB, Denny-Brown C

Big tales and cool heads: academic exaggeration is related to cardiac vagal reactivity.

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)

Gramzow RH, Willard G, Mendes WB

How attributional ambiguity shapes physiological and emotional responses to social rejection and acceptance.

Journal of personality and social psychology

Mendes WB, Major B, McCoy S, Blascovich J

Why egalitarianism might be good for your health: physiological thriving during stressful intergroup encounters.

Psychological science

Mendes WB, Gray HM, Mendoza-Denton R, Major B, Epel ES

Threatened by the unexpected: physiological responses during social interactions with expectancy-violating partners.

Journal of personality and social psychology

Mendes WB, Blascovich J, Hunter SB, Lickel B, Jost JT

Cell aging in relation to stress arousal and cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Epel ES, Lin J, Wilhelm FH, Wolkowitz OM, Cawthon R, Adler NE, Dolbier C, Mendes WB, Blackburn EH

The nonconscious influence of religious symbols in motivated performance situations.

Personality & social psychology bulletin

Weisbuch-Remington M, Mendes WB, Seery MD, Blascovich J

Cardiovascular correlates of emotional expression and suppression: do content and gender context matter?

Journal of personality and social psychology

Mendes WB, Reis HT, Seery MD, Blascovich J

The robust nature of the biopsychosocial model challenge and threat: a reply to Wright and Kirby.

Personality and social psychology review : an official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc

Blascovich J, Mendes WB, Tomaka J, Salomon K, Seery M

Social "facilitation" as challenge and threat.

Journal of personality and social psychology

Blascovich J, Mendes WB, Hunter SB, Salomon K