Katie Knauft, Ph.D.

Research Focus

My program of research examines the pathways that connect stressful experiences and environments to cardiovascular health, especially among older adults. In particular, I study 1) the role of biological, psychological, and social factors that might serve as mechanisms through which stress influences downstream health and 2) the contextual and individual-level variables that might exacerbate or buffer existing stress-health associations. My work leverages neuroendocrine and psychophysiological methods, as well as experimental, meta-analytic, and intensive longitudinal approaches to provide insight into how and when stress is linked with health and disease as we age.

Areas of Expertise

• Psychosocial Stress
• Social Determinants of Health
• Psychoneuroendocrinology
• Psychophysiology
• Adulthood and Aging

Relevant Papers

Davis, K. M., Kim, E., Knauft, K., Rappaport, L., Luca, F., Levy, P., Cutchin, M., Fritz, H., Joseph, N. T., Engeland, C. G., & Zilioli, S. (2026). Age, stress, and markers of inflammation among middle-aged to older African American adults: Findings from The Heart of Detroit Study.Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 136, 106559.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2026.106559

Knauft, K., Jacques-Tiura, A. J., Idalski Carcone, A., Evans, M. A., Weissberg-Benchell, J., Buggs-Saxon, C., Boucher-Berry, C., Miller, J. L., Drossos, T., Dekelbab, M. B., & Ellis, D. (2025). Blood glucose levels and diabetes family conflict in Black adolescents with type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Behavioral Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2025.2543265

Davis, K. M., Knauft, K., Petriello, M., Jiang, Y., & Zilioli, S. (2025). Vigilance and systemic inflammation among middle-aged to older African American adults. Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine. 87(5), 316-321. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001383

Knauft, K., Davis, K. M., Jiang, Y., Shields, G. S., Joseph, N., Slavich, G. S., & Zilioli, S. (2025). Lifetime stressor severity and diurnal cortisol in older African American adults: A comparison of three theoretical models. Developmental Psychobiology. 67(2), e70034. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.70034

Rodriguez-Stanley, J., Knauft, K., & Zilioli, S. (2025). State rumination links major stressful life events to cortisol response to an acute stressor. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 172, 107236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107234

Knauft, K., Zilioli, S., Tarraf, W., Rorai, V., Perry, T. E., & Lichtenberg, P. A. (2023). Social connectedness in older urban African American adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of education and companionship. Aging and Mental Health, 28(6), 874–881.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2023.2282682

Jiang, Y., Knauft, K., Richardson, C. M. E., Chung, T., Wu, B., & Zilioli, S. (2023). Age and sex differences in the associations among socioeconomic status affective reactivity to daily stressors, and physical health in the MIDUS Study. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, kaad034. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaad034

Knauft, K., Waldron, A., Mathur, M., & Kalia, V. (2021). Perceived chronic stress influences the effect of acute stress on cognitive flexibility. Scientific Reports, 11, 12529. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03101-5 

Knauft, K., Rodriguez-Stanley, J., Davis, K. M., Rappaport, L. M., Luca, F., Joseph, N. T., Engeland, C. G., & Zilioli, S. (2026). Sex-specific associations between loneliness and hair cortisol among older African American adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 186, 107755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107755

Knauft, K., Davis, K. M., Cutchin, M. P., Bruinsma, J., Thompson, H. S., & Zilioli, S. (2025). Pathways from neighborhood adversity to life satisfaction among older African American adults. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 80(12), gbaf188. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaf188