MENU
Gerontology
Search

T: 778-782-7834
E: theresa_pauly@sfu.ca
Office: Harbour Centre, Room 2800
Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Lab

 

Theresa Pauly

Assistant Professor | Canada Research Chair in Social Relationships, Health, and Aging

Dr. Theresa Pauly, Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair, focuses on the impact of psychosocial factors on health and wellbeing across adulthood and old age. For example, we know that lacking good social relationships can be as detrimental to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Her research is particularly crucial given predictions that about one in four Canadians will be 65 years of age or older by 2050.

Dr. Pauly earned her PhD from the University of British Columbia in 2020, where she studied daily stress hormone secretion in older couples. She then worked as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Zurich from 2020 to 2022 and joined SFU in 2023. Her interdisciplinary expertise spans psychology, gerontology, and physiology, allowing her to explore the interconnections between health biomarkers (e.g., cortisol levels), psychological well-being (e.g., affective states), and daily social contexts (e.g., solitude).

As the Canada Research Chair in Social Relationships, Health, and Aging, Dr. Pauly employs innovative methodologies that gather data from older adults in their daily lives. For instance, participants report daily activities (such as having an argument or feeling lonely) while wearing heart rate monitors and providing saliva samples for stress hormone analysis. She also analyzes long-term health and wellbeing trajectories from longitudinal data to identify key (social) resources that support older adults' health and to explore health risks and resources for equity-seeking older adults. Ultimately, her research aims to inform the development of programs and policies that support healthy aging.

Dr. Pauly has received numerous awards, including the Gerontological Society of America's Predissertation Research Award (2019), UBC's Excellence in Health Psychology PhD Research Award (2020), and the APA's Division 20 Dissertation Award in Psychology of Aging (2021). In 2021, she was honoured with the prestigious Vontobel Award for Research on Ageing. Her postdoctoral work was supported by the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship (2020-2021) and the University of Zurich's Forschungskredit grant (2021-2022).

Education

  • PhD (Health Psychology) University of British Columbia
  • Dipl (equiv MA, Psychology) Philipps University Marburg

Research

Healthy aging; wellbeing; social relationships; daily social contexts; health behaviors; objective health markers; ambulatory assessment; quantitative research methods

Current/Selected Grants 

Contract/Grant: Grant  Awarded: 2024    Period: 2024 - 2028

Project Title: A comprehensive investigation of daily social events and health in older adults
Funding: CIHR Project Grant Program  Type: Grant    Total: $455,176
Involvement: Principal Investigator (Co-Is: Frances Chen, Patrick Klaiber, Dawn Mackey, Collaborator: Susan T. Charles)

Contract/Grant: Grant  Awarded: 2024    Period: 2024 - 2027

Project Title: A comprehensive approach to enhance Older adults’ Preparedness for Extreme heat (COPE)
Funding: NFRF - International Program  Type: Grant    Total: $1,287,951
Involvement: Principal Investigator (Co-PIs: Mark Cassidy, Hoi Lam Helene Fung, Xianmin Gong, Rotem Kahalon, Kevin Lau, Jennifer Lay, Atiya Mahmood, Margaret Paterson, Wendy Sarkissian, Dwight Tse; Co-Applicant: Yushu Zhu)

Contract/Grant: Research Award   Awarded: 2023    Period: 2023 - 2025

Project Title: Psychological processes, quality of life, and self-management in midlife and old age
Funding: SSHRC Small Explore Research Grant   Type: Award    Total: $6,977
Involvement: Principal Investigator

Contract/Grant: Research Award   Awarded: 2023    Period: 2023 - 2024

Project Title: Longitudinal associations between social relationships, psychological distress, and health in middle-aged and older adults identifying as a sexual minority
Funding: National Institutes of Health   Type: Award    Total: $10,000 USD (~$13,580 CAD)
Involvement: Principal Investigator

Contract/Grant: Grant   Awarded: 2021    Period: 2021 - 2022

Project Title: In it together: Life transitions and couple concordance 
Funding: University of Zurich   Type: Grant    Total: $88,307 CHF (~$128,000 CAD)
Involvement: Principle Investigator (Co-I's: U. Scholz, C. Hoppmann, D. Gerstorf)

Selected Publications

Book Chapters

  • Hoppmann, C. A., Lay, J. C., Pauly, T., & Zambrano, E. (2021). Social isolation, loneliness, and solitude in older adulthood. In R. J. Coplan, J. C. Bowker, & L. J. Nelson (Eds.), The handbook of solitude: Psychological perspectives on social isolation, social withdrawal, and being alone (pp. 178-189). Wiley-Blackwell Press. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119576457.ch13
  • Hoppmann, C. A., Pauly, T., Michalowski, V. I., & Nater, U. M. (2018). Everyday salivary cortisol as a biomarker method in lifespan developmental methodology. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.013.353

Peer-Reviewed Articles

  • Yoneda, T*, Pauly, T.*, Ashe, M. C., Madden, K., Drewelies, J., Kolodziejczak, K., Ram, N., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. A. (in press). “What’s yours is mine”: Partners’ everyday emotional experiences and cortisol in older adult couples. Psychoneuroendocrinology.
  • Pauly, T., Lüscher, J., Wilhelm, L. O., Amrein, M. A., Boateng, G., Kowatsch, T., Fleisch, E., Bodenmann, G., & Scholz, U. (in press). Using wearables to study biopsychosocial dynamics in couples who cope with a chronic health condition: An ambulatory assessment study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. https://doi.org/10.2196/49576
  • Zambrano, E., Choi, Y., Pauly, T., Murphy, R., Linden, W., Ashe, M., Madden, K., Jakobi, J., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. (in press). Everyday social support for health behaviors in older adults during times of challenge: Evidence from daily life assessments. Canadian Journal on Aging.
  • Wallimann, M., Peleg, S., & Pauly, T. (2024). Time savoring moderates associations of solitude with loneliness, depressive mood, and somatic symptoms in older adults' daily life. Applied Psychology: Health & Wellbeing. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12538
  • Zambrano, E., Pauly, T., Choi, Y., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. (2024). Daily solitude and well-being associations in older dyads: Evidence from daily life assessments. Applied Psychology: Health & Well-Being, 16(1), 356-375. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12494
  • Pauly, T., Weber, E., Hoppmann, C. A., Gerstorf, D., & Scholz, U. (2024). In it together: Relationship transitions and couple concordance in well-being and health. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 50(5), 733-749. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672231180450
  • Gerstorf, D., Schilling, O., Pauly, T., Katzorreck, M., Lücke, A. J., Wahl, H.-W., Kunzmann, U., Hoppmann, C., & Ram, N. (2023). Long-term aging trajectories of the accumulation of disease burden as predictors of daily affect dynamics and stressor reactivity. Psychology & Aging, 38(8), 763-777. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000779
  • Pauly, T., Lüscher, J., Berli, C., Hoppmann, C. A., Ashe, M. C., Linden, W., Madden, K. M., Murphy, R., Gerstorf, D., & Scholz, U. (2023). Let’s enjoy an evening on the couch? A daily life investigation of shared problematic behaviors in three couple studies. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672221143783
  • Luo, M., Pauly, T., Broen. T., Ashe, M. C., Murphy, R. A., Linden, W., Madden, K. M., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2023). Daily affect and daily prospective memory in people after stroke and their partners: The moderating role of resting heart rate. Gerontology, 69(10), 1245-1258. https://doi.org/10.1159/000533577
  • Pauly, T.*, Nicol, A.*, Lay, J., Ashe, M. C. , Gerstorf, D., Graf, P., Linden, W., Madden, K. M., Mahmood, A., Murphy, R., & Hoppmann, C.A. (2023). Everyday pain in middle and later life: Associations with daily and momentary present-moment awareness as one key facet of mindfulness. Canadian Journal on Aging, 42(2), 621-630. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980823000326
  • Esfandiari, E., Chudyk, A. M., Grover, S., Lau, E. Y., Hoppmann, C., Mortenson, W. B., Mulligan, K., Newton, C., Pauly, T., Pitman, B., Rush, K. L., Sakakibara, B. M., Symes, B., Tsuei, S., Petrella, R. J., & Ashe, M. C. (2023). Social prescribing outcomes for trials (SPOT): Protocol for a modified delphi study on core outcomes. PLoS ONE 18(5): e0285182. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285182
  • Broen, T., Choi, Y., Zambrano, E., Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann. C. (2023). Time-varying associations between loneliness and physical activity: Evidence from repeated daily life assessments in an adult lifespan sample. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1021863. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1021863
  • Zambrano, E., Pauly, T., Choi, Y., Broen, T., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2022). Gratitude during times of distancing: Time-varying associations between gratitude and everyday affect quality in an adult lifespan sample. GeroPsych. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1024/1662-9647/a000304
  • Hoppmann, C. A., & Pauly, T. (2022). A lifespan psychological perspective on solitude. International Journal of Behavioral Development. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254221130279
  • Choi, Y., Pauly, T., Zambrano, E., Broen, T., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2022). Having time to oneself in times of extended togetherness: The role of living arrangements and relationship characteristics for solitude experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applied Psychology: Health & Wellbeing. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12401
  • Kornadt, A.*, Pauly, T.*, Weiss, D., Lücke A., Katzorreck, M., Schilling, O., Gerstorf, D., Kunzmann, U., & Wahl, H.-W. (2022). Momentary subjective age is associated with perceived and physiological stress in the daily lives of old and very old adults. Psychology & Aging. Advance Online Publication. https://doi.org/ pag0000711
  • Lüscher, J., Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., Stadler, G., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2022). Having a good time together: The role of companionship in older couples’ everyday life. Gerontology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1159/000524089
  • Pauly, T., Lüscher, J., Berli, C., & Scholz, U. (2022). Dynamic associations between stress and relationship functioning in the wake of COVID-19: Longitudinal data from the German Family Panel (pairfam). Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(11), 3183-3203. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075221092360
  • Lee, Y., Lay, J. C., Pauly, T., Graf, P., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2022). The differential roles of chronic and transient loneliness in daily prosocial behaviour. Psychology & Aging, 37(5), 614-625. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000681
  • Kolodziejczak, K., Drewelies, J., Pauly, T., Ram, N., Hoppmann, C. A., & Gerstorf, D. (2022). Physical intimacy in the daily life of older couples: Its frequency and links with affect and salivary cortisol. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 77(8), 1416-1430. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac037
  • Luo, M., Pauly, T., Röcke, C., & Hülür, G. (2022). Alternating time spent on social interactions and solitude in healthy older adults. British Journal of Psychology, 113, 978-1008. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12586
  • Zambrano, E., Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). Partner contributions to goal pursuit: Findings from repeated daily life assessments with older couples. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 77(1), 29-38. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab052
  • Lüscher, J., Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., Stadler, G., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2022). Having a good time together: The role of companionship in older couples’ everyday life. Gerontology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1159/000524089
  • Pauly, T., Lüscher, J., Berli, C., & Scholz, U. (2022). Dynamic associations between stress and relationship functioning in the wake of COVID-19: Longitudinal data from the German Family Panel (pairfam). Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(11), 3183-3203. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075221092360
  • Lee, Y., Lay, J. C., Pauly, T., Graf, P., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2022). The differential roles of chronic and transient loneliness in daily prosocial behaviour. Psychology & Aging, 37(5), 614-625. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000681
  • Kolodziejczak, K., Drewelies, J., Pauly, T., Ram, N., Hoppmann, C. A., & Gerstorf, D. (2022). Physical intimacy in the daily life of older couples: Its frequency and links with affect and salivary cortisol. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 77(8), 1416-1430. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac037
  • Luo, M., Pauly, T., Röcke, C., & Hülür, G. (2022). Alternating time spent on social interactions and solitude in healthy older adults. British Journal of Psychology, 113, 978-1008. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12586
  • Zambrano, E., Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). Partner contributions to goal pursuit: Findings from repeated daily life assessments with older couples. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 77(1), 29-38. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab052
  • Pauly, T., Chu, L., Zambrano, E., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2022). COVID-19, time to oneself, and loneliness: Creativity as a resource. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 77(4), e30-e35. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab070
  • Puterman, E., Pauly, T., Ruissen, G., Nelson, B., & Faulkner, G. (2021). Move more, move better: A narrative review of wearable technologies and its application to precision health. Health Psychology, 40(11), 803-810. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001125
  • Keller, J., Kwasnicka, D., Wilhelm, L. O., Lorbeer, N., Pauly, T., Domke, A., Knoll, N., & Fleig, L. (2021). Hand washing and related cognitions following a brief behavior change intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pre-post analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-021-10042-w
  • Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., Wahl, H.-W., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). A developmental-contextual model of couple synchrony across adulthood and old age. Psychology and Aging, 36(8), 943-956. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000651
  • Pauly, T., Drewelies, J., Kolodziejczak, K., Katzorrek, M., Lücke, A. J., Schilling, O. K., Kunzmann, U., Wahl, H-W., Ditzen, B., Ram, N., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). Positive and negative affect are associated with salivary cortisol in the everyday life of older adults: A quantitative synthesis of four aging studies. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 133, Article 105403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105403
  • Pauly, T., Ashe, M. C., Murphy, R., Gerstorf, D., Linden, W., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). Active with whom? Examining the social context of physical activity in individuals after stroke and their partners. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, Article 754046. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.754046
  • Michalowski, V. I., Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M, & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). Time-varying associations between everyday affect and cortisol in older couples. Health Psychology, 40(9), 597-605. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001103
  • Ungar, N., Michalowski, V. I., Baehring, S., Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). Joint goals in older couples: Associations with goal progress, allostatic load, and relationship satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 623037. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.623037
  • Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). You’re under my skin: Long-term relationship and health correlates of cortisol synchrony in older couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 35(1), 69-79. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000809
  • Wilhelm, L. O., Pauly, T., Ashe, M. C., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). Daily physical activity in old age: Within- and between-person associations with emotion-related barriers. GeroPsych. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1024/1662-9647/a000255
  • Pauly, T., Kolodziejczak, K., Drewelies, J., Gerstorf, D., Ram, N., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). Political context is associated with everyday physiological linkage in older couples. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 124, Article 105082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105082
  • Pauly, T., Michalowski, V. I., Drewelies, J., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2020). Cortisol synchrony in older couples: Daily socio-emotional correlates and interpersonal differences. Psychosomatic Medicine, 82(7), 669-677. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000838
  • Pauly, T.*, Keller, J.*, Michalowski, V. I., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Knoll, N., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2020). Moving in sync: Hourly physical activity and sedentary behaviour are synchronized in couples. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 54(1), 10-21. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaz019
  • Lay, J. C., Pauly, T., Graf, P., Mahmood, A., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2020). Choosing solitude: Age differences in situational and affective correlates of solitude-seeking in midlife and older adulthood. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 75(3), 483-493. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gby044
  • Pauly, T., Michalowski, V. I., Nater, U. M., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2019). Everyday associations between older adults’ physical activity, negative affect, and cortisol. Health Psychology, 38(6), 494-501. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000743
  • Pauly, T.*, Lay, J. C.*, Kozik, P., Graf, P., Mahmood, A., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2019). Technology, physical activity, loneliness, and cognitive functioning in old age. GeroPsych, 32(3), 111-123. https://doi.org/10.1024/1662-9647/a000208
  • Lay, J. C., Pauly, T., Graf, P., Biesanz, J. C., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2019). By myself and liking it? Predictors of distinct types of solitude experiences in daily life. Journal of Personality, 87(3), 633-647. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12421
  • Pauly, T., Lay, J. C., Scott, S. B., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2018). Social relationship quality buffers negative affective correlates of everyday solitude in an adult lifespan and an older adult sample. Psychology and Aging, 33(5), 728-738. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000278
  • Pauly, T., Lay, J. C., Nater, U. M., Scott, S. B., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2017). How we experience being alone: Age differences in affective and biological correlates of everyday solitude. Gerontology, 63(1), 55-66. https://doi.org/10.1159/000450608
  • Lay, J. C., Gerstorf, D., Scott, S. B., Pauly, T., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2017). Neuroticism and extraversion magnify discrepancies between retrospective and concurrent affect reports. Journal of Personality, 85(6), 817-829. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12290

Awards and Honours

Awards

2023 2023 Society for Ambulatory Assessment Conference
2022 New Scholar Award, International Association for Relationship Research
2022 Carol Schutz Travel Award, Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization of the Gerontological Society of America
2021 Vontobel Award for Research on Age(ing), Center for Gerontology, University of Zurich
2021 APA Division 20 Dissertation Award in Psychology of Aging, American Psychological Association
2020 Excellence in Health Psychology PhD Research Award, University of British Columbia
2019 Predissertation Research Award, Behavioral and Social Sciences Section of the Gerontological Society of America
2019 Travel Award, Behavioral and Social Sciences Section of the Gerontological Society of America
2018 Poster Award, 2018 European Health Psychology Society Conference
2018 Arts Graduate Research Award, University of British Columbia
2018 Travel Award, University of British Columbia Physical Activity for Precision Health Cluster
2018 Travel Award, Behavioral and Social Sciences Section of the Gerontological Society of America
2017 Travel Award, International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics
2016-2020 International Tuition Award, University of British Columbia

Fellowships

2020-2021 Swiss Government Excellence Research Fellowship, Swiss Confederation
2019-2020 Four Year Doctoral Fellowship, University of British Columbia
2019-2020 Li Tze Fong Fellowship, University of British Columbia
2017-2019 Doctoral Fellowship, German Academic Scholarship Foundation
2017-2018 Arts Graduate Fellowship, University of British Columbia
2017 Quinn Exchange Fellowship for graduate students, University of British Columbia
Search
Search
close