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Emily M Cherenack

Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences

Overview


Emily M. Cherenack, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with a primary appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Neurosciences, and a secondary appointment as Assistant Research Professor of Global Health in the Duke Global Health Institute. She is also an affiliate of the Duke Center for Global Mental Health. Dr. Cherenack earned her PhD in psychology from Duke University in 2021, which included a clinical internship in behavioral medicine at Brown University. Before joining the Duke faculty, she completed an NIH-funded NRSA (F32) postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Miami focused on psychoneuroimmunology. Her mixed-methods research integrates self-report measures, qualitative approaches, and biomarkers to examine how individuals cope with unchangeable stressors and investigate how adaptive coping can buffer the negative effects of stress on immune functioning, reproductive health, and cardiovascular health. Dr. Cherenack is particularly interested in how acceptance-based coping, self-compassion, and exercise can be used to promote mental and physical health outcomes. 

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · 2025 - Present Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Assistant Research Professor of Global Health · 2025 - Present Duke Global Health Institute, University Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published June 2, 2017
Emily Cherenack Receives GSTEG Grant
Published March 7, 2017
Four PhD Students Selected as Global Health Doctoral Scholars

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Recent Publications


Latent health behavior classes and associations with depressive symptoms and metabolic syndrome among women with and without HIV in the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study.

Journal Article J Health Psychol · April 9, 2026 We used 2020-2022 data from the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) of 1689 women with and without HIV to identify latent health behavior classes (HBCs) underlying covariation in diet, physical inactivity, and substance use. We tested if HBCs predicted ... Full text Link to item Cite

Douching Is Associated With Dysregulated Rectal Mucosal Immunity in Sexual Minority Men.

Journal Article J Infect Dis · March 17, 2026 BACKGROUND: Receptive condomless anal sex (CAS) associates with elevated rectal inflammation and mucosal injury, increasing HIV acquisition risk. Although douching may amplify rectal inflammation and alter microbial communities, this has not been well char ... Full text Link to item Cite

Psychosocial, Behavioral, and HIV-Related Health Among Men Living with HIV Who Have a History of Incarceration.

Journal Article AIDS Behav · March 2026 Incarceration is intricately linked with the HIV epidemic, with incarcerated individuals exhibiting HIV prevalence rates three times higher than the general population. We used baseline data from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS)/Women's Interagency ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Education


Duke University · 2020 Ph.D.