Kyle Bourassa
Affiliate
Current Research Interests
Kyle is an Advanced Fellow in the Geriatrics Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the Durham VA Health Care System. He continues to collaborate with the Moffitt-Caspi Lab at Duke University and was previously funded by the National Institute on Aging through a T32 training grant (T32-AG000029) provided to the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development at the Duke University Medical Center. Kyle received his B.A. from the University of Virginia in Psychology and History. He subsequently received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a focus on Health Psychology from the University of Arizona. He completed his doctoral internship at the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System in Seattle.
Kyle’s research focuses on understanding the impact of stressful life events—such as divorce, bereavement, and trauma—on health across the lifespan. His work examines the social, behavioral, and affective mechanisms that link the experience of these stressors with dysregulated cardiovascular physiology, relevant disease outcomes, and mortality. To do so, Kyle makes use of both longitudinal cohort study designs and lab-based experimental paradigms, integrating top-down and bottom-up approaches. In addition to his work examining mechanisms of action, Kyle also studies how behavioral interventions might improve health among people who experience stressful life events.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Contact Information
- Research
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Fellowships, Supported Research, & Other Grants
- Postdoctoral Training Grant (T32AG000029) awarded by National Institute of Aging 2019
- Publications & Artistic Works
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Selected Publications
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Academic Articles
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Bourassa, K. J., Caspi, A., Brennan, G. M., Hall, K. S., Harrington, H., Houts, R., … Moffitt, T. E. (2023). Which types of stress are associated with accelerated biological aging? Comparing perceived stress, stressful life events, childhood adversity, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychosom Med. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001197Full Text Link to Item
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Bourassa, K. J., Moffitt, T. E., Harrington, H., Houts, R., Poulton, R., Ramrakha, S., … Caspi, A. (2022). Childhood Adversity and Midlife Health: Shining a Light on the Black Box of Psychosocial Mechanisms. Prevention Science : The Official Journal of the Society for Prevention Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-022-01431-yFull Text
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Sugden, K., Caspi, A., Elliott, M. L., Bourassa, K. J., Chamarti, K., Corcoran, D. L., … Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative*, . (2022). Association of Pace of Aging Measured by Blood-Based DNA Methylation With Age-Related Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. Neurology, 99(13), e1402–e1413. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000200898Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., & Sbarra, D. A. (2022). Cardiovascular reactivity, stress, and personal emotional salience: Choose your tasks carefully. Psychophysiology, 59(8), e14037. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14037Full Text
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Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., Ambler, A., Bourassa, K., Harrington, H., Hogan, S., … Poulton, R. (2022). Deep-seated psychological histories of COVID-19 vaccine hesitance and resistance. Pnas Nexus, 1(2), pgac034. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac034Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Moffitt, T. E., Ambler, A., Hariri, A. R., Harrington, H., Houts, R. M., … Caspi, A. (2022). Association of Treatable Health Conditions During Adolescence With Accelerated Aging at Midlife. Jama Pediatrics, 176(4), 392–399. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.6417Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Rasmussen, L. J. H., Danese, A., Eugen-Olsen, J., Harrington, H., Houts, R., … Caspi, A. (2021). Linking stressful life events and chronic inflammation using suPAR (soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor). Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 97, 79–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2021.06.018Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Moffitt, T. E., Harrington, H., Houts, R., Poulton, R., Ramrakha, S., & Caspi, A. (2021). Lower Cardiovascular Reactivity is Associated with More Childhood Adversity and Poorer Midlife Health: Replicated Findings from the Dunedin and MIDUS Cohorts. Clinical Psychological Science : A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 9(5), 961–978. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702621993900Full Text
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Wertz, J., Israel, S., Arseneault, L., Belsky, D. W., Bourassa, K. J., Harrington, H., … Caspi, A. (2021). Vital personality scores and healthy aging: Life-course associations and familial transmission. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 285, 114283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114283Full Text
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Gehred, M. Z., Knodt, A. R., Ambler, A., Bourassa, K. J., Danese, A., Elliott, M. L., … Caspi, A. (2021). Long-term Neural Embedding of Childhood Adversity in a Population-Representative Birth Cohort Followed for 5 Decades. Biological Psychiatry, 90(3), 182–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.971Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J. (2021). Financial Stressors During the Great Recession and Subsequent Risk of Early Mortality. Psychosomatic Medicine, 83(5), 457–462. https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0000000000000943Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J. (2021). State-Level Stay-at-Home Orders and Objectively Measured Movement in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Psychosomatic Medicine, 83(4), 358–362. https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0000000000000905Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Hendrickson, R. C., Reger, G. M., & Norr, A. M. (2021). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Effects on Cardiovascular Physiology: A Systematic Review and Agenda for Future Research. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 34(2), 384–393. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22637Full Text
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Stevens, E. S., Bourassa, K. J., Norr, A. M., & Reger, G. M. (2021). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Cluster Structure in Prolonged Exposure Therapy and Virtual Reality Exposure. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 34(2), 287–297. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22602Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Sbarra, D. A., Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T. E. (2020). Social Distancing as a Health Behavior: County-Level Movement in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Associated with Conventional Health Behaviors. Annals of Behavioral Medicine : A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 54(8), 548–556. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaaa049Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Cornelius, T., & Birk, J. L. (2020). Bereavement is associated with reduced systemic inflammation: C-reactive protein before and after widowhood. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 88, 925–929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.023Full Text
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Reger, G. M., Bourassa, K., Norr, A. M., & Buck, B. (2020). The impact of exposure therapy on stigma and mental health treatment attitudes among active duty U.S. soldiers with combat related PTSD. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 126, 98–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.05.005Full Text
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Cornelius, T., Birk, J. L., Bourassa, K., Umland, R. C., & Kronish, I. M. (2020). Partner presence in the emergency department and adherence to daily cardiovascular medications in patients evaluated for acute coronary syndrome. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 43(3), 402–410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-020-00139-0Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Smolenski, D. J., Edwards-Stewart, A., Campbell, S. B., Reger, G. M., & Norr, A. M. (2020). The impact of prolonged exposure therapy on social support and PTSD symptoms. Journal of Affective Disorders, 260, 410–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.036Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Stevens, E. S., Katz, A. C., Rothbaum, B. O., Reger, G. M., & Norr, A. M. (2020). The Impact of Exposure Therapy on Resting Heart Rate and Heart Rate Reactivity Among Active-Duty Soldiers With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Psychosomatic Medicine, 82(1), 108–114. https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0000000000000758Full Text
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Memel, M., Woolverton, C. B., Bourassa, K., & Glisky, E. L. (2019). Working memory predicts subsequent episodic memory decline during healthy cognitive aging: evidence from a cross-lagged panel design. Neuropsychology, Development, and Cognition. Section B, Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, 26(5), 711–730. https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2018.1521507Full Text
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Norr, A. M., Bourassa, K. J., Stevens, E. S., Hawrilenko, M. J., Michael, S. T., & Reger, G. M. (2019). Relationship between change in in-vivo exposure distress and PTSD symptoms during exposure therapy for active duty soldiers. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 116, 133–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.06.013Full Text
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Reger, G. M., Bourassa, K. J., Smolenski, D., Buck, B., & Norr, A. M. (2019). Lifetime trauma exposure among those with combat-related PTSD: Psychiatric risk among U.S. military personnel. Psychiatry Research, 278, 309–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.06.033Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Hasselmo, K., & Sbarra, D. A. (2019). After the end: Linguistic predictors of psychological distress 4 years after marital separation. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(6), 1872–1891. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407518774428Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Ruiz, J. M., & Sbarra, D. A. (2019). The impact of physical proximity and attachment working models on cardiovascular reactivity: Comparing mental activation and romantic partner presence. Psychophysiology, 56(5), e13324. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13324Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Ruiz, J. M., & Sbarra, D. A. (2019). Smoking and Physical Activity Explain the Increased Mortality Risk Following Marital Separation and Divorce: Evidence From the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Annals of Behavioral Medicine : A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 53(3), 255–266. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kay038Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Sbarra, D. A., Ruiz, J. M., Karciroti, N., & Harburg, E. (2019). Mismatch in Spouses' Anger-Coping Response Styles and Risk of Early Mortality: A 32-Year Follow-Up Study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 81(1), 26–33. https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0000000000000653Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Tackman, A. M., Mehl, M. R., & Sbarra, D. A. (2019). Psychological overinvolvement, emotional distress, and daily affect following marital dissolution. Collabra: Psychology, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.184Full Text
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Moe, A. M., Breitborde, N. J. K., Bourassa, K. J., Gallagher, C. J., Shakeel, M. K., & Docherty, N. M. (2018). Schizophrenia, narrative, and neurocognition: The utility of life-stories in understanding social problem-solving skills. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 41(2), 83–91. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000286Full Text
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Manvelian, A., Bourassa, K. J., Lawrence, E., Mehl, M. R., & Sbarra, D. A. (2018). With or without you? Loss of self following marital separation. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 37(4), 297–324. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.4.297Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Allen, J. J. B., Mehl, M. R., & Sbarra, D. A. (2017). Impact of Narrative Expressive Writing on Heart Rate, Heart Rate Variability, and Blood Pressure After Marital Separation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 79(6), 697–705. https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0000000000000475Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Manvelian, A., Boals, A., Mehl, M. R., & Sbarra, D. A. (2017). Tell me a story: The creation of narrative as a mechanism of psychological recovery following marital separation. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 36(5), 359–379. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2017.36.5.359Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Memel, M., Woolverton, C., & Sbarra, D. A. (2017). Social participation predicts cognitive functioning in aging adults over time: comparisons with physical health, depression, and physical activity. Aging & Mental Health, 21(2), 133–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2015.1081152Full Text
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Bourassa, K., & Sbarra, D. A. (2017). Body mass and cognitive decline are indirectly associated via inflammation among aging adults. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 60, 63–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2016.09.023Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Hasselmo, K., & Sbarra, D. A. (2016). Heart Rate Variability Moderates the Association Between Separation-Related Psychological Distress and Blood Pressure Reactivity Over Time. Psychological Science, 27(8), 1123–1135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797616651972Full Text
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Memel, M., Bourassa, K., Woolverton, C., & Sbarra, D. A. (2016). Body Mass and Physical Activity Uniquely Predict Change in Cognition for Aging Adults. Annals of Behavioral Medicine : A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 50(3), 397–408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-015-9768-2Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Knowles, L. M., Sbarra, D. A., & O’Connor, M.-F. (2016). Absent but Not Gone: Interdependence in Couples' Quality of Life Persists After a Partner's Death. Psychological Science, 27(2), 270–281. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615618968Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Memel, M., Woolverton, C., & Sbarra, D. A. (2015). A dyadic approach to health, cognition, and quality of life in aging adults. Psychology and Aging, 30(2), 449–461. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000025Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Sbarra, D. A., & Whisman, M. A. (2015). Women in very low quality marriages gain life satisfaction following divorce. Journal of Family Psychology : Jfp : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), 29(3), 490–499. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000075Full Text
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Sbarra, D. A., Hasselmo, K., & Bourassa, K. J. (2015). Divorce and Health: Beyond Individual Differences. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(2), 109–113. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414559125Full Text
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Conference Papers
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Bourassa, K. J., & Ssbarra, D. A. (2022). CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIVITY AND THE EMOTIONAL SALIENCE OF LABORATORY STRESSORS. In Psychosomatic Medicine (Vol. 84, pp. A88–A88).Link to Item
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Manning, K., Jennings, S., Pearson, M., Sloane, R., Hall, K., Bourassa, K., & Morey, M. (2022). CAN VIRTUAL EXERCISE PROMOTE PHYSICAL RESILIENCE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AMONG ACTIVE OLDER ADULTS? In Innovation in Aging (Vol. 6, pp. 415–415).Link to Item
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Bourassa, K. J., Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T. E. (2021). ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND POORER HEALTH IN MIDLIFE: INVESTIGATING PSYCHOSOCIAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION. In Psychosomatic Medicine (Vol. 83, pp. A22–A23).Link to Item
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Bourassa, K. J., Caspi, A., Harrington, H., Houts, R., Poulton, R., Ramrakha, S., & Moffitt, T. E. (2020). Intimate partner violence and lower relationship quality are associated with faster biological aging. In Psychology and Aging (Vol. 35, pp. 1127–1139). https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000581Full Text
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Bourassa, K. J., Moffitt, T. E., & Caspi, A. (2020). ARE PEOPLE WITH GREATER CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIVITY SMARTER, HAPPIER, AND HEALTHIER? COUNTERINTUITIVE FINDINGS IN THE DUNEDIN AND MIDUS STUDIES. In Psychosomatic Medicine (Vol. 82, pp. A225–A225).Link to Item
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Preprints
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Bourassa, K. (2020). State-level Stay-at-home Orders and Objectively Measured Movement in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/hyd57Full Text
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Bourassa, K., Sbarra, D., Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T. (2020). Social Distancing as a Health Behavior: County-level Movement in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic is Associated with Conventional Health Behaviors. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/bt5acFull Text
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