Lorena Fernández de la Cruz
About me
I completed my PhD in psychiatry and clinical psychology and defended my thesis with honors in 2013 at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. In my dissertation, I explored the clinical heterogeneity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents. For four years, I worked at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), King's College London. During my last year at the IoP, I completed a one-year postdoc in the Mood and Development Laboratory at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. I moved to Stockholm in 2014 for a second postdoc at the Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders Across the Lifespan research group at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience (CNS), led by Professor David Mataix-Cols, where I started working with psychiatric epidemiology designs. Currently, I am a Lektor / Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at CNS. I am also the Equal Treatment Representative (Ombud för Lika Villkor) for the Department and the Dissemination and Outreach Coordinator for BUP Forsknings och Utvecklingscentrum (BUP FoUU) at the Stockholm Mental Health Services (SLSO), Region Stockholm.
Research
I am the team leader of the “Health consequences and lifestyle modification group”, within the larger Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders Across the Lifespan research group. My team aims to study health outcomes, life expectancy, and causes of mortality in OCD and related conditions, such as tic disorders and anxiety disorders. We also study societal outcomes (e.g., educational attainment, labour market participation) in these disorders. We mainly use epidemiological methods in order to respond to our research questions.
Building upon the results from our epidemiological research on the association between OCD and health-related disorders, we have developed and are currently testing a lifestyle intervention to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors in individuals with OCD.
I am also interested in the development and dissemination of evidence-based treatments for OCD and related conditions. We are currently recruiting participants to take part in a clinical trial for adolescents with- body dysmorphic disorder.
Teaching
I am a frequent lecturer on OCD and related disorders, as well as methodological aspects of clinical research, for undergraduate (psychology and medical programs), MSc, and PhD students at Karolinska Institutet and for psychologists and psychiatrists within the Stockholm healthcare services. I am the leader of the KI PhD course Clinical Research in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Methods and Practice.
I am the main supervisor for one postdoc (Maral Jolstedt) and two PhD students (Anna Holmberg and Sofia Asplund), and co-supervisor for another four PhD students (Martina Gumpert, Sofia Jägholm, Anita Birovecz, and Moa Warnström) at Karolinska Institutet.
Previous students that have already completed their doctoral studies under my supervision include Alba Vilaplana Pérez (2021), Laura Sevilla Cermeño (2021), Tianyang Zhang (2022), and Daniel Rautio (2024) for whom I was the main supervisor, and Per Andrén (2022), for whom I was a co-supervisor.
Articles
- Article: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2024;96(11):868-875
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2024;:1-6
- Article: BMJ MENTAL HEALTH. 2024;27(1):e301203
- Article: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2024;:S0006-3223(24)01587-7
- Article: NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS. 2024;161:105678
- Article: COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY. 2024;53(3):254-266
- Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2024;7(5):e248468
- Article: JAMA PSYCHIATRY. 2024;81(3):284-291
- Article: BEHAVIOR THERAPY. 2024;55(2):376-390
- Journal article: BEHAVIOR THERAPY. 2024;55(2):376-390
- Article: BMC PSYCHIATRY. 2024;24(1):98
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY. 2024;53(1):dyad184
- Article: THE BMJ. 2024;384:e077564
- Article: CHILD PSYCHIATRY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. 2023;54(6):1799-1806
- Article: INTERNET INTERVENTIONS. 2023;34:100688
- Article: BMJ OPEN. 2023;13(10):e069427
- Article: MOVEMENT DISORDERS. 2023;38(8):1419-1427
- Article: BMC PSYCHIATRY. 2023;23(1):442
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY. 2023;381:120-127
- Article: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2023;93(11):1023-1030
- Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2023;6(6):e2318212
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2023;53(7):3056-3064
- Article: JAMA PSYCHIATRY. 2023;80(4):323-330
- Article: BEHAVIOR THERAPY. 2023;54(1):43-50
- Article: JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH. 2022;154:117-122
- Journal article: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2022;63:e138-e139
- Article: SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY. 2022;57(9):1817-1827
- Article: BEHAVIOR THERAPY. 2022;53(5):1037-1049
- Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2022;5(8):e2225614
- Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2022;5(6):e2214779
- Article: JAMA NEUROLOGY. 2022;79(5):459-467
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2022;52(7):1268-1276
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2022;27(3):1712-1719
- Article: MOVEMENT DISORDERS. 2022;37(2):392-400
- Article: PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS. 2022;91(6):424-430
- Article: EUROPEAN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY. 2022;31(1):133-144
- Article: JAMA NEUROLOGY. 2021;78(10):1205-1211
- Article: CHILD PSYCHIATRY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. 2021;52(5):916-927
- Article: CHILD PSYCHIATRY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. 2021;52(4):739-750
- Article: BEHAVIOR THERAPY. 2021;52(4):821-829
- Article: MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE. 2021;8(3):412-419
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2021;26(4):1224-1233
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2021;51(5):861-869
- Article: JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH. 2021;135:189-196
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2021;26(3):974-985
- Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2021;4(3):e210837
- Article: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2021;89(4):407-414
- Article: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2021;281:422-430
- Article: MOVEMENT DISORDERS. 2021;36(1):188-195
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2021;51(1):83-89
- Article: MOVEMENT DISORDERS. 2020;35(12):2270-2278
- Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2020;3(12):e2028477
- Article: NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS. 2020;119:514-520
- Article: NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS. 2020;118:504-513
- Article: JAMA PSYCHIATRY. 2020;77(11):1147-1154
- Article: BEHAVIOR THERAPY. 2020;51(5):753-763
- Article: EUROPEAN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY. 2020;29(9):1289-1299
- Article: BMC PSYCHIATRY. 2020;20(1):242
- Article: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2020;266:413-416
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2020;50(4):616-624
- Article: JOURNAL OF ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2019;68:102149
- Article: THE BMJ. 2019;367:l5784
- Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2019;9(1):227
- Article: EUROPEAN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY. 2019;28(8):1137-1145
- Article: THE BMJ. 2019;365:l1255
- Article: SLEEP MEDICINE. 2019;56:104-110
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2019;49(6):1015-1024
- Article: JAMA NEUROLOGY. 2019;76(4):454-461
- Article: JOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2018;28(9):637-645
- Article: JAMA NEUROLOGY. 2018;75(9):1098-1105
- Article: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2018;84(5):324-331
- Article: PLOS MEDICINE. 2018;15(8):e1002635
- Article: CHILD PSYCHIATRY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. 2018;49(4):607-620
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2018;23(7):1652-1658
- Article: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (JAMA). 2018;319(23):2388-2400
- Article: CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH. 2018;23(2):99-106
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2018;23(5):1189-1197
- Article: TRANSCULTURAL PSYCHIATRY. 2018;55(2):261-285
- Article: JAMA PSYCHIATRY. 2018;75(1):47-55
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2017;22(11):1626-1632
- Article: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2017;82(2):111-118
- Article: BEHAVIOR THERAPY. 2017;48(4):462-473
- Article: JAMA PSYCHIATRY. 2016;73(11):1135-1144
- Journal article: CURRENT PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH AND REVIEWS. 2016;12(2):115-123
- Article: JOURNAL OF OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE AND RELATED DISORDERS. 2016;9:66-72
- Article: SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY. 2016;51(3):455-464
- Article: THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. SUPPLEMENT. 2015;207(6):530-535
- Article: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY. 2015;54(11):895-904
- Article: JOURNAL OF OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE AND RELATED DISORDERS. 2015;5:37-42
- Article: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY. 2015;54(1):62-70.e3
- Article: JOURNAL OF OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE AND RELATED DISORDERS. 2015;4:30-36
- Article: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2014;159:7-14
- Article: JOURNAL OF OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE AND RELATED DISORDERS. 2014;3(1):29-34
- Article: THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. SUPPLEMENT. 2013;203(6):445-452
- Article: PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH. 2013;209(2):196-201
- Article: DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. 2013;30(8):732-740
- Article: JOURNAL OF OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE AND RELATED DISORDERS. 2013;2(3):346-350
- Article: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS, PART B: NEUROPSYCHIATRIC GENETICS. 2013;162B(4):380-387
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2013;43(5):1069-1079
- Article: COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHIATRY. 2013;54(3):229-237
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2013;43(4):837-847
- Article: JOURNAL OF ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2013;27(2):204-209
- Article: DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. 2013;30(1):61-66
- Article: EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY. 2012;27(8):598-604
- Article: DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. 2012;29(3):210-218
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2011;41(12):2475-2484
- Article: PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH. 2009;170(2-3):241-244
- Show more
All other publications
- Review: JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY. 2024;65(8):1119-1131
- Letter: JAMA PSYCHIATRY. 2024;81(6):631-632
- Letter: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2023;93(11):e37-e38
- Preprint: RES SQ. 2023;RES SQ
- Review: NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS. 2022;136:104602
- Conference publication: BEHAVIOR GENETICS. 2021;51(6):751-752
- Letter: MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE. 2020;7(6):725-726
- Review: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2020;50(8):1300-1315
- Preprint: PSYARXIV. 2020
- Book chapter: NEW OXFORD TEXTBOOK OF PSYCHIATRY. 2020;p. 1023-1030
- Conference publication: BEHAVIOR GENETICS. 2020;50(6):462
- Editorial comment: JAMA PSYCHIATRY. 2020;77(1):9-10
- Review: NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS. 2019;107:154-165
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2019;29:S150-S151
- Review: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2019;2(8):e1910236
- Editorial comment: WORLD PSYCHIATRY. 2018;17(2):224-225
- Review: EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH. 2017;20(3):71-75
- Review: ASIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. 2017;27:53-66
- Review: NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS. 2016;71:542-562
- Review: CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW. 2016;48:43-51
- Letter: WORLD PSYCHIATRY. 2016;15(1):80-81
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY. 2015;24:S119-S120
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY. 2015;24:S92-S93
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY. 2015;24:S94
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY. 2015;24:S121
- Editorial comment: MEDICINA CLINICA. 2012;138(5):215-219
- Show more
Grants
- Forte1 December 2023 - 30 November 2026
- The Heart and Lung Foundation (Hjärt-Lungfonden)1 January 2023 - 31 December 2025
- The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet)1 January 2023 - 31 December 2025
- Folksam's Research Foundation (Folksams Forskningsstiftelse)1 January 2023 - 31 December 2024
- The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet)1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024
- Forte1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024
- The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet)1 December 2021 - 30 November 2024
- Forte1 January 2020 - 31 December 2022
- The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet)1 January 2019 - 31 December 2021
- The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet)1 January 2019 - 31 December 2021
- Forte1 January 2019 - 31 December 2021
- Forte1 January 2018 - 31 December 2020
- Forte1 January 2016 - 31 December 2019
Employments
- Senior Lecturer, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2024-
Degrees and Education
- Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2021
- PhD, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2013