Lauri Pasch, PhD
Professor
Psychiatry
School of Medicine

She also coordinates the center's stress reduction program, support groups and psychoeducational workshops on topics such as egg donation, adoption and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Pasch completed her doctorate in clinical health psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles and a fellowship in psychology and medicine at the UCSF Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute. Specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy, she has more than 15 years of experience in assisting patients facing the challenges of fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, premature ovarian insufficiency, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and parenting via egg, sperm or embryo donation, as well as through surrogacy. She has certification from the Mind/Body Program for Fertility, established by eminent psychologist Alice Domar.

Pasch is a nationally recognized expert in research on the psychological needs of fertility patients. She has published studies on the psychological consequences of infertility treatment, parenting children born from egg and sperm donation, and marital communication. In addition to being a supportive listener, she can share with patients the most current scientific findings on any psychological issue associated with infertility or its treatment, as well as findings on issues associated with alternative forms of family building.

Pasch is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's Mental Health Professional Group, serving as its scientific director. She speaks nationally on topics such as third-party reproduction and coping with PCOS.

• Learning from Online Video Education (LOVE) improves confidence in fertility treatments: a randomized controlled trial.
  NPJ digital medicine 2022 Adeleye A, Cruz K, Cedars MI, Pasch L, Huddleston H
• Alpha Test of the Donor Conception Tool to Empower Parental Telling and Talking.
  Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN 2022 Hershberger PE, Gallo AM, Adlam K, Steffen AD, Driessnack M, Grotevant HD, Klock SC, Pasch L, Gruss V
• Decision regret after failed autologous in vitro fertilization in women ≥42 years of age.
  Fertility and sterility 2022 Huang D, Jaswa E, Ransohoff A, Boscardin WJ, Pasch L, Cedars M, Huddleston H
• Effect of acupuncture on IVF-related anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
  Reproductive biomedicine online 2022 Hullender Rubin LE, Smith CA, Schnyer RN, Tahir P, Pasch LA
• Style of meal service and feeding practices among Mexican American fathers and mothers: An analysis of video-recorded children's evening mealtime at home.
  Appetite 2021 Penilla C, Tschann JM, Pasch LA, Flores E, Deardorff J, Martinez SM, Butte NF, Greenspan LC
• Parents' experiences telling children conceived by gamete and embryo donation about their genetic origins.
  F&S reports 2021 Hershberger PE, Gallo AM, Adlam K, Driessnack M, Grotevant HD, Klock SC, Pasch L, Gruss V
• Association of obstructive sleep apnea risk with depression and anxiety symptoms in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
  Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine 2021 Zhou X, Jaswa E, Pasch L, Shinkai K, Cedars MI, Huddleston HG
• Sleep duration, physical activity, and caloric intake are related to weight status in Mexican American children: a longitudinal analysis.
  The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 2021 Martinez SM, Blanco E, Tschann JM, Butte NF, Grandner MA, Pasch LA
• Social Anxiety Disorder and Social Support Behavior in Friendships.
  Behavior therapy 2020 Piccirillo ML, Lim MH, Fernandez KA, Pasch LA, Rodebaugh TL
• Differences in perceived stress during ovarian stimulation between women with infertility and those pursing oocyte cryopreservation.
  Fertility and sterility 2020 Adeleye A, Cruz K, Pasch L, Huddleston H
• Obesity and depression are risk factors for future eating disorder-related attitudes and behaviors in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
  Fertility and sterility 2020 Greenwood EA, Pasch LA, Cedars MI, Huddleston HG
• Temporal associations between circadian sleep and activity patterns in Mexican American children.
  Sleep health 2018 Martinez SM, Tschann JM, McCulloch CE, Sites E, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Flores E, Pasch LA, Greenspan LC, Deardorff J
• New realities for the practice of egg donation: a family-building perspective.
  Fertility and sterility 2018 Pasch LA
• Clinical course of depression symptoms and predictors of enduring depression risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Results of a longitudinal study.
  Fertility and sterility 2018 Greenwood EA, Pasch LA, Shinkai K, Cedars MI, Huddleston HG
• Sleep duration in Mexican American children: Do mothers' and fathers' parenting and family practices play a role?
  Journal of sleep research 2018 Martinez SM, Tschann JM, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Flores E, Pasch LA, Greenspan LC, Deardorff J
• Association among depression, symptom experience, and quality of life in polycystic ovary syndrome.
  American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 2018 Greenwood EA, Pasch LA, Cedars MI, Legro RS, Huddleston HG, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Reproductive Medicin
• Insulin resistance is associated with depression risk in polycystic ovary syndrome.
  Fertility and sterility 2018 Greenwood EA, Pasch LA, Cedars MI, Legro RS, Eisenberg E, Huddleston HG, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Reproductive Medicin
• To freeze or not to freeze: decision regret and satisfaction following elective oocyte cryopreservation.
  Fertility and sterility 2018 Greenwood EA, Pasch LA, Hastie J, Cedars MI, Huddleston HG
• Donor-conceived children: the view ahead.
  Human reproduction (Oxford, England) 2017 Pasch LA, Benward J, Scheib JE, Woodward JT
• Rotterdam criteria-based diagnostic subtype is not a strong predictor of cutaneous phenotype in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: A cross-sectional study.
  Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2017 Schmidt TH, Okhovat JP, Khanijow K, Huddleston H, Cedars M, Pasch L, Wang ET, Lee J, Shinkai K
• Fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status in Mexican American families.
  Appetite 2017 Penilla C, Tschann JM, Deardorff J, Flores E, Pasch LA, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Greenspan LC, Martinez SM, Ozer E
• Ovarian morphology is associated with insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a cross sectional study.
  Fertility research and practice 2017 Reid SP, Kao CN, Pasch L, Shinkai K, Cedars MI, Huddleston HG
• Association of ethnicity, Fitzpatrick skin type, and hirsutism: A retrospective cross-sectional study of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
  International journal of women's dermatology 2017 Afifi L, Saeed L, Pasch LA, Huddleston HG, Cedars MI, Zane LT, Shinkai K
• Short Sleep Duration Is Associated With Eating More Carbohydrates and Less Dietary Fat in Mexican American Children.
  Sleep 2017 Martinez SM, Tschann JM, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Flores E, Greenspan LC, Pasch LA, Deardorff J
• Preferred Child Body Size and Parental Underestimation of Child Weight in Mexican-American Families.
  Maternal and child health journal 2016 Pasch LA, Penilla C, Tschann JM, Martinez SM, Deardorff J, de Groat CL, Gregorich SE, Flores E, Butte NF, Greenspan LC
• Stress and coping in couples facing infertility.
  Current opinion in psychology 2016 Pasch LA, Sullivan KT
• Clinician vs Self-ratings of Hirsutism in Patients With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Associations With Quality of Life and Depression.
  JAMA dermatology 2016 Pasch L, He SY, Huddleston H, Cedars MI, Beshay A, Zane LT, Shinkai K
• Cutaneous Findings and Systemic Associations in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
  JAMA dermatology 2016 Schmidt TH, Khanijow K, Cedars MI, Huddleston H, Pasch L, Wang ET, Lee J, Zane LT, Shinkai K
• Addressing the needs of fertility treatment patients and their partners: are they informed of and do they receive mental health services?
  Fertility and sterility 2016 Pasch LA, Holley SR, Bleil ME, Shehab D, Katz PP, Adler NE
• Emerging models for facilitating contact between people genetically related through donor conception: a preliminary analysis and discussion.
  Reproductive biomedicine & society online 2015 Crawshaw M, Daniels K, Adams D, Bourne K, van Hooff JAP, Kramer W, Pasch L, Thorn P
• Vigorous exercise is associated with superior metabolic profiles in polycystic ovary syndrome independent of total exercise expenditure.
  Fertility and sterility 2015 Greenwood EA, Noel MW, Kao CN, Shinkai K, Pasch LA, Cedars MI, Huddleston HG
• Physical aggression, compromised social support, and 10-year marital outcomes: Testing a relational spillover model.
  Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43) 2015 Sullivan KT, Pasch LA, Lawrence E, Bradbury TN
• Putative role for insulin resistance in depression risk in polycystic ovary syndrome.
  Fertility and sterility 2015 Greenwood EA, Pasch LA, Shinkai K, Cedars MI, Huddleston HG
• Parental feeding practices and child weight status in Mexican American families: a longitudinal analysis.
  The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 2015 Tschann JM, Martinez SM, Penilla C, Gregorich SE, Pasch LA, de Groat CL, Flores E, Deardorff J, Greenspan LC, Butte NF
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Special Diagnostic and Therapeutic Considerations for Children.
  Pediatric dermatology 2015 Kamangar F, Okhovat JP, Schmidt T, Beshay A, Pasch L, Cedars MI, Huddleston H, Shinkai K
• Prevalence and predictors of major depressive disorder for fertility treatment patients and their partners.
  Fertility and sterility 2015 Holley SR, Pasch LA, Bleil ME, Gregorich S, Katz PK, Adler NE
• Is it time for bed? Short sleep duration increases risk of obesity in Mexican American children.
  Sleep medicine 2014 Martinez SM, Tschann JM, Greenspan LC, Deardorff J, Penilla C, Flores E, Pasch LA, Gregorich SE, Butte NF
• Longitudinal effects of parental, child and neighborhood factors on moderate-vigorous physical activity and sedentary time in Latino children.
  The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 2014 Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Tschann JM, Penilla C, Pasch LA, De Groat CL, Flores E, Deardorff J, Greenspan LC, Martinez SM
• Prevalence of androgenic alopecia in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and characterization of associated clinical and biochemical features.
  Fertility and sterility 2014 Quinn M, Shinkai K, Pasch L, Kuzmich L, Cedars M, Huddleston H
• Mother-reported sleep, accelerometer-estimated sleep and weight status in Mexican American children: sleep duration is associated with increased adiposity and risk for overweight/obese status.
  Journal of sleep research 2013 Martinez SM, Greenspan LC, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, De Groat CL, Deardorff J, Penilla C, Pasch LA, Flores E, Tschann JM
• Disruptions in ovarian function are related to depression and cardiometabolic risk during premenopause.
  Menopause (New York, N.Y.) 2013 Bleil ME, Bromberger JT, Latham MD, Adler NE, Pasch LA, Gregorich SE, Rosen MP, Cedars MI
• Phenotypic comparison of Caucasian and Asian women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a cross-sectional study.
  Fertility and sterility 2013 Wang ET, Kao CN, Shinkai K, Pasch L, Cedars MI, Huddleston HG
• Parental feeding practices in Mexican American families: initial test of an expanded measure.
  The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 2013 Tschann JM, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Pasch LA, de Groat CL, Flores E, Deardorff J, Greenspan LC, Butte NF
• Depressive symptomatology, psychological stress, and ovarian reserve: a role for psychological factors in ovarian aging?
  Menopause (New York, N.Y.) 2012 Bleil ME, Adler NE, Pasch LA, Sternfeld B, Gregorich SE, Rosen MP, Cedars MI
• Psychological stress and reproductive aging among pre-menopausal women.
  Human reproduction (Oxford, England) 2012 Bleil ME, Adler NE, Pasch LA, Sternfeld B, Gregorich SE, Rosen MP, Cedars MI
• Psychological distress and in vitro fertilization outcome.
  Fertility and sterility 2012 Pasch LA, Gregorich SE, Katz PK, Millstein SG, Nachtigall RD, Bleil ME, Adler NE
• Fertility treatment response: is it better to be more optimistic or less pessimistic?
  Psychosomatic medicine 2012 Bleil ME, Pasch LA, Gregorich SE, Millstein SG, Katz PP, Adler NE, Infertility Outcomes Program Project Group
• Socioeconomic disparities in the use and success of fertility treatments: analysis of data from a prospective cohort in the United States.
  Fertility and sterility 2011 Smith JF, Eisenberg ML, Glidden D, Millstein SG, Cedars M, Walsh TJ, Showstack J, Pasch LA, Adler N, Katz PP
• Physical activity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: prevalence, predictors, and positive health associations.
  American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 2011 Lamb JD, Johnstone EB, Rousseau JA, Jones CL, Pasch LA, Cedars MI, Huddleston HG
• Costs of infertility treatment: results from an 18-month prospective cohort study.
  Fertility and sterility 2010 Katz P, Showstack J, Smith JF, Nachtigall RD, Millstein SG, Wing H, Eisenberg ML, Pasch LA, Croughan MS, Adler N
• Adverse childhood experiences and repeat induced abortion.
  American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 2010 Bleil ME, Adler NE, Pasch LA, Sternfeld B, Reijo-Pera RA, Cedars MI
• Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and health risk behaviors among Mexican American adolescents.
  Journal of counseling psychology 2010 Flores E, Tschann JM, Dimas JM, Pasch LA, de Groat CL
• Predictors of not pursuing infertility treatment after an infertility diagnosis: examination of a prospective U.S. cohort.
  Fertility and sterility 2010 Eisenberg ML, Smith JF, Millstein SG, Nachtigall RD, Adler NE, Pasch LA, Katz PP, Infertility Outcomes Program Project Group
• Social support, problem solving, and the longitudinal course of newlywed marriage.
  Journal of personality and social psychology 2010 Sullivan KT, Pasch LA, Johnson MD, Bradbury TN
• The use of complementary and alternative fertility treatment in couples seeking fertility care: data from a prospective cohort in the United States.
  Fertility and sterility 2010 Smith JF, Eisenberg ML, Millstein SG, Nachtigall RD, Shindel AW, Wing H, Cedars M, Pasch L, Katz PP, Infertility Outcomes Program Project Group
• Sexual, marital, and social impact of a man's perceived infertility diagnosis.
  The journal of sexual medicine 2009 Smith JF, Walsh TJ, Shindel AW, Turek PJ, Wing H, Pasch L, Katz PP, Infertility Outcomes Program Project Group
• Cognitive coping moderates the association between violent victimization by peers and substance use among adolescents.
  Journal of pediatric psychology 2008 Brady SS, Tschann JM, Pasch LA, Flores E, Ozer EJ
• Violence involvement, substance use, and sexual activity among Mexican-American and European-American adolescents.
  The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2008 Brady SS, Tschann JM, Pasch LA, Flores E, Ozer EJ
• How parents whose children have been conceived with donor gametes make their disclosure decision: contexts, influences, and couple dynamics.
  Fertility and sterility 2007 Shehab D, Duff J, Pasch LA, Mac Dougall K, Scheib JE, Nachtigall RD
• Acculturation, parent-adolescent conflict, and adolescent adjustment in Mexican American families.
  Family process 2006 Pasch LA, Deardorff J, Tschann JM, Flores E, Penilla C, Pantoja P
• Emotional distress, alcohol use, and peer violence among Mexican-American and European-American adolescents.
  The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2005 Tschann JM, Flores E, Pasch LA, Marin BV
• Predicting participation in premarital prevention programs: the health belief model and social norms.
  Family process 2004 Sullivan KT, Pasch LA, Cornelius T, Cirigliano E
• Violence perpetration across peer and partner relationships: co-occurrence and longitudinal patterns among adolescents.
  The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2004 Ozer EJ, Tschann JM, Pasch LA, Flores E
• Effect of valued activity disability, social comparisons, and satisfaction with ability on depressive symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis.
  Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association 2003 Neugebauer A, Katz PP, Pasch LA
• Development of an instrument to measure disability in parenting activity among women with rheumatoid arthritis.
  Arthritis and rheumatism 2003 Katz PP, Pasch LA, Wong B
• Interparental conflict and risk behaviors among Mexican American adolescents: a cognitive-emotional model.
  Journal of abnormal child psychology 2002 Tschann JM, Flores E, Marin BV, Pasch LA, Baisch EM, Wibbelsman CJ
• A randomized comparison of A-CASI and phone interviews to assess STD/HIV-related risk behaviors in teens.
  The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2002 Ellen JM, Gurvey JE, Pasch L, Tschann J, Nanda JP, Catania J
• Social support, conflict, and the development of marital dysfunction.
  Journal of consulting and clinical psychology 1998 Pasch LA, Bradbury TN