Prof. Dr. Denis Gerstorf

I am Full Professor and Chair of the Dev Psych program at Humboldt University Berlin. As lifespan scholar, I study how our everyday lives and the long-term developmental trajectories we are on are intertwined with and co-regulated by the contexts in which we live. I am also Research Fellow at the German Socio-Economic Panel, one of the longest-running national surveys. I very much enjoy being the chairperson of the interdisciplinary, multi-institutional Berlin Aging Study-II consortium.

Bahr, V., Schmid, H., Vetter, V., Spira, D., Drewelies, J., Regitz-Zagrosek, V., Gerstorf. D., Düzel, S., Mai, K., & Demuth, I. (in press). Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between testosterone and cognitive performance in older adults: Results from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II). Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

^★Barth, C., Bolster, M., Gerstorf, D., Kohl, R., Haase, D., Visaria, A., Chan, A., Gellert, P., Herrmann, W. J. (in press). How is self-rated health related to the social network in frail/pre-frail older adults: A prospective cross-sectional study assessing healthy ageing in three less privileged urban neighborhoods. Journal of Applied Gerontology.https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648251407438

^★Birthelmer, S., Zambrano Garza, E., Pauly, T., Murphy, R. A., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., Linden, W., Gerstorf, D., DeLongis, A., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2025). Daily stress-influence dynamics predict relationship satisfaction in post-stroke couples. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1659945. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1659945

Bolster, M., Visaria, A., Matchar, D., Gerstorf, D., Schmitz, T., Labohm, B., Kohl, R., Haase, D., Gellert, P., Chan, A., & Herrmann, W. (in press). Ageing well in the urban environment: Meeting the health and social needs of older adults - study protocol for a prospective, longitudinal mixed-methods study. BMC Geriatrics.

^★Choi, Y., Zambrano Garza, E., Pauly, T., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2025). Everyday emotion–goal pursuit associations in older adults and the moderation of goal representations. Communications Psychology, 3, 49. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-025-00213-w

Demuth, I., Vetter, V. M., Homann, J., Junge, M. P., Regitz-Zagrosek, V., Gerstorf, D., Lill, C., & Bertram, L. (2025). DunedinPACE predicts incident metabolic syndrome: Cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II). Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 80(9), glaf157, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaf157

Drewelies, J., Homann, J., Vetter, V. M., Duezel, S., Kuehn, S., Deecke, L., Steinhagen–Thiessen, E., Jawinski, P., Markett, S., Lindenberger, U., Lill, C., Bertram, L., Demuth, I., & Gerstorf, D. (2025). There are multiple clocks that time us: Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations among 14 alternative indicators of age and aging. Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 80(6), glae244, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glae244

Gerstorf, D., Aichele, S., Lindenberger, U., Rabbitt, P., & Ghisletta, P. (2025). Little to no evidence for historical improvements in verbal learning among older adults. Psychology and Aging, 40(6), 669-684. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000904

Ghisletta, P., Aichele, S., Gerstorf, D., Carollo, A., & Lindenberger, U. (2025). Verbal fluency selectively predicts survival in old and very old age. Psychological Science, 36(2), 87-101. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976241311923

*Ghose, U., Krämer, M., Richter, D., Wagner, G. G., Infurna, F., Ram, N., & Gerstorf, D. (2025). How spousal bereavement shapes life satisfaction: Stability and change across historical time. European Journal of Personality.https://doi.org/10.1177/08902070251336534

*Gonzalez Avilés, T., Infurna, F. J., ^★Dey, N. E. Y., Grimm, K. J., Lachman, M. E., & Gerstorf, D. (2025). Midlife blues: A life span perspective on midlife depressive symptoms. Psychology and Aging, 40(6), 685-700. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000906

Infurna, F. J., ^★Cruz–Carrillo, Y., ^★Dey, N. E. Y., Wettstein, M., Grimm, K. J., Lachman, M. E., & Gerstorf, D. (in press). Uncovering mechanisms of historical change in midlife loneliness across the United States and Europe: A focus on physical activity, health conditions, and wealth. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, gbaf207, https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaf207

Infurna, F. J., Cruz-Carrillo, Y. ^★Dey, N. E. Y., Wettstein, M., Lachman, M. E., & Gerstorf, D. (in press). Historical change in midlife development from a cross-national perspective. Current Directions in Psychological Science, https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214251410195

Infurna, F. J., ^★Dey, N. E. Y., Gonzalez Aviles, T., Grimm, K. J., Lachman, M. E., & Gerstorf, D. (2025). Loneliness in midlife: Historical increases and elevated levels in the United States compared with Europe. American Psychologist, 80(5), 744-756. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001322

^★Johnson, N. J., Kil, H., Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., Murphy, R. A., Linden, W., Hoppmann, C. A. (2025). Dynamic associations between daily acting with awareness and emotion regulation in individuals living with the effects of a stroke. Social Science and Medicine, 366, 117635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117635

^★Klinke, D., Jacobsen, J., Dierse, M., Faas, T., Gerstorf, D., Helal, H., Hutter, S., Schieferdecker, D., Schwander, H., von Scheve, C., & Specht, J. (2025). Social media sampling is an effective way to access hard to survey populations and low prevalence groups. International Journal of Social Research Methodology. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2025.2564866

Kunzmann, U., Nestler, S., Katzorreck-Gierden, M., Gerstorf, D., & Wrosch, C. (in press). Speaking about flexibility: Age differences in the variability and situational sensitivity of emotion regulation strategies. Emotion.https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001617

^★Luo, M., Weber, E., Pauly, T., Kolodziejczak-Krupp, K., Gerstorf, D., Hoppmann, C. A., Ram, N., Hülür, G., & Röcke, C. (2025). Leisure activities and working memory in older age: The mediating roles of affect and cortisol. Psychology and Aging. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000935

^★Reinwarth, A. C., Ernst, M., Gerstorf, D., Brähler, E., Wild, P. S., Münzel, T., König, J., Lackner, K. J., Pfeiffer, N., & Beutel, M. E. (2025). Results of a multi-perspective examination of loneliness trajectories and its determinants in German adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific Reports, 15(17889), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00678-z

Rogina, B., Anderson, R., Lebrasseur, N., Curan, S., Yousefzadeh, M. J., Ghosh, B., Duque, G., Howlett, S., Austad, S., Demuth, I., Gerstorf, D., Korfhage, J., Lombard, D. B., Abadir, P., Christensen, K., Carey, J. R., Alberts, S. C., Campos, F., Palavicini, J. P., . . . Rappaport, N. (2025). Symposia Report of The Annual Biological Sciences Section Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America 2023, Tampa, Florida. Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences,glaf026. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaf026

Schumann, A., Gupta, Y., Geisler, M., de la Cruz, F., Gerstorf, D., Demuth, I., Olecka, M., Gaser, C., & Bär, K.-J. (2025). Quantifying cardiovascular autonomic aging with machine learning. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 329(6), H1471-H1479. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00693.2025

^★Syed, O. L., Infurna, F. J., Cruz-Carrillo, Y., ^★Dey, N. E. Y., Wettstein, M., Grimm, K. J., Lachman, M. E., & Gerstorf, D. (2025). Pain during midlife: A cross-national analysis of cohort differences in reports of pain in the United States, Europe, South Korea, and Mexico. American Journal of Epidemiology,kwaf130, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf130

^★Vetter, M. V., Drewelies, J., Homann, J., Duezel, S., Deecke, L., Jawinski, P., Kühn, S., Kubala, E., Markett, S., Mülleder, M., Ralser, M., Lindenberger, U., Lill, C. M., Gerstorf, D., Bertram, L., & Demuth, I. (in press). Comprehensive cross-sectional and longitudinal comparison of sixteen markers of biological aging from the Berlin Aging Study II. Communications Medicine.

*Wahring, I. V., Neyer, F. J., Hoppmann, C. A., Ram, N., & Gerstorf, D. (2025). Men and women transitioning to singlehood in young adulthood and midlife. Psychology and Aging, 40(2), 117-136. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000859

*Wettstein, M., Blotenberg, I., Ghisletta, P., Lindenberger, U., Gerstorf, D., & Wurm, S. (2025). Subjective aging and cognitive aging across 15 years in middle-aged and older adults: Disentangling between-person and within-person associations. Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0002084

*Wettstein, M., Drewelies, J., Kornadt, A., Düzel, S., Lindenberger, U., Demuth, I., Hoppmann, C. A., Ram, N., & Gerstorf, D. (2025). Subjective age in proximal and distal contexts: Both momentary pain and long–term aging trajectories of physical health shape daily dynamics of subjective age. Psychology and Aging. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000944

*Wettstein, M., Ghisletta, P., Demuth, I., & Gerstorf, D. (2025). Subjective age and pulmonary function in midlife and old age: Evidence for between-person associations and within-person co-occurrence. International Journal of Behavioral Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254251331177

*Wettstein, M., Infurna, F. J., ^★Dey, N. E. Y., Cruz-Carrillo, Y., Grimm, K. J., Lachman, M. E., & Gerstorf, D. (2025). Trajectories of episodic memory in midlife: Historical change from a cross-country perspective. Psychology and Aging, 40(2), 197-217. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000870

*Wettstein, M., Infurna, F. J., ★Dey, N. E. Y., ★Cruz–Carrillo, Y., Grimm, K. J., Lachman, M. E., & Gerstorf, D. (2025). Historical change in midlife trajectories of self-reported sensory functioning across 16 nations. The Gerontologist, gnaf269,https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaf269

Willroth, E. C., Beck, E., Yoneda, T. B., Beam, C. R., Deary, I. J., Drewelies, J., Gerstorf, D., Huisman, M., Katz, M. J., Lipton, R. B., Muniz Tererra, G., Pedersen, N. L., Reynolds, C. A., Spiro, A. III, Turiano, N. A., Willis, S., Mroczek, D. K., & Graham, E. K. (2025). Associations of personality trait level and change with mortality risk in 11 longitudinal studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 128(2), 392–409. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000531

Yoneda, T., ★Lewis, N., Pauly, T., Kolodziejczak-Krupp, K., Drewelies, J., Ram, N., Ashe, M., Madden, K., Gerstorf, D., Haase, C. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (in press). Better together: Co-experienced positive emotions and cortisol secretion in the daily lives of older couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 129(6), 1240–1256. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000564

^★Zambrano Garza, E., Broen, T., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. A. (in press). The relationships between individual and relation-inferred self-efficacy and physical activity in older adult couples. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity. https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2025-0005

^★Zambrano Garza, E., Choi, Y., Pauly, T., Murphy, R. A., Linden, W., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., Jakobi, J., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2024). Everyday social support for health behaviors in older adults during times of challenge: Evidence from daily life assessments. Canadian Journal on Aging. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980824000412

^★Zambrano Garza, E., Pauly, T., Choi, Y., Murphy, R. A., Linden, W., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., Jakobi, J. M., Gerstorf, D., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2025). Social resources for everyday physical activity during times of chronic stress. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000277

^★Zambrano Garza, E., Pauly, T., Murphy, R. A., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., Gerstorf, D., Linden, W., & Hoppmann, C. A.(2025). Everyday moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in stroke survivors: The role of individual and joint intentions and self-efficacy. Psychology and Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2025.2496226

^★Buchinger, L., Entringer, T. M., Richter, D., Wagner, G. G., Gerstorf, D., & Bleidorn, W. (2024). Co-development of life goals and the Big Five personality traits across adulthood and old age. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 126(2), 346-368. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000477

*Buchinger, L., Wahring, I., Ram, N., Hoppmann, C. A., Heckhausen, J., & Gerstorf, D. (2024). Kids or no kids? Life goals in one’s 20s predict midlife trajectories of well-being. Psychology and Aging, 39(8), 897-914. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000862

Kunzmann, U., Nestler, S., ^★Lücke, A. J., ^★Katzorreck, M., Hoppmann, C. A., Wahl, H.-W., Schilling, O., & Gerstorf, D. (2024). Three facets of emotion regulation in old and very old age: Strategy use, effectiveness, and variability. Emotion, 24(2), 316-328. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001269

^★Lücke, A. J., Schilling, O. K., Kunzmann, U., Gerstorf, D., Katzorreck, M., Hoppmann, C. A., Luong, G., Wagner, G. G., Riediger, M., & Wrzus, C. (2024). Neuroticism, emotional stress reactivity and recovery in daily life: Examining extrave