Research

Research interests

Dr. Golden’s primary research interest centers around identifying endocrine risk factors associated with the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease through the incorporation of measures of hormonal function into the design of clinical trials of cardiovascular risk modification, observational studies of incident cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and studies evaluating diabetic complications.   Her research has used the tools of observational epidemiology to identify endocrine risk factors associated with adverse metabolic outcomes and it has focused on two areas:  (1) the hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (sex hormones) and (2) the hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (cortisol).  Her primary research interests focus on the mental health complications of diabetes (depression and cognitive disorders) and the biological, hormonal, and behavioral factors that might explain these associations.  She has conducted several epidemiological analyses demonstrating the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of depressive symptoms with type 2 diabetes in the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Recent publications