Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Biography
Prof. Ditto’s research focuses on stress-related increases and decreases in blood pressure, their psychological and autonomic causes, and effects on health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and vasovagal reactions. One area of particular interest is vasovagal reactions to blood donation as they are strongly related to fear, have an important influence on the medical system by affecting blood supplies, and are theoretically important in showing that stress can lead to large decreases as well as increases in blood pressure.