16 June 2026, by Lennart Wichmann

Photo: privat

Psychology students Veronika Zöbelin (left) and Lara Kubotsch are leading their own research project on the female menstrual cycle.

How does the female menstrual cycle affect stress perception? Two psychology students at the University of Hamburg are investigating this research gap in a project funded by the Excellence Strategy. In this interview, Veronika Zöbelin and Lara Kubotsch discuss the “male prototype” in academia, the challenge of managing their own project alongside their studies, and the support they receive on campus.

You’re conducting research on stress and the menstrual cycle. How did you come to choose this topic?

Veronika Zöbelin: The idea came to me while I was working on my bachelor’s thesis, which focused on stress and memory. One chapter also covered the menstrual cycle and sex hormones. However, while conducting my literature review, I was surprised to find that there are hardly any studies examining both subjective and objectively measurable stress levels throughout the menstrual cycle. The existing research methods are very limited. Yet even a simple study design could provide deeper insights.

Why has this topic been so neglected in academia until now?

Lara Kubotsch: Until now, research—not just in psychology—has often neglected the female perspective. In other words, researchers have focused on a male perspective and simply lumped women in with men. Research on and involving the menstrual cycle is therefore still quite new overall. But that also means the methodology is only developing bit by bit. Previous studies examining stress and the menstrual cycle have, methodologically speaking, presented the cycle in a very simplified manner and divided it into phases in a very rough way. We wanted to build on that and measure both the cycle and stress continuously in order to make more reliable statements and advance the research a step further.

Zöbelin: The classic narrative goes like this: The follicular phase—that is, the first half of the cycle from menstruation to ovulation—is better for mood than the second half of the cycle, the luteal phase. Yet the underlying reasons for this are often not even investigated. Hormonal fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone are so significant that a nuanced analysis of the cycle seems necessary.

How are you investigating the relationship between these hormonal phases and stress perception?

Zöbelin: We are currently about to begin data collection. We are following a total of 60 participants for one month each: 40 women with natural cycles and 20 others in a control group using hormonal contraception. We added this control group to see how stress perception changes when hormonal fluctuations caused by contraceptives are controlled.

The participants use a tracker that continuously measures core body temperature and remains in the body throughout the entire cycle—except during menstruation. These trackers allow for a very precise assessment of where the participant is in her cycle. In addition, the participants complete a short daily questionnaire about how stressed they felt in their daily lives and how high their stressors were. The data collected is used to examine systematic fluctuations in stress perception over the course of the month in individuals with a natural cycle.

The two of you are carrying out the project alongside your studies. How do you manage that?

Zöbelin: The project offers us a great opportunity to try our hand at research. I like to compare it to a small pilot doctoral project. Although we really enjoy the project, it requires a lot of effort alongside our studies. The administrative tasks alone—the grant applications and recruiting participants—are more time-consuming than we expected.

Kubotsch: Since we’re funded for a year, we’ve tried to break the tasks down into manageable sections so we can tackle the project step by step. At the same time, we’ve made it a habit to meet once a week to discuss our progress and assign new tasks, which has been very helpful.

What we underestimated were the bureaucratic processes involved in this kind of research. Since we’re working with people, a detailed ethics application is mandatory and must be officially reviewed. When you add in adjustments and administrative tasks like ordering materials, the time commitment naturally adds up.

How does the university support you?

Zöbelin: Our advisor, Prof. Dr. Lars Schwabe, has helped us with many things, such as the ethics application. At the same time, we receive a tremendous amount of support from the Cognitive Psychology subject group, as well as from Mr. Rago, our coordinator at the Hub for Crossdisciplinary Learning (HCL). Every time we faced an obstacle, we were given help.

Kubotsch: What really helped us in our search for participants was the support from the students. In the Bachelor’s program in Psychology, students are required to complete 30 so-called “subject hours.” We offered our project as part of that requirement and have now received more than 60 sign-ups. I also found the interaction with the participants to be very supportive and positive, especially when you get the sense that they, too, are interested in the project.

How can your research help students in their daily lives?

Zöbelin: When you talk to friends in your own circle, you realize that understanding these biological fluctuations can make a big difference. Knowing that you’re more sensitive to minor stimuli toward the end of your cycle fosters a tremendous sense of self-acceptance. You can then tell yourself: “It’s okay that I can’t get through the same workload today as I did two weeks ago.” This is especially important when dealing with university stress: If an important exam falls during an unfavorable phase, when your body is biologically less resilient and you can’t focus as well, the pressure often just makes the problem worse. Knowing this fosters acceptance.

Kubotsch: Fortunately, the university is a setting where there is often more understanding for such issues than in other places. We want to raise awareness of this on campus and in academia. Ultimately, we also want to ask the overarching question: Where is feminism missing in academia? We want to convey this knowledge so that genuine acceptance can take place in the first place.