Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty typically have an academic or research appointment at another institution and contribute or collaborate with one or more School of Medicine faculty members or programs.
Adjunct rank detailsRuth Feldman, PhD
About
Research
Publications
2025
Empathy aligns brains in synchrony
Schwartz L, Levy J, Shapira Y, Salomonski C, Hayut O, Zagoory-Sharon O, Feldman R. Empathy aligns brains in synchrony. IScience 2025, 28: 112642. PMID: 40510113, PMCID: PMC12159917, DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112642.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchInterbrain synchronyFronto-temporal regionsRelative to controlsOthers' distressCognitive empathyPost-stimulusSocial cuesInterbrain connectivityStudy 2Control stimuliBehavioral synchronyIncreased affiliationNeural couplingBeta synchronyEmpathyBrainBeta bandHuman capacityDistressStimuliParadigmSynchronyElectroencephalographySocial groupsTime windowDiurnal changes of salivary oxytocin in healthy and psychiatric adolescents
Gizuterman A, Zgoory-Sharon O, Avirame K, Mevorach T, Foul Y, Feldman R, Eitan R. Diurnal changes of salivary oxytocin in healthy and psychiatric adolescents. Journal Of Psychiatric Research 2025, 186: 273-279. PMID: 40267842, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.04.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSalivary oxytocinMeasures of emotion regulationCompleted self-report questionnairesPsychiatric inpatient wardsSelf-report questionnairesMental health stateEmotion regulationPsychiatric adolescentsYouth mental healthPsychiatric assessmentOxytocin levelsInterpersonal relationshipsDiurnal rhythmMental healthPsychopathologyOxytocin productionHealthy controlsOxytocinDaily time pointsHealthy peersAdolescent patientsAdolescentsBaseline levelsConsecutive daysPatient groupAssociations between interpersonal synchrony and clients’ perception of session quality are moderated by depression severity
Stolowicz-Melman D, Atzil-Slonim D, Paz A, Bar-Kalifa E, Gilboa-Schechtman E, Feldman R. Associations between interpersonal synchrony and clients’ perception of session quality are moderated by depression severity. Psychotherapy Research 2025, ahead-of-print: 1-11. PMID: 40049158, DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2025.2462150.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBrain connectivity correlates of the impact of a digital intervention for individuals with subjective cognitive decline on depression and IL-18
Catalogna M, Somerville Y, Saporta N, Nathansohn-Levi B, Shelly S, Edry L, Zagoory-Sharon O, Feldman R, Amedi A. Brain connectivity correlates of the impact of a digital intervention for individuals with subjective cognitive decline on depression and IL-18. Scientific Reports 2025, 15: 6863. PMID: 40011544, PMCID: PMC11865443, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-91457-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBrain connectivityCognitive declineResting-state functional connectivityEffect sizeCognitive behavioral therapyLate-life depressionSelf-reported depressionMedium effect sizeDigital interventionsInterventions targeting mental healthMood regulationBehavioral therapyDepressive symptomsDecreased connectivityPost-intervention changesFunctional connectivityTwo-week interventionCognitive functionSpatial cognitionDepression scoresBrain healthBehavioral outcomesBrain functionPsychological techniquesPsychological healthIntranasal oxytocin increases breast milk oxytocin, but has a reduced effect in depressed mothers: A randomized controlled trialcon
Lindley Baron-Cohen K, Fearon P, Feldman R, Hardiman P, Zagoory-Sharon O, Meins E, Fonagy P. Intranasal oxytocin increases breast milk oxytocin, but has a reduced effect in depressed mothers: A randomized controlled trialcon. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2025, 174: 107374. PMID: 39891981, DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107374.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEdinburgh Postnatal Depression ScaleBreast milkPostnatal depressionSymptoms of postnatal depressionAdministration of exogenous OTOT concentrationsCut-off pointRandomized Controlled TrialsPostnatal Depression ScalePostnatal depressive symptomsDouble-blindNasal sprayMother-infant bondingPotential biological mechanismsMaternal postnatal depressionOT contentBreast milk samplesMental health vulnerabilitiesOT pathwaysExogenous OTOT administrationControl mothersBreastDepressed mothersOxytocinBirthing parents’ neural response to infant cry: moderating effects of oxytocin and perceived childhood care
Grande L, Xie Y, Zagoory-Sharon O, Watamura S, Yeh T, Feldman R, Kim P. Birthing parents’ neural response to infant cry: moderating effects of oxytocin and perceived childhood care. Social Cognitive And Affective Neuroscience 2025, 20: nsaf010. PMID: 39849833, PMCID: PMC11804881, DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaf010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMaternity careParental Bonding InstrumentParenting behaviorsOxytocin levelsInfant cryingNeural responses to infant cryNeural responses to infant stimuliResponse to infant cryingResponses to infant stimuliEarly postpartum periodObservations of parental behaviorEarly caregiving experiencesSensitive parenting behaviorsCaregiving experienceHigher oxytocin levelsBirth parentsParent-infant playEffects of oxytocinControlled cryingMonths postpartumPostpartum periodCareCuneus activationInfant stimuliBonding Instrument
2024
Maternal mind-mindedness and infant oxytocin are interrelated and negatively associated with postnatal depression.
Lindley Baron-Cohen K, Fearon P, Meins E, Feldman R, Hardiman P, Rosan C, Fonagy P. Maternal mind-mindedness and infant oxytocin are interrelated and negatively associated with postnatal depression. Development And Psychopathology 2024, 1-12. PMID: 39363731, DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424001585.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMaternal mind-mindednessMind-mindednessMind-related commentsStudy 1Study 2Mothers' appropriate mind-related commentsLevels of mind-mindednessMothers' caregiving representationsPostnatal depressionSymptoms of depressionParent-child interactionsChildren's social developmentEffects of OTParent-child relationshipMaternal depression scoresChildren's early developmentSample of mothersCaregiving representationsChild OT levelsSalivary OTDepression scoresOT levelsMaternal-infant attachmentPlacebo-ControlledDepressionSensitive infant care tunes a frontotemporal interbrain network in adolescence
Schwartz L, Hayut O, Levy J, Gordon I, Feldman R. Sensitive infant care tunes a frontotemporal interbrain network in adolescence. Scientific Reports 2024, 14: 22602. PMID: 39349700, PMCID: PMC11442694, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73630-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFrontotemporal networkMaternal sensitivityInterbrain synchronyNaturalistic interactionsSocial communicationMother-child relationshipSocial-emotional outcomesPsychological Well-BeingEarly maternal behaviorMaternal intrusivenessPositive valenceInterbrain connectivityMaternal behaviorEarly adolescenceChild's brainHyperscanning studiesPost hoc comparisonsNeural synchronySocial orientationMaternal orientationLongitudinal studyAdolescentsWell-beingPost-hocChildrenMicrobiome Signature of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Resilience in Youth
Yirmiya K, Turjeman S, Shtossel O, Zagoory-Sharon O, Moadi L, Rubin E, Sharon E, Louzoun Y, Koren O, Feldman R. Microbiome Signature of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Resilience in Youth. Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice And Policy 2024 PMID: 39023942, DOI: 10.1037/tra0001727.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPosttraumatic stress disorderPosttraumatic symptomatologyStress disorderResilient individualsMaternal caregivingPTSD phenotypeIncreased anxious behaviorEarly life stressTrauma-exposed youthWar-related traumaCross-species studiesEarly childhoodAnxious behaviorPosttraumatic symptomsLife stressAnxiety componentBehavior problemsLate adolescencePosttraumatic pathologyGerm-free miceBehavioral changesAdolescentsSymptomatologyMatched ControlsMicrobial underpinningsInfants' salivary oxytocin and positive affective reactions to people
Zeng G, Leung T, Maylott S, Malik A, Adornato A, Lebowitz M, Messinger D, Szeto A, Feldman R, Simpson E. Infants' salivary oxytocin and positive affective reactions to people. Hormones And Behavior 2024, 164: 105579. PMID: 38905820, DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105579.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchOxytocin levelsSalivary oxytocinFacial affectAffective reactionsEarly Social Communication ScalesInfant positive affectStable individual differencesPositive facial affectSocial Communication ScalesHigher oxytocin levelsPositive affective reactionsSocio-emotional developmentPositive affectIndividual differencesSocial behaviorSmiling womenCommunication ScaleAffectOxytocinPhysiological measuresMonths of ageProsocialityStatistically significant changesU.S. infantsInfants