Layla Banihashemi PhD

Dr. Layla Banihashemi is a neuroscientist and neuroanatomist who focuses on stress-related neural circuits that form brain-body connections. She examines how early adversity shapes these 'central visceral circuits' and how these neural circuit differences may contribute to psychopathology and physiological outcomes. Dr. Banihashemi obtained postdoctoral training in human neuroimaging research through the Department of Psychiatry’s Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Training Program (T-32, NHLBI) and was subsequently awarded a National Research Service Award (F-32) on Hypothalamic and Limbic Forebrain Stress Reactivity from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

She was then awarded a Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) from the National Institute of Mental Health to investigate how childhood adversity may influence stress-related neural circuits and contribute to mood, anxiety, and trauma-related disorder symptoms. Her current NIMH-funded R01 research investigates distinct dimensions of childhood adversity (threat and deprivation) and their differential relationships with stress-related neural circuits using 7 Tesla neuroimaging.