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 detailsMichal Assaf, MD
About
Research
Publications
2025
Using the excitation/inhibition ratio to optimize the classification of autism and schizophrenia
Uscătescu L, Hyatt C, Dunn J, Kronbichler M, Calhoun V, Corbera S, Pelphrey K, Pittman B, Pearlson G, Assaf M. Using the excitation/inhibition ratio to optimize the classification of autism and schizophrenia. Translational Psychiatry 2025, 15: 234. PMID: 40634290, PMCID: PMC12241497, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-025-03455-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAutism Diagnostic Observation ScheduleBermond-Vorst Alexithymia QuestionnaireEmpathy QuotientE/I ratioResting state fMRI dataClassification of autismReplication datasetAlexithymia QuestionnairePANSSSchizophreniaObservation ScheduleFMRI dataGroup differencesAutismExcitation/inhibition ratioIQE/IHurst (H) exponentRandom forest classifierExcitation/inhibitionTDClassification performanceTime courseClassification analysisExploratory datasetBrain-wide connectivity changes due to social–emotional regulation during a naturalistic fMRI task
Hyatt C, Wexler B, Diefenbach G, Dichter G, Mazefsky C, Uscatescu L, Wolf J, Sahl R, Pittman B, Pearlson G, Assaf M. Brain-wide connectivity changes due to social–emotional regulation during a naturalistic fMRI task. Cerebral Cortex 2025, 35: bhaf118. PMID: 40401354, PMCID: PMC12096004, DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaf118.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPosterior cingulate cortexEmotion regulationFC differencesFunctional connectivityEmotion typeLeft temporoparietal junctionSocial emotion regulationLeft supramarginal gyrusMedial posterior regionsMultivariate pattern analysisSignificant FC differencesFMRI taskPrefrontal involvementER strategiesNegative stimuliReappraisal strategiesCingulate cortexNeutral storyTemporoparietal junctionSupramarginal gyrusFunctional neuroimagingNeural substratesFunctional MRISignificant emotionsSocial interactionInternational perspective on social cognition in schizophrenia: current stage and the next steps
Corbera S, Kurtz M, Achim A, Agostoni G, Amado I, Assaf M, Barlati S, Bechi M, Cavallaro R, Ikezawa S, Okano H, Okubo R, Penadés R, Uchino T, Vita A, Yamada Y, Bell M. International perspective on social cognition in schizophrenia: current stage and the next steps. European Psychiatry 2025, 68: e9. PMID: 39812093, PMCID: PMC11795453, DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1776.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSocial cognitionSocial neuroscienceAssess social cognitionSocial cognitive measuresSocial cognitive abilitiesClinical psychologyCognitive measuresSocial dysfunctionCognitive abilitiesSchizophreniaCognitive evaluationFunctional difficultiesCognitionCognitive scienceClinical practiceNeuroscienceMounting evidenceInternational scientific researchPsychologyCliniciansPsychiatryPoor clinical outcomesScientific rigorIllnessResearchSocial functioning and frontal alpha asymmetry in schizophrenia
Farina E, Assaf M, Corbera S, Choi J, Yantz C, Chen C. Social functioning and frontal alpha asymmetry in schizophrenia. Journal Of Psychiatric Research 2025, 182: 74-82. PMID: 39799666, PMCID: PMC11830537, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.01.006.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFrontal alpha asymmetryAutism spectrum disorderReduced social functioningSocial functioningNeurophysiological markersAlpha asymmetryPsychiatric disordersAtypical social behaviorUnique to schizophreniaSelf-report measuresHealthy controlsResting-state electroencephalogramClinical InterviewPsychiatric diagnosisSchizophreniaSpectrum disorderDiagnostic groupsReduced motivationSocial behaviorDisordersEmotional tendencyAnalysis of varianceClinical manifestationsElectroencephalogramAutism
2024
Empathic disequilibrium in schizophrenia: An individual participant data meta-analysis
Shalev I, Shamay-Tsoory S, Montag C, Assaf M, Smith M, Eran A, Uzefovsky F. Empathic disequilibrium in schizophrenia: An individual participant data meta-analysis. Journal Of Psychiatric Research 2024, 181: 253-261. PMID: 39637716, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.11.045.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCognitive empathySchizophrenia diagnosisEmotional empathyCognitive components of empathyComponents of empathyInterpersonal Reactivity IndexSocial cognitive constructsSchizophrenia phenomenologyPositive symptomsCognitive constructsEmpathy measuresSchizophreniaSocial difficultiesCognitive componentsEmpathyReactivity indexData Meta-AnalysisParticipant data meta-analysisMeta-analysisIndividual Participant Data Meta-AnalysisResponse surface analysisSymptomsIndividual-participant data meta-analysisStable indexInterpersonalCategorical and Dimensional Approaches for Psychiatric Classification and Treatment Targeting: Considerations from Psychosis Biotypes
Clementz B, Assaf M, Sweeney J, Gershon E, Keedy S, Hill S, Ivleva E, Tamminga C, McDowell J, Keshavan M, Gibbons R, Carpenter W, Pearlson G. Categorical and Dimensional Approaches for Psychiatric Classification and Treatment Targeting: Considerations from Psychosis Biotypes. Advances In Neurobiology 2024, 40: 685-723. PMID: 39562461, PMCID: PMC12054367, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-69491-2_23.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsIdiopathic psychosisBiotype-1Response to clozapineBipolar-Schizophrenia NetworkContinuum of severityReduced physiological responseDSM diagnosesNeurobiological distinctionsCategorical diagnosisSchizophrenia NetworkDiagnostic boundariesSalient stimuliPsychosis diagnosisPsychosis casesPsychiatric classificationPsychosis dataPsychosisBiotype-2Identified biotypesNeural activityIntermediate phenotypesTreatment targetElectrophysiological biomarkersElectrophysiological measurementsMedical modelDisentangling negative and positive symptoms in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder
Corbera S, Wexler B, Bell M, Pittman B, Pelphrey K, Pearlson G, Assaf M. Disentangling negative and positive symptoms in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Schizophrenia Research 2024, 271: 1-8. PMID: 39002525, PMCID: PMC11384336, DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.07.002.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAutism spectrum disorderPositive and Negative Syndrome ScaleAutism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-GenericExperiential negative symptomsPositive symptomsNegative symptomsExploratory factor analysisSpectrum disorderNegative Syndrome ScaleTarget negative symptomsSyndrome ScaleDiscriminant function analysisSZ relativesAssociated with quality of lifeSchizophreniaSocial skillsSocial functioningDiagnostic classificationAutismFactor analysisAssociated with qualityPredictor of diagnosisSymptomsDisordersQuality of lifeBrain-based classification of youth with anxiety disorders: transdiagnostic examinations within the ENIGMA-Anxiety database using machine learning
Bruin W, Zhutovsky P, van Wingen G, Bas-Hoogendam J, Groenewold N, Hilbert K, Winkler A, Zugman A, Agosta F, Åhs F, Andreescu C, Antonacci C, Asami T, Assaf M, Barber J, Bauer J, Bavdekar S, Beesdo-Baum K, Benedetti F, Bernstein R, Björkstrand J, Blair R, Blair K, Blanco-Hinojo L, Böhnlein J, Brambilla P, Bressan R, Breuer F, Cano M, Canu E, Cardinale E, Cardoner N, Cividini C, Cremers H, Dannlowski U, Diefenbach G, Domschke K, Doruyter A, Dresler T, Erhardt A, Filippi M, Fonzo G, Freitag G, Furmark T, Ge T, Gerber A, Gosnell S, Grabe H, Grotegerd D, Gur R, Gur R, Hamm A, Han L, Harper J, Harrewijn A, Heeren A, Hofmann D, Jackowski A, Jahanshad N, Jett L, Kaczkurkin A, Khosravi P, Kingsley E, Kircher T, Kostic M, Larsen B, Lee S, Leehr E, Leibenluft E, Lochner C, Lui S, Maggioni E, Manfro G, Månsson K, Marino C, Meeten F, Milrod B, Jovanovic A, Mwangi B, Myers M, Neufang S, Nielsen J, Ohrmann P, Ottaviani C, Paulus M, Perino M, Phan K, Poletti S, Porta-Casteràs D, Pujol J, Reinecke A, Ringlein G, Rjabtsenkov P, Roelofs K, Salas R, Salum G, Satterthwaite T, Schrammen E, Sindermann L, Smoller J, Soares J, Stark R, Stein F, Straube T, Straube B, Strawn J, Suarez-Jimenez B, Sylvester C, Talati A, Thomopoulos S, Tükel R, van Nieuwenhuizen H, Werwath K, Wittfeld K, Wright B, Wu M, Yang Y, Zilverstand A, Zwanzger P, Blackford J, Avery S, Clauss J, Lueken U, Thompson P, Pine D, Stein D, van der Wee N, Veltman D, Aghajani M. Brain-based classification of youth with anxiety disorders: transdiagnostic examinations within the ENIGMA-Anxiety database using machine learning. Nature Mental Health 2024, 2: 104-118. DOI: 10.1038/s44220-023-00173-2.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Subscales of alexithymia show unique pathways through reappraisal and suppression to anxiety, depression and stress
Morie K, Lord K, Diefenbach G, Basuchoudhary O, Lewis S, Assaf M. Subscales of alexithymia show unique pathways through reappraisal and suppression to anxiety, depression and stress. Journal Of Affective Disorders 2023, 347: 445-452. PMID: 38007105, PMCID: PMC10842914, DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.11.038.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEmotion regulation strategiesRegulation strategiesMechanical TurkPlatform Amazon Mechanical TurkAmazon Mechanical TurkEmotion regulationMediation modelAlexithymiaAnxietyMental healthSubscalesReappraisalDepressionNegative associationDistressDirect associationPositive associationConstituent factorsVarianceFantasizingBVAQAssociationMultiple factorsTurksUnique pathway