Tara Thompson-Felix, MD
About
Titles
Clinical Fellow in the Child Study Center
Biography
Dr. Tara Thompson-Felix received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ and her MD from Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Prior to medical school, she worked as a postgraduate research associate in the Yale Child Study Center focusing on investigating the genetic basis of developmental language and behavioral disorders. After earning her M.D., she trained in adult psychiatry at the Lewis Katz Temple University medical school. At Temple, she served as a chief resident and completed the child and research track. Her research involved collaborations with the Temple OB/GYN and neuroscience department to investigate the epigenetic landscape of fetal neural exosomes associated with in utero exposure to opiates. Based on this work, Dr. Thompson-Felix was selected as an APA research colloquium awardee in 2018. Dr. Thompson-Felix is also a National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative (NNCI) scholar and continues to work on developing new teaching materials, including a “this stuff is really cool” talk on extracellular vesicles and clinical commentary published in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry (2019). She was awarded the 2020 George Ginsberg Fellowship award from the American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training (AADPRT), acknowledging her commitment to teaching and education. Dr. Thompson-Felix is interested in improving child development starting from the in-utero experience and maternal health. At this time, she an attending psychiatrist on the consult liaison service and a PhD candidate in the Yale Investigative Medicine Program through the Yale Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the impact of maternal obesity on child neurodevelopment through the characterization of and fetal neuron derived extracellular vesicles. This work is supported by various awards including the Patterson Mentored Trust Award, NRSA TL1 training program, NIH Loan Repayment Program, and 2022 YCSC trainee pilot award. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing with her kids, spending time with family and cooking cultural dishes.
Appointments
Child Study Center
Clinical FellowPrimaryChild Study Center
InstructorSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow
- Yale School of Medicine (2023)
- Resident Physician, Chief Resident
- Temple University Hospital (2020)
- MD
- Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Doctor of Medicine
- Postgraduate Research Associate
- Yale School of Medicine (2012)
- BA
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Psychology (2009)
Board Certifications
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Certification Organization
- AB of Psychiatry & Neurology
- Original Certification Date
- 2022
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
ORCID
0000-0002-9439-341X
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Kieran O'Donnell, PhD
Adam Lombroso
Laelia Benoit, MD, PhD
Uche Aneni, MBBS, MHS
Wanjiku Njoroge
Publications
2024
The effects of pregnancy, its progression, and its cessation on human (maternal) biological aging
Pham H, Thompson-Felix T, Czamara D, Rasmussen J, Lombroso A, Entringer S, Binder E, Wadhwa P, Buss C, O'Donnell K. The effects of pregnancy, its progression, and its cessation on human (maternal) biological aging. Cell Metabolism 2024, 36: 877-878. PMID: 38521058, DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.02.016.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMinimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches.
Welsh JA, Goberdhan DCI, O'Driscoll L, Buzas EI, Blenkiron C, Bussolati B, Cai H, Di Vizio D, Driedonks TAP, Erdbrügger U, Falcon-Perez JM, Fu QL, Hill AF, Lenassi M, Lim SK, Mahoney MG, Mohanty S, Möller A, Nieuwland R, Ochiya T, Sahoo S, Torrecilhas AC, Zheng L, Zijlstra A, Abuelreich S, Bagabas R, Bergese P, Bridges EM, Brucale M, Burger D, Carney RP, Cocucci E, Crescitelli R, Hanser E, Harris AL, Haughey NJ, Hendrix A, Ivanov AR, Jovanovic-Talisman T, Kruh-Garcia NA, Ku'ulei-Lyn Faustino V, Kyburz D, Lässer C, Lennon KM, Lötvall J, Maddox AL, Martens-Uzunova ES, Mizenko RR, Newman LA, Ridolfi A, Rohde E, Rojalin T, Rowland A, Saftics A, Sandau US, Saugstad JA, Shekari F, Swift S, Ter-Ovanesyan D, Tosar JP, Useckaite Z, Valle F, Varga Z, van der Pol E, van Herwijnen MJC, Wauben MHM, Wehman AM, Williams S, Zendrini A, Zimmerman AJ, MISEV Consortium, Théry C, Witwer KW. Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches. J Extracell Vesicles 2024, 13: e12404. PMID: 38326288, DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12404.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
2023
Maternal social support during and after pregnancy and child cognitive ability: examining timing effects in two cohorts.
Lähdepuro A, Räikkönen K, Pham H, Thompson-Felix T, Eid R, O'Connor T, Glover V, Lahti J, Heinonen K, Wolford E, Lahti-Pulkkinen M, O'Donnell K. Maternal social support during and after pregnancy and child cognitive ability: examining timing effects in two cohorts. Psychological Medicine 2023, 54: 1661-1670. PMID: 38087866, DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003550.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsChildren's cognitive abilitiesChildren's cognitive developmentGeneral cognitive abilityMaternal social supportCognitive abilitiesCognitive developmentSocial supportChildren's general cognitive abilitiesWechsler Intelligence ScaleMaternal experienceIntelligence ScaleTiming effectsAvon Longitudinal StudyMaternal anxietySensitive periodLongitudinal studyMaternal symptomsProspective longitudinal cohortAnxietyChildrenLess attentionDepressionLongitudinal cohortSupportWISCEditors’ Note: Third Annual Report Regarding JAACAP’s Antiracist Journey
Novins D, Singh M, Althoff R, Bagot K, Brotman M, DelBello M, Dickstein D, Doyle A, Drury S, Findling R, Fortuna L, Fristad M, Middeldorp C, Njoroge W, Rogers C, Pumariega A, Bath E, Tobón A, Thompson-Felix T, Diversity E, Billingsley M, Family J. Editors’ Note: Third Annual Report Regarding JAACAP’s Antiracist Journey. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2023, 62: 1287-1294. PMID: 38035913, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.09.531.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH KeywordsAnti-Black racism in clinical supervision: asynchronous simulated encounters facilitate reflective practice
Calhoun A, Martin A, Adigun A, Alleyne S, Aneni K, Thompson-Felix T, Asnes A, de Carvalho-Filho M, Benoit L, Genao I. Anti-Black racism in clinical supervision: asynchronous simulated encounters facilitate reflective practice. MedEdPublish 2023, 13: 4. PMID: 37123251, PMCID: PMC10140654, DOI: 10.12688/mep.19487.2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2019
Novel biomarkers to assess in utero effects of maternal opioid use: First steps toward understanding short- and long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae.
Goetzl L, Thompson-Felix T, Darbinian N, Merabova N, Merali S, Merali C, Sanserino K, Tatevosian T, Fant B, Wimmer ME. Novel biomarkers to assess in utero effects of maternal opioid use: First steps toward understanding short- and long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae. Genes, Brain, And Behavior 2019, 18: e12583. PMID: 31119847, PMCID: PMC7074845, DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12583.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNanovesicles: A Novel Window Into Neuronal Functioning
Thompson-Felix TM, Ross DA. Nanovesicles: A Novel Window Into Neuronal Functioning. Biological Psychiatry 2019, 85: e47-e48. PMID: 31046939, PMCID: PMC6698891, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.976.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords
2012
Comparison of Whole-Genome DNA Methylation Patterns in Whole Blood, Saliva, and Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines
Thompson TM, Sharfi D, Lee M, Yrigollen CM, Naumova OY, Grigorenko EL. Comparison of Whole-Genome DNA Methylation Patterns in Whole Blood, Saliva, and Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines. Behavior Genetics 2012, 43: 168-176. PMID: 23269419, PMCID: PMC3577999, DOI: 10.1007/s10519-012-9579-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDNA methylation patternsMethylation patternsLymphoblastoid cell linesEpigenetic mechanismsDNA methylationWhole-genome DNA methylation patternsCell linesEpigenetic studiesBeadChip arrayBiological processesDNA sourceMethylationCell culturingDNASuch studiesSame individualComparative analysisPatternsMechanismLinesCellsCulturingParticular interest
2011
- Thompson, T.M., Getchell, M., af Klinteberg, B., Koposov, R.A., Oreland, L., Pakstis, A.J., Ruchkin, V.V., Yrigollen, C.M. & Grigorenko, E.l., (2011). Genetic variation in DRD4, criminality and conduct disorder. In S. Boag & N. Tiliopoulos (Eds.) Personality and individual differences: Theory, assessment, and application, pp. 193-208. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Inc.Books
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
activity Early-Career Mentored Editorial Board Member
Journal ServiceJournal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP)Details03/15/2023 - Presenthonor Yale/NIDA Neuroproteomics Award
National AwardNational Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)Details02/26/2024United Stateshonor Patterson Trust Mentored Award
Regional AwardRobert E. Leet and Clara Guthrie Patterson TrustDetails01/30/2024United Stateshonor Underrepresented Minority (URM) Near Peer Program
National AwardAmerican College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP)Details07/03/2023honor Individual Biomedical Research Award
National AwardHartwell FoundationDetails06/23/2023United States