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 detailsMaria Ferrara, MD
Assistant Professor Adjunct of PsychiatryAbout
Research
Publications
2025
Sex differences in outcomes of first episode psychosis: results from an early intervention service
Domenicano I, Onofrio A, Citton M, Vecchioni L, De Donatis D, Bertelli R, Emanuelli F, Grassi L, Ferrara M. Sex differences in outcomes of first episode psychosis: results from an early intervention service. Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience 2025, 19: 1642460. PMID: 40989499, PMCID: PMC12450961, DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1642460.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFirst-episode psychosisEarly intervention servicesSex differencesRates of cannabis useIntervention servicesAbsence of intellectual disabilityNon-affective psychosisPsychotic disordersEpisode psychosisCannabis useIntellectual disabilityOrganic psychosisPsychosisAlcohol misuseFollow-upProgram admissionOutcomes of patientsClinical trajectoryLong-term prognosisClinical perspectiveLong follow-upMonths follow-upMeasures analysisSex-based differencesMixed effects modelsThe association between cannabis use and paranoia: Meta-analysis of experimental and observational studies
Belvederi Murri M, Catania S, Centra S, Folesani F, Muscettola A, Zerbinati L, Toffanin T, Ferrara M, Ossola P, Rossi R, Jannini T, Caruso R, Nanni M, Grassi L. The association between cannabis use and paranoia: Meta-analysis of experimental and observational studies. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2025, 176: 106269. PMID: 40578496, DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106269.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsParanoid symptomsCannabis useBayesian model-averaged meta-analysisStandardized mean differencePsychiatric disordersEffect size measuresObservational studyBayesian meta-analysesMeta-analysisOdds ratioCannabinoid useCannabinoid usersCannabinoidParanoiaCannabisTherapeutic actionCross-sectional studyBayesian meta-analysisSymptomsPooled effectMeta-analysesGeneral populationMean differenceNon-usersProspective studyEnhancing Coordinated Specialty Care Through Early Detection: Impact of Reduced Duration of Untreated Psychosis
Hazan H, Ferrara M, Zhou B, Li F, Imetovski S, Sykes L, Pollard J, Cahill J, Gibbs-Dean T, Corbera S, Karmani S, Riley S, Tayfur S, Tek C, Keshavan M, Srihari V. Enhancing Coordinated Specialty Care Through Early Detection: Impact of Reduced Duration of Untreated Psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin 2025, 51: 1730-1737. PMID: 40339151, PMCID: PMC12597490, DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaf044.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDuration of untreated psychosisFirst-episode psychosisCoordinated Specialty CareUntreated psychosisMediation analysisShorter duration of untreated psychosisFirst-episode psychosis patientsEarly interventionEarly psychosisBenefits of early interventionPsychosisGAFFunctional outcomesGlobal assessmentEarly detection campaignsSpecialty careIntake processRecovery outcomesSpecial treatmentQuality of lifeStreamlining referralsFunctional recoveryScoresPatientsInterventionSex-Specific Treatment Strategies in First Episode Psychosis
Ferrara M, Srihari V. Sex-Specific Treatment Strategies in First Episode Psychosis. Biological Psychiatry 2025, 97: s53. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.02.144.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchComparative Effectiveness of Long-Acting Injectable Vs. Oral Antipsychotic Medication After a First Episode of Psychosis: A Target Trial Emulation
Szmulewicz A, Martínez-Alés G, Ferrara M, Fredrikson D, Díaz-Caneja C, Sarpal D, Shinn A, Arango C, Öngür D, Hernán M. Comparative Effectiveness of Long-Acting Injectable Vs. Oral Antipsychotic Medication After a First Episode of Psychosis: A Target Trial Emulation. Biological Psychiatry 2025, 97: s52-s53. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.02.142.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchInsight and Its Trajectory: Predicting the Risk of Psychiatric Hospitalizations Among First-Episode Psychosis During the First Year of Coordinated Specialty Care
Hazan H, Ferrara M, Gibbs-Dean T, Tayfur S, Corbera S, Karmani S, Song Z, Li F, Vlachos I, Selakovic M, Tek C, Srihari V. Insight and Its Trajectory: Predicting the Risk of Psychiatric Hospitalizations Among First-Episode Psychosis During the First Year of Coordinated Specialty Care. Schizophrenia Bulletin 2025, sbaf019. PMID: 40227145, DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaf019.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCoordinated Specialty CareFirst-episode psychosisBaseline insightRisk of psychiatric hospitalizationFirst-episodeEarly psychosisInsight groupLength of stayPsychiatric hospitalSpecialty carePsychosisLongitudinal trajectoriesGreater reductionsHospital outcomesHigh-low-highPredicting clinical improvementHospital dataModifiable factorsMonths pre-ParticipantsHospitalization riskClinical improvementRecovery trajectoriesReduce hospitalizationsBaselineComparative effectiveness of long-acting injectable versus oral antipsychotic medication after a first episode of psychosis
Szmulewicz A, Martínez-Alés G, Logan R, Joober R, Ferrara M, Kelly C, Fredrikson D, Thorpe L, Conderino S, Díaz-Caneja C, Srihari V, Yatham L, Sarpal D, Shinn A, Arango C, Shah J, Öngür D, Hernán M. Comparative effectiveness of long-acting injectable versus oral antipsychotic medication after a first episode of psychosis. Nature Mental Health 2025, 3: 421-428. DOI: 10.1038/s44220-025-00407-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEpisode of psychosisPsychotic relapseLong-actingTarget trialsRisk of psychotic relapseLong-acting antipsychoticsOral antipsychotic medicationEffects of long-actingLAI therapyAntipsychotic therapyAntipsychotic medicationSchizophrenia trialsTherapy initiationRisk of relapseOral therapyPsychosisRisk differenceFEPObservational cohort of peopleHospitalization riskCohort of peopleNetwork meta-analysesNo risk reductionNon-adherenceRelapseSex differences in clozapine prescription: Results from an Italian 30-year health records registry
Ferrara M, Domenicano I, Bellagamba A, Zaffarami G, Benini L, Sorio C, Gentili E, Srihari V, Grassi L. Sex differences in clozapine prescription: Results from an Italian 30-year health records registry. Journal Of Psychiatric Research 2025, 185: 215-223. PMID: 40155219, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.019.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAntipsychotics to clozapineSchizophrenia spectrum disordersDiagnosis of schizophreniaClozapine prescriptionPrescribed clozapineSpectrum disorderDiagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorderBarriers to clozapine useTreatment-resistant schizophreniaOutpatient psychiatric servicesGender-specific biasesClozapine useBackground ClozapineSchizophrenia diagnosisClozapineSchizophreniaSex differencesPrescribed to womenClinical confounding factorsDisordersFemale patientsHazard ratioAntipsychoticsAdequate treatmentPatientsThe impact of Duration of Untreated Psychosis on functioning and quality of life over one year of Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC)
Hazan H, Tayfur S, Zhou B, Li F, Gibbs-Dean T, Karmani S, Kline E, Ferrara M, Corbera S, Riley S, Sykes L, Tek C, Keshavan M, Srihari V. The impact of Duration of Untreated Psychosis on functioning and quality of life over one year of Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC). PLOS ONE 2025, 20: e0312740. PMID: 39928579, PMCID: PMC11809850, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312740.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCoordinated Specialty CareQuality of lifeDuration of untreated psychosisDUP groupWorld Health OrganizationYear of coordinated specialty careGeneralized linear modelConfidence intervalsBinary outcomesGlobal functioningDuration of untreated psychosis groupSymptom severityUntreated psychosisSpecialty careCSC programsImpact of duration of untreated psychosisFunctional gainsModel repeated measuresMixed model repeated measuresOdds ratioNo significant differenceLogit link functionStatus improvementContinuous outcomesSocial functioningThe Challenging Problems of Cancer and Serious Mental Illness
Grassi L, McFarland D, Riba M, Ferrara M, Zaffarami G, Belvederi Murri M, Cruciata M, Caruso R. The Challenging Problems of Cancer and Serious Mental Illness. Current Psychiatry Reports 2025, 27: 41-57. PMID: 39786658, PMCID: PMC11724792, DOI: 10.1007/s11920-024-01570-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSerious mental illnessProblem of cancerMental illnessGeneral populationPhysical health careRates of screeningMental health servicesHealth-care systemMedication side effectsHealth servicesOncology settingUnhealthy lifestyleHealth careCancer preventionStandard cancer treatmentHigher mortalitySomatic disordersCareVulnerable segmentsNegative outcomesIllnessOncologyCancer treatmentDelayed TreatmentCancer