Sarah Tarbox-Berry, PhD
Research & Publications
Biography
News
Locations
Extensive Research Description
Dr. Tarbox has a long-standing commitment to research and treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The broad focus of her research is 1) identification of clinical-developmental markers of liability to schizophrenia, 2) examination of the biological/genetic basis of clinical antecedents in relation to schizophrenia epidemiology and pathophysiology, and 3) optimization of risk markers to advance risk prediction and screening, facilitate early detection of illness, and inform evidence-based intervention for young people at risk for schizophrenia.
Dr. Tarbox is especially interested in social functioning and developmental pathology of schizophrenia and the relation between social development, stress sensitivity, and risk/exacerbation of schizophrenia psychosis. Of the many schizophrenia pathologies, poor social functioning is an especially sensitive predictor of familial and non-familial vulnerability, contributes unique information to prediction of psychosis, and appears to be an important correlate of schizophrenia deveopmental pathology. Furthermore, interpersonal skills and social cognition may be key targets for treatment of youth at risk for schizophrenia.
Currently, Dr. Tarbox is conducting a family study to examine genetic correlation of social deficits and psychotic-like symptoms in young people at high-risk for psychosis and their discordant siblings, and in control sibling-pairs. Additional projects include an investigation of the relation between stressful or traumatic experiences in early childhood and contribution to risk for psychosis as well as a collaborative effort to identify genetic polymorphisms associated with onset of psychosis and develop an index of polymorphic risk for psychosis.
Research Interests
Affective Disorders, Psychotic; Affective Symptoms; Behavioral Medicine; Child Development; Family Relations; Genetics, Behavioral; Mental Health; Neuropsychology; Paranoid Personality Disorder; Peer Group; Psychology, Clinical; Psychopathology; Schizoid Personality Disorder; Schizotypal Personality Disorder; Social Adjustment; Social Isolation; Stress, Physiological; Stress, Psychological; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Behavioral Research; Adolescent Development; Resilience, Psychological
Public Health Interests
Behavioral Health; Biomarkers; Clinical Trials; Epidemiology Methods; Genetics, Genomics, Epigenetics; Mental Health; Modeling
Selected Publications
- Premorbid social adjustment and association with attenuated psychotic symptoms in clinical high-risk and help-seeking youthTarbox-Berry S, Perkins D, Woods S, Addington J. Premorbid social adjustment and association with attenuated psychotic symptoms in clinical high-risk and help-seeking youth. Psychological Medicine 2017, 48: 983-997. PMID: 28874223, DOI: 10.1017/s0033291717002343.
- Premorbid functional development and conversion to psychosis in clinical high-risk youthsTarbox SI, Addington J, Cadenhead KS, Cannon TD, Cornblatt BA, Perkins DO, Seidman LJ, Tsuang MT, Walker EF, Heinssen R, McGlashan TH, Woods SW. Premorbid functional development and conversion to psychosis in clinical high-risk youths. Development And Psychopathology 2013, 25: 1171-1186. PMID: 24229556, PMCID: PMC4356489, DOI: 10.1017/s0954579413000448.
- Functional development in clinical high risk youth: Prediction of schizophrenia versus other psychotic disordersTarbox SI, Addington J, Cadenhead KS, Cannon TD, Cornblatt BA, Perkins DO, Seidman LJ, Tsuang MT, Walker EF, Heinssen R, McGlashan TH, Woods SW. Functional development in clinical high risk youth: Prediction of schizophrenia versus other psychotic disorders. Psychiatry Research 2013, 215: 52-60. PMID: 24200216, PMCID: PMC3946851, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.10.006.
- Diagnostic specificity of poor premorbid adjustment: comparison of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and mood disorder with psychotic features.Tarbox SI, Brown LH, Haas GL. Diagnostic specificity of poor premorbid adjustment: comparison of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and mood disorder with psychotic features. Schizophrenia Research 2012, 141: 91-7. PMID: 22858353, PMCID: PMC3438358, DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.07.008.
- The nature of schizotypy among multigenerational multiplex schizophrenia families.Tarbox SI, Almasy L, Gur RE, Nimgaonkar VL, Pogue-Geile MF. The nature of schizotypy among multigenerational multiplex schizophrenia families. Journal Of Abnormal Psychology 2012, 121: 396-406. PMID: 22288909, PMCID: PMC3392016, DOI: 10.1037/a0026787.
- Development of social functioning in preschizophrenia children and adolescents: a systematic review.Tarbox SI, Pogue-Geile MF. Development of social functioning in preschizophrenia children and adolescents: a systematic review. Psychological Bulletin 2008, 134: 561-83. PMID: 18605820, DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.34.4.561.