Xiaomei Cong, PhD, RN, FAAN
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Beatrice Renfield Professor of NursingDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Associate Dean of Research , Yale School of Nursing
Deputy Director (Nursing), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI)
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Beatrice Renfield Professor of Nursing
Associate Dean of Research , Yale School of Nursing; Deputy Director (Nursing), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI)
Biography
Dr. Cong received her PhD from Case Western Reserve University, MSN from Chiang Mai University, and BS from Peking University. She is a nursing researcher with longstanding clinical and research interests in symptoms science, e.g., the bio-behavioral mechanisms of pain and stress and self-management with health outcomes. In 2022, she became Associate Dean of Research at the Yale School of Nursing. She is one of the first nurse scientists investigating pain/stress and neurodevelopment in infants using multi-omic approaches. Her research addresses some of the most complex issues surrounding early life experience in high-risk infants and implementation of pain management strategies in vulnerable populations. She has over 20 years of research experience and have led many projects funded by the NIH-NINR. The impact of her research is far-reaching in biobehavioral science, symptom management, healthcare policies, and practice.
Last Updated on June 08, 2025.
Departments & Organizations
- All Institutions
- Center for Brain & Mind Health
Education & Training
- PhD
- Case Western Reserve University (2006)
- MS
- Chiang Mai University, Maternal and Child Health (1996)
- BMedSci
- Peking University , Medicine/Nursing (1990)
Research
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Overview
Public Health Interests
Maternal & Child Health; Microbiome; Perinatal/Prenatal Health; Genetics, Genomics, Epigenetics; Breastfeeding; Child/Adolescent Health; Clinical Trials; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice
ORCID
0000-0002-4992-199X- View Lab Website
Lab Website
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Xiaomei Cong's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Xiaomei Cong's research output by year.
Jinlei Li, MD, PhD
Sarah N. Taylor, MD, MSCR
Hermine Poghosyan, PhD, MPH
Joan Combellick, PhD, MPH, MSN, CNM
137Publications
4,622Citations
Publications
2026
The Longitudinal Impact of Early Relational Contact in the NICU and the Post‐Discharge Childcare Quality on Preterm Infants' Behavioural Development up to 18–24 Months of Corrected Age
Wu W, Li A, Zhao T, Chen J, Lainwala S, Matson A, Chen M, Cong X. The Longitudinal Impact of Early Relational Contact in the NICU and the Post‐Discharge Childcare Quality on Preterm Infants' Behavioural Development up to 18–24 Months of Corrected Age. Infant And Child Development 2026, 35 DOI: 10.1002/icd.70090.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNeonatal intensive care unitMonths of corrected agePreterm infantsBayley ScalesHigh-risk preterm infantsAverage gestational ageBayley Scales of Infant Development IIIIntensive care unitAssociated with infantsGestational ageInfant developmental outcomesMonths CACorrected ageLongitudinal cohort studyFemale infantNeonatal careInfant-Toddler SocialDevelopmental outcomesCohort studyPretermCare unitInfantsInfant behavioral developmentInfant developmentMonths229 Heart Rate Variability as an Objective Biomarker to Differentiate Somatic and Visceral Pain: A Preliminary Clinical Study
Pinzon-Arenas J, Forood A, Francis-Edoziuno C, McNaboe R, Kamen A, Feng B, Cong X, Chen M, Henderson W, Posada-Quintero H. 229 Heart Rate Variability as an Objective Biomarker to Differentiate Somatic and Visceral Pain: A Preliminary Clinical Study. Journal Of Pain 2026, 41: 105876. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105876.Peer-Reviewed Original Research317 Divergent Aging of Pain Pathways: Increased Cold Sensitivity but Decreased Heat Sensitivity and Central Amplification in Healthy Older Adults
Chen J, Wang Z, Kuang H, Wang Y, Miley E, Chen M, Starkweather A, Cong X. 317 Divergent Aging of Pain Pathways: Increased Cold Sensitivity but Decreased Heat Sensitivity and Central Amplification in Healthy Older Adults. Journal Of Pain 2026, 41: 105964. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105964.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFeasibility of Auricular Acupressure Therapy for Neuropathic Pain in Cancer Patients
You E, Holzemer W, Cong X, Poghosyan H, Lee H, Aleski J. Feasibility of Auricular Acupressure Therapy for Neuropathic Pain in Cancer Patients. Pain Management Nursing 2026 PMID: 41680003, DOI: 10.1016/j.pmn.2026.01.002.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAuricular acupressureQuality of lifeChronic pain management programCancer patientsPain management programSelf-management toolsAuricular acupressure therapyNeuropathic painPain management strategiesEar acupointsPain interferenceAcupressure therapyFeasibility outcomesHealthcare providersOncology settingAcupressureNonpharmacological interventionsPatient educationPain severityAdherence ratesDepression scoresDepression levelsPain symptomsPilot studyDiverse sample
2025
Maternal Racial Differences and Socioeconomic Status in Preterm Infant Neurodevelopment, Feeding, and Growth
Zhao T, Li A, Wu W, Chen J, Combellick J, Chen M, Cong X. Maternal Racial Differences and Socioeconomic Status in Preterm Infant Neurodevelopment, Feeding, and Growth. Nursing Research 2025, 75: 88-95. PMID: 41460749, DOI: 10.1097/nnr.0000000000000878.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsNeonatal intensive care unitPreterm infantsNeurodevelopmental outcomesGestational ageSNAPPE-IIBirth weightBayley ScalesHigher risk of preterm birthRisk of preterm birthHigh riskBayley Scales of InfantInfant vulnerabilityBirth gestational ageNeonatal neurobehavioral scalePreterm infant neurodevelopmentSNAPPE-II scoreVulnerable preterm populationNeonatal Acute PhysiologyShort birth lengthScore of Neonatal Acute PhysiologyLow birth weightInfant feedingWhite mothersIntensive care unitInfant health outcomesMediating Effect of Self-Efficacy on the Relationships Among Patient-Provider Partnership, Pain, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Cancer.
Wu W, Li A, Graziano T, Salner A, Chen M, Singh V, Judge M, Cong X, Xu W. Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy on the Relationships Among Patient-Provider Partnership, Pain, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum 2025, 52: 448-459. PMID: 41123399, PMCID: PMC12549057, DOI: 10.1188/25.onf.448-459.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPatient-provider partnershipQuality of lifeSelf-EfficacyEffect of self-efficacyPain outcomesCancer pain outcomesCancer pain managementQuality of life functionsQuality of life symptomsCross-sectional surveyAssociated with higher SEMediation effect of self-efficacyPatient-providerPain interferenceCancer organizationsPain severityPain managementMediation effectDemographic/clinical characteristicsMediation analysisPainIndividualsPartnershipCancerOutcomesNeonatal pain experience and pain sensitivity trajectories in preterm infants: A longitudinal study of flexion withdrawal reflex thresholds over the first two years of age
Wu W, Wang W, Li A, Chen J, Lainwala S, Matson A, Chen M, Li J, Cong X. Neonatal pain experience and pain sensitivity trajectories in preterm infants: A longitudinal study of flexion withdrawal reflex thresholds over the first two years of age. Journal Of Pain 2025, 37: 105558. PMID: 40945636, PMCID: PMC12536506, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105558.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsNeonatal intensive care unitFlexion withdrawal reflexPreterm infantsPain sensitivityDevelopment of pain sensitizationNeonatal pain experienceHigh-risk infantsWithdrawal reflex thresholdIntensive care unitYears of ageMonths of ageGestational ageNociceptive systemAnalgesic useLongitudinal studyPretermPain managementReflex thresholdNeonatal experienceNon-Black femalesCare unitNeuroprotective strategiesInfantsPain experienceMale subgroupMechanistic Insights into a Self-Management Intervention in Young Adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Pilot Multi-Omics Study
Wu W, Chen J, Li A, Chen M, Starkweather A, Cong X. Mechanistic Insights into a Self-Management Intervention in Young Adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Pilot Multi-Omics Study. Biomedicines 2025, 13: 2102. PMID: 41007665, PMCID: PMC12467349, DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines13092102.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsSelf-management interventionsPost-interventionIrritable bowel syndromeSelf-reported pain severityResults:Pre-post studyParent randomized controlled trialBrief Pain InventoryYoung adultsRandomized Controlled TrialsPain interferenceNon-HispanicSelf-ManagementLinear mixed-effects modelsLarger longitudinal studiesPain InventoryPain severityMethods:Bowel syndromeLifestyle modificationMixed-effects modelsLongitudinal multi-omic profilingInterventionSleep disturbanceLongitudinal studyExploring Deep Learning in Electrodermal Activity Recording for Continuous Detection of Pain Intensity Level
Pinzon-Arenas J, Kong Y, Henderson W, Cong X, Chen M, Feng B, Posada-Quintero H. Exploring Deep Learning in Electrodermal Activity Recording for Continuous Detection of Pain Intensity Level. Annual International Conference Of The IEEE Engineering In Medicine And Biology Society (EMBC) 2025, 00: 1-5. PMID: 41336637, DOI: 10.1109/embc58623.2025.11254524.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPain intensity levelsMeasures of pain intensityOpioid-based treatmentsIndices of sympathetic activityChronic pain patientsPain intensity assessmentPain management strategiesDevelopment of addictionNon-invasive measurementPain patientsPain intensitySympathetic activityPainPhasic componentR-squared scoreBioVid heat pain datasetCNN-LSTM architectureElectrodermal activity signalsIntensity levelsElectrodermal activityScoresIntermittent detectionShort-term memoryActivity recordsPain datasetPain, fatigue, and associated gene expressions over chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer
Wu W, Li A, Singh V, Salner A, Chen M, Judge M, Cong X, Xu W. Pain, fatigue, and associated gene expressions over chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer. PLOS ONE 2025, 20: e0325849. PMID: 40577278, PMCID: PMC12204541, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325849.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSelf-report outcome measuresPain interferenceColorectal cancerOutcome measures of painHigher pain interferenceMixed-effects linear regression analysisMeasures of painStatistically significant associationSymptom burdenNon-HispanicProspective longitudinal studyFatigue patternsLinear mixed modelsFatigue levelsEffective interventionsTargeted interventionsLinear regression analysisSignificant associationCancer CenterPost-chemotherapyLongitudinal studyPainStage III cancerChemotherapy cyclesRegression analysis
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