Research

We are actively recruiting for the following studies in our lab

Improving Maternal Mental Health in Military-Affiliated Pregnant Women: Effectiveness of a Smart Bassinet (SHINE)

The purpose of this study is to examine whether a smart bassinet can improve maternal sleep and reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and fatigue during the postpartum period. Sleep deprivation is one of the most common challenges after childbirth and is a major risk factor for postpartum mood disorders. Military-affiliated women, including active-duty service members, veterans and military spouses, may be at particularly high risk due to additional stressors associated with military life; yet they are often underrepresented in maternal mental health research. In this study, participants will be randomly assigned to use either a smart bassinet or a traditional bassinet for up to six months postpartum. The smart bassinet mimics womb-like sensations through gentle rocking and sound, which may promote longer, more restful sleep for infants. This study will also collect blood samples and analyze these samples to determine whether improved sleep influences immune and epigenetic markers that may be linked to postpartum depression.

The Immunobiological Mechanisms of Depression in Perimenopause (PERI)

This study seeks to understand why some women experience depression during perimenopause (a period leading up to menopause characterized by major hormonal shifts). Although perimenopause is known to be a high-risk time for developing depression, especially in women with a history of mood disorders, we still don’t know what biological changes actually trigger these symptoms. This research focuses on how the immune system and hormonal changes may interact to influence mood, with the goal of identifying new biological markers that can help predict who is most at risk. Participants will undergo a mental health assessment, complete questionnaires on mood, anxiety, trauma, and menopause-related symptoms, and have their blood drawn.

Antenatal Anxiety and Dyadic Immune Risk (ADIR) Study

The purpose of this study is to identify changes in the immune system of individuals who have anxiety during pregnancy and whether those changes are related to the risk for allergy in their infants. The importance of this research to public health is that it may help scientists to understand why some children have a higher risk of allergies and help us to identify biomarkers that can determine the allergy risk of infants. This research may also help us to design future studies of ways to intervene prior to birth to change the allergic risk of children.

Almost 10 million children in the US are affected by at least one allergic disease, and the rates of allergies are rising. We know that genetic risk and environmental exposures can affect this risk for allergy, and we know that children born to individuals who are anxious in pregnancy have higher rates of allergy – but we don’t know why.

In this study, we want to examine the function of the immune systems of pregnant individuals with anxiety and determine whether any changes in immune functioning are related to markers of risk for allergy that we can identify in newborns. We will also observe your child’s eating patterns in infancy and measure additional markers of allergy when your baby is about one year old. If you are interested in participating in this study, feel free to reach out to us: pippilab@med.cornell.edu

Please click here to take the survey to determine your eligibility for the study.

Biological Mechanisms of Perinatal Anxiety

The purpose of this study is to identify the clinical and biological phenotypes that define perinatal anxiety. This is an extension of a study funded by the NIMH; the main outcomes of that study have already been published (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36115543/), but we would like to collect additional data to allow us to examine additional biological factors. Anxiety is very common in pregnancy and the postpartum period. There have been many studies on perinatal depression, but relatively few on perinatal anxiety, even though we have considerable evidence of the harmful effects of anxiety on the developing fetus and on the mother’s risk for future illness. Little is known about the biological causes of anxiety in pregnancy, but the immune and endocrine systems may play a role. In this study, we will be enrolling pregnant individuals with and without anxiety to examine immune, endocrine, and other biological factors. Participants will completely psychological assessments and have their blood drawn at four visits across pregnancy and postpartum. If you are interested in participating in this study, feel free to reach out to us: pippilab@med.cornell.edu

Please click here to take the survey your eligibility for the study

Whole-Body Hyperthermia for Mood and Anxiety Disorders

We are studying a new rapid-acting treatment for depression and anxiety. The purpose of this study is to learn how whole-body hyperthermia (treatment in a sauna) may work to decrease feelings of depression and anxiety. Our study involves filling out survey questionnaires and spending time in a sauna; we may also measure your brain activity through EEG and MRI. We are enrolling healthy adults as well as individuals with major depression and postpartum depression. We know that this treatment works well in adults with depression, but we do not know how it works. We also want to find out if postpartum individuals will find this treatment acceptable, and whether the way it works may be different in postpartum individuals from other people. This research study is being done because we do not have very many treatments for depression or anxiety that work quickly. If we could learn more about how this treatment works, we might be able to develop other treatments to help people with depression or anxiety get better quickly. If you are interested in participating in this study, feel free to reach out to us: pippilab@med.cornell.edu

Please click here to take the survey to determine your eligibility for the study.

We are currently conducting analyses for two completed NIH R01 studies

Happy Mother, Healthy Baby (HMHB) – An anxiety-focused early prenatal intervention for the prevention of common mental disorders

This randomized clinical trial aims to evaluate the effect of an evidence-informed, anxiety-focused early prenatal prevention intervention in pregnant women, compared with usual care alone, on the prevalence of Common Mental Disorders (CMDs) at six weeks’ postpartum in Pakistan. We are also assessing the impact of the intervention on the prevalence of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) at birth, preterm birth, and low birth weight as well as the cost-effectiveness of the intervention. The PIPPI Lab is examining biological factors (including immune and endocrine factors) that may be related to the presence of anxiety, to the intervention, and to the assessed birth outcomes. If you are interested in participating in this study, feel free to reach out to us: pippilab@med.cornell.edu

Predictors and Course of Postpartum Obsessions and Compulsions (R01MH118249, PIs Abramowitz and Nestadt)

The purpose of this study is to examine prospectively whether biological and psychological factors that have been correlated with obsessions and compulsions (OCS) precede, coincide with, or follow the onset or exacerbation of perinatal obsessions and compulsions (pOCS). We also investigate the association between perinatal OCS (pOCS), depression, and anxiety, and the effects of pOCS on maternal functioning and obstetric outcomes. Results will allow us to learn for the first time about the relative and interactive contributions of biological and psychological variables, leading to a more complete understanding of the factors that explain pOCS and differentiate it from other states and will foster greater opportunities for developing successful prevention and treatment interventions. If you are interested in participating in this study, feel free to reach out to us: pippilab@med.cornell.edu