World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Best Female Scientists
2025
Award Badge
Psychology
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Best Female Scientists

D-Index
130
Citations
63674
World Ranking
356
National Ranking
216

Psychology

D-Index
133
Citations
65941
World Ranking
153
National Ranking
95

Medicine

D-Index
131
Citations
65206
World Ranking
2396
National Ranking
1354

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Psychology in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Best Female Scientists Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Psychology in United States Leader Award
  • 2019 - Member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM)

Overview

Rachel Yehuda is affiliated with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in the United States. Their research spans several interconnected fields including psychology, neuroscience, and medicine, with particular focus on clinical psychology and behavioral neuroscience.

Their published work frequently appears in recognized venues such as Biological Psychiatry, European Neuropsychopharmacology, Translational Psychiatry, bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), and Molecular Psychiatry. This includes seven publications in Biological Psychiatry and six in European Neuropsychopharmacology, indicating repeated contributions to these journals.

Yehuda's research topics cover a broad range of subjects. Among the most prominent are:

  • Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Anesthesia and Neurotoxicity Research
  • Psychedelics and Drug Studies
  • Chemical synthesis and alkaloids
  • Traumatic Brain Injury Research
  • Tryptophan and brain disorders

Their work also includes subfields such as clinical psychology, behavioral neuroscience, developmental neuroscience, molecular biology, and organic chemistry. This multidisciplinary approach supports investigations into complex disorders and mechanisms related to trauma and stress.

Their recent publications demonstrate engagement with current topics and diverse collaborations. Examples include:

  • Correction: Differential transcriptional response following glucocorticoid activation in cultured blood immune cells: a novel approach to PTSD biomarker development (2020, Translational Psychiatry)
  • The Intergenerational Impact of Structural Racism and Cumulative Trauma on Depression (2022, American Journal of Psychiatry)
  • A DNA methylation clock associated with age-related illnesses and mortality is accelerated in men with combat PTSD (2020, Molecular Psychiatry)
  • Genomic influences on self-reported childhood maltreatment (2020, Translational Psychiatry)
  • Intergenerational Effects of Maternal Holocaust Exposure on FKBP5 Methylation (2020, American Journal of Psychiatry)

Frequent collaborators in their research include Janine D. Flory, Linda M. Bierer, Iouri Makotkine, Heather N. Bader, and Marti Jett, reflecting ongoing partnerships in the investigation of trauma, stress, and psychiatric conditions.

Rachel Yehuda received recognition as a Member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2019, illustrating professional acknowledgment within the medical research community.

Best Publications

  • Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: interdisciplinary perspectives

    Steven M. Southwick;George A. Bonanno;Ann S. Masten;Catherine Panter-Brick

  • Response Variation following Trauma: A Translational Neuroscience Approach to Understanding PTSD

    Rachel Yehuda;Joseph LeDoux

  • Childhood physical abuse and combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans

    J D Bremner;S M Southwick;D R Johnson;R Yehuda

  • Transgenerational Effects of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Babies of Mothers Exposed to the World Trade Center Attacks during Pregnancy

    Rachel Yehuda;Stephanie Mulherin Engel;Sarah R. Brand;Jonathan Seckl

  • Holocaust Exposure Induced Intergenerational Effects on FKBP5 Methylation

    Rachel Yehuda;Rachel Yehuda;Nikolaos P. Daskalakis;Nikolaos P. Daskalakis;Linda M. Bierer;Linda M. Bierer;Heather N. Bader;Heather N. Bader

  • Cortisol regulation in posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression: a chronobiological analysis.

    Rachel Yehuda;Martin H. Teicher;Martin H. Teicher;Robert L. Trestman;Robert A. Levengood

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

    Unknown

  • Conflict between current knowledge about posttraumatic stress disorder and its original conceptual basis

    Rachel Yehuda;Alexander C. McFarlane

  • Low urinary cortisol excretion in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder.

    Rachel Yehuda;Steven M. Southwick;Gabriel Nussbaum;Victor S. Wahby

  • Predicting the development of posttraumatic stress disorder from the acute response to a traumatic event.

    Rachel Yehuda;Alexander C. McFarlane;Arieh Y. Shalev

  • Low Urinary Cortisol Excretion in Holocaust Survivors With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

    Rachel Yehuda;Boaz Kahana;Karen Binder-Brynes;Steven M. Southwick

  • Childhood emotional abuse and neglect as predictors of psychological and physical symptoms in women presenting to a primary care practice

    Ilyse L Spertus;Rachel Yehuda;Cheryl M Wong;Sarah Halligan

  • Current status of cortisol findings in post-traumatic stress disorder.

    Rachel Yehuda

  • Biology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

    Rachel Yehuda

  • Childhood trauma and risk for PTSD: relationship to intergenerational effects of trauma, parental PTSD and cortisol excretion

    Rachel Yehuda;Sarah L. Halligan;Robert Grossman

  • Enhanced suppression of cortisol following dexamethasone administration in posttraumatic stress disorder.

    Rachel Yehuda;Steven M. Southwick;John H. Krystal;Douglas Bremner

  • International meta-analysis of PTSD genome-wide association studies identifies sex- and ancestry-specific genetic risk loci

    Caroline M. Nievergelt;Caroline M. Nievergelt;Adam X. Maihofer;Adam X. Maihofer;Torsten Klengel;Torsten Klengel;Elizabeth G. Atkinson;Elizabeth G. Atkinson

  • Effect of previous trauma on acute plasma cortisol level following rape

    Heidi S. Resnick;Rachel Yehuda;Roger K. Pitman;David W. Foy

  • Dose-response changes in plasma cortisol and lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptors following dexamethasone administration in combat veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder

    Rachel Yehuda;David Boisoneau;Martin T. Lowy;Earl L. Giller

  • CSF norepinephrine concentrations in posttraumatic stress disorder.

    Thomas D. Geracioti;Dewleen G. Baker;Nosakhare N. Ekhator;Scott A. West

  • Predictors of posttraumatic stress in police and other first responders.

    Charles R. Marmar;Charles R. Marmar;Shannon E. McCASLIN;Shannon E. McCASLIN;Thomas J. Metzler;Thomas J. Metzler;Suzanne Best

  • Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal dysfunction in posttraumatic stress disorder.

    Rachel Yehuda;Earl L. Giller;Steven M. Southwick;Steven M. Southwick;Martin T. Lowy

Frequent Co-Authors

Janine D. Flory
Janine D. Flory Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Charles R. Marmar
Charles R. Marmar New York University
James Schmeidler
James Schmeidler Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Steven M. Southwick
Steven M. Southwick Yale University
Thomas C. Neylan
Thomas C. Neylan University of California, San Francisco
Owen M. Wolkowitz
Owen M. Wolkowitz University of California, San Francisco
Dewleen G. Baker
Dewleen G. Baker University of California, San Diego
Synthia H. Mellon
Synthia H. Mellon University of California, San Francisco
Kerry J. Ressler
Kerry J. Ressler Harvard University
Larry J. Siever
Larry J. Siever Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Considering a career in psychology opens up a wide range of options, from clinical and counseling roles to research and human services. As the field grows, online psychology degrees have become increasingly popular, offering greater flexibility for students across the country. Exploring specialized programs and regional opportunities is a smart way to tailor your educational journey.

If you’re interested in location-based options, check out the top psychology degrees in Charlotte for access to leading faculty and vibrant communities. Alternatively, review the best psychology program rankings in Cleveland to compare institutions in Ohio renowned for their research and clinical training.

Students seeking opportunities in the west can explore the best psychology program rankings in Colorado. Colorado features diverse programs and strong industry connections. For those focused on a specific city, the best psychology degree rankings in Colorado Springs highlight local universities with unique pathways.

By researching accredited online options and understanding regional differences, you can choose a psychology degree that lines up with your career ambitions and personal commitments.

Best Scientists Citing Rachel Yehuda

Trending Scientists