Dr. Helen Pushkarskaya

Biography

Helen Pushkarskaya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, where she also holds a position as Associate Research Scientist. She has extensive training across multiple disciplines, including mathematics and physics (undergraduate training at Moscow Physics Technology Institute), economics (graduate training at Ohio State University), psychology (postdoctoral training at Ohio State University), neurobiology (T32 fellowship at Yale), and clinical sciences (NIH K01 Career Development Award at Yale). Pushkarskaya's research is notably multidisciplinary, focusing on the intersection of behavioral fMRI studies, surveys, interviews, and clinical assessments. Her work investigates differential susceptibility models, exploring how individual responses to environmental conditions differ based on developmental paths and current socio-economic contexts. Through her research, she aims to discern the intricacies of psychological, social, and neurobiological processes in decision-making and how these factors can influence resilience and vulnerability to mental health challenges. Her ultimate goal is to identify adaptive variations that can be leveraged in clinical practices and social policies to promote early interventions for those at risk.

Research Interests