New research using functional MRI data finds that how adolescents’ brains were wired — before COVID-19 — predicted their stress, negative emotions, and overall mental health during the height of the pandemic, making them more vulnerable or more resilient.

Harvard Gazette article on new research from Vadim N. Gladyshev and colleagues, first author Jesse R. Poganik, finding that in preclinical models and in humans, stress from surgery, pregnancy, and severe COVID-19 increased signs of biological age, which were reversed following recovery.

HMS News article on new research from Nathaniel Harnett and Kerry Ressler, first author Nathalie M. Dumornay, highlighting how structural racism may affect brain development and psychiatric disease in Black and white children.

Mass. General Hospital Advances in Motion article on new research from Randy Buckner and colleagues, co-first authors Constanza M. Vidal Bustamante and Garth Coombs III, determining in an intensive full-year study of elite first-year college students that frequent social stress is more likely than academic stress to be associated with subsequent psychological problems.

HMS News article on new research from Laura Barger and colleagues, first author Matthew Weaver, using national surveys of residents before and after a 16 hour shift limit on new medical residents was enacted in 2011, find that reported medical errors and adverse events dropped by more than a third, and medical errors resulting in patient death declined by almost two-thirds.

Emotional eating is known to be a contributing factor to overeating and can potentially lead to obesity or disordered eating. Laura Holsen shares new research showing how differential responsivity to stress may increase the risk of developing maladaptive eating behavior.

Harvard Gazette article on new research from the labs of Katie L. McLaughlin and colleagues at the University of Washington, first author Maya L. Rosen, suggesting practical strategies to help children through a pandemic.

Jakob Hartmann and Kerry Ressler share new research dissecting the interplay between key proteins involved in regulating the body’s stress response. Their work provides novel insight into mechanisms of stress homeostasis and points to potential therapeutic targets when this response goes awry.

Harvard Catalyst interview with Paulo Lizano, a neuropsychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Harvard Medical School.

Harvard Gazette article on new research from Ya-Chieh Hsu, Amar Sahay, and colleagues, first author Sekyu Choi, identifying the biological mechanism by which chronic stress impairs hair follicle stem cells, confirming long-standing observations that stress might lead to hair loss.

BCH Vector Blog article on a new study from the lab of Charles Nelson (first author Lara Pierce) assessing new mothers’ stress levels and EEG patterns in their 2-month-old babies. Such patterns could help flag at-risk infants.