headshot of Layla Banihashemi

Layla Banihashemi

Associate Professor
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
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overview

Dr. Banihashemi is a neuroscientist and neuroanatomist who focuses on stress-related neural circuits that form brain-body connections. She examines how early adversity shapes these 'central visceral circuits' and how these neural circuit differences may contribute to psychopathology and physiological outcomes. Dr. Banihashemi obtained postdoctoral training in human neuroimaging research through the Department of Psychiatry’s Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Training Program (T-32, NHLBI) and was subsequently awarded a National Research Service Award (F-32) on Hypothalamic and Limbic Forebrain Stress Reactivity from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. She was then awarded a Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) from the National Institute of Mental Health to investigate how childhood adversity may influence stress-related neural circuits and contribute to mood, anxiety and trauma-related disorder symptoms. Her current NIMH-funded R01 research investigates distinct dimensions of childhood adversity (threat and deprivation) and their differential relationships with stress-related neural circuits using 7 Tesla neuroimaging.

about

PhD, University of Pittsburgh

MS, University of Pittsburgh

Harris, N.A., Banihashemi, L., & Hasler, B.P. (2024). Sleep as a Modifiable Risk Factor for Progression to Substance Use Disorder: A Review of Applicability in Adolescents with Early Life Adversity. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS, 11(6), 982-993.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/s40429-024-00609-4.

Sibbach, B.M., Karim, H.T., Lo, D., Kasibhatla, N., Santini, T., Weber, J.C., Ibrahim, T.S., & Banihashemi, L. (2024). Manual segmentation of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the dorsal and ventral bed nucleus of stria terminalis using multimodal 7 Tesla structural MRI: probabilistic atlases for a stress-control triad. BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION, 229(2), 273-283. doi: 10.1007/s00429-023-02713-z.

Sibbach, B.M., Karim, H.T., Lo, D., Kasibhatla, N., Santini, T., Weber, J.C., Ibrahim, T.S., & Banihashemi, L. (2024). Manual segmentation of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the dorsal and ventral bed nucleus of stria terminalis using multimodal 7 Tesla structural MRI: probabilistic atlases for a stress-control triad. Brain Struct Funct, 229(2), 273-283.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/s00429-023-02713-z.

Skandalakis, G.P., Neudorfer, C., Payne, C.A., Bond, E., Tavakkoli, A.D., Barrios-Martinez, J., Trutti, A.C., Koutsarnakis, C., Coenen, V.A., Komaitis, S., Hadjipanayis, C.G., Stranjalis, G., Yeh, F.C., Banihashemi, L., Hong, J., Lozano, A.M., Kogan, M., Horn, A., Evans, L.T., & Kalyvas, A. (2024). Establishing connectivity through microdissections of midbrain stimulation-related neural circuits. Brain, 147(9), 3083-3098.Oxford University Press (OUP). doi: 10.1093/brain/awae173.

Taylor, W.D., Ajilore, O., Karim, H.T., Butters, M.A., Krafty, R., Boyd, B.D., Banihashemi, L., Szymkowicz, S.M., Ryan, C., Hassenstab, J., Landman, B.A., & Andreescu, C. (2024). Assessing depression recurrence, cognitive burden, and neurobiological homeostasis in late life: Design and rationale of the REMBRANDT Study. J Mood Anxiety Disord, 5, 100038.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2023.100038.

Zhang, Y., Banihashemi, L., Versace, A., Samolyk, A., Taylor, M., English, G., Schmithorst, V.J., Lee, V.K., Stiffler, R., Aslam, H., Panigrahy, A., Hipwell, A.E., & Phillips, M.L. (2024). Early Infant Prefrontal Cortical Microstructure Predicts Present and Future Emotionality. Biol Psychiatry, 96(12), 959-970.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.04.001.

Banihashemi, L., Clarkson, B.D., Karim, H.T., & Resnick, N.M. (2023). Current Issues in Neuroimaging Research Focused on Urge Urinary Incontinence. J Urol, 210(3), 400-402.Wolters Kluwer. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000003610.

Banihashemi, L., Lv, J., Wu, M., & Zhan, L. (2023). Editorial: Current advances in multimodal human brain imaging and analysis across the lifespan: From mapping to state prediction. Front Neurosci, 17, 1153035.Frontiers. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1153035.

Banihashemi, L., Schmithorst, V.J., Bertocci, M.A., Samolyk, A., Zhang, Y., Lima Santos, J.P., Versace, A., Taylor, M., English, G., Northrup, J.B., Lee, V.K., Stiffler, R., Aslam, H., Panigrahy, A., Hipwell, A.E., & Phillips, M.L. (2023). Neural Network Functional Interactions Mediate or Suppress White Matter-Emotional Behavior Relationships in Infants. Biol Psychiatry, 94(1), 57-67.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.03.004.

Wittenberg, G.F., Fang, X., Roy, S., Lee, B., Miškov-Živanov, N., Hochheiser, H., Banihashemi, L., Vesia, M., & Ramsey, J. (2023). Representation and Retrieval of Brain Connectivity Information derived from TMS Experiments. 2023.01.22.522249.Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2023.01.22.522249.

Zhang, Y., Banihashemi, L., Samolyk, A., Taylor, M., English, G., Schmithorst, V.J., Lee, V.K., Versace, A., Stiffler, R., Aslam, H., Panigrahy, A., Hipwell, A.E., & Phillips, M.L. (2023). Early infant prefrontal gray matter volume is associated with concurrent and future infant emotionality. Transl Psychiatry, 13(1), 125.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41398-023-02427-0.

Banihashemi, L., Peng, C.W., Rangarajan, A., Karim, H.T., Wallace, M.L., Sibbach, B.M., Singh, J., Stinley, M.M., Germain, A., & Aizenstein, H.J. (2022). Childhood Threat Is Associated With Lower Resting-State Connectivity Within a Central Visceral Network. Front Psychol, 13, 805049.Frontiers. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.805049.

Clarkson, B.D., Karim, H.T., Chermansky, C.J., Banihashemi, L., Tyagi, S., Griffiths, D.J., & Resnick, N.M. (2022). Changes in brain response to urgency before and after treatment of urgency urinary incontinence with onabotulinumtoxin A. Neurourol Urodyn, 41(8), 1703-1710.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/nau.25012.

Kolobaric, A., Karim, H.T., Banihashemi, L., Mizuno, A., Aizenstein, H.J., & Andreescu, C. (2022). Are All Anxieties Created Equal? Stress-related Networks and Anxiety Phenotypes in Old Age. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 30(7), 801-812.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2021.12.007.

Sha, Z., & Banihashemi, L. (2022). Integrative omics analysis identifies differential biological pathways that are associated with regional grey matter volume changes in major depressive disorder. Psychol Med, 52(5), 924-935.Cambridge University Press (CUP). doi: 10.1017/S0033291720002676.

Banihashemi, L., Peng, C.W., Verstynen, T., Wallace, M.L., Lamont, D.N., Alkhars, H.M., Yeh, F.C., Beeney, J.E., Aizenstein, H.J., & Germain, A. (2021). Opposing relationships of childhood threat and deprivation with stria terminalis white matter. Hum Brain Mapp, 42(8), 2445-2460.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/hbm.25378.

Beeney, J.E., Forbes, E.E., Hipwell, A.E., Nance, M., Mattia, A., Lawless, J.M., Banihashemi, L., & Stepp, S.D. (2021). Determining the key childhood and adolescent risk factors for future BPD symptoms using regularized regression: comparison to depression and conduct disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 62(2), 223-231.Wiley. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13269.

Moses-Kolko, E.L., Banihashemi, L., & Hipwell, A.E. (2021). Reduced postpartum hippocampal volume is associated with positive mother-infant caregiving behavior. J Affect Disord, 281, 297-302.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.014.

Phillips, M.L., Schmithorst, V.J., Banihashemi, L., Taylor, M., Samolyk, A., Northrup, J.B., English, G.E., Versace, A., Stiffler, R.S., Aslam, H.A., Bonar, L., Panigrahy, A., & Hipwell, A.E. (2021). Patterns of Infant Amygdala Connectivity Mediate the Impact of High Caregiver Affect on Reducing Infant Smiling: Discovery and Replication. Biol Psychiatry, 90(5), 342-352.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.03.026.

Banihashemi, L., Bertocci, M.A., Alkhars, H.M., Versace, A., Northrup, J.B., Lee, V.K., Schmithorst, V.J., Samolyk, A., Taylor, M., English, G.E., Stiffler, R.S., Aslam, H.A., Bonar, L., Panigrahy, A., Hipwell, A.E., & Phillips, M.L. (2020). Limbic white matter structural integrity at 3 months prospectively predicts negative emotionality in 9-month-old infants: a preliminary study. J Affect Disord, 273, 538-541.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.04.029.

Banihashemi, L., Wallace, M.L., Peng, C.W., Stinley, M.M., Germain, A., & Herringa, R.J. (2020). Interactions between childhood maltreatment and combat exposure trauma on stress-related activity within the cingulate cortex: a pilot study. Mil Psychol, 32(2), 176-185.Taylor & Francis. doi: 10.1080/08995605.2019.1702831.

Smagula, S.F., Stahl, S.T., Santini, T., Banihashemi, L., Hall, M.H., Ibrahim, T.S., Reynolds, C.F., Krafty, R.T., Aizenstein, H.J., & Zhan, L. (2020). White Matter Integrity Underlying Depressive Symptoms in Dementia Caregivers. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 28(5), 578-582.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2019.11.010.

Wu, M., Mennin, D.S., Ly, M., Karim, H.T., Banihashemi, L., Tudorascu, D.L., Aizenstein, H.J., & Andreescu, C. (2019). When worry may be good for you: Worry severity and limbic-prefrontal functional connectivity in late-life generalized anxiety disorder. J Affect Disord, 257, 650-657.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.07.022.

Price, R.B., Cummings, L., Gilchrist, D., Graur, S., Banihashemi, L., Kuo, S.S., & Siegle, G.J. (2018). Towards personalized, brain-based behavioral intervention for transdiagnostic anxiety: Transient neural responses to negative images predict outcomes following a targeted computer-based intervention. J Consult Clin Psychol, 86(12), 1031-1045.American Psychological Association (APA). doi: 10.1037/ccp0000309.

Wallace, M.L., Banihashemi, L., O'Donnell, C., Nimgaonkar, V.L., Kodavali, C., McNamee, R., & Germain, A. (2018). Using optimal combined moderators to define heterogeneity in neural responses to randomized conditions: Application to the effect of sleep loss on fear learning. Neuroimage, 181, 718-727.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.051.

Banihashemi, L., Wallace, M.L., Sheu, L.K., Lee, M.C., Gianaros, P.J., Mackenzie, R.P., Insana, S.P., Germain, A., & Herringa, R.J. (2017). Childhood maltreatment moderates the effect of combat exposure on cingulum structural integrity. Dev Psychopathol, 29(5), 1735-1747.Cambridge University Press (CUP). doi: 10.1017/S0954579417001365.

Insana, S.P., Banihashemi, L., Herringa, R.J., Kolko, D.J., & Germain, A. (2016). Childhood maltreatment is associated with altered frontolimbic neurobiological activity during wakefulness in adulthood. Dev Psychopathol, 28(2), 551-564.Cambridge University Press (CUP). doi: 10.1017/S0954579415000589.

Andreescu, C., Mennin, D., Tudorascu, D., Sheu, L.K., Walker, S., Banihashemi, L., & Aizenstein, H. (2015). The many faces of anxiety-neurobiological correlates of anxiety phenotypes. Psychiatry Res, 234(1), 96-105.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.08.013.

Andreescu, C., Sheu, L.K., Tudorascu, D., Gross, J.J., Walker, S., Banihashemi, L., & Aizenstein, H. (2015). Emotion reactivity and regulation in late-life generalized anxiety disorder: functional connectivity at baseline and post-treatment. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 23(2), 200-214.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2014.05.003.

Banihashemi, L., Sheu, L.K., Midei, A.J., & Gianaros, P.J. (2015). Childhood physical abuse predicts stressor-evoked activity within central visceral control regions. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 10(4), 474-485.Oxford University Press (OUP). doi: 10.1093/scan/nsu073.

Banihashemi, L., O'Neill, E.J., & Rinaman, L. (2011). Central neural responses to restraint stress are altered in rats with an early life history of repeated brief maternal separation. Neuroscience, 192, 413-428.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.06.052.

Rinaman, L., Banihashemi, L., & Koehnle, T.J. (2011). Early life experience shapes the functional organization of stress-responsive visceral circuits. Physiol Behav, 104(4), 632-640.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.04.008.

Banihashemi, L., & Rinaman, L. (2010). Repeated brief postnatal maternal separation enhances hypothalamic gastric autonomic circuits in juvenile rats. Neuroscience, 165(1), 265-277.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.09.081.

Almeida, J.R.C., Akkal, D., Hassel, S., Travis, M.J., Banihashemi, L., Kerr, N., Kupfer, D.J., & Phillips, M.L. (2009). Reduced gray matter volume in ventral prefrontal cortex but not amygdala in bipolar disorder: significant effects of gender and trait anxiety. Psychiatry Res, 171(1), 54-68.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2008.02.001.

Banihashemi, L., & Rinaman, L. (2007). Characterization of autonomic emotional motor circuits in young rats. FASEB JOURNAL, 21(5), A475.

Banihashemi, L., & Rinaman, L. (2006). Noradrenergic inputs to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus underlie hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis but not hypophagic or conditioned avoidance responses to systemic yohimbine. J Neurosci, 26(44), 11442-11453.Society for Neuroscience. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3561-06.2006.

Myers, E.A., Banihashemi, L., & Rinaman, L. (2005). The anxiogenic drug yohimbine activates central viscerosensory circuits in rats. J Comp Neurol, 492(4), 426-441.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/cne.20727.

Myers, E.A., Banihashemi, L., Sprute, L., & Rinaman, L. (2004). Central neural activation and behavioral responses to systemic yohimbine in rats. FASEB JOURNAL, 18(4), A339.

Zhang, Y., Banihashemi, L., Versace, A., Samolyk, A., Taylor, M., English, G., Schmithorst, V., Lee, V., Santos, J., Stiffler, R., Aslam, H., Panigrahy, A., Hipwell, A., & Phillips, M. (2023). Associations Between Microstructural Properties of Early Prefrontal Cortex and Infant Emotionality. In BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY, 93(9), (p. S200).

Banihashemi, L., Schmithorst, V., Bertocci, M., Samolyk, A., Santos, J.P.L., Versace, A., Taylor, M., English, G., Northrup, J.B., Lee, V.K., Stiffler, R., Aslam, H., Panigrahy, A., Hipwell, A., & Phillips, M. (2022). Neural Network Functional Interactions Influence White Matter-Emotional Behavior Relationships in Infants. In NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, 47, (p. 146).

Banihashemi, L., Schmithorst, V., Bertocci, M., Samolyk, A., Santos, J.P.L., Versace, A., Taylor, M., English, G., Northrup, J.B., Lee, V.K., Stiffler, R., Aslam, H., Panigrahy, A., Hipwell, A., & Phillips, M. (2022). Neural Network Functional Interactions Influence White Matter-Emotional Behavior Relationships in Infants. In NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, 47(SUPPL 1), (p. 146).

Phillips, M., Banihashemi, L., Schmithorst, V., Bertocci, M., Stiffler, R., Aslam, H., Samolyk, A., English, G., Taylor, M., Panigrahy, A., & Hipwell, A. (2022). Functional and White Matter Marker Predictors of Risk for Future Affective Disorders Across Infants and Young Adults. In BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY, 91(9), (pp. S37-S38).

Banihashemi, L., Peng, C., Rangarajan, A., Karim, H., Aizenstein, H., & Germain, A. (2021). Links Between Childhood Adversity and Extended Amygdala Stressor-Evoked Activity and Connectivity in a Transdiagnostic Sample. In NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, 46(SUPPL 1), (pp. 514-515).

Phillips, M., Schmithorst, V., Banihashemi, L., Taylor, M., Samolyk, A., Northrop, J., English, G., Versace, A., Stiffler, R., Aslam, H., Panigrahy, A., & Hipwell, A. (2021). Early Infant Amygdala Resting State Functional Connectivity Protects Against the Impact of High Levels of Caregiver Depression and Anxiety on Reducing Infant Positive Emotionality. In BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY, 89(9), (pp. S29-S30).

Phillips, M., Hipwell, A., Banihashemi, L., Bertocci, M., Fournier, J., Versace, A., Monk, K., Aslam, H., Mccaffrey, A., Bonar, L., Stiffler, R., & Birmaher, B. (2020). Elucidating Multimodal Neural Marker Predictors of Future Vulnerability to Mood Disorders Across Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence. In BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY, 87(9), (pp. S67-S68).

Alkhars, H., Peng, C.W., Verstynen, T., Wallace, M.L., Aizenstein, H.A., Germain, A., & Banihashemi, L. (2019). Effects of Childhood Threat and Deprivation on Stria Terminalis and Medial Forebrain Bundle White Matter. In BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY, 85(10), (pp. S311-S312).Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.790.

Banihashemi, L., Alkhars, H.M., Versace, A., Hanford, L.C., Bertocci, M.A., Northrup, J.B., Lee, V.K., Bonar, L., Schmithorst, V.J., Panigrahy, A., Hipwell, A., & Phillips, M. (2019). The Longitudinal Relationship Between White Matter Structural Integrity and Emotion Regulation in Neonates: A Preliminary Study. In NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, 44(SUPPL 1), (pp. 283-284).

Banihashemi, L., Peng, C., Verstynen, T., Aizenstein, H., & Germain, A. (2017). MULTIMODAL ASSOCIATIONS OF CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT WITH THE STRIA TERMINALIS AND ITS BED NUCLEUS. In PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE, 79(4), (pp. A112-A113).

Banihashemi, L., Herringa, R.J., Sheu, L.K., Germain, A., & Gianaros, P.J. (2014). Childhood Adversity is Associated with Resting Perfusion within Central Visceral Regions and the Structural Integrity of the Stria Terminalis within Healthy and PTSS Groups. In BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY, 75(9), (p. 306S).

Andreescu, C., Tudorascu, D.L., Sheu, L.K., Walker, S., Patel, M., Banihashemi, L., & Aizenstein, H.J. (2013). Functional and Structural Connectivity in the Salience Network in Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY, 73(9), (pp. 77S-78S).

Banihashemi, L., Sheu, L.K., & Gianaros, P.J. (2012). Childhood Abuse Predicts Adulthood Stressor-Evoked Activity in Hypothalamic and Limbic Forebrain Regions. In BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY, 71(8), (p. 309S).