Faculty

Mary L Woody, PhD

Mary L Woody, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email

Education & Training

PhD
Clinical Psychology, Binghamton University (SUNY)
Clinical Psychology, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC
Clinical Psychology, University of Pittsburgh

Selected Honors & Awards

Biobehavioral Research Award for Innovative New Scientists, National Institute of Mental Health
Child and Adolescent Depression Fellow, Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation
Young Investigator Award, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

Research Interests

Mechanisms of depression, anxiety & stress; Neurocognitive interventions; Health equity
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Woody ML, Rohac R, Cooper I, Griffo A, McDonald N, Spotts C, Fournier J, Jones N, Pecina M, Young K, Shivanekar S, Rengasamy M, Grafton B, Price RB. The impact of intravenous ketamine on attention bias: Probing mechanisms of rapid-acting antidepressant effects across two clinical studies. Biol Psychiatry, 2025 Nov 21; 97(8):835-42. PubMed PMID: 39581291.
  2. Woody ML, Ladouceur CD, Borrero E, Wang YS, & Silk JS. Avoidance bias to angry faces predicts the development of depressive symptoms among adolescent girls. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol, 2022 Dec 1;50(12):1657-69. PubMed PMID: 35870037.
  3. Woody ML, Bell EC, Cruz NA, Wears A, Anderson RE, Price RB. Racial stress and trauma and the development of adolescent depression: A review of the role of vigilance evoked by racism-related threat. Chronic Stress, 2022 Aug 1;6:24705470221118574. PubMed PMID: 35966451.
  4. Woody ML, Kaurin A, McKone KMP, Ladouceur CD, Silk JS. Displays of negative facial affect during parent-adolescent conflict and the bidirectional transmission of social anxiety. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2022 Aug;63(8):846-854. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13530. Epub 2021 Oct 7. PMID: 34617605; PMCID: PMC8986877.
  5. Woody ML, Yang JO, Cummings L, Gilchrist D, Graur S, Siegle GJ, Price RB. Protracted amygdalar response predicts efficacy of a computer-based intervention targeting attentional patterns in transdiagnostic clinical anxiety. Transl Psychiatry. 2019 Mar 28;9(1):121.

Clinical Interests

Depressive disorders; Anxiety, trauma & stressor-related disorders; Prevention & early intervention for youth

Education Interests

Research mentorship; Supporting trainees from diverse backgrounds; Medical student & resident education
Selected Education Publications & Products
  1. Price RB, Woody ML. Attention and Interpretation. In: Petit J and Olino T, editors. APA Handbook of Depression. American Psychological Association. 2025. ISBN: 978-1-4338-4331-0
  2. Woody ML, Price RB. Targeting neurodevelopmental mechanisms in emotional disorders through intervention. In: Della Sala S, editor. Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience 2nd Edition. Elsevier Science; 2021.
  3. Price RB, Woody ML. Emotional disorders in development. In: Della Sala S, editor. Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience 2nd Edition. Elsevier Science; 2021.

Biological Psychiatry – The Impact of Intravenous Ketamine on Attentional Bias: Probing Mechanisms of Rapid-Acting Antidepressant Effects in Two Clinical Studies

Biological Psychiatry

Intravenous ketamine produces reliable, fast-acting, and potent antidepressant effects even among individuals with treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine can also be a powerful experimental tool to provide a more precise evaluation of neurocognitive mechanisms underlying reduction in depression symptoms. Cognitive theorists of depression have long posited that systematic alterations in attentional bias (giving...

The Developmental Affective Neuroscience Symposium: Presenting Translational Research in Developmental Psychopathology

The Developmental Affective Neuroscience Symposium Collage

The Developmental Affective Neuroscience Symposium (DANS) presents recent translational research in developmental psychopathology. The 2023 DANS theme was “ Neurodevelopment of Regulatory Systems: A Focus on Emotions and Motivation,” featuring research focused on the development of neural networks and circuitries implicated in regulating or modulating neural response to emotionally or motivationally salient...

The Department of Psychiatry’s Biggest-Ever Research Day

2023 Pitt Psychiatry Research Day Session

The 21st annual Department of Psychiatry Research Day, held on June 8, 2023 was the biggest Research Day ever, attended by more than 500 faculty members, trainees, and staff, and featuring 160 posters at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh.   Lunchtime roundtables followed the morning poster session. More than 250 participants joined one of 30 roundtable discussion groups...

Augmented Reality Brain-Computer Interface for Depression Prevention Receives Pitt Innovation Challenge Award

Dr. Mary Woody with Research Associate

Congratulations to Mary Woody, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), whose project CREAM Depression: Augmented Reality BCI* was selected to receive a Pitt Innovation Challenge (PInCh) award! The PInCh competition is supported by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute and is designed to support diverse teams who generate innovative solutions to challenging health problems. PInCh provides funding and...

Avoidance Bias to Angry Faces Predicts Development of Depressive Symptoms in Adolescent Girls

Dr. Mary Woody

Adolescence is a sensitive window for the development of depressive and social anxiety disorders, particularly among girls. Models of depression and social anxiety suggest that individuals with or at high risk for these conditions may exhibit interpersonal behaviors in early adolescence—such as social avoidance and withdrawal—that can evoke negative reactions from others and lead teens to miss out on potential...