Yael I. Nillni, PhD

Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Expertise and Interests:

-Impact of trauma and mental health on women's reproductive health, including pregnancy outcomes and postpartum health

-Impact of the menstrual cycle and its underlying neurobiology on PTSD course and treatment

-Identification of gender-specific vulnerability-stress pathways in the pathogenesis of psychopathology

-Refinement of existing interventions to improve their effectiveness for women

Publications

  • Published 5/10/2025

    Baier AL, Nillni YI, Mandavia A, Livingston N, Galovski T. Neighborhood context: Understanding the relationship between national indices of neighborhood risk, individual perception, and posttraumatic stress. Soc Sci Med. 2025 Sep; 380:118163. PMID: 40403591.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 4/10/2025

    Nietsch KS, Estevez SL, Goodsmith N, Haeger KO, Inderstrodt J, Inslicht SS, Kosman KA, Mu Q, Nillni YI, Quinn D, Rodriguez A, Siff L, Stryczek KC, Tartaglione EV, Katon JG. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Reproductive Health Care and Outcomes Among Female Veterans: A Scoping Review. Health Equity. 2025; 9(1):203-228. PMID: 40677648.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/7/2025

    Baier AL, Fox AB, Nillni YI, Matteo RA, Vogt D, Smith BN, Galovski T. Variation in pandemic impacts on the mental health of Black, Hispanic, and White American veterans. J Psychiatr Res. 2025 May; 185:194-203. PMID: 40203789.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 2/3/2025

    Rossi FS, Nillni YI, Miller AN, Fox AB, Eliacin J, Schnurr PP, Duke CC, Gradus JL, Galovski TE. Gender and ethnoracial disparities in Veterans' trauma exposure prevalence across differing life phases. Inj Epidemiol. 2025 Feb 03; 12(1):8. PMID: 39901188.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 1/21/2025

    Nillni YI, Schildroth S, Yland JJ, Brown HL, Wesselink AK, Wise LA. Association between adverse perinatal events and postpartum depressive symptoms in a North American prospective preconception cohort study. J Affect Disord. 2025 Apr 15; 375:525-532. PMID: 39848472.

    Read at: PubMed

Other Positions

  • Clinical Research Psychologist, National Center for PTSD
    VA Boston Healthcare System

Education

  • University of Vermont, PhD
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst, BA