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T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion Empathy and Compassion

Impact & Research

  1. Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion
  2. Centers
  3. Center for Research on Empathy & Compassion
  4. Impact & Research

Publications

Center scholars and faculty are continuously investigating the complex neurobiological mechanisms behind empathy and comopassion and desgining and evaluating interventions to detect or strengthen skills related to empathy and compassion. Key areas of focus include psychology, neurophysiology, heatlh equity, and technology.

Mental Health & Well-being

  • Tercyak, S., Vyas, I., Kaplan, D. M., Palmer, P. K., Shelton, M., Raison, C. L., Grant, G. H., Idler, E., & Mascaro, J. S. (2025). Exploring the Role of Language in Spiritual Health Consultations: Insights From an Ecological Model of Recovery on Depression and Anxiety. The American journal of hospice & palliative care, 10499091251320410. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10499091251320410 
  • Rubanovich, C. K., Zisook, S., & Bloss, C. S. (2022). Associations Between Privacy-Related Constructs and Depression and Suicide Risk in Health Care Professionals, Trainees, and Students. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 97(2), 239–246. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000004513 
  • Zisook, S., Doran, N., Mortali, M., Hoffman, L., Downs, N., Davidson, J., Fergerson, B., Rubanovich, C. K., Shapiro, D., Tai-Seale, M., Iglewicz, A., Nestsiarovich, A., & Moutier, C. Y. (2022). Relationship between burnout and Major Depressive Disorder in health professionals: A HEAR report. Journal of affective disorders, 312, 259–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.06.047 
  • Zisook, S., Doran, N., Downs, N., Lee, D., Nestsiarovich, A., & Davidson, J. E. (2022). Healthcare provider distress before and since Covid-19. General hospital psychiatry, 79, 180–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2022.08.005 
  • Moutier, C. Y., Myers, M. F., Feist, J. B., Feist, J. C., & Zisook, S. (2021). Preventing Clinician Suicide: A Call to Action During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 96(5), 624–628. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000003972 
  • Depow, G. J., Oldemburgo de Mello, V., & Inzlicht, M. (2025). A positive empathy intervention to improve well-being on Instagram. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 25(5), 1207–1224. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001489 
  • Depow, G. J., & Inzlicht, M. (2025). How Individual Differences in Empathy Predict Moments of Empathy in Everyday Life. Personality & social psychology bulletin, 1461672251333823. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251333823 
  • Jurkiewicz, O., & Oveis, C. (2025). Helping you helps me: Beneficial effects of regulating others' emotions on well-being and physiological stress. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 25(2), 372–386. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001446 

Physician & Trainee Wellness / Burnout

  • Subramony, R., Gieschen, J., Kreshak, A., Tolia, V., & Minns, A. (2025). The Introduction of Flow Facilitators: A Targeted Wellness Initiative in the Emergency Department. The Journal of emergency medicine, 74, 134–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2025.03.008 
  • Card A. J. (2018). Physician Burnout: Resilience Training is Only Part of the Solution. Annals of family medicine, 16(3), 267–270. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2223 
  • Card A. J. (2021). Burnout and Sources of Stress Among Health Care Risk Managers and Patient Safety Personnel During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Study. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 1–3. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2021.120 
  • Tai-Seale, M., Walker, A., Cheng, Y., Yung, N., Webb, S., Lunde, O., Bazzo, D., Mandvi, A., Doran, N., Kallenberg, G., Longhurst, C. A., Zisook, S., Savides, T. J., Millen, M., & Liu, L. (2024). Learning health system research as a catalyst for promoting physician wellness: EHR InBasket Spring cleaning and team-based compassion practice. Learning health systems, 9(1), e10444. https://doi.org/10.1002/lrh2.10444 

Compassion, Mindfulness, and Training Interventions

  • Jaiswal, S., Purpura, S. R., Manchanda, J. K., Nan, J., Azeez, N., Ramanathan, D., & Mishra, J. (2024). Design and Implementation of a Brief Digital Mindfulness and Compassion Training App for Health Care Professionals: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR mental health, 11, e49467. https://doi.org/10.2196/49467 
  • Ramanathan, D., Nan, J., Grennan, G., Jaiswal, S., Purpura, S., Manchanda, J., Maric, V., Balasubramani, P. P., & Mishra, J. (2024). Modulation of Posterior Default Mode Network Activity During Interoceptive Attention and Relation to Mindfulness. Biological psychiatry global open science, 4(6), 100384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100384 

Neuroscience & Brain Function

  • Zhu, Z., Gong, R., Rodriguez, V., Quach, K. T., Chen, X., & Sternson, S. M. (2025). Hedonic eating is controlled by dopamine neurons that oppose GLP-1R satiety. Science (New York, N.Y.), 387(6741), eadt0773. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adt0773 
  • Winokur, E. J., Song, C., Leija, E. S., Chen, J., Kross, S., Shamam, D., Aguilar-Rivera, M., Quinn, L. K., Rossano, F., & Chiba, A. A. (2023). Reciprocity in dyads and triads: Female rats alter their prosocial behavior according to the social context. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 10(3), 169–210.
  • Ramachandran, V., Chunharas, C., Marcus, Z., Furnish, T., & Lin, A. (2018). Relief from intractable phantom pain by combining psilocybin and mirror visual feedback. Neurocase, 24, 105–110.
  • Castellanos, J. P., Woolley, C., Bruno, K. A., Zeidan, F., Halberstadt, A., & Furnish, T. (2020). Chronic pain and psychedelics: a review and proposed mechanism of action. Regional anesthesia and pain medicine, 45(7), 486–494. https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2020-101273 

COVID-19

  • Card A. J. (2021). Burnout and Sources of Stress Among Health Care Risk Managers and Patient Safety Personnel During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Study. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 1–3. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2021.120
  • Klaus, F., Peek, E., Quynh, A., Sutherland, A. N., Selvam, D., Moore, R. C., Depp, C. A., & Eyler, L. T. (2022). Mobile survey engagement by older adults is high during multiple phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and is predicted by baseline and structural factors. Frontiers in digital health, 4, 920706. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2022.920706
  • Moutier, C. Y., Myers, M. F., Feist, J. B., Feist, J. C., & Zisook, S. (2021). Preventing Clinician Suicide: A Call to Action During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 96(5), 624–628. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000003972 

Medical Education

  • Lee, K. C., Huang, R., Tal, I. R., Downs, N., & Zisook, S. (2023). Comparison of Suicidal Ideation and Depressive Symptoms Between Medical and Pharmacy Students. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 87(2), ajpe8881. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8881 
  • Roane, D. M., Botticelli, L. M., Macy, M. A., Todman, M., & Zisook, S. (2019). Correction to: Resident Attitudes About Mental Health: a Real-Time Smart Phone Survey. Medical science educator, 29(4), 1159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-019-00757-7 

Digital Health & Technology

  • Goldhaber, N. H., Chea, A., Hekler, E. B., Zhou, W., & Fergerson, B. (2023). Evaluating the mental health of physician-trainees using an SMS text message-based assessment tool: Longitudinal pilot study. JMIR Formative Research, 7, e45102. https://doi.org/10.2196/45102
  • Jaiswal, S., Purpura, S. R., Manchanda, J. K., Nan, J., Azeez, N., Ramanathan, D., & Mishra, J. (2024). Design and implementation of a brief digital mindfulness and compassion training app for health care professionals: Cluster randomized controlled trial. JMIR Mental Health, 11, e49467.