Ellen S. Herbener, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor, and member of the Center for Cognitive Medicine and the Psychotic Disorders Program in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Herbener is a clinical investigator with interests particularly in abnormalities in emotional and social functioning in individuals suffering from schizophrenia. Many of the more persistent features of this illness involve decreases in emotional experience, motivation, and expressiveness. Dr. Herbener’s research uses a combination of behavioral and functional MRI strategies to identify and delineate brain processes that may contribute to these types of symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia. She has received funding for her research from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression and the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Herbener received her Bachelors degree from the University of Chicago, and completed her graduate work at Harvard University. She received additional clinical training through the Harvard Medical Schools and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. In addition to her research, she is part of the clinical team assessing and treating individuals experiencing their first episode of psychotic disorder. She is also an active member of the Psychology Internship program, and teaches courses on research methods and fMRI image analysis.

Representative Publications

Herbener, E.S., Hill, S.K., Marvin, R.W., and Sweeney, J.A. (in press). Effects of Antipsychotic Treatment on Emotion Perception in First Episode Schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry.

Herbener, E.S., and Harrow, M. (in press) Are negative symptoms associated with functioning deficits in both schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic patients? A ten-year longitudinal analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin.

Hill, S.K., Schuepbach, D., Herbener, E.S., Keshavan, M.S., & Sweeney, J.A. (2004).Pretreatment and longitudinal studies of neuropsychological deficits in schizophrenia with never-medicated first-episode patients. Schizophrenia Research. 68(1): 49-63.

Harrow, M., Herbener, E., Shanklin, A., Rattenbury, F., and Kaplan, K. (2004). The
psychotic outpatient: Dimensions of delusions and psychosocial functioning in
schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 30: 147-61.

Pavuluri, M., Herbener, E.S., and Sweeney, J. (2004) Psychotic symptoms in pediatric bipolar disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 80: 19-28.

Racenstein, J.W., Harrow, M., Reed, R., Martin, E., Herbener, E.S., and Penn, D.L. (2002) Therelationship between positive symptoms and instrumental work functioning inschizophrenia: A 10-year follow-up study. Schizophrenia Research, 56: 95-103.

Herbener, E. S., and Harrow, M. (2002) The course of anhedonia during ten years of schizophrenic illness. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111(2): 237-48.

Herbener, E.S., and Harrow, M. (2001) Longitudinal assessment of negative symptoms in Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective patients, Other Psychotic patients, and Depressed patients. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 27:525-535.

Marengo, J., Harrow, M., Herbener, E., and Sands, J. (2000) A Prospective Longitudinal 10-year Study of Schizophrenia's Three Major Factors and Depression. Psychiatry Research, 97: 61-77.

Herbener, E.S. Harrow, M., and Sands, J. (2000) The influence of depression on course, functioning and treatment in schizophrenia patients. Psychiatric Annals, 30, 653-658.

Harrow, M., Grossman, L.S., Herbener, E.S., and Davies, E.W. (2000). Ten Year Outcome: Patients with Schizoaffective Disorders, Schizophrenia, Affective Disorders and Mood-Incongruent Psychotic Symptoms. British Journal of Psychiatry, 177, 421-426.