Ziv Ben-Zion, PhD
@zivbenzion.bsky.social
Neural Mechanisms of Stress Vulnerability & Resilience 🧠 | Incoming Assistant Professor @Haifa University 👨🏫 | Postdoctoral Fellow @Yale University 🎓
Pinned
The Two Faces of #PTSD: Fear vs. Emotional Pain. Our new research in Biological Psychiatry @biologicalpsych.bsky.social identifies distinct clinical & neural profiles.
AI says no one reads long papers, so we made an infographic!👇
Full Paper (for the insistents😉): doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
AI says no one reads long papers, so we made an infographic!👇
Full Paper (for the insistents😉): doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
Grateful to @biologicalpsych.bsky.social for highlighting our work on fear vs. emotional pain in PTSD, from symptom networks to neural signatures. Open access for 60 days 👇
doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
February 5, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Grateful to @biologicalpsych.bsky.social for highlighting our work on fear vs. emotional pain in PTSD, from symptom networks to neural signatures. Open access for 60 days 👇
doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
Honored to receive the @acnporg.bsky.social Travel Award! Grateful for the support and for the opportunity to share our work and engage with this outstanding scientific community.
@haifaresearch.bsky.social @yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social @yale.edu @dpn-journal.bsky.social @npp-journal.bsky.social
@haifaresearch.bsky.social @yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social @yale.edu @dpn-journal.bsky.social @npp-journal.bsky.social
January 17, 2026 at 4:05 AM
Honored to receive the @acnporg.bsky.social Travel Award! Grateful for the support and for the opportunity to share our work and engage with this outstanding scientific community.
@haifaresearch.bsky.social @yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social @yale.edu @dpn-journal.bsky.social @npp-journal.bsky.social
@haifaresearch.bsky.social @yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social @yale.edu @dpn-journal.bsky.social @npp-journal.bsky.social
January 15, 2026 at 3:08 PM
PTSD is not only about fear. Our new work identifies an emotional pain–dominant profile with distinct neural signatures.
🔗 medicine.yale.edu/news-article...
🔗 medicine.yale.edu/news-article...
More Than Just Fear: A New Profile of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Both fear and emotional pain present unique symptom profiles in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder, potentially informing new treatment approaches.
medicine.yale.edu
January 13, 2026 at 8:19 PM
PTSD is not only about fear. Our new work identifies an emotional pain–dominant profile with distinct neural signatures.
🔗 medicine.yale.edu/news-article...
🔗 medicine.yale.edu/news-article...
💥 Why do some people develop PTSD while others stay resilient?
I joined Haifa IBBRC podcast to discuss the neurocognitive mechanisms of stress and the intersection of AI & mental health. @haifaresearch.bsky.social
🎧 Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/7fHf...
#Neuroscience #PTSD #SciComm
I joined Haifa IBBRC podcast to discuss the neurocognitive mechanisms of stress and the intersection of AI & mental health. @haifaresearch.bsky.social
🎧 Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/7fHf...
#Neuroscience #PTSD #SciComm
Spotify – Web Player
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7fHfUW…
December 23, 2025 at 8:48 AM
💥 Why do some people develop PTSD while others stay resilient?
I joined Haifa IBBRC podcast to discuss the neurocognitive mechanisms of stress and the intersection of AI & mental health. @haifaresearch.bsky.social
🎧 Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/7fHf...
#Neuroscience #PTSD #SciComm
I joined Haifa IBBRC podcast to discuss the neurocognitive mechanisms of stress and the intersection of AI & mental health. @haifaresearch.bsky.social
🎧 Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/7fHf...
#Neuroscience #PTSD #SciComm
The Two Faces of #PTSD: Fear vs. Emotional Pain. Our new research in Biological Psychiatry @biologicalpsych.bsky.social identifies distinct clinical & neural profiles.
AI says no one reads long papers, so we made an infographic!👇
Full Paper (for the insistents😉): doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
AI says no one reads long papers, so we made an infographic!👇
Full Paper (for the insistents😉): doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
December 6, 2025 at 11:35 AM
The Two Faces of #PTSD: Fear vs. Emotional Pain. Our new research in Biological Psychiatry @biologicalpsych.bsky.social identifies distinct clinical & neural profiles.
AI says no one reads long papers, so we made an infographic!👇
Full Paper (for the insistents😉): doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
AI says no one reads long papers, so we made an infographic!👇
Full Paper (for the insistents😉): doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
Reposted by Ziv Ben-Zion, PhD
Excited to see this paper out in Biological Psychiatry! It highlights that emotional pain and fear represent distinct PTSD dimensions, leading us closer to identifying PTSD subtypes with dissociable biological underpinnings. Congrats on leading the charge on this cool study @zivbenzion.bsky.social
Dissecting Fear and Emotional Pain in PTSD: From Symptom Networks to Neural Signatures
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a heterogeneous condition with diverse symptom presentations and emotional experiences. While fear is traditio…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Excited to see this paper out in Biological Psychiatry! It highlights that emotional pain and fear represent distinct PTSD dimensions, leading us closer to identifying PTSD subtypes with dissociable biological underpinnings. Congrats on leading the charge on this cool study @zivbenzion.bsky.social
Reposted by Ziv Ben-Zion, PhD
Dr. Ziv Ben-Zion is a clinical neuroscientist studying the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying stress vulnerability and resilience, aiming to develop personalized treatments for stress- and anxiety-related disorders, particularly PTSD #ACNP2026 /
@zivbenzion.bsky.social
@zivbenzion.bsky.social
December 1, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Dr. Ziv Ben-Zion is a clinical neuroscientist studying the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying stress vulnerability and resilience, aiming to develop personalized treatments for stress- and anxiety-related disorders, particularly PTSD #ACNP2026 /
@zivbenzion.bsky.social
@zivbenzion.bsky.social
📢 Our new study on psychedelics, trauma & resilience among Nova survivors is out in EJPT: doi.org/10.1080/2000...
We found that healing was shaped by friendship, community, shared rituals & compassionate spaces.
Because after collective trauma, connection becomes medicine 💛
We found that healing was shaped by friendship, community, shared rituals & compassionate spaces.
Because after collective trauma, connection becomes medicine 💛
Psychedelics and collective trauma: multisystemic resilience and recovery pathways among Nova festival survivors – a qualitative study
Objective: On 7 October 2023, a mass-casualty attack at the Nova festival in Israel created an unprecedented convergence of collective trauma and altered states of consciousness. Many survivors wer...
doi.org
November 15, 2025 at 9:30 PM
📢 Our new study on psychedelics, trauma & resilience among Nova survivors is out in EJPT: doi.org/10.1080/2000...
We found that healing was shaped by friendship, community, shared rituals & compassionate spaces.
Because after collective trauma, connection becomes medicine 💛
We found that healing was shaped by friendship, community, shared rituals & compassionate spaces.
Because after collective trauma, connection becomes medicine 💛
1,000 citations! 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣
Next stop: understanding the brain 🧠😉🎉
Next stop: understanding the brain 🧠😉🎉
November 12, 2025 at 7:18 PM
1,000 citations! 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣
Next stop: understanding the brain 🧠😉🎉
Next stop: understanding the brain 🧠😉🎉
🎙️ Excited to share my recent interview on Science Friday, airing on 500+ @npr.org stations and reaching 1.8M weekly listeners. I spoke with Emma Gometz about emotional AI and what happens when chatbots start to “feel.”
👉 www.sciencefriday.com/articles/tro...
#AI #LLM #Ethics #MentalHealth #Science
👉 www.sciencefriday.com/articles/tro...
#AI #LLM #Ethics #MentalHealth #Science
'Tron: Ares' And What Happens When AI Gets The Feels
What does AI do with human feelings? To investigate its readiness to serve as a therapist, a neuroscientist took ChatGPT for an emotional ride.
www.sciencefriday.com
October 16, 2025 at 12:44 PM
🎙️ Excited to share my recent interview on Science Friday, airing on 500+ @npr.org stations and reaching 1.8M weekly listeners. I spoke with Emma Gometz about emotional AI and what happens when chatbots start to “feel.”
👉 www.sciencefriday.com/articles/tro...
#AI #LLM #Ethics #MentalHealth #Science
👉 www.sciencefriday.com/articles/tro...
#AI #LLM #Ethics #MentalHealth #Science
Finally we can breathe again... Welcome Home! 🙏❤️🎗
October 13, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Finally we can breathe again... Welcome Home! 🙏❤️🎗
🚨 New preprint!
Can AI agents show emotional bias like humans under stress?
🔗 www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7...
🤖 After exposure to traumatic text, LLMs-as-agents made less-healthy food choices, mirroring stress-driven human behavior
@haifaresearch.bsky.social @researchsqualler.bsky.social
Can AI agents show emotional bias like humans under stress?
🔗 www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7...
🤖 After exposure to traumatic text, LLMs-as-agents made less-healthy food choices, mirroring stress-driven human behavior
@haifaresearch.bsky.social @researchsqualler.bsky.social
Inducing State Anxiety in LLM Agents Reproduces Human-Like Biases in Consumer Decision-Making
Large language models (LLMs) are rapidly evolving from text generators to autonomous agents, raising urgent questions about their reliability in real-world contexts. Stress and anxiety are well known ...
www.researchsquare.com
October 12, 2025 at 4:56 PM
🚨 New preprint!
Can AI agents show emotional bias like humans under stress?
🔗 www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7...
🤖 After exposure to traumatic text, LLMs-as-agents made less-healthy food choices, mirroring stress-driven human behavior
@haifaresearch.bsky.social @researchsqualler.bsky.social
Can AI agents show emotional bias like humans under stress?
🔗 www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7...
🤖 After exposure to traumatic text, LLMs-as-agents made less-healthy food choices, mirroring stress-driven human behavior
@haifaresearch.bsky.social @researchsqualler.bsky.social
Exciting news! 🎉
I’ve been awarded the ISF Beresheet Grant (~₪7M) to launch the Resilience & Recovery Lab at Haifa University. 🧠
Our STRONG project will examine how people & communities recover from trauma - through surveys, behavioral & fMRI studies - to uncover resilience & guide interventions. 💪
I’ve been awarded the ISF Beresheet Grant (~₪7M) to launch the Resilience & Recovery Lab at Haifa University. 🧠
Our STRONG project will examine how people & communities recover from trauma - through surveys, behavioral & fMRI studies - to uncover resilience & guide interventions. 💪
August 17, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Exciting news! 🎉
I’ve been awarded the ISF Beresheet Grant (~₪7M) to launch the Resilience & Recovery Lab at Haifa University. 🧠
Our STRONG project will examine how people & communities recover from trauma - through surveys, behavioral & fMRI studies - to uncover resilience & guide interventions. 💪
I’ve been awarded the ISF Beresheet Grant (~₪7M) to launch the Resilience & Recovery Lab at Haifa University. 🧠
Our STRONG project will examine how people & communities recover from trauma - through surveys, behavioral & fMRI studies - to uncover resilience & guide interventions. 💪
"Emotional influence isn’t a glitch.
It’s a core feature of large language models (LLMs).
If we celebrate their ability to comfort or advise, we must also confront their capacity to mislead or manipulate." 🤖😇😈
🔗Read here: nature.com/articles/d41...
📰Full PDF: rdcu.be/eugi1
Thank you @nature.com 🙏
It’s a core feature of large language models (LLMs).
If we celebrate their ability to comfort or advise, we must also confront their capacity to mislead or manipulate." 🤖😇😈
🔗Read here: nature.com/articles/d41...
📰Full PDF: rdcu.be/eugi1
Thank you @nature.com 🙏
Why we need mandatory safeguards for emotionally responsive AI
Virtual chatbots that simulate conversations with famous actors or sci-fi characters can have real-world consequences.
nature.com
July 15, 2025 at 5:45 AM
"Emotional influence isn’t a glitch.
It’s a core feature of large language models (LLMs).
If we celebrate their ability to comfort or advise, we must also confront their capacity to mislead or manipulate." 🤖😇😈
🔗Read here: nature.com/articles/d41...
📰Full PDF: rdcu.be/eugi1
Thank you @nature.com 🙏
It’s a core feature of large language models (LLMs).
If we celebrate their ability to comfort or advise, we must also confront their capacity to mislead or manipulate." 🤖😇😈
🔗Read here: nature.com/articles/d41...
📰Full PDF: rdcu.be/eugi1
Thank you @nature.com 🙏
Reposted by Ziv Ben-Zion, PhD
Virtual chatbots that simulate conversations with famous actors or sci-fi characters can have real-world consequences, says Ziv Ben-Zion
https://go.nature.com/44nUTQo
https://go.nature.com/44nUTQo
Why we need mandatory safeguards for emotionally responsive AI
Virtual chatbots that simulate conversations with famous actors or sci-fi characters can have real-world consequences.
go.nature.com
July 1, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Virtual chatbots that simulate conversations with famous actors or sci-fi characters can have real-world consequences, says Ziv Ben-Zion
https://go.nature.com/44nUTQo
https://go.nature.com/44nUTQo
Thank you @nature.com 🙏👌🤩
Virtual chatbots that simulate conversations with famous actors or sci-fi characters can have real-world consequences, says Ziv Ben-Zion
https://go.nature.com/44nUTQo
https://go.nature.com/44nUTQo
Why we need mandatory safeguards for emotionally responsive AI
Virtual chatbots that simulate conversations with famous actors or sci-fi characters can have real-world consequences.
go.nature.com
July 1, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Thank you @nature.com 🙏👌🤩
🌟 Exciting news! 🌟
📰 My piece on safeguards for emotionally responsive AI has been accepted in @nature.com! 🥳
I’m deeply honored to contribute to one of the world’s most respected scientific journals. 🙏
It goes live on July 1st, stay tuned! 🗓️
#Nature #AI#LLMs #Ethics #MentalHealth #WorldView
📰 My piece on safeguards for emotionally responsive AI has been accepted in @nature.com! 🥳
I’m deeply honored to contribute to one of the world’s most respected scientific journals. 🙏
It goes live on July 1st, stay tuned! 🗓️
#Nature #AI#LLMs #Ethics #MentalHealth #WorldView
June 30, 2025 at 6:49 PM
🌟 Exciting news! 🌟
📰 My piece on safeguards for emotionally responsive AI has been accepted in @nature.com! 🥳
I’m deeply honored to contribute to one of the world’s most respected scientific journals. 🙏
It goes live on July 1st, stay tuned! 🗓️
#Nature #AI#LLMs #Ethics #MentalHealth #WorldView
📰 My piece on safeguards for emotionally responsive AI has been accepted in @nature.com! 🥳
I’m deeply honored to contribute to one of the world’s most respected scientific journals. 🙏
It goes live on July 1st, stay tuned! 🗓️
#Nature #AI#LLMs #Ethics #MentalHealth #WorldView
Honored to bring home the 2025 Society of Biological Psychiatry #SOBP Travel Award! 🥳✈️🧠
Toronto’s meeting was a blast. Huge thanks to the SOBP committee, my mentors & collaborators for making this possible. 🙏
@yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social @haifaresearch.bsky.social @wutsaiyale.bsky.social
Toronto’s meeting was a blast. Huge thanks to the SOBP committee, my mentors & collaborators for making this possible. 🙏
@yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social @haifaresearch.bsky.social @wutsaiyale.bsky.social
April 28, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Honored to bring home the 2025 Society of Biological Psychiatry #SOBP Travel Award! 🥳✈️🧠
Toronto’s meeting was a blast. Huge thanks to the SOBP committee, my mentors & collaborators for making this possible. 🙏
@yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social @haifaresearch.bsky.social @wutsaiyale.bsky.social
Toronto’s meeting was a blast. Huge thanks to the SOBP committee, my mentors & collaborators for making this possible. 🙏
@yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social @haifaresearch.bsky.social @wutsaiyale.bsky.social
#SOBP2025
Come see my poster (#17) today at 5:30pm!
I am excited to share our latest findings on assessing and alleviating anxiety in large language models 🧠🤖
Stop and say hi 👋
Come see my poster (#17) today at 5:30pm!
I am excited to share our latest findings on assessing and alleviating anxiety in large language models 🧠🤖
Stop and say hi 👋
April 24, 2025 at 7:51 PM
#SOBP2025
Come see my poster (#17) today at 5:30pm!
I am excited to share our latest findings on assessing and alleviating anxiety in large language models 🧠🤖
Stop and say hi 👋
Come see my poster (#17) today at 5:30pm!
I am excited to share our latest findings on assessing and alleviating anxiety in large language models 🧠🤖
Stop and say hi 👋
Off to the Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP) Annual Meeting 2025! ✈️🇨🇦🧠
April 23, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Off to the Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP) Annual Meeting 2025! ✈️🇨🇦🧠
How to predict PTSD severity by brain connectivity patterns (📰Jerusalem Post, Apr 14, 2025)
🔗 www.jpost.com/health-and-w...
🔗 www.jpost.com/health-and-w...
How to predict PTSD severity by brain connectivity patterns: University of Haifa researcher
Symptoms include flashbacks, hyperarousal, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, and changes in emotional and cognitive responses.
www.jpost.com
April 14, 2025 at 8:19 AM
How to predict PTSD severity by brain connectivity patterns (📰Jerusalem Post, Apr 14, 2025)
🔗 www.jpost.com/health-and-w...
🔗 www.jpost.com/health-and-w...
