About
Ayelet Meron Ruscio is a Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, within the School of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on the nature, classification, and comorbidity of anxiety and mood disorders. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Brandeis University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Penn State University. Her work employs methodologies like laboratory experiments, statistical modeling, and longitudinal studies to improve diagnostic clarity and clinical outcomes.
Dr. Ruscio leads the Boundaries of Anxiety and Depression Laboratory, investigating how anxiety and depression co-occur and their relationship to normal emotional experiences. Supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Science Foundation, her research emphasizes translational applications for classification systems and treatment strategies. She currently advises William Manley, a Psychology Graduate Student, though she will not be accepting new graduate students for Fall 2025.
Her research themes include transdiagnostic classification models, linguistic markers of psychopathology, and the role of perseverative cognition in emotional disorders. Collaborations with global researchers further enhance her work’s scope and impact.
