Broadly speaking, my research focuses on the etiology and treatment of depression and anxious-depression in adults.  My current research themes explore: (1) the impact of life stress (including early childhood trauma) on the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety; (2) the influence of social support on modulating stress and maintaining mental health; and (3) developing, disseminating and determining mechanisms of action of psychotherapeutic treatments for depression and anxious-depression, with an emphasis on adaptations of interpersonal therapy (IPT). 

Representative Publications  

Stone LB, Amole MC, Cyranowski JM, Swartz HA.  History of childhood emotional abuse predicts lower resting-state high-frequency heart rate variability in depressed women.  Psychiatry Research, 269:681-687, 2018. 

Swartz HA, Cyranowski JM, Cheng Y, Amole M.  Moderators and mediators of a maternal depression treatment study: Impact of maternal trauma and parenting on child outcomes.  Comprehensive Psychiatry, 86:123-130, 2018. 

Flores, LE, Cyranowski JM, Amole M, Swartz HA. Prospective assessment of social network quality among depressed mothers treated with brief psychotherapy: The Social Network Quality (SNQ) scales.  Comprehensive Psychiatry, 78:98-106, 2017. 

Amole MA, Cyranowski JM, Conklin LR, Markowitz JC, Martin SE, Swartz HA. Therapist use of specific and nonspecific strategies across two affect-focused psychotherapies for depression: Role of adherence monitoring.  Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 27(3):381-394, 2017. 

Amole MC, Cyranowski JM, Wright AG, Swartz HA. Depression impacts the physiological responsiveness of mother-daughter dyads during social interaction. Depression and Anxiety, 34(2):118-126, 2017. 

Swartz HA, Cyranowski JM, Cheng Y, Zuckoff A, Brent D, Markowitz JC, Martin S, Ritchey F, Frank E. Brief psychotherapy for maternal depression: Impact on mothers and children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(6):495-503, 2016. 

Wright AGC, Hallquist MN, Swartz HA, Frank E, Cyranowski JM. Treating co-occurring depression and anxiety: Modeling the dynamics of psychopathology and psychotherapy using the time varying effect model. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 82(5), 839-853, 2014. 

Zalewski M, Cyranowski JM, Cheng Y, Swartz HA. Role of maternal childhood trauma on parenting among depressed mothers of psychiatrically ill children. Depression and Anxiety, 30:792–799, 2013. 

Cyranowski JM, Zill N, Bode R, Butt Z, Kelly MAR, Pilkonis PA, Salsman JM, Cella D.  Assessing Social Support, Companionship, and Distress: NIH Toolbox Social Relationship Scales. Health Psychology, 32:293-301, 2013. 

Fournier, J.C., Cyranowski, J.M., Rucci, P., Cassano, G.B. and Frank, E. The multiple dimensions of the social anxiety spectrum in mood disorders. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2012. 

Cyranowski JM, Hofkens TL, Swartz HA, Gianaros PJ. Thinking about a close relationship differentially impacts cardiovascular stress responses among depressed and nondepressed women. Health Psychology, 30:276-284, 2011. 

Cyranowski JM, Hofkens TL, Swartz HA, Salomon K, Gianaros PJ. Cardiac vagal control in depressed women and nondepressed controls: Impact of depression status, lifetime trauma history, and respiratory factors. Psychosomatic Medicine, 73:336-343, 2011. 

Levenson, J., Frank, E., Cheng, Y., Rucci, P., Janney, C., Forgione, R.N., Swartz, H., Cyranowski, J., & Fagiolini, A. (2010). Comparative outcomes among the problem areas of interpersonal psychotherapy for depression. Depression and Anxiety, 27, 434-440. 

Cyranowski JM, Swartz HA, Hofkens TL, Frank E. (2009). Emotional and cardiovascular reactivity to a child-focused interpersonal stressor among depressed mothers of psychiatrically-ill children.  Depression and Anxiety 26:110-116, 2009. 

Cyranowski JM, Hofkens TL, Frank E., Seltman H, Cai H, Amico J.  Evidence of dysregulated peripheral oxytocin release among depressed women.  Psychosomatic Medicine 70:967-975, 2008. 

Lenze S, Cyranowski JM, Thompson W, Anderson B, Frank E. The cumulative impact of nonsevere life events predicts depression recurrence during maintenance treatment with interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-M). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 76:979-987, 2008. 

Swartz, H.A., Frank, E., Zuckoff, A., Cyranowski, J.M., Houck, P.R., Cheng, Y., Fleming, M.A., Grote, N.K., Brent, D.A., & Shear, M.K. (2008). Brief interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed mothers whose children are receiving psychiatric treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 1155-1162. 

Cyranowski JM, Marsland AL, Bromberger JT, Whiteside TL, Chang Y, Matthews KA. Depressive symptoms and production of proinflammatory cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated in vitro. Brain, Behavior and Immunity 21:229-237, 2007. 

Cyranowski JM, Frank E, Shear MK, Swartz H, Fagiolini A, Scott J, Kupfer DJ.  Interpersonal psychotherapy for depression with panic-spectrum symptoms (IPT-PS): A pilot study.  Depression and Anxiety 21:140-142, 2005. 

Cyranowski JM, Frank E, Winter E, Rucci P, Novick D, Pilkonis P, Houck P, Maccarelli L, Kupfer DJ: Personality pathology and outcome in recurrently depressed women over two years of maintenance interpersonal psychotherapy.  Psychological Medicine 34:659-669, 2004. 

Cyranowski JM, Frank E, Young E, Shear MK.  Adolescent onset of the gender difference in lifetime rates of major depression: A theoretical model.  Archives of General Psychiatry 57:21-27, 2000.