J. Cobb Scott
VerifiedUniversity of Pennsylvania · Rehabilitation Medicine
Active 1911–2026
About
J. Cobb Scott, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania within the Department of Psychiatry. His research primarily focuses on neurocognitive functioning, particularly in relation to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorders, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, and the effects of trauma and substance use on brain structure and function. Dr. Scott has contributed extensively to understanding the neuropsychological and neurobiological underpinnings of these conditions, utilizing various neuroimaging and neuropsychological assessment methods. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Wesleyan University, an M.S. in Psychology from San Diego State University, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. His work includes investigating cognitive deficits, brain abnormalities, and treatment outcomes in populations affected by trauma, substance use, and HIV. Dr. Scott's research aims to elucidate the neural mechanisms involved in these disorders and to develop neurorehabilitation tools, with a focus on improving clinical interventions and understanding the impact of trauma and substance use on brain health.
Research topics
- Medicine
- Cognitive psychology
- Psychology
- Physiology
- Endocrinology
- Neuroscience
- Chemistry
- Pathology
- Psychiatry
- Internal medicine
- Developmental psychology
Selected publications
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2026-04-14
articleOpen accessAbstract Background Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are among the most common and consequential complications of pregnancy. The perinatal period is also characterized by profound hormonal fluctuations and large-scale brain plasticity. However, the mechanisms linking these neurobiological changes to psychiatric risk are poorly understood. Prospective, clinically informed studies are needed to identify quantitative biomarkers and clarify pathways linking perinatal neurobiology to PMADs risk. Methods This report describes the design of a prospective, longitudinal cohort study integrating multimodal neuroimaging, biofluid sampling, and deep clinical phenotyping to enable precision characterization of neurobiological trajectories of PMADs risk. Twenty-five individuals at elevated risk for PMADs will be recruited prior to conception and followed across six in-person timepoints spanning the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and early postpartum, with additional remote follow-ups through the first postpartum year. Data collection includes high-resolution structural MRI, functional brain mapping using multi-echo resting-state fMRI, diffusion MRI, arterial spin labeling, ultra-high field MR-based techniques for measuring glutamate (GluCEST and 1 HMRS), biofluid sampling, and comprehensive clinical, behavioral, and cognitive assessments. Structured clinical interviews assess categorical diagnoses while dimensional symptom measures capture heterogeneity and transdiagnostic features of perinatal psychopathology. Longitudinal analyses will model nonlinear trajectories of brain and symptom change across the perinatal period as well as evaluate whether preconception network features and menstrual cycle-related brain changes are associated with subsequent perinatal symptom emergence. Discussion This cohort study establishes a longitudinal, multimodal framework for investigating neurobiological changes across the transition to pregnancy in individuals at elevated risk for PMADs. By anchoring pregnancy-related brain changes to preconception and menstrual cycle-related variability within the same individuals, this study is designed to evaluate associations between preconception hormone sensitivity, pregnancy-induced neuroplasticity, and PMADs risk. The resulting dataset will provide a deeply phenotyped longitudinal resource for investigating brain-behavior relationships across the perinatal period. Findings are expected to inform future larger-scale studies aimed at advancing mechanistic understanding of PMADs, improving individualized risk stratification, and supporting development of personalized preventive and neuromodulatory interventions.
The enigma of persistent left-handedness in humans: A potential solution
medRxiv · 2026-05-22
articleOpen accessThe persistence of a left-handed minority of slightly over 10% of the population is enigmatic because it is associated with stigma, increased psychopathology, and cognitive deficits. In a community sample of 9,352 individuals (age range 8-21 years) with neurobehavioral assessments, left-handers (N=1,281, 673 male) indeed showed greater psychopathology and performed more poorly than right-handers (N=8,076, 3,839 male) on tests of executive function, memory, complex cognition, and social cognition, while excelling in motor speed. Furthermore, the variance was higher and within-individual variability (WIV) - the extent to which scores in the different domains varied within individuals - was higher in left-handers. Since low WIV indicates even distribution of abilities while high WIV reflects specialization in circumscribed areas, the finding indicates that left-handers are "neurocognitive specialists". This combination of behavioral traits could confer resilience against natural selection pressures and help explain preponderance of left-handers in highly specialized professions requiring specific talents. Our findings encourage more research on left-handers, who are currently excluded from multiple brain behavior studies.
Nature Mental Health · 2026-04-06
articlemedRxiv · 2026-03-30
articleOpen accessAbstract 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has emerged as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generating considerable enthusiasm in the field. However, rapidly changing evidence in a fast-moving field can be challenging to integrate. Here, we present a living systematic review and open-data meta-analytic resource on MDMA treatment for PTSD. In this initial release, six randomized controlled trials comprising 286 participants are included in the database. Our primary model uses inverse-variance random-effects meta-analysis of standardized mean differences on primary outcomes of PTSD. Compared to control conditions, MDMA showed a greater reduction in PTSD symptoms (Hedges’ g = -0.71). Meta-regression on both the number of dosing sessions and cumulative dose showed that a higher number of dosing sessions and a higher cumulative dose was related to larger effects of MDMA. Treatment with MDMA as compared to placebo also resulted in higher response (risk ratio ( RR ) = 1.35) and remission ( RR = 2.25) rates. Most studies included in the database had a low risk of bias according to Cochrane guidelines, though these fail to capture pertinent challenges in the field such as expectancy, functional unblinding, potential issues with study conduct, and safety. The current findings were assigned an overall low certainty rating using the GRADE approach. Together, this systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that MDMA-assisted therapy results in short-term decreases in PTSD symptoms across studies to date, though more trials are needed. This living systematic review, meta-analysis, database, and online dashboard ( sypres.io ) will continue to be updated as evidence emerges, providing a valuable, open, and transparent resource for researchers in a rapidly evolving field.
Penn LEAD: Penn Longitudinal Executive functioning in Adolescent Development
OpenNeuro · 2026-01-01
datasetOpen access632. Cognitive Control Under Stress: A Vulnerability Mechanism to Adolescent Suicidal Behavior
Biological Psychiatry · 2025-04-09
articleAn initiative for living evidence synthesis in clinical psychedelic research
Nature Mental Health · 2025-01-10 · 3 citations
articleJournal of Social Issues · 2025-10-21 · 1 citations
articleABSTRACT In the United States, people of African descent have historically used different labels to express their collective racial identities. Scholars have traced these historical changes over time, which have shifted for various reasons, across different political and social movements, and with changing group dynamics. The purpose of this study was to examine contemporary racial identity label preferences among people of African descent living in the United States and explore the geopolitical roots and branches of those choices. In this study, an online sample of 451 people of African descent completed a survey about their racial identity label preferences and why they selected those labels. We hypothesized that selecting one's racial label for geopolitical reasons (vs. external or accuracy reasons) would predict how people of African descent see themselves (i.e., in terms of race and ancestry), how they perceive the world (i.e., perceptions of American racism), and how they act in the world (i.e., political activism). Overall, selecting one's racial identity label preference for geopolitical reasons was a consistent predictor of our outcomes.
Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science · 2025-10-11
articleOpen accessThis study was a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and improvement in depressive symptoms on innate immunity and inflammation in people with HIV (PWH). The sample’s (N=108) mean HAM-D17 (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) score at baseline was 19.1 overall. Eligible participants were randomized to 10 weeks of double-blind therapy with either SSRI (escitalopram) or placebo. All participants concurrently received Computer-assisted Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CCBT). Peripheral blood was obtained from each participant at baseline and weeks 2, 4 and 10, and intracellular IF(Interferon)Nγ in NK (Natural Killer) cells, Lytic units (LU) per 107 NK cells (LUNK), IL(Interleukin)-6 and CRP (C-Reactive Protein) were measured. Participants showed substantial reduction in depressive symptoms during study with final HAM-D17 score of 8.00 overall (average decrease of 11.0 units). However there was no statistically significant effect of treatment, whether viewed as group by time interaction [F(1,166)=0.00, p=0.976] or main effect for group [F(1,667)=0.50, p=0.479]. We found no statistically significant differences between the groups on the immune parameters over time. There was little evidence that the magnitude of symptom improvement was associated with changes in immune measures. Our study did not demonstrate superiority of treatment with SSRI + CCBT vs. placebo + CCBT. Patients in both arms showed improvement of depression symptoms, which did not correlate with changes in immune markers. We found no evidence of decreased inflammation (IL-6, CRP) or immune restoration (LUNK or intracellular IFNγ) following treatment with CCBT with or without active escitalopram. While antidepressant treatment is indicated for PWH with depression, we observed no evidence of direct immunologic benefits.
medRxiv · 2025-08-16
preprintOpen accessAbstract Importance Depression is a major cause of disability worldwide, motivating substantial interest in psilocybin as a potential treatment. Objective To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of psilocybin’s impact on depressive symptoms and provide a living open data resource. Data Sources PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO retrieved by a systematic search up to July 1, 2025. Study Selection We included randomized controlled trials of psilocybin or psilocybin-assisted therapy compared against a placebo or waitlist condition. Data Extraction and Synthesis Data extraction was completed independently by two extractors. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to synthesize data. Risk of bias was assessed with Cochrane’s RoB 2.0 tool. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was the standardized mean difference (Hedges’ g ) in depression scores at the primary study endpoint. Results Twelve studies comprising 711 participants were included in the database, with nine of those studies (n = 529) included in our primary model. Of the nine studies included in the primary model, two had a high risk of bias, four had some concerns, while three had a low risk of bias. Compared to control conditions, psilocybin showed a greater reduction in depression scores, with a pooled Hedges’ g = –0.91 (95% CI, [-1.35; –0.48]; k = 9; p = 0.0013, I 2 = 58.1%, tau 2 = 0.13, n = 501). Sensitivity analyses revealed robust effects consistent with the primary model across a variety of design parameters and analysis choices, while also suggesting that waitlist control and crossover design studies contribute a large amount of heterogeneity to the primary model. Meta-regression revealed that psilocybin’s effects were rapid and consistent over several weeks (intercept = –0.92 [-1.26; –0.58], p < 0.0001; slope = 0.0009 [-0.0023; 0.0041], p = 0.57). Conclusions and Relevance This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that psilocybin-assisted therapy results in substantial decreases in depressive symptoms across studies to date. However, many studies have small sample sizes or risk of bias. This living systematic review, meta-analysis, database, and online dashboard will continue to be updated as evidence emerges, providing a valuable resource for researchers in a rapidly evolving field. Key Points Question What is the efficacy of psilocybin or psilocybin-assisted therapy for depressive symptoms? Findings In this living systematic review and meta-analysis, the initial evidence suggests that psilocybin is more effective in reducing depression symptoms compared to control conditions. Our publicly released database and interactive dashboard contains over 200 effect sizes from 12 randomized clinical trials testing psilocybin’s impacts on depression and will be updated regularly to keep pace with this rapidly moving field. Meaning The current evidence suggests promise for psilocybin therapy for depression, though more studies are needed.
Recent grants
Frequent coauthors
- 207 shared
Ruben C. Gur
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- 164 shared
Raquel E. Gur
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- 126 shared
Tyler M. Moore
California University of Pennsylvania
- 110 shared
Monica E. Calkins
University of Pennsylvania
- 92 shared
Kristen M. Wrocklage
National Center for PTSD
- 88 shared
Kosha Ruparel
- 85 shared
John H. Krystal
Yale University
- 84 shared
Steven M. Southwick
Yale University
- Resume-aware match score
- Save to shortlist
- AI-drafted outreach
See your match with J. Cobb Scott
PhdFit ranks faculty by your research interests, methods, and publications — grounded in their actual work, not templates.
- Free to start
- No credit card
- 30-second signup