Stress Responses and Cortisol
Stress Responses and Cortisol is a research topic within Behavioral Neuroscience. Science Explorer counts 64k research works in it since 1950. 20.7% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers explores the effects of stress on brain function, behavior, and cognition, with a focus on the role of cortisol, neurobiology, and the HPA axis. It covers topics such as the impact of stress on the immune system, neuroendocrine regulation, and the association between stress and disorders like depression. The research also delves into the neurobiology of resilience, hippocampal volume reduction, and the long-term consequences of prenatal stress.
- Stress
- Brain
- Cortisol
- Neurobiology
- HPA Axis
- Immune System
- Depression
- Hippocampus
- Psychological
- Adaptation
- Research works
- 64k fractional, since 1950
- In the world top 10%
- 13k per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 20.7% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- +12% the tick is no change
Which countries lead Stress Responses and Cortisol research?
By volume, the United States and China publish the most (2.4k and 1.2k works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 United States 2.4k works
- 2 China 1.2k works
- 3 Germany 407 works
- 4 Japan 338 works
- 5 Canada 281 works
- 6 Russia 279 works
- 7 United Kingdom 272 works
- 8 India 252 works
- 9 Brazil 242 works
- 10 Italy 224 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead Stress Responses and Cortisol research?
By volume in 2022–2025, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill publishes the most Stress Responses and Cortisol research, followed by Harvard University and Emory University.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUnited States 52 works
- 2 Harvard UniversityUnited States 40 works
- 3 Emory UniversityUnited States 35 works
- 4 Yale UniversityUnited States 33 works
- 5 University of California, Los AngelesUnited States 32 works
- 6 University of PittsburghUnited States 29 works
- 7 The University of Texas at AustinUnited States 27 works
- 8 Universidade de São PauloBrazil 25 works
- 9 King's College LondonUnited Kingdom 25 works
- 10 University of MichiganUnited States 25 works
Who are the leading researchers in Stress Responses and Cortisol?
The most-cited researchers publishing on Stress Responses and Cortisol include Dan J. Stein, Mika Kivimäki and John J. McGrath.
- 1 Dan J. Stein South Africa 7.7k citations
- 2 Mika Kivimäki United Kingdom 6.7k citations
- 3 John J. McGrath Australia 5.3k citations
- 4 Stephan Ripke United States 4k citations
- 5 Brenda W.J.H. Penninx Netherlands 4k citations
Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.
Where is Stress Responses and Cortisol research done?
The largest centres of Stress Responses and Cortisol research in 2022–2025 are Beijing (China), Moscow (Russia), New York (United States) and London (United Kingdom). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Columbia.
Largest cities, 2022–2025
Where it is the local speciality
- ColumbiaUS · 21.1 works6.8×
Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Stress Responses and Cortisol than the world average.
Where is the best place to study Stress Responses and Cortisol?
Among universities, judged by research, Harvard University, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Medical University of Lodz score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard UniversityUnited States | 58.7 | 27.0% | 4.0× | 40 | +67.5% |
| 2 | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiUnited States | 57.0 | 30.1% | 5.6× | 22 | +88.6% |
| 3 | Medical University of LodzPoland | 52.3 | 36.6% | 8.0× | 10 | -1.9% |
| 4 | Yale UniversityUnited States | 52.1 | 26.4% | 4.2× | 33 | +34.6% |
| 5 | Emory UniversityUnited States | 51.8 | 22.4% | 6.4× | 35 | -8.4% |
| 6 | Wayne State UniversityUnited States | 51.8 | 13.6% | 8.7× | 21 | +82.6% |
| 7 | Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and ScienceUnited States | 51.4 | 21.8% | 34.8× | 9 | +81.5% |
| 8 | The University of Texas at AustinUnited States | 50.8 | 28.9% | 4.0× | 27 | +46.7% |
| 9 | University of ZurichSwitzerland | 50.1 | 26.2% | 3.7× | 16 | +88.9% |
| 10 | Xuzhou Medical CollegeChina | 49.7 | 24.9% | 6.4× | 11 | +166.9% |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is Stress Responses and Cortisol research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 12% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Stress Responses and Cortisol.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.