The area of developmental neuroscience and psychopathology is a rapidly growing domain with great potential to inform the understanding of the causal pathways and mechanisms of mental illness. The division of Child Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine is well poised to launch this novel post-doctoral fellowship based on already established innovations related to this domain, as well as the range of related expertise offered by the proposed multidisciplinary mentor group. From a public health perspective, an infusion of new research scientists in the area of developmental neuroscience and psychopathology is a high priority. The proposed multi-disciplinary training approach is guided by a conceptual model that examines emotional, cognitive, behavioral, neurobiological and genetic aspects of psychopathology from a developmental perspective. Further, this training program is guided by a perspective that recognizes that the risk, onset and course of psychiatric disorders arises through a complex interplay of brain developmental processes influenced by psychosocial, genetic, and biological factors that interact beginning in utero and continue throughout development. The program will be guided by two researchers with complimentary expertise in developmental psychopathology (Dr. Joan Luby) and clinical neuroscience and functional imaging (Dr. Deanna Barch). Numerous investigators at Washington University (WU) have a rich track record of experience in many aspects of child neuroimaging, including an emerging new focus on fMRI in very early childhood that allows examination of the evolution of brain behavior relationships in healthy and psychopathological populations as early as the pre-school period. Further, Washington University has an international reputation in psychiatric genetics, with many investigators who can bring both behavioral and molecular genetic approaches to bear on understanding the neurobiology of developmental psychopathology. In addition, the program mentors have a rich body of databases derived from longitudinal studies, several of which began in early childhood. Research taking a developmental psychopathology approach using a neuroscience model is a new and burgeoning area in training programs. The program mentors provide a unique multidisciplinary training environment in which to pursue this exciting new domain focused on childhood, given the established collaborations between child researchers in the School of Medicine clinical and basic departments, and the state of the program in neuroscience and neuroimaging at WU that has been at the fore front of developmental cognitive and affective neuroscience. Further, interactions between researchers in basic and clinical developmental neuroscience offers an opportunity to help train the next generation of young scientists who can pursue questions about the developmental etiology of psychopathology from the perspective of core psychological and neural mechanisms of human behavior that can inform and span traditional boundaries of psychopathology, an approach central to the Research Domain Criteria Initiative (RDOC) led by the NIMH.

Public Health Relevance

The area of developmental neuroscience and psychopathology is rapidly growing and has great potential to inform the understanding of the causal pathways and mechanisms of mental illness, and thus an infusion of new research scientists in this area is a high priority to advance public health. The division of Child Psychiaty at Washington University School of Medicine is well poised to launch this novel post-doctoral training program based on already established innovations related to this domain, as well as the range of related expertise in child neuroimaging and genetics offered by the proposed multidisciplinary mentoring group. The program will be directed by two researchers with complimentary expertise in developmental psychopathology (Dr. Joan Luby) and clinical neuroscience and functional imaging (Dr. Deanna Barch).

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
4T32MH100019-04
Application #
9102789
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMH1)
Program Officer
Sarampote, Christopher S
Project Start
2013-07-01
Project End
2018-06-30
Budget Start
2016-07-01
Budget End
2017-06-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Washington University
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
068552207
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63130
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Sylvester, Chad M; Whalen, Diana J; Belden, Andy C et al. (2018) Shyness and Trajectories of Functional Network Connectivity Over Early Adolescence. Child Dev 89:734-745
Luby, Joan L; Barch, Deanna M; Whalen, Diana et al. (2018) A Randomized Controlled Trial of Parent-Child Psychotherapy Targeting Emotion Development for Early Childhood Depression. Am J Psychiatry :appiajp201818030321
Gruber, June; Van Meter, Anna; Gilbert, Kirsten E et al. (2017) Positive Emotion Specificity and Mood Symptoms in an Adolescent Outpatient Sample. Cognit Ther Res 41:393-405
Rogers, Cynthia E; Sylvester, Chad M; Mintz, Carrie et al. (2017) Neonatal Amygdala Functional Connectivity at Rest in Healthy and Preterm Infants and Early Internalizing Symptoms. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 56:157-166

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