This revised competitive renewal application is for continuation of the Training Program in Psychiatric Genetics and Translational Research, offered jointly by the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The principal objectives of the training grant are to educate promising pre- and postdoctoral trainees as epidemiological and biostatistical scientists in psychiatric research, with two focus areas: psychiatric genetics and analytical methods for translational research.
We aim to train psychiatrists and other mental health researchers in methods relevant to these two fields, and to train methodologists working in these areas with genuine engagement in psychiatric research and an understanding of psychiatric diagnosis, assessment, and outcomes. The Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at HSPH have an accomplished faculty who have worked collaboratively in these two areas for many years. We also draw on the expertise of Harvard faculty from other world-renown institutions, including Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women's Hospital, and McLean Hospital. These collaborations offer a rich source of ongoing projects for student and postdoctoral training. We are requesting a total of six trainees across the two departments, three predoctoral and three postdoctoral (typically one psychiatrist seeking a masters or doctoral degree and two traditional postdoctoral fellows, or vice versa). Training will be a combination of coursework, seminars, practica, and independent and collaborative research in mental health. High level training in the companion core disciplines of epidemiology and biostatistics is critical to leadership of mental health research in the coming decades.
Recent scientific advances in genetics require new methods and their application in the complex setting of psychiatric disorders. To reduce the suffering and disability related to mental illness in society, clinical research needs to translate findings from genetics and ongoing developments in the neurosciences into better treatment, prevention, and healthcare strategies.
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