This is the sixth competing application of the T32 Research Fellowship Program in Geriatric Mood Disorders, which has been offering multidisciplinary training for 25 years. This successful T32 has undergone continuous transformation in response to scientific developments, IOM mandates, the 2015 NIMH Strategic Priorities, the RDoC Project, and the evolving expertise of our current faculty. The new T32 organizes its research training in a continuum in which our clinical neurobiology studies provide targets for our novel treatment development initiatives and our services research seeks to extend the quality and reach of mental health treatment in the community. The Program's strengths are: 1) The academic record of its trainees; the 13 fellows trained of the past 10 years received 17 grants and coauthored 94 papers (44 first-authored); 2) Leadership in research training at a national level (PIs of the NIMH Summer Research Institute and the NIMH Advanced Research Institute); 3) NIMH-funded faculty in translational research ranging from molecular genetics, neuroimaging, clinical pharmacology, intervention development, and mental health services research; 4) Cohesive organization of the Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry; 5) Four Cornell pilot project programs; 6) Rich study populations and laboratory resources; 7) Databases available for secondary analyses and hypothesis generation by fellows; 8) Long and effective collaboration with investigators of Geriatric Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Clinical Epidemiology and Services Research Program, Public Health and Medical Ethics; and 9) Leadership in 9 multisite studies. The Program will be directed by funded investigators in clinical neurobiology (F. Gunning), novel treatment development (G. Alexopoulos) and services research (M. Bruce) with a strong record in research training and by an Executive Committee with expertise in molecular genetics, neuroimaging, treatment development, ethics, and minority studies. We request support for 3 trainee slots, whose personalized training programs will be coordinated by two mentors (e.g. one clinical and one basic investigator) to facilitate translation research. Beyond a Core Curriculum, we support our trainees in conducting their own studies, in preparing applications for competitive funding, and in publishing data-based papers.
This Research Fellowship has prepared many generations of physicians and Ph.D. scientists for a successful research career in geriatric mood disorders over 25 years. We have transformed our training in response to changes in science, the IOM mandates, the 2015 NIMH Strategic Plan, the RDoC Project, and the evolution of our research team. We request to extend the fellowship for another 5 years as we believe that our future ability to reduce the burden of late-life mood disorders rests on the development of tomorrow's science leaders.
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