This grant application is for the renewal of a T32 training program designed to help meet the need for skilled clinical intervention researchers in mood disorders. This application requests support for a three-year postdoctoral training program (2 fellows per year) in clinical intervention studies in mood disorders (either bipolar or unipolar disorders) across the lifespan (juvenile, adult, geriatric). The program is open to psychiatrists who have completed adult residency requirements or clinical psychologists who have been awarded their Ph.D. The program has three components: a core curriculum including didactic and workshop formats, three required supervised clinical research rotations that includes juvenile or adult patients with either bipolar or unipolar disorders. This mentored multiyear experience is designed to assist trainees in developing and implementing the third component, an independent clinical research project, which will lead to an application for independent research funding. This faculty has many years of experience in conducting research together and in training new clinical researchers. The core training faculty has established track records in the study of a wide array of interventions including ECT, cognitive therapy, hypericum, antidepressant medications, exercise, and the combination of medications and psychotherapy. They are also experienced in the conduct of early open label trials, single and multi site randomized trials, as well as in conducting efficacy and effectiveness trials in patients of all ages. Research training experiences are available (based on fellow desire) in intervention research in mood disorders associated with general medical, cognitive, and substance abuse disorders. In addition, this training will also provide a unique opportunity to work with large multi center trial networks, our new advanced imaging center and other translational research opportunities. This program will provide a formal training program with predictable support, and will provide trainees with knowledge and experience in the proper conduct of clinical intervention research, ethics, human subjects issues, consent procedures, clinical measurement of symptoms, function, quality of life, and healthcare costs, as well as research design, statistical analytic approaches, and preparation of peer-reviewed articles and research grant applications.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 14 publications