Physician Research Postdoctoral Fellowship

 

Cpl. Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center (Philadelphia)
3900 Woodland Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19104
http://www.philadelphia.va.gov/ 

Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment

Description: A 2-year physician research postdoctoral fellowship position is currently available. Potential areas of emphasis for this position include precision mental health care, integrated behavioral health/primary care, pharmacogenetics, substance use disorder genetics, late-life mental health, sleep disorders, PTSD, couple therapy engagement/outcomes, and psychosocial factors in chronic illness (See Faculty below for a complete list of areas). We are especially interested in candidates who will be able to apply their content area interests to a precision mental health care perspective, consistent with the theme of our Center (www.mirecc.va.gov/visn4/). This includes consideration of ongoing measurement to drive treatment decisions, biomarkers (e.g., using genetic variation to inform treatment decisions), patient treatment preferences, and decision aids for clinicians in mood and addictive disorders. The fellowship operates within the VISN 4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center in the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center (Philadelphia). Two options are available: a full-time fellowship entails 75% research and 25% clinical training, while it is also possible to choose a part-time (at least 50%) option of research only. Because this is a research fellowship it is not an accredited by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology as an addiction fellowship. The goals of the fellowship are to provide mentored experience in research design, publication of research reports, grant writing, and supervised clinical training. The position includes an appointment in the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Pennsylvania.

Research Interests and Faculty: Fellowship faculty members and their research interests are as follows:

• Elaine Boland, Ph.D. (intersection of sleep, circadian rhythms, and mental health)
• Babi Chakravorty, M.D. (comorbid insomnia in recovering alcoholics and the role of other addictive, psychiatric, and medical factors)
• Philip Gehrman, Ph.D. (CBT of insomnia and nightmares in civilian and Veteran populations)
• Amy Helstrom, Ph.D. (health behavior change and behavioral interventions for chronic disease)
• Rachel Kember, Ph.D. (genetics of mood and substance use disorders)
• Johanna Klaus, Ph.D. (behavioral health treatment in primary care)
• Henry Kranzler, M.D. (genetics and pharmacological treatment of alcohol and drug use disorders)
• James McKay, Ph.D. (continuing care treatments for substance use disorders, adaptive treatment designs, and contingency management)
• David Oslin, M.D. (treatment outcomes for addictive disorders and pharmacogenetics of mental health conditions)
• Steven L. Sayers, Ph.D. (marital and family issues in mental and physical health outcomes)
• Cobb Scott, Ph.D. (neuropsychology and neuroimaging in PTSD and alcohol/substance dependence, comorbidity of PTSD and addictive disorders)
• Michael Thase, M.D. (assessment and treatment of mood disorders)
• Daniel Weintraub, M.D. (psychiatric and cognitive complications of Parkinson’s disease, Parkinson’s treatment, and related impulse control disorders)

Additional faculty members in the Department of Psychiatry (and a variety of other departments) of the University of Pennsylvania are available as supporting mentors for fellows. The close involvement of multiple faculty members (Drs. Chakravorty, Kember, Kranzler, and Oslin) in the Million Veteran Program provides an opportunity for fellows to participate actively in the analysis of this large, rich dataset.

Requirements and Application Process: Applicants must be physicians who are eligible for licensure, have completed training in an accredited residency program, and are U.S. citizens. There is a rolling application deadline, and the review of applications will be initiated upon receipt of all required materials. Send a letter detailing your research interests and career goals, CV, 3 letters of recommendation, and any representative reprints, manuscripts, or grant applications to Henry Kranzler, M.D., Physician Fellowship Director, at henry.kranzler@va.gov (preferred), or to the following mailing address: Henry Kranzler, M.D., MIRECC/116, Cpl. Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19104. Inquiries can be made by email or by calling Dr. Kranzler at 215-746-1943. The Cpl. Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center (Philadelphia) in which our training program resides is an Equal Opportunity Employer; we are committed to ensuring a range of diversity among our training classes, and we strive to select candidates representing different kinds of programs and theoretical orientations, geographic areas, ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, disabilities, and life experiences.

Click here for more information about the fellowship and the VISN 4 MIRECC.