Advanced Fellowship Program – Philadelphia VA Medical Center

Advanced Fellowship Program – Philadelphia VA Medical Center

Description: A 2-year research Postdoctoral fellowship position is anticipated to be available starting September of 2024. Potential areas of emphasis for this position include marital and family issues of combat veterans, integrated behavioral health/primary care, genetics/pharmacology/pharmacogenetics, substance use disorders (SUDs), late-life mental health, sleep disorders, PTSD, and psychosocial factors in chronic illness (See Faculty list below). We are especially interested in candidates who seek to apply their content area interests to a precision mental health approach to treating mental health conditions, consistent with the theme of our Center (www.mirecc.va.gov/visn4/). The Fellowship provides mentored experience in research design, publication of research reports, grant writing, and supervised clinical training. Two options are available: a full-time fellowship that entails 75% research and 25% clinical training and, for physicians, a part-time (at least 50%) option involving research only. As a research fellowship, it is not an accredited as addiction fellowship training. The position includes an appointment in the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Pennsylvania.

Research interests and Faculty: Elaine Boland, Ph.D. (sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances in mood disorders), Phillip Gehrman, Ph.D. (CBT of insomnia and nightmares), Subhajit Chakravorty (genetics/neurobiology and treatment of insomnia in alcohol use disorder), Amy Helstrom, Ph.D. (primary care/mental health integration, health behavior change, behavioral interventions for chronic disease), Rachel Kember, Ph.D. (psychiatric and addiction genetics), Johanna Klaus, Ph.D. (primary care/mental health integration), Henry Kranzler, M.D. (genetics, pharmacological treatment and pharmacogenetics of SUDs), James McKay, Ph.D. (continuing care treatments for SUDs, adaptive treatment designs, and contingency management), David Oslin, M.D. (treatment outcomes for SUDs, and pharmacogenetics of mental health conditions), Steven L. Sayers, Ph.D. (family member involvement in treatment engagement, telehealth, suicide prevention), Cobb Scott, Ph.D.  (Neuropsychology/ neuroimaging in PTSD and SUDs, comorbidity), Michael Thase, M.D. (assessment and treatment of mood disorders), Daniel Weintraub, M.D. (psychiatric and cognitive complications of Parkinson’s disease, treatment, and related impulse control disorders).

Requirements and Application process: Each applicant must have a clinical doctoral degree and be a U.S. citizen.

The application deadline is December 1, 2023, but the review of applications will start upon receipt and should include a letter detailing research interests and career goals, likely mentors, a CV, 3 letters of recommendation, and any representative reprints, manuscripts, or grant applications to Steven L. Sayers, Ph.D., Fellowship Director, at steven.sayers@va.gov (preferred), or to the following mailing address: Steven L. Sayers, Ph.D., MIRECC/116, CPL Michael J Crescenz  VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19104 or at (215) 823-5196.

The VISN 4 MIRECC: http://www.mirecc.va.gov/visn4/Education/fellowship.asp and CPL Michael J Crescenz VA Medical Center (Philadelphia) are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to ensuring a range of diversity among training classes that 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.