T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Global Mental Health - Columbia University
More than 75% of those with mental disorders in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) do not receive care despite substantial disability. Where treatment is provided, it frequently is below minimum standards and often lacks respect for human rights. The Lancet Global Mental Health (GMH) Series concluded that "funding should be given to research that develops and assesses interventions that can be delivered by people who are not mental health professionals, and that assesses how health systems can scale up such interventions across all routine-care settings."
The Columbia University Research Fellowship in GMH provides training to the next generation of GMH scientists with a two-fold focus. (1) The first is deployment-focused interventions research, whereby fellows learn to develop interventions ready to be deployed in resource poor areas. Adaptation of tried and true interventions, with community collaboration, that directly address prevention, recognition, assessment, and treatment, will be followed by field-testing. (2) The second focus is intervention dissemination, implementation and services research, through which fellows examine how mental health prevention, assessment and treatment interventions can be translated for utilization in specific LMIC settings and study outcomes.
The fellowship is a two to three year post-doctoral training program. Key program components Include: (1) mentorship; (2) didactic courses in research design, statistics, special topics, grant writing; (3) specialized training in GMH; (4) participation in research, including design, execution and analysis of studies and submission of scientific papers, reviews and proposals; (5) hands-on research experience in task-shifting and other access enhancing strategies through design and implementation of their own pilot projects; (6) instruction in the responsible conduct of research; (7) presentation at scientific meetings and (8) interchange with Columbia faculty, our Global partners, and distinguished researchers in the field.
This program provides a rich learning environment and fellows are steeped in a milieu focused on scientific endeavor to promote mental health locally and world-wide. Because underserved populations are sadly abundant in the US, this training program also teaches young investigators the necessary skills to implement research protocols that can lead to the closing of the mental health care delivery gap in this country as well as internationally.
• Milton Wainberg, MD (Principal Investigator)
• Maria Oquendo, MD (Principal Investigator)
• Melissa Arbuckle, MD, PhD (Training Director)
Trainees must have received their doctorate (or medical) degree at the time of appointment, demonstrate a commitment to a career GMH research, and have a record of academic excellence.
The major qualification of prospective fellows is that they evidence the desire and potential to become independent researchers in GMH Research. The following factors are considered in the interviewing process: quality and productivity of the applicant's work to date (prior training, publications, recommendations); articulation of a specific area of interest in GMH; feasibility of conducting research of interest within the Columbia GMH Research Fellowship; and commitment to a research career.
To be appointed to the program applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals of the United States, or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. Candidates who are members of a minority or under-represented group are strongly encouraged to apply. We are an equal opportunity employer.
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Laura Mufson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Medical Psychology in Psychiatry at CUMC
Director, Clinical Child Psychology in Child Psychiatry
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Director, Department of Clinical Psychology
New York State Psychiatric Institute
1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 74
New York, New York 10032
Email: mufsonL@nyspi.columbia.edu
Phone: 646-774-5791**
Fax: 212-543-5595
**Please note new phone number
Pediatric Anxiety and Mood Research Clinic