Research Training-Clinical Neurosciences-Stress Disorders

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The primary purpose of this training program is to increase the number of fully trained investigators who conduct neuroscience research related to extreme stress and trauma-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Over the past decade exceptional pre-clinical advances have been made in understanding the physiology, biochemistry, neural circuitry, pharmacology and behavioral manifestations of stress. These advances have now made it possible to test rational hypotheses regarding the pathophysiology and treatment of stress-related disorders in humans. However, currently there are relatively few basic and clinical neuroscientists who devote their career to translating these pre-clinical findings into relevant stress-related human neurobiological research. To address this pressing need, we propose a training grant for postdoctoral fellows (advanced psychiatry residents, psychiatrists, and PhDs who have completed their doctorate in disciplines relevant to trauma-related research such as neuroscience, neurobiology, pharmacology and psychology) who seek to gain in-depth research training in the neurobiology of extreme stress and trauma-related disorders. The Yale Department of Psychiatry in collaboration with the Clinical Neurosciences Division of the National Center for PTSD and the Yale Child Study Center would provide the environment for this training grant. The fellowship would last for two years with the option to continue for a third year. Each year, two new fellows would be selected for the program. Fellows will work closely with a Program Mentor and a separate Research Mentor. These mentors will oversee all of the fellow's research and training activities. The fellowship includes a core curriculum where trainees will develop skills related to research design and methodology, statistics, ethical conduct of research, psychological and behavioral assessment and the fundamentals of trauma-relevant neuroscience. Additionally, fellows will take elective courses related to their particular research area of interest. Trainees will begin their hands-on research activity by joining an ongoing project being conducted by their Research Mentor. Then, with the help of their Research Mentor, they will design and conduct their own trauma-related research project. The Department of Psychiatry, the Clinical Neuroscience Division of the National Center for PTSD, and the Yale Child Study Center all have outstanding records of training nationally prominent researchers in the basic and clinical neurosciences. The current application seeks to contribute toward the research objectives of NIMH by training postdoctoral fellows in neuroscience research related to disorders of extreme stress.