INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH: BEHAVIORAL/EMOTIONAL HEALTH

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This T32 application describes a postdoctoral training program that is designed to promote interdisciplinary research training at the interface of Pediatrics, Child/Adolescent Psychiatry, Clinical/Developmental Psychology, and areas of cognitive and behavioral neuroscience to advance understanding of behavioral and emotional health problems in children and adolescents. A central theme in this training program will emphasize a developmental neurobehavioral framework to address clinically relevant questions-including studies of brain/behavior interactions during development, the use of neuroimaging, and measures of cognitive, behavioral, and affective function. However, an equal emphasis will be placed on the importance of a psychosocial framework to guide this research-the need to consider the role of families, schools, communities, peers, and a diverse range of social and cultural influences on these neurodevelopment processes. For the purposes of illustrating this interdisciplinary approach, this application will highlight three examples of clinical research: a) affective disorders in children and adolescents; b) adolescent obesity, and c) the psychological and social consequences of chronic medical illnesses. While these three lines of investigation provide central areas of focus for training, they are being described as examples of a much broader range if behavioral and emotional health problems emerging in late childhood and adolescence-including alcohol, drug, and nicotine use, aggression and violence, risktaking and reckless behavior, accidents, health problems related to risky sexual behavior, attention deficit disorders, pediatric and adolescent bipolar disorder, child and adolescent sleep problems, and a wide range of behavioral and emotional problems associated with medical disorders in children and adolescents. The long-term goals of the research training activities are to increase the number of clinical investigators to advance knowledge that informs clinical practice and social policies leading to more effective treatment and prevention strategies, and thus, to reduce the suffering and disability related to behavioral and emotional health problems in youth.