Boston University Medical Campus-Massachusetts General Hospital Global Psychiatric Clinical Research Training Program

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Abstract The objective of the Boston University Medical Campus-Massachusetts General Hospital Global Psychiatric Clinical Research Training Program (BUMC-MGH GPCRTP) is to develop independent clinical scientists who can address the most pressing global mental health challenges. Postdoctoral fellows will be prepared to work collaboratively across disciplines and cultures in order to respond to the substantial burden of mental health related diseases in low- to middle-income countries and resource-limited areas, and to develop strategies that advance global delivery and scale-up of mental health services, improve general wellbeing, and foster overall country development. The proposed postdoctoral fellowship is a three-year clinical research training program that will be administered by Boston Medical Center (BMC) and combines rigorous didactic instruction, clinical research methods training from Boston University and Harvard University, practice in working effectively with disadvantaged communities, and immersive, mentored clinical research experiences in global settings. Six fellows will be drawn from a deep pool of talent and will be mentored by a diverse group of faculty who are recognized leaders in major psychiatric subspecialties as well as clinical research approaches. Each fellow will have at least one senior mentor at their primary training site (BUMC or MGH), an onsite mentor at the international site, and an additional mentor specializing in research methods depending on individual needs and experience. Fellows will complete a mentored research project at an international training site in Barbados, Ethiopia, Peru, South Africa or Uganda on topics such as addictions, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, PTSD/trauma/complex emergency, HIV mental health, women’s mental health, and childhood mental disorders. They will utilize a variety of research skills and techniques to understand the scope of a problem, and to develop innovative interventions that are feasible and culturally and clinically relevant to the specific environments and populations. Fellows are expected to be well situated for a NIH or equivalent K award application by the end of the third year of the program. With heavily circumscribed clinical responsibilities, trainees will focus on the refinement of their research projects, developing international collaborations, and strengthening their clinical research skills.