Fellowship in Geriatric Mental Health

Project Summary/Abstract This is an application for a 5-year renewal of the T32 Fellowship Program in Geriatric Mental Health at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). As the population ages, the demand for independent investigators in geriatric mental health will continue to increase. Over the last 15 years, we have trained 38 postdoctoral Fellows and 12 predoctoral Fellows. This T32 program, continuously funded since 1994, is part of a larger research training environment within UCSD’s Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Department of Geriatric Psychiatry. It is also affiliated with the UCSD Center for Healthy Aging, Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, and UCSD’s Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). Since our last renewal, 96% of trainees completed at least two years of Fellowship training or are still in training, and 100% are continuing in full-time research activities. All trainees with at least one year in the program have published multiple peer-reviewed papers. Our postdoctoral trainees have obtained 5 K awards or VA Career Development Awards since our last renewal. Previous predoctoral and postdoctoral Fellows have obtained funding from NIH, VA, and various foundations. We place major emphasis on career development, both for mentees and mentors. The Fellowship program includes individual mentoring along with experiential training in team science, complemented by didactic activities. A personalized Individual Development Plan (IDP) is created with each trainee early in the course of the Fellowship. Writing and statistical skills enhancement, guidance on balancing personal and professional obligations, and exposure to cross-disciplinary co-mentors and collaborators characterize our program. This renewal application proposes to support 5 postdoctoral Fellows and 2 predoctoral Fellows (in clinical psychology or neuroscience) annually. Over the next 5 years, we will continue to focus on technology in aging and mental health, including mobile health and data science technologies to improve assessment, treatment, and service delivery for older adults with psychiatric illnesses. We will also continue to emphasize clinical trials, mechanistic research, translational and basic neuroscience, implementation science, data science, and physician and pharmacist scientists. In all efforts, we will prioritize research of high public health significance (e.g., focusing on reducing disability and improving functional outcomes and quality of life). We have developed a strong plan for evaluation of the training process including short-term and long-term outcomes, including research productivity for Fellows and professional advancement for mentors.