Basic & Translational Research Training in Traumatic Stress Across the Lifespan

The NIMH T32 Traumatic Stress Research Program’s primary goal is to equip postdoctoral fellows with the research skills, resources, and opportunities necessary for their development into independent translational and clinical scientists producing mental health research that will have a transformative influence on the traumatic stress field and public health. Housed in the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center (NCVC) at MUSC, the program has trained postdoctoral fellows in state-of-the-art scientific methods in traumatic stress research—in both child and adult populations—for the past 34 years. This application proposes 5 years program continuation (Years 36-40) and seeks support for six postdoctoral positions of two- year duration. Through mentorship and training with a large number of talented and prolific faculty who have made a career commitment to traumatic stress-related mental health research and its associated sequelae, the program’s objectives are to develop competence in several areas: a) sampling methods and data collection modes; b) familiarity in the measurement and integration of neural, psychophysiological, and behavioral units of analysis; c) foundational skills in working with ‘big data’; d) ethical issues in trauma research; e) development, evaluation, and implementation of effective interventions; and f) translating findings for public policy. Fellows select specialized training in one of two research tracks—Epidemiology Risk and Resiliency or Treatment Development, Evaluation, and Dissemination/Implementation. Training is outlined in each fellow’s Individual Development Plan and guided by the fellow’s selection of a Primary Mentor among our Program Faculty at MUSC leading timely studies in the area of traumatic stress, as well as a Secondary Mentor from among other MUSC faculty and additional academic institutions. Secondary Mentors add great breadth to training opportunities through their complementary expertise in areas of science spanning: addiction, brain stimulation, neuroimaging, genetics, dissemination and implementation science, psychopharmacology, and HIV. Fellows also benefit from a full array of core, selective, and elective training options that include course work, workshops, training in the responsible conduct of research, and retreats. The caliber of the program is clearly reflected in the record of notable accomplishments and scientific contributions made by its previous fellows, both within the most recent 5-year funding period and over its 34-year duration: 100% of fellows who have completed training over the most recent renewal funding period and 95% of trainees who have completed the program in the past 15 years are employed in research positions. A primary strength of the program is the innovative body of research among the MUSC NIMH T32 faculty, including a large number of federally-funded projects that address some of the most significant questions facing the traumatic stress field and that closely align with NIMH Research Strategic Priorities.