Behavioral Research Mentorship in Diabetes for Early Career Scientists

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) management is particularly challenging during periods of transition, such as at new diagnosis, early adolescence, when changing treatments, and during the transition from pediatric to adult care. Difficulties with self-management and increased risk for worsening glycemic and quality of life outcomes often accompany these challenging periods. Despite decades of behavioral research, there are few empirically supported behavioral interventions with proven efficacy to improve these outcomes. With foundations in the science of behavior change and positive psychology, the Resilience and Diabetes (RAD) Behavioral Research Lab at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) conducts strengths-based research that aims to promote positive psychosocial and medical outcomes in young people with T1D and their family members. The Principal Investigator, Marisa Hilliard, PhD, is a behavioral scientist and psychologist who leads the multidisciplinary RAD Lab research team and mentors learners, including post-baccalaureate research staff, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior to mid-career faculty. Dr. Hilliard has been recognized for excellent research mentorship and seeks to further strengthen her skills to build a pipeline of well-trained early career researchers in the field of behavioral diabetes science. This K26 proposal aims to strengthen Dr. Hilliard’s skills and capacity to provide personalized research mentorship to early career researchers interested in behavioral diabetes research, both within the RAD Lab at BCM and TCH and at other institutions. With the protected time afforded by the K26, Dr. Hilliard will engage in two primary mentorship-related activities: (1) expanding her capacity to provide individual and group-based research mentorship to mentees using data from her NIDDK-funded R01s and other research grants focused on behavioral aspects of living with diabetes, and (2) strengthening her skills in research mentorship through ongoing mentorship coaching from national experts who will guide her in learning and applying skills for individualized goal-driven research mentorship, using a systematic approach to identifying and fostering mentee strengths, and applying a developmental lens to supporting research success and professional development for mentees from various disciplines, career stages, and skill levels. She will participate in workshops for research mentorship skill development at least annually. To recruit additional early career mentees who have interests in pursuing research training and careers in behavioral diabetes, she will partner with BCM and TCH pre- and postdoctoral training programs in the Division of Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology and Division of Psychology, BCM graduate programs focused on career/professional development for aspiring medical and graduate students, and local and national diabetes organizations and research training programs.