Postdoctoral Training Program in Stress and Trauma

This is a competing renewal application for funding to support a postdoctoral training program aimed at producing clinical scientists who are qualified to be independent investigators studying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related consequences of traumatic stress. The application proposes training four postdoctoral fellows each year of the five-year award, with a total of 10 fellows completing the two-year fellowship during the proposed award period. The training program is housed within the Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and is affiliated with Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (BUCASM). The program is designed to provide training in five core domains relevant to the next generation of clinical scientists investigating topics related to traumatic stress. These domains include a) neuroimaging and clinical neuroscience; b) molecular biomarkers and genetics; c) assessment, diagnosis, and epidemiology; d) treatment development and optimization; and e) implementation and dissemination. Core faculty have established programs of research, are highly productive, are active collaborators across domains of expertise, and have an extensive record of successful mentorship. Support faculty includes junior faculty members who serve in an apprentice role as supervisors and mentors. Faculty affiliations with other programs at the primary institution afford additional training and research opportunities. The training program continues its commitment to train 21st-century scientists. The application provides detailed information on the proposed training program and the success of the training program over the past 20 years, which includes the vast majority of fellows securing primarily clinical research positions after completion of the program.