Educational Opportunities

NIMH Training Program in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics (T32), Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine

Overview

 The NIMH Training Program in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics provides post-doctoral fellows with exceptional training for a successful career in epidemiology research, with an emphasis on behavioral risk factors and child psychiatry. The NIMH Training Program provides an interdisciplinary learning environment at Washington University School of Medicine, which has a rich, 115-year history of success in research, education and patient care.

 Exceptional Training

 Fellows develop practical research skills and learn basic epidemiological methods that can be applied to many disciplines. Fellows learn how to organize and manage population surveys, including design, data collection and data analysis. The Program also offers opportunities to write papers, review manuscripts for publication, teach, and participate in research.

 The Program is unique in that it offers support for a Master of Psychiatric Epidemiology degree (MPE) through Washington University School of Medicine. Requirements for the degree include: 30 hours of course credit, substantial research experience as certified by the mentor, and first authorship on a publishable paper as judged by the faculty.

 Program Objectives

 The Program’s overall objective is to provide postdoctoral fellowships to those holding the Ph.D. or M.D. degree (or other doctoral degree) who have a strong interest in psychiatric epidemiological research. Specific goals are:

• To establish a firm foundation and research expertise in the fellow's chosen field of specialization,

• To ensure a broad understanding of psychiatric epidemiology coupled with the working knowledge of genetic and neurobiologic aspects of psychiatric disorders and their comorbidities,

• To generate sufficient knowledge in at least one additional area outside the chosen focus in order to promote collaborative efforts in future research careers,

• To provide trainees with an apprentice-type education to master the skills needed to critically evaluate data, to conduct every aspect of drug abuse research in order to become successful and independent investigators,

• To prepare fellows for teaching,

• To develop researchers with finely honed research skills and an ability to critically evaluate their own and others’ research, 

• To inculcate public health attitudes and increase the probability of the student's application of epidemiological methods in his or her future work.

 Admission Requirements and Stipends

The Program attracts outstanding students from varied backgrounds including public health, social work, engineering, nursing, mathematics, psychology and anthropology. Individuals must have received, as of the start date of the appointment, a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent domestic or foreign degree for the post-doctoral fellow. Candidates must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence at the time of the appointment. Stipend levels are determined by the National Institutes of Health; current ranges are available online at nih.gov.

Faculty 

The Program’s outstanding faculty members are interdisciplinary; all conduct active research, are leaders in their fields and are involved with major University initiatives.  Fellows choose a mentor from this diverse group and learn first-hand as research apprentices.

Director
Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Co-Directors
Kathleen K. Bucholz, Ph.D.
Richard D. Todd, Ph.D., M.D.

Steering Committee
Kathleen K. Bucholz, Ph.D.
Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H.
John Csernansky, M.D.
Rosalind Neuman, Ph.D.
Lee N. Robins, Ph.D.
Arlene Stiffman, Ph.D.
Catherine Striley, Ph.D., M.P.E.*
Richard D. Todd, Ph.D., M.D.

Preceptors
Kathleen K. Bucholz, Ph.D., M.P.E.
Robert Cloninger, M.D.
Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Deanna Barch, Ph.D.
Arbi Ben-Abdallah
Laura Bierut, M.D.
Kelly Botteron, M.D.
John Csernansky, M.D.
Anne Glowinski, M.D., M.P.E.
Alison Goate, D. Phil.
Andrew Heath, D. Phil.
Barry Hong, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.
Joan Luby, M.D.
Pam Madden, Ph.D.
Robert McKinstry, M.D., Ph.D.
Philip Miller, A.B.
Elliot Nelson, M.D.
Rosalind Neuman, Ph.D.
Thomas Oltmanns, Ph.D.
Enola Proctor, Ph.D.
Mike Province, Ph.D.
Dabeeru Rao, Ph.D.
Wendy Reich, Ph.D.
John Rice, Ph.D.
Edward Spitznagel, Ph.D.
Arlene Stiffman, Ph.D.
Catherine Striley, Ph.D., M.P.E.*
Richard D. Todd, Ph.D., M.D.
Alexandre Todorov, Ph.D.
James Topolski, Ph.D.
Denise Wilfley, Ph.D.

*Ombudsperson

For More Information

 To obtain an application packet, please review the website at http://epi.wustl.edu or contact:

Training Coordinator
Washington University School of Medicine
Department of Psychiatry
40 N. Kingshighway, Suite 4
St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone: (314) 286-2252
Fax: (314) 286-2265
E-mail: murdockel@epi.wustl.edu
 

The NIMH Training Program in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health.