Research Fellowship in Geriatric Mood Disorders

Title: Postgraduate Research Fellowship in Mid- and Late-Life Mood Disorders PROJECT SUMMARY This is the 7th competing application of this T32 Research Fellowship Program in Mid- and Late-Life Mood Disorders, which has been offering multidisciplinary training for 30 years. This successful T32 has undergone continuous transformation in response to scientific developments, NAM mandates, the 2020 NIMH Strategic Plan Draft Priorities, the RDoc Project, and the evolving expertise of our faculty. The new T32 organizes its research training in a continuum in which our human neurobiology studies provide targets for our novel treatment development initiatives and our services research seeks to extend the quality and reach of mental health treatment in the community. The Program's strengths are: 1) The academic record of its trainees; the 13 fellows trained over the past 10 years received 3 K Awards, a 4th K Award received a priority score of 16 in the Study Section of March 2020, and coauthored 82 papers (41 first-authored); 2) Leadership in research training at a national level (PIs of the NIMH Research Career Institute in Mental Health of Aging and faculty of the NIMH Advanced Research Institute); 3) NIMH-funded faculty in studies ranging from molecular genetics, neuroimaging, clinical pharmacology, intervention development, and mental health services; 4) Cohesive organization of the Weill- Cornell Institute; 5) Ten Cornell pilot project programs; 6) Rich study populations and laboratory resources; 7) Databases available for secondary analyses and hypothesis generation by fellows; 8) Long and effective collaboration with investigators of Geriatric Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Services Research Program, Public Health, and Medical Ethics; and 9) Leadership in 8 multisite studies. The Program will be directed by funded investigators in clinical biology (F. Gunning), novel treatment development (G. Alexopoulos) and community studies (J.A. Sirey) with a strong record in research training and by an Executive Committee with expertise in molecular genetics, neuroimaging, treatment development, and diversity studies. We request support for 3 trainees, whose personalized training programs will be coordinated by a primary and a secondary mentor and specialized advisors to facilitate translation research. Beyond a Core Curriculum, we support our trainees in conducting their own studies, in preparing funding applications, and in publishing data-based papers.