Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows
Drs. Benjamin Hankin and Elysia Davis, at Departments of Psychology at University of Illinois and the University of Denver, respectively, invite applications for a postdoctoral fellow position, for grant funding for a 5-year NIMH R01. Title of the R01 is: “Reducing Fetal Exposure to Maternal Depression to Improve Infant Risk Mechanisms.” Fellows may be funded and supported for up to 3 years, pending performance and grant support.
We seek applicants whose research interests and clinical research experience will contribute to the aims of the project. In this project, we will provide Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) to pregnant women who have elevated levels of depressive symptoms, including potential depression diagnosis and other psychopathologies, as part of a randomized clinical trial methodology, to examine the primary aims of whether reducing depression during pregnancy can affect infant risk mechanisms hypothesized to confer risk to later psychopathology in infants and children. Project aims focus on NIMH RDoC constructs including negative valence systems and cognitive control, with multiple methods and measures to assess these constructs across units of analysis, including MRI, eye tracking, behavioral observation, and physiology, in babies and infants.
Although not all of the following are necessary, we prefer an applicant with experience in clinical research, and in particular providing evidence based psychological interventions, especially Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). The Fellow will be trained in providing IPT for depressed pregnant women according to a manualized protocol and will receive supervision in the model throughout the course of the RCT. Additionally, experience, knowledge, and/ or research interest in mood disorders, especially maternal perinatal depression, mental health services among underserved and predominantly minority populations, as well as infant mental health, developmental psychopathology, and risk mechanisms, are desirable but not necessary. Finally, we seek applicants with strong interpersonal skills, prior clinical experience, and excellent organizational skills to enable management of a large multi-component RCT project with infant follow-ups.
The Primary Investigators (Drs. Hankin and Davis) for this project are committed to providing mentoring and research resources that will support fellows in their professional development, including opportunities to submit and publish papers, present research at conferences, and write new grant proposals, all in the effort of aiding the fellow toward establishing an independent research program. In addition to data that would result from this project providing IPT to depressed pregnant women and examining changes in infant risk mechanisms over time, the fellow would also have access to substantial data sets that the co Primary Investigators have collected.
Successful candidates must have a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., clinical psychology) by the time the position starts (TBD). Please submit a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, a statement of current and future research plans, a statement of clinical experience, and evidence of providing excellent, evidence based clinical care. Applicants should also request at least three letters of recommendation from referees.
All materials should be uploaded as one single PDF attachment and sent to Dr. Hankin at ude.sionilli|bniknah#ude.sionilli|bniknah.
For inquiries about the position please contact Elysia Davis, Ph.D (ude.ud|sivaD.aisylE#ude.ud|sivaD.aisylE) or Benjamin L Hankin, Ph.D (ude.sionilli|bniknah#ude.sionilli|bniknah).