Post Doctoral Fellow - Psychedelic

Emory University • Atlanta, GA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Program: Psychedelic Therapy Research and Emory Healthcare Veterans Program (EHVP)This position is a two-year dual-focused research and clinical fellowship. This postdoctoral fellowship position would be a 50/50 split position between psychedelic clinical research and the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program (EHVP).
Psychedelic clinical research components (50%) will include involvement on Department of Defense funded clinical research investigating MDMA assisted massed exposure therapy for PTSD, and funded research investigating psilocybin support for PTSD as well as psilocybin assisted massed exposure therapy for PTSD. The fellow would be involved in study assessments and treatment and would also be involved in data analysis and publications and have opportunities for grantsmanship if interested. Data components being collected in the studies include brain imaging paradigms, psychophysiology (including fear potentiated startle model of fear extinction learning), blood-based biomarkers, and self-reported and clinical variables. The fellow would also have access to many large clinical research datasets for potential secondary analysis. We are members of the Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality (https://psychedelics.emory.edu/) with many ongoing collaborations. As such, there are opportunities to collaborate in this research as well, including in areas of diversity considerations within psychedelic care, spiritual health informed psychedelic care, assessing and tracking adverse events within psychedelic use, and many other emerging areas.
EHVP clinical fellowship components (50%) provides advanced clinical training to prepare fellows to assume a variety of roles as professional psychologists, with in-depth training in serving the mental health needs of our nation's military and veteran population. Fellows obtain outstanding training in the practice of clinical psychology under the direction of Drs. Barbara O. Rothbaum and Sheila A. M. Rauch. EHVP provides a two-week intensive outpatient treatment program (IOP) for post-9/11 active-duty military service members and veterans struggling with conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, co-occurring substance use disorders (SUD), military sexual trauma (MST), and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Fellows practice within an interdisciplinary team, train within a scientist-practitioner framework, contribute to the leading edge of clinical care, and are valuable members of our treatment team. Fellows receive cutting-edge clinical training in massed evidence-based treatments including Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy and Unified Protocol (UP), as well as evidence-based intake assessments including the CAPS-5-R and DIAMOND. Fellows carry a caseload of one or two individual IOP patients providing daily 90-minute massed treatment (e.g., PE or UP), as well as one or two intake assessments per week. Fellows receive ample supervision and consultation given our team approach to patient care, including individual and group supervision, as well as formal trainee didactics. Additional clinical training opportunities include massed Unified Protocol group therapy; massed In-Vivo group therapy; individual and group family services based on the FOCUS model; individual and group wellness interventions; and individual SUD interventions (e.g., relapse prevention, COPE). Research interests among EHVP faculty include, but are not limited to: PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain, mental health disparities and access to care, psychotherapy outcomes, virtual reality-based exposure therapies (VRET), psychedelics and adjunctive pharmacological therapies (e.g., MDMA, psilocybin, cannabis/THC), neurobiological predictors/outcomes of treatment, and early intervention/prevention of PTSD. Participation in research provides opportunities to gain a breadth of practice and collaborate with colleagues across the Emory community and nationwide, and internationally.
As a program housed within Emory University and Emory Healthcare, the full and rich resources of this thriving community are available to fellows, including access to events, museums, and scholarly fellowship. The program actively fosters professional development, with support for licensure and frequent opportunities for specialized training, consultation networks, and community outreach. The stipend is currently $62,232 and will be updated in line with any changes to the NIH postdoctoral fellow stipend levels.
The Atlanta metropolitan area is the largest in the state of Georgia, ninth largest in the United States, and home to a diverse population of more than five million residents. Atlanta is home to numerous museums, art galleries, and cultural landmarks, as well as thriving music, film, and sports scenes. Past EHVP fellows have valued the city’s cosmopolitan atmosphere, vibrant green spaces, and reasonable cost of living.
JOB DESCRIPTION: Helps design and conduct research within a specified field while receiving advanced training from a designated Principal Investigator to enhance professional skills and research independence needed for pursuit of a career. The specific area of research in which the trainee is mentored is determined by the department and laboratory of the Postdoc. Designs and evaluates experiments. Develops new ideas that promote current research. Prepares and publishes scientific manuscripts under the direction of the Principal Investigator. May be responsible for operation of specific equipment. May teach techniques to others, train, and supervise research staff. Positions are temporary appointments as a research trainee. The initial appointment is for one year, renewal expected if progress is satisfactory and funds are available. Appointments cannot exceed five years.

Requirements

• A doctoral degree or equivalent (Ph.D., M.D., ScD., D.V.M., DDS etc) in an appropriate field.
• Excellent scientific writing ability and strong oral communication skills.
• The ability to work effectively and collegially with colleagues.
• Additional qualifications as specified by the Principal Investigator.
• Prior to the start of fellowship, applicants must have satisfactorily completed all requirements of a PhD/PsyD in Clinical Psychology or closely related field, including an APA accredited predoctoral psychology internship.

Nice To Haves

• Ideal candidates would have training and experience with evidence-based therapy.
• Training and experience with psychedelic therapy would be viewed favorably but is not a requirement, as we will provide this training and ongoing supervision and consultation.
• Experience in the treatment of PTSD and associated comorbidities; cognitive-behavioral therapy; exposure therapy; structured-clinical interviews (e.g., CAPS-5, DIAMOND); and clinical research is valued.
• Experience or interest in brain imaging collection, processing, and analysis would be desired but not required for a successful candidate.

Responsibilities

• Helps design and conduct research within a specified field
• Designs and evaluates experiments
• Develops new ideas that promote current research
• Prepares and publishes scientific manuscripts under the direction of the Principal Investigator
• May be responsible for operation of specific equipment
• May teach techniques to others, train, and supervise research staff

Benefits

• access to events, museums, and scholarly fellowship
• support for licensure
• frequent opportunities for specialized training
• consultation networks
• community outreach

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree