Behavioral Science and Substance Use Disorders
Mission:
To provide highly-motivated students interested in behavioral health and substance use disorders with an enriching longitudinal educational curriculum and the opportunity to explore a specific area of interest through a mentored scholarly project. Students will obtain an increased awareness of the individual and societal impact of these disorders and be prepared to make clinical, academic, and research contributions to these fields of study.
Director/Co-director: J. Chase Findley, M.D. & Consuelo “Chelo” Walss-Bass, Ph.D.
Administrative coordinator: Linh Trinh
Maximum number of students/year: 5
Student selection process: Student applications, including an essay, will be reviewed by the course-directors. Students will be selected based on their prior experiences, stated interests in behavioral health and substance use disorders, and the availability of faculty mentors to provide mentorship aligned with student interests.
Concentration requirements (didactic and experiential):
Students will be required to complete a well-rounded curriculum to include Blue Book Sessions, reading of peer-reviewed journal articles, participation in student interest groups, and attendance at Grand Rounds. Students will also be required to shadow faculty members and take electives/selectives in relevant fields. Students will be encouraged to attend conferences, complete online modules, participate in lecture series, and join advocacy groups & volunteer organizations.
Recommended Timeline (year by year) for student completion of concentration requirements:
MS1
- Required:
- Application and acceptance into program, including essay
- Identify a project mentor
- Submit project proposal
- Complete 8 hours of clinical shadowing
- Attend 2 Grand Rounds in Psychiatry or other behavioral health topic
- Join and participate in the Student Interest Group for Neurology & Psychiatry (SIGN\P)
- Join APA and/or AACAP as a student member
- Optional:
- Participate in any of the following Blue Book Series: Gun Violence & Physicians, Health Professions Against Interpersonal Violence, Deconstruction Dementia, The Healer’s Art, or Suffering: Pathographies of Mental Illness
- Apply for Summer Research Program/Saltzberg Fellowship
MS2
- Required:
- Continue project with mentor
- Complete SIGN/P Blue Book Series
- Complete Nervous System & Behavior Module
- Complete 8 hours of clinical shadowing
- Attend 4 Grand Rounds in Psychiatry or other behavioral health topic
- Optional:
- Participate in any of the following Blue Book Series: Gun Violence & Physicians, Health Professionals Against Interpersonal Violence, Deconstruction Dementia, The Healer’s Art, or Suffering: Pathographies of Mental Illness.
MS3
- Required:
- Continue project with mentor
- Complete Psychiatry Clerkship
- Participate in SIGN/P
- Optional:
- Attend Psychiatry Grand Rounds
MS4
- Required:
- Complete project and compose written description
- Participate in SIGN/P
- Complete at least two elective/selective courses in Psychiatry or related discipline
- Optional:
- Attend Psychiatry Grand Rounds
- Present project at Psychiatry Resident Research Day
The following types of scholarly projects may be considered:
- Basic science research
- Translational
- Clinical research
- Public health research
- Curriculum development
- Literature review and data analysis
Progress Monitoring:
Students will schedule regular meetings with their mentor, members of their advisory committee, and concentration co-directors to review progress on their projects. Students will be provided with individualized guidance on completion of their project on the required timeline and ensuring work is of a publishable nature and quality.
Presentation Requirement:
Students will be required to present their final project orally during a monthly departmental research meeting, and as a poster in the annual Psychiatry Resident Research Day.
Scholarly Concentration Faculty Mentors*
| Faculty Name | Contribution to Concentration | Department |
| Consuelo “Chelo” Walss-Bass, PhD | Co-director, project mentor | Psychiatry |
| J. Chase Findley, MD | Co-director | Psychiatry |
| Gabriel Fries, PhD | Project mentor | Psychiatry |
| Deborah Little, PhD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Alan Prossin, MD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, MD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Antonio Teixeira, MD, PhD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Anilkumar Pillai, PhD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Angela Heads, PhD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Jane Hamilton, PhD, MPH, LCSW | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Ron Acierno, PhD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Thomas Meyer, PhD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Joy Schmitz, PhD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Scott Lane, PhD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Luba Yammine, PhD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Jin Ho Yoon, PhD | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| Lokesh Shahani, MD, MPH | Project Mentor | Psychiatry |
| James Langabeer, PhD, MBA | Project Mentor | Emergency Medicine |
*Others may be available based on discussion with Scholarly Concentration directors
Updated: 5/1/2024