Brown Clinical Psychology Training Consortium
Postdoctoral Fellowship in
Treatment Outcome Research in Addictive Behaviors
Site:
Butler Hospital, Addictions Research Group
Supervisor(s):
Richard A. Brown, Ph.D.
David R. Strong, Ph.D.
Ana M. Abrantes, Ph.D.
Description of site:
Butler Hospital is one of the earliest psychiatric facilities established in the United States. Affiliated with Brown Medical School, Butler Hospital is actively engaged in a variety of important research studies, particularly patient-oriented research. The Addictions Research Group at Butler Hospital has over 14 years of experience in the area of treatment development for addictive populations. Current NIH-funded clinical trials are evaluating: 1) the efficacy of a motivational interviewing (MI) intervention for adolescents with comorbid substance use and psychiatric disorders 2) the efficacy of a moderate intensity aerobic exercise intervention for smoking cessation, 3) the efficacy of an exposure- and ACT-based distress tolerance treatment for cigarette smokers with a history of early smoking lapse, and 4) the efficacy of a telephone counseling smoking cessation intervention for smokers with recurrent major depression.In addition to involvement in these ongoing studies, post-doctoral fellows also have the opportunity to engage in the publication of empirical research papers from recently completed studies, including studies of: 1) the incremental efficacy of bupropion in combination with cognitive-behavioral treatment for smoking cessation among adult smokers, 2) the efficacy of moderate intensity aerobic exercise for alcohol- and drug- dependent patients, 3) an MI smoking cessation intervention for adolescents with comorbid psychopathology, 4) the incremental efficacy and optimal timing of adding the antidepressant fluoxetine to standard treatment with nicotine patch therapy and behavioral counseling for smokers with elevated depressive symptoms, and 5) the efficacy of adding cognitive-behavioral treatment for depression among individuals with elevated depressive symptoms who are in treatment for alcohol dependence. All of these studies have produced rich data resources for investigation of outcome and process factors influencing treatment outcomes in these high-risk populations.
Fellowship Aims
To provide the fellow with broad post-doctoral training in the area of treatment of addictive behaviors.
To provide the fellow with a strong working knowledge of and research expertise in addictive behaviors research.
To enable the fellow to gain experience working with a multidisciplinary research team.
To enable the fellow to accrue hours toward Rhode Island licensure through clinical research activities.
Fellowship Timeline
This is a two-year fellowship, renewable after one year contingent upon satisfactory progress.
Research Activity Plan
The position is 75% research work and 25% clinical work. The fellow will be exposed to various aspects of clinical and research work related to smoking, substance abuse, and exercise interventions among adolescents and adult populations. This is achieved via participation in the following activities:
- Study coordination: The fellow will collaborate with the Principal Investigator to coordinate a current, NIH-funded clinical trial. This will involve approximately 25% effort (10 hours).
- Grant writing: The fellow will be encouraged to develop a grant idea and submit a grant proposal by the end of the fellowship term. This will involve approximately 25% effort (10 hours).
- Manuscript preparation and submission: The fellow will be encouraged to collaborate on manuscript preparation and poster submissions at national conferences. Individually tailored goals will be established in this area. This will involve approximately 15% effort (6 hours).
- Post-Doctoral Seminars: The fellow will be required to participate in the post-doctoral seminars through the Brown University Post Doctoral Training Program. These include seminars on grant writing and other clinical research topics and will involve approximately 10% effort (4 hours).
Clinical Activity Plan
In order to ensure that the fellow receives a high level of clinical training in the area of addictive behaviors, the following activities will be required during the fellowship:
- Treatment services: The fellow will provide up to 10 hours per week in the provision of clinical services including therapy in ongoing smoking, substance abuse, and exercise intervention studies, This will also include time spent in clinical supervision (25% effort; 10 hours).
Supervision and Evaluation
Weekly individual research mentoring will be provided by Dr. Brown. Research mentoring is also readily available from Drs. Strong and Abrantes. Weekly individual clinical supervision will be provided by one of more of the supervisors (Drs. Brown, Strong and Abrantes), depending upon which clinical activities (and associated research project) are involved.
At the conclusion and midpoint of the fellowship, the fellow and the supervisors are requested to provide formal evaluations, and evaluations of the program relative to the goals and learning objectives of the fellowship.
Resource Requirements
Fellow will be provided with the following resources:
- Private office space
- A personal desktop computer and project specific software
- Internet access
- Telephone
For more information about this post-doctoral training opportunity, contact Dr. Richard A. Brown, Director, Butler Hospital Addictions Research Group, by email (Richard_Brown@brown.edu), phone (401 455-6254) or fax (401 455-6424).