Feb 03, 2025

Two-Year VA Clinical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship (Trauma, Positive Psychology, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Moral Injury & Elevation, IPV)

  • VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans
  • Waco, TX, USA
Postdoc Behavioral Neuroscience Biopsychology Clinical Counseling Family Studies Positive Psychology Postdoctoral PTSD Research Traumatic Stress/Adversity

Job Description

VISN 17 CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR RESEARCH ON RETURNING WAR VETERANS

ADVANCED FELLOWSHIP IN MENTAL ILLNESS RESEARCH & TREATMENT

2-Year Postdoctoral Program for Clinical Psychologists @ Waco VA Medical Center

The VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans is accepting applications for a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in our VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA)-funded advanced training program in mental illness research and treatment, specifically addressing war Veterans with co-occurring disorders such as PTSD, TBI, and other mental health disorders. Training will commence between August and October 2025.Our Center also offers research and leadership rotations as part of the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System Psychology Pre-Doctoral internship with many interns staying for our postdoctoral fellowship. 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This program aims to train psychologists to become outstanding clinical research leaders in high priority areas of mental health. Individualized, mentored research and clinical training are combined with a state-of-the-art curriculum that emphasizes research methods, statistics, epidemiology, mental health systems, quality improvement methods, education, and service delivery. Our training model provides that fellows devote 75% of their time to research and 25% to clinical work. In collaboration with their mentors, fellows develop and implement a research project, publish and present findings, participate in grant writing and submit a grant, and utilize advanced technology for educational activities and clinical service delivery. Additionally, our program offers several opportunities for develop teaching, mentoring, and supervisory skills, as well as administrative experiences for program development and coordination, related to undergraduate research internships that have diversity, equity, and inclusion focused opportunities.

Research Training

Fellows will work with a CoE investigator as their primary research supervisor, receiving training and supervision in conducting and publishing research, applying for grants, and developing an independent research career. Additionally, fellows will attend weekly virtual didactics through the national OAA Mental Illness Research and Treatment (MIRT) Advanced Fellowship Hub Site in Palo Alto, offering training in grant-writing, research and professional development. Over the past decade over 80% of our fellows have secured grant funding, including competitive career development awards, prior to end of their fellowship.

Clinical Rotations

Fellows will assume clinical responsibilities in an outpatient, residential, or telemedicine clinic within the CTVHCS under supervision of a licensed provider and support to pursue licensure, including training materials for licensing examination.  Clinical opportunities available are aligned with fellow’s training plan. In previous years fellows have completed their clinical work through general mental health, PTSD clinical team, blind rehabilitation unit, primary care mental health integration, and neuropsychological assessment.

Training, Leadership, and Administrative Opportunities

Based on training interests, fellows will have access to teaching/mentoring opportunities through one of our undergraduate research internships. Fellows may choose to be instructors in our weekly didactics, mentor trainees in development of research posters, contribute to program evaluation and/or participate in quality improvement research focused on opportunities for underrepresented communities in the mental health field. Additionally, fellows can obtain opportunities to be clinical supervisors to predoctoral interns and practicum trainees.

ABOUT THE CENTER

The VISN 17 Center of Excellence (CoE) is a unified scientific and administrative center featuring clinical space, observation rooms, wet labs, transcranial magnetic stimulation, psychophysiological recording labs including EEG and ECG, and a 3T MRI for structural and functional neuroimaging.  The CoE is located within one of the largest integrated health care systems in the United States, which serves a Veteran population of more than 252,000, and is located near Fort Hood with approximately 35,000 active duty forces.  The CoE also has active partnerships with the University of Texas Dell Medical School and Baylor University, and Texas A&M University, in addition to collaborations with other academic institutions and VA systems.

RESEARCH

Our center uses a multidimensional approach to investigate and develop advanced methods for assessing and treating several issues that are often experienced by Veterans returning from theaters of war using different levels of analyses including:

1)      Treatment Process and Outcome Research

2)      Implementation Science Research

3)      Neuroimaging and Physiological Research

4)      Molecular and Biological Research

Our investigators have used these approaches to investigate topics such as evidence-based treatments for PTSD, neurologically informed subtyping of TBI, emotion regulation, military sexual trauma, women’s health, interpersonal partner violence, parenting interventions for Veterans with PTSD, suicide, moral injury, biomarkers of trauma, neurofeedback, transcranial magnetic stimulation, modifiable predictors of functional outcomes following deployment, and implementation of evidence-based treatments in primary care, among others.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2025-2027

  • Simultaneous Written Exposure Therapy and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Dr. Crystal Lantrip): This lab studies affective neuroscience, exploring neurological correlates of trauma and  emotion regulation, with a focus on neuromodulation as a mechanism for intervention. One of the actively funded studies is a double-blind RCT adding transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to written exposure therapy (WET) to attempt to augment treatment effects in veterans with PTSD. The study is funded through the VA Clinical Science Research and Development Department (CSR&D) and is in the active recruitment phase and currently funded through 2027. Postdoctoral fellows will have the opportunity to perform treatments as study therapists and receive hands on training in randomized clinical trial methods and VA research. Additionally, fellows will have opportunities for manuscript development and grant-writing.

  • Consulting after Combat and Moral Injury Lab (Dr. Sheila Frankfurt): This funded study aims to design and pilot a group-based intervention for Veterans to improve functioning after experiencing moral injury. Moral injury refers to unique psychological harm resulting from acting in a way or failing to prevent actions that violate an individual’s most closely held values leading Veterans to feelings of guilt and shame. The study is funded through the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Department (RSR&D) and is in the active recruitment and treatment phase and currently funded for five years. Fellows will have opportunities to be involved in clinical trial coordination, assessments, and study management of this project, as well as other projects related to moral injury, trauma, and suicide prevention. They will be supported to make use of available data sets for first-authored publications and presentations and receive mentorship and support in writing their own scholarly products including proposals for external funding if desired.

  • Psychosocial Impact of Trauma Lab (Dr. Suzannah Creech): This lab conducts applied health services and treatment development work to directly improve psychosocial outcomes in vulnerable populations who have experienced trauma. Our focal area is in interpersonal functioning and PTSD in military veterans, with a growing focus on depression.  Current projects include a DoD funded clinical trial testing the efficacy of a trauma informed parenting treatment for veterans with PTSD and an expected Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) of a web-based treatment for mild to moderate depression, both with the goal of addressing psychosocial functioning. Fellows will be trained to deliver our parenting treatment and serve as a study therapist/co-therapist. They will receive hands on training in RCT methods and VA research.

Across these opportunities, fellows will be supported to make use of available data sets for first-authored publications and presentations and receive mentorship and support in writing their own scholarly products as well as proposals for external funding.

For a complete list of our current investigators and some of their areas of focus visit: https://www.mirecc.va.gov/visn17/personnel.asp

 

STIPEND AND BENEFITS

The Fellowship Program currently offers a full-time first year stipend of $52,661 per annum, and a second year stipend of $ 55,178, and an available third year extension for $57, 694. Thirteen days of vacation, up to 13 days of sick leave, authorized leave for conferences, health insurance and other benefits are offered. Fellows receive a $1,000 annual conference travel allowance, and $2,000 for research start-up funds may be available. Additionally, depending on funding other training and resources may be available, including but not limited to EPPP preparation and grant-writing workshops.

TO APPLY

Please contact Dr. Laura Zambrano-Vazquez at 254-297-5154 or at [email protected] with questions and discuss available opportunities that may align with your particular interests. Applications should be emailed to Dr. Zambrano-Vazquez and include 1) a cover letter, 2) a CV, 3) official transcripts, and 4) three letters of reference. For more information visit: https://www.mirecc.va.gov/visn17/fellowship.asp

 

The initial deadline for applications is January 27, 2025.*

*Applications may be accepted until available positions are filled, please contact Dr. Zambrano-Vazquez for more information.

 

 

Employer

VA VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans

Department

Department of Veterans Affairs

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