Research Track

Background

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Wayne State University School of Medicine has a large scientific portfolio. Its research faculty members hold extensive funding from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions/ agencies (e.g., State of Michigan, private foundations) for investigating mental health and substance use disorders, and have strong records of mentoring trainees.

The Research Track is specifically designed to cultivate physician-scientists who will advance the field of psychiatry through basic science and clinical mental health research using departmental resources. This track offers an integrated training experience, providing progressively more time in research activities throughout the residency while ensuring clinical excellence. Our goal is to help interested residents to prepare for successful careers as independent researchers and academic psychiatrists.

Goals

To train the next generation of academic physician-scientists in psychiatry.
To facilitate the development of independent scientists through significant protected research time, mentorship, funding, and resources.
To provide excellent mentorship focused on a selected research project, research literacy/competence, and research career development.

Core curriculum

The Research Track provides substantial protected research time throughout residency. This protected time enables residents to develop an area of research expertise to establish a programmatic focus and may help to achieve independent grant funding. The research training starts at the PGY-2 level.

PGY-2: Protected research time includes a research block of 1 month full-time, and a ½ day per week longitudinally throughout the year.
PGY-3: A ½ day per week longitudinally throughout the year
PGY-4: Up to 50% time devoted to research in a form of research block of 3-6 months and a ½ day per week longitudinally throughout the year.

Academic activities

Mentorship: Research Track residents will receive personalized scientific mentorship from WSU research-track faculty. Residents will also receive individualized career mentorship.
Research Project Development: Acceptance to the track is based on approval of the Program Director, approval of a project proposal and a faculty mentor by the Research Track Leadership. Application materials include the proposed research project with specific objectives and description of means to achieve them. This will be used to create a proposal for internal review by the Departmental Review Board (DRB) and subsequent submission to the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Career Development Plan: Application materials also require a career development plan that integrates the research plan and provides information on the larger plan for becoming a clinician-investigator.
Seminars and Courses: The longitudinal training plan will include an individualized research-focused curriculum consisting of seminars and courses (e.g., research methodology, statistics, ethics, and grant writing) sponsored by various Departments and Institutes at WSU, including the Translational Neuroscience Program (TNP). Opportunities to attend lectures, journal clubs, and graduate-level courses within the university will be also available.
Grant Writing and Funding: The Research Track may provide financial support for research expenses associated with the individual resident research project, and attendance at scientific meetings when funds available. Residents on Research Track are eligible to apply for New Investigator Grant (up to $ 25,000), again, when funds available.
Scholarly Work: Residents are expected to engage in peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
Annual Review: Once accepted into the Research Track, residents are reviewed annually.

Track leadership

Richard Balon, M.D., Mark Greenwald, Ph.D.

Contact Information

For more information about the Research Track and other research training opportunities in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Wayne State University, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Balon (rbalon@wayne.edu).