Research Fellowship Program

The post-doctoral research fellowship within the Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine offers a variety of research training opportunities with faculty mentors. Faculty areas of research interest include obesity, nutrition, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer prevention, among others. A team-based mentoring approach is typically used. The fellow’s plan of research activities is designed collaboratively by the fellow and mentor(s) to meet his or her specific training needs and interests, and to provide exposure to a variety of research activities in the fields of behavioral medicine that are of interest to the fellow. Weekly supervision occurs by the fellow’s research mentor or mentors. It is expected that fellows will submit at least one NIH grant proposal (e.g., K23 career development grant) during the fellowship period. Fellows also receive peer mentoring through a weekly writing group that focuses on advancing scholarship.

In addition to resources available within the Division, other development opportunities exist and are available to fellows, through the UMass Chan Office of Faculty Affairs. This office offers a wide array of programs to help fellows and Faculty advance their competencies, develop collaborative relationships with colleagues, enrich the UMass Chan faculty community, and enhance personal growth. The Mentoring Program developed by Dr. Ockene also is available to fellows. This program supports mentoring for professional and personal development in teaching, research, patient care and leadership. It provides junior faculty with input from experienced and successful faculty in an informal, confidential and non-evaluative manner. Additional training opportunities include participation in national conferences sponsored by professional organizations such as the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Society for Epidemiological Research, Association for the Advancement of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and the Obesity Society. Fellows are encouraged to participate in an intensive grant writing course offered within the Clinical and Population Health Research graduate program and taught by Stephenie Lemon, Ph.D., a faculty member from our Division. In addition, fellows are encouraged to apply for the Summer Institute on Design and Conduct of Randomized Clinical Trials Involving Behavioral Interventions sponsored by NIH.