Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Clinical Psychology Training Consortium
Postdoctoral Fellowship Description: RESEARCH FOCUS
Title:
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Maternal Smoking/Depression and Offspring Biobehavioral Risk
Processes
Site:
Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital
Supervisors:
Laura Stroud, Ph.D.
John Todaro, Ph.D.
Description of Site
The proposed training will be carried out at the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine (CBPM) at the Warren
Alpert Medical School of Brown University and The Miriam Hospital. The CBPM is nationally recognized for its
research and training in behavioral and preventive medicine. The CBPM includes over 20 faculty members representing
behavioral and social sciences. Faculty at the CBPM conduct research in the areas of tobacco use, physical activity,
weight control, diabetes, cancer prevention and control, and HIV. The CBPM is a Brown University center in the
program in public health that is based at The Miriam Hospital. The Miriam Hospital is a 240 bed general medical surgical
hospital that is a teaching affiliate of the Brown medical school. Within the CPBM, Dr. Stroud directs the MaternalInfant Stress Laboratory as well as the Child and Adolescent Stress Laboratory. The postdoctoral fellow will be
offered the opportunity to take part in educational opportunities through Dr. Stroud’s laboratories specifically as well as
the overall CPBM.
Fellowship Aims
1. To provide the fellow with broad post-doctoral training in the area of maternal smoking and depression and
fetal and infant biobehavioral risk processes with a focus on stress response.
2. To provide the fellow with a strong working knowledge of biobehavioral mechanisms underlying risk for
affective and addictive disorders.
3. To provide the fellow with a supervised experience in structured clinical interviews with pregnant mothers.
Other supervised experiences in preparation for licensure can also be made available.
4. To provide the fellow with research training and experience that will prepare the fellow for a future career as
an independent investigator in the area of maternal smoking/depression and offspring biobehavioral risk
processes.
Fellowship Timeline
The duration of the fellowship is expected to be two years with the second year contingent upon availability of funding
and satisfactory progress during the first year. The anticipated start date is June-Sept., 2015, but an earlier start date is
possible.
Research Activity Plan (77.5% time)
The fellow will be exposed to various aspects of clinical and research work. This is achieved via participation in the
following activities:

Manuscript and/or grant preparation and submission: The fellow will be encouraged to initiate and collaborate
on manuscript and grant preparation and presentations at national conferences. Individually tailored goals
will be established in this area. These activities will account for approximately 50% of the fellow’s time.
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Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Clinical Psychology Training Consortium
Postdoctoral Fellowship Description: RESEARCH FOCUS

Clinical assessments: Structured clinical interviews (SCID, substance use interviews) with pregnant mothers
in the context of ongoing research studies. These activities will account for approximately 35% of the fellow’s
time. Of this time, at least 12.5% time would involve assessments with clinical populations
(depressed/smoking mothers). These will be supervised by John Todaro, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist.

Review of the stress response systems across development, maternal smoking, perinatal psychiatry, and
fetal/infant neurobehavior literature. The fellow will be provided with a series of readings in these areas.

The fellow will be required to participate in regular research meetings and journal clubs conducted through
the Maternal-Infant Stress Laboratory and Child and Adolescent Stress Laboratory and the Center for
Behavioral and Preventive Medicine. These will account for approximately 5% of the fellow’s time.
Clinical Activity Plan (12.5% time)
Opportunities for additional clinical experience will be provided as part of the position. Fellows with clinical degrees are
encouraged to meet the requirements for licensure in Rhode Island by the end of the fellowship.

Clinical assessment: Structured clinical interviews (SCID, substance use interviews) with pregnant mothers,
children will be conducted in the context of ongoing research studies. These will be supervised by John
Todaro, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist.
Path toward licensure: YES__X___ NO_____
Didactics (10% time)
The fellow will participate in the weekly postdoctoral research seminars offered through the Brown University Post
Doctoral Training Program (10% time).
Mandatory Didactics:
Core Seminars (1 per month)
DPHB Academic Grand Rounds (1 per month)
Clinical Ethics – if intending to sit for licensure (1 per month)
Track Seminars – Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Course (weekly)
Optional Didactics (Mandatory for T32/F32/ and Investigator Funded Fellows):
Academic Friday – Grantsmanship seminars, Special Topics in Statistics and Alcohol Center seminars.
Supervision and Evaluation
Research supervision will come from weekly and ad-hoc meetings with Dr. Stroud. Opportunities for collaboration and
supervision with other co-investigators including: Amy Salisbury, Ph.D., James Padbury, M.D., and George
Papandonatos, Ph.D. Clinical supervision will come from Dr. John Todaro, Licensed Clinical Psychologist.
The Fellow will have the opportunity to participate in clinical and supervision hours at a rate that will result in eligibility
to sit for the national Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) and other state licensing procedures
at the end of the second year of fellowship training.
Every 6 months throughout 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.
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Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Clinical Psychology Training Consortium
Postdoctoral Fellowship Description: RESEARCH FOCUS
Resource Requirements
Fellow will be provided with the following resources:




Office space
A personal desktop computer and project specific software
Internet access
Telephone
Reporting and approval
This fellowship will be part of the Behavioral Medicine track and is contingent on the availability of funding.
_____________________________________
Postdoctoral Fellowship Track Coordinator
______________________________________
Associate Director for Investigator Funded Fellowship Positions/NIH Funded Fellowship Positions
______________________________________
Director, Brown Clinical Psychology Training Consortium
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