Research Track Residency Program

Introduction  

The Vanderbilt Psychiatry Residency Research Track is designed as a flexible program that guarantees mentorship and protected time for research track residents to conduct their research projects.  The intent of the research track is to facilitate the successful transition of graduating residents into tenure track research faculty positions. Applicants to this track should intend a career in psychiatric research. Most often, successful applicants to this track will hold MD/PhD degrees. Other applicants having a strong track record of research accomplishments will also be considered. Residents are admitted to the research track under a separate ERAS NRMP number from the categorical program, although applicants can apply to both. 

Research Opportunities

The Department of Psychiatry offers a range of research opportunities for residents within the department, across the medical center and school of medicine basic science departments, as well as in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Engineering.

These include (but are not limited to) research with faculty in:
 

• The Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• The Division of Addiction Psychiatry
• The Division of General Psychiatry
• The Division of Psychology
• The Division of Geriatric Psychiatry
• The Early Psychosis Program
• The Center for Cognitive Medicine
• The Psychiatric Neuroimaging Program
• The Vanderbilt Brain Institute
• The Department of Psychology
• The Department of Pharmacology
• The Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
• The Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research  

 

Research Support

The department offers considerable administrative support for trainees submitting grant and funding applications, including applications to the National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program (NIH LRP). In addition, we offer internal review of applications by senior faculty. 

Department funding support for those accepted into the research track:

Up to $1,000 in travel per year to attend and present at scientific meetings

Up to $10,000 per resident to support research project expenses

Educational Leave

The department offers educational leave days and funding to support residents who present scientific results at major psychiatry research meetings. 
 

Research Support Resources

• Vanderbilt Internal Funding
• Vanderbilt Core Research Facilities
• Vanderbilt Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap)
   

Research Track Timeline

The exact structure of the research track and the amount of protected research time varies with the individual resident’s specific clinical interests, type of research, and career goals. In general, our program provides 12-14 months of protected research time distributed primarily between the PGY-3 and PGY-4 years. Once admitted to the program, residents will work with the program director and research mentors to design the optimal residency structure to maximize likelihood of successfully meeting the residents' long-term career objectives. 

Example timeline for research track residents:

PGY1:  

• Research activity: Work with research advisory mentor to identify a research area of interest and mentor
• Clinical: Required clinical rotations
• Advising: Assigned to research advisory mentor
• Instruction: Psychiatry research seminar
                       Journal club
                       Didactics

PGY2:             

• Research activity: Work with research advisory mentor to identify a research area of interest and mentor, up to 1 month of protected time for research activities
• Clinical: Required clinical rotations
• Advising: Choose research project mentor
                    Develop research project proposal
• Instruction: Psychiatry research seminar 
                       Journal club
                       Didactics

PGY3:            

• Research activity: Protected time to conduct research in the research mentor’s lab
• Clinical: Required and elective clinical rotations
• Instruction: Psychiatry research seminar
                       Journal club
  ​                     Didactics

PGY4:             

• Research Activity: Protected time to conduct research in the research mentor’s lab
• Clinical: Forensic and elective clinical rotations
• Instruction: Psychiatry research seminar
                       Journal club
                       Didactics

Click here to view Research Track Block Diagram

Research Supporting Partners

Researchers in the Department of Psychiatry collaborate with or are provided research support by the following programs:

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Vanderbilt Brain Institute

Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

The Advanced Computing Center for Research and Education (ACCRE)

The Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR)

 

Current Research Track Residents:

	Ryan Cassidy, M.D., Ph.D. Hometown: Houston, TX College: The University of Texas at Austin Medical School: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
	Stefanie Alexander, M.D., Ph.D. Hometown: Cheverly, MD College: Canisius College Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
	India Reddy, M.D., Ph.D. Hometown: Glastonbury, CT College: Cornell University Medical School: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Clinical and Research Interests: These lie primarily in the treatment of substance use disorders. I am particularly interested in advancing our understanding of stimulant use disorder, as there are currently few effective treatments and no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies. My current research in the laboratory of Dr. Lea Davis focuses on identifying novel therapeutic targets and personalized medicine strategies through a better understanding of genetic risk factors for the disorder.
	Manesh Gopaldas, M.D. Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa College: Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University Medical School: Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University

 

Recent Alumni:

Luis Rosas-Vidal, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Vanderbilt University Medical Center

 

CONTACT INFORMATION:

If you are interested in applying to our research track residency program please feel free to reach out to the program director with any questions you may have prior to or during the application/interview process. 

Director, Research Track Residency Program

Sachin Patel M.D., Ph.D.

James G. Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,

Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, and Pharmacology

Director, Division of General Psychiatry

Sachin.patel@vumc.org

 

Program Advisor for Basic and Translational Research

Alan S. Lewis, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Neurology

alan.s.lewis@vumc.org

 

Program Advisor for Clinical Research

Warren D. Taylor, M.D., MHSc.

James G. Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences,

Director, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry,

Physician-Scientist, VA TVHS Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC)

warren.d.taylor@vumc.org