Neuropsychology Central

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Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Announcement

The Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center seeks strong candidates for a two-year clinical neuropsychology fellowship, commencing in the summer of 2013. The fellowship opportunity provides specialized training in cognitive aging and is intended for candidates interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine. There is one training slot available.

The fellow will dedicate approximately half of their training to an active NIH-funded translational research program focusing on modifiable risk factors for abnormal cognitive aging, including prospective and retrospective studies examining risk factors and biomarkers for cognitive decline and dementia. Fellows will participate in research activities by conducting clinical interviews for research eligibility determination, neuropsychological data collection, data analysis (in collaboration with a biostatistical team), and manuscript preparation. Fellows will be expected to participate in grant writing activities and develop an independent project through intramural pilot funding sources.

Strong clinical training is provided in the context of the outpatient Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center with a primary focus in geriatric referrals. Fellows will gain
expertise in the clinical assessment and diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, and vascular dementia, as well as atypical
neurodegenerative diseases. Clinical training will occupy 50% of the fellow’s professional time with an emphasis on clinical interviewing, case conceptualization, and individualized treatment planning. Also, the
fellow will be responsible for conducting education and support groups for patients with early stage Alzheimer’s disease and their families.

Numerous didactics and professional development opportunities are available to support the fellow’s training, such as an Alzheimer’s disease guest lecture series, brain cuttings, works-in-progress workshops, writing seminars, biostatistical meetings, journal clubs, and Neurology Grand Rounds. The fellow will gain extensive experience in supervision of undergraduate and graduate trainees.

Applicants must be clinical psychology doctoral candidates with a pre-doctoral internship emphasizing neuropsychology. The stipend is commensurate with NIH post-doctoral stipend recommendations and benefits include health insurance, dental insurance, sick and personal time, and a modest travel stipend.

The application deadline is December 31st, 2012 but applications will be reviewed as received. Telephone interviews will commence immediately and on site interviews (in January 2013) will be reserved for top candidates. This position is not part of the APPCN matching program. The
fellowship is strongly aligned with the Houston Conference guidelines for fulfilling ABPP board certification eligibility requirements in clinical neuropsychology as well as state licensure requirements.

Interested candidates should email the following materials to Dr. Angela Jefferson’s attention at vmac@vanderbilt.edu:
• Detailed cover letter outlining career goals, interests, and fit with our clinical and research program;
• Curriculum vita;
• Graduate transcript(s);
• A minimum of three recommendation letters (one must be from an internship supervisor and another must be from the dissertation committee chair stating expected or completed defense date);
• Two de-identified clinical work samples; and
• A research writing sample.

Visit us on line for more information about the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center (www.vanderbiltalzheimers.com) and Dr. Jefferson’s Laboratory of Cognitive Aging (www.vanderbiltcognitiveaging.com).