Curriculum

Research, Clinical Training and Professional Development

The Health Psychology Clinical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship offers a structured two-year curriculum designed to develop fellows into independent researchers and skilled clinicians. Training is divided across three core areas, with the majority of effort dedicated to research and clinical service, supported by ongoing supervision and professional development throughout.

Research Training (50% Effort)

Research is the foundation of this fellowship. Fellows are active contributors to the Behavioral Health Research Group from the first day of training, engaging in work that spans intervention development, federally funded study participation and independent scholarly output. Core research activities include:

• Contributing to the development and implementation of the CLTI Health Promotion Research Program
• Participation in ongoing BHRG studies targeting medication adherence, self-management and treatment engagement in traditionally hard-to-treat populations
• Analysis of existing datasets from externally funded studies, supporting early publication opportunities
• Intensive grant writing development with the goal of submitting an NIH career development award (K23 or K01) by fellowship completion
• Manuscript preparation, with the expectation of multiple peer-reviewed publications
• Collaboration on active grant applications with BHRG faculty

Clinical Training (40% Effort)

Fellows provide direct clinical care within the UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, applying evidence-based behavioral interventions to a cardiovascular patient population. Clinical training includes:

• Individual and group behavioral interventions addressing depression, smoking cessation, physical activity, medication adherence and chronic disease self-management
• Participation in multidisciplinary cardiovascular clinics
• Application of evidence-based modalities including CBT, ACT, and Motivational Interviewing
• Outpatient behavioral medicine rotations

Professional Development & Supervision (10% Effort)

Fellows receive consistent, structured mentorship designed to support both clinical growth and long-term career planning. Weekly individual supervision with the fellowship director anchors the training experience, complemented by:

• Weekly Behavioral Health Research Group team meetings with manuscript reviews and grant discussions
• Weekly group supervision
• Quarterly professional development meetings focused on career planning and academic job market preparation
• Access to Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine educational resources
• Teaching opportunities integrated throughout the fellowship, including guest lectures and trainee supervision

Compensation & Benefits

Fellows receive a competitive salary commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental and vision coverage and paid time off. Professional development funds are available for conference attendance, organization memberships and grant writing workshops. Office space, computer equipment and research materials are provided.