The Department of Psychiatry values research as the foundation for improving the quality of clinical care and considers it essential for analyzing healthcare disparities, evaluating systems of care, and determining treatment efficacy and disseminating effective treatments to the larger professional community. Throughout their training, fellows are encouraged to pursue research interests.
Our mentoring system has successfully supported fellows in applying for research awards, Harvard Medical School fellowships (such as the Livingston and DuPont-Warren Fellowships), and training grants and awards from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the National Institute for Drug Abuse, the American Psychiatric Association, and the National Institute for Mental Health. Cross-fertilization among child psychiatry and developmental psychology faculty at Harvard has increased resources and choices for mentorship and academic writing.
Specific opportunities for mentored research in mental health care disparities and health services research are available within the Center for Multicultural Mental Health Research.
Elective
Fellows interested in pursuing academic, research, and/or administrative interests in their first year will be supported in their endeavors. Second year fellows have the equivalent of one day a week of scheduled elective time to pursue such interests. The program makes efforts to introduce fellows to a range of potential mentors and supervisors who can provide guidance in the development of engaging and scholarly electives during the first and second years of the program.