Indiana LEND Program 2024-2025 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

23 Oct 2023    

The Indiana Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program is currently accepting applications for a psychology postdoctoral fellowship position with a dual focus on clinical practice and clinical research in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This fellowship offers a unique opportunity to be part of a vibrant cross-institution research team as well as an interdisciplinary clinical team while gaining both clinical and research experience in neurodevelopmental disabilities.

The Indiana LEND has been situated in the Department of Pediatrics in the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) since 1970. The Department of Pediatrics is home to several research centers, boasts an outstanding reputation in clinical, basic science and translational research, and is consistently among the top five to ten percent of National Institutes of Health pediatric funding recipients nationally. The mission of the Indiana LEND is to provide an interdisciplinary training experience that prepares graduate and post-graduate professionals from numerous health, education, and related disciplines to deliver high-quality services that result in improved systems of care for persons with ASD and other neurodevelopmental and related disabilities (including cognitive disabilities, neurodegenerative and acquired neurological disorders) and their families. More information about the Indiana LEND program can be found here: https://medicine.iu.edu/pediatrics/specialties/child-development/lend-training

The Indiana LEND Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow will work with faculty in the Indiana LEND to develop a tailored training plan that incorporates the following clinical and research experiences. In general, dual focus psychology fellows can anticipate spending 2 days a week in clinical practice (e.g. diagnostic clinics) and 2 days a week engaged in scholarly research. Fellows are given 1 day a week to focus on administrative tasks (e.g. report writing, supervision) and didactic learning.

Clinical Experience: Participation in Indiana’s LEND interdisciplinary assessment and diagnostic clinics. A primary focus is differential diagnosis of ASD in toddlers through transition-aged young adults. Fellows acquire significant experience in clinical interviewing as well as administration, scoring, and interpretation of ADOS-2 and cognitive and adaptive assessments. In some clinics, the psychology fellow is a member of an interdisciplinary team, which can include a speech/language fellow, social workers, nutritionists, dental residents, and a developmental pediatrician. Other clinical opportunities may include conducting early intervention evaluations and learning disability assessments as well as offering short-term interventions.

• Opportunities to participate in evidence-based treatment approaches including behavioral strategies, the Early Start Developmental Model (ESDM), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and anxiety/traumabased strategies.

Research Experience: Participation in a year-long research/leadership project focused on maternal and child health. Dual focus fellows will be expected to participate in clinical research evaluations of toddlers at-risk for ASD in the primary care setting as a part of their research experience. The fellow will obtain research reliability in use of the ADOS-2, as well as gain significant experience with developmental evaluation and clinical interviewing. Evaluations are conducted as part of an NIH-funded project (Dr. Becca McNally, IUSM; Dr. Brandon Keehn, Purdue University) focused on investigating an innovative model of early ASD diagnosis that links community-based clinical evaluation with the assessment of biobehavioral markers in the primary care setting. Additional research experiences are available depending on fellow interests.

• Formal research training and mentorship in project development/implementation, data collection and analysis, and scientific dissemination will be provided.
• • Fellows will present their research, at a minimum, at the completion of the academic year during a Maternal and Child Health Poster Session. Fellows are encouraged to present their research at local, state, and national level conferences as well as consider publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Didactic Learning Experience: Didactic and discussion-based group learning opportunities are offered weekly. In addition to department and division-wide grand rounds and journal club, fellows participate in the LEND didactic seminar with the interdisciplinary LEND cohort. The LEND seminars encompass a variety of topics including policy and advocacy, family-centered care, and cultural competency. practices, and the creation of community support programs. Seminars are developed in conjunction with the Maternal & Child Health Competencies.

• Fellows are expected to present during the journal clubs to the Indiana LEND faculty, offering opportunities for teaching and presenting.

Supervision: Psychology post-doctoral fellows receive supervision from licensed psychologists within the Division of Developmental Medicine. Each fellow has a primary supervisor with whom they meet weekly to discuss cases, professional development, and other administrative and/or supervisory issues. Additionally, each clinic (and research clinic) has a primary psychologist who provides live supervision throughout that day.

Qualifications:

1. Doctorate in psychology (clinical or school psychology) from an APA-accredited program

2. Demonstrated potential for a career in child psychology with an emphasis on neurodevelopmental evaluation

The ideal candidate will have experience in 1) assessment and diagnosis of individuals with ASD, with a preference given to candidates with experience in assessment of toddlers and clinical or research use of the ADOS-2, and 2) participation on a research team with a demonstrated interest in research focused on neurodevelopmental disabilities, including ASD.  Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Application:

1. Letter of interest outlining fit with fellowship position and training goals for the post-doctoral year

2. Curriculum Vita (include awarded or expected date of doctoral degree)

3. 3 letters of reference

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Interviews will begin in early January with an expectation to fill positions in early February.

Salary and Benefits: Salary and benefits are paid at NIH postdoctoral stipend reflecting years of experience of candidate plus IUSM healthcare benefits (including funding to attend a national conference)

Start Date: Late August 2024

Contact Dr. Christine Raches, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, at craches@iu.edu with questions about the fellowship.