Geriatric Psychiatry Department at McLean Hospital is seeking student visitors for three research labs: The Technology and Aging Lab, The Geriatric Psychiatry Research Program, and the Mood and Cognition in the Aging Lab.
This internship is geared towards students who are actively enrolled in an undergraduate program and are interested in gaining clinical and research experience. Student Visitors are primarily responsible for assisting with lab related procedures that include but are not limited to data entry, patient escort, transcription, and literature review compositions.
Internship Lab Placement Options:
The Technology and Aging Lab, directed by Dr. Ipsit Vahia, investigates the applications of technological interventions to enhance clinical care across the lifespan. Current research focuses on the application of electronic media into psychotherapy, wearables to track symptom changes from medication adjustments in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), applications of virtual reality to enhance mindfulness in older adults with mood disorders, AI-based phenotyping for mood disorders and monitoring of medication side effects for patients involved in clinical trials for ADRD/MCI, and augmented reality to supplement activities of daily living (ADLs) for patients with ADRD/MCI.
View our website at geropsychtech.org
The Geriatric Psychiatry Research Program, directed by Dr. Ipsit Vahia, addresses cutting edge research questions in the areas of dementia and mood disorders using new neuroimaging techniques, clinicopathological correlations, and other study methods. Current studies include a number of Industry-Sponsored Alzheimer’s Disease clinical drug trials, longitudinal analyses of older adults with depression and bipolar disorder, and Investigator-Initiated clinical trials focused on treatment interventions for behavioral symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and neuroimaging studies.
View our website at geriatricpsychiatryresearch.org
The Mood and Cognition in the Aging Lab, directed by Dr. Sara Weisenbach, investigates how problems such as cognitive dysfunction and depression symptomatology relate to the ability to regulate emotions during late middle and older age. Participants take part in an interview to gather information about medical and psychiatric history, a physical exam and blood draw, cognitive testing, a functional MRI scan, and questionnaires. Some parts of this study can be performed virtually, and we are enrolling patients at Stony Brook University who are unable to attend in-person visits at this time due to the pandemic. The overall aim of this study is to use the knowledge that we gain from this study to develop better interventions for emotion dysregulation and depression in older people. We are enrolling participants with and without a history of depression.
View our website at Mood and Cognition in Aging (maca-lab.com)
If you have any questions about the position, please refer to our FAQ table at the end of this document. For lab specific questions, refer to the contact information listed below:
- Contact Rebecca Dickinson at rdickinson@mclean.harvard.edu
- Contact Rosain Ozonsi at rozonsi@mclean.harvard.edu
- Contact Jeremy Marciaz at jmaciarz@mclean.harvard.edu
Due to high volume of applications, emails with application materials will not be reviewed. Please use the application portal to formally apply.
| Responsibilities may include: – Assisting with study procedures – Pre-screening potential study candidates – Data entry and database management – Literature reviews as needed – Assisting investigators with presentation and manuscript preparations – Any other duties assigned | Qualifications of strong candidate: – Strong desire and willingness to learn – Interest in research, medicine, psychiatry, clinical psychology, neuroscience, biology, or psychology – Actively enrolled in an undergraduate research program – Experience interacting w/ patients – Previous research experience preferred – Proficient computer skills – Ability to work in-person at McLean Hospital preferred |