Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry: Training and Career Development

The Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry offers:

  1. Research Fellowships: The Institute supports two NIMH-funded postdoctoral research programs, including the Research Training in Geriatric Mood Disorders and Postdoctoral Fellowship in Geriatric Mental Health Services. For more information, contact Paul Toth, at (914) 997-5914 or pjt2003@med.cornell.edu.
  2. Advanced Research Career Development: The Institute directs the NIMH-funded Advanced Research Institute (ARI) in Geriatric Mental Health, a national mentoring program designed to help junior investigators achieve their first R01 funding and assume the responsibilities of independent scientists. The Institute also sponsors several federally-funded, mentored career development awards for its junior investigators. For more information, click on ARI (ARI) or contact Laura Davan, at (914) 682-9100 ext 2570 or lad9011@med.cornell.edu
  3. Clinical Training: The Institute offers training in Geriatric Psychiatry to medical students, psychiatry residents and graduate students in related fields. It also offers a ACGME approved fellowship, which provides clinical training in Geriatric Psychiatry. For more information, contact Sibel Klimstra, M.D. at (914) 997-5807 or sakyol@med.cornell.edu.

Research Fellowships

The Institute has two postdoctoral research training programs funded by NIMH. Both programs offer two-year postdoctoral fellowships to M.D. or Ph.D. level scientists with a background in biological, behavioral or social sciences. One or three years of training is offered to fellows trainees with special needs. The training programs rely on the preceptor-trainee relationship. The preceptor serves as a scholarly model, assists and supervises the trainee in developing and pursuing a research project, provides constructive, and helps the trainee to form a focused plan for his/her research career. Both programs are conducted in collaboration with local faculty and national leaders in the field.

  • Research Training in Geriatric Mood Disorders (T32 MH019132) directed by George S. Alexopoulos, MD is an NIMH-funded, NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship that provides research training in translational research with studies ranging from molecular biology, genetics, structural and functional neuroimaging, clinical pharmacology, treatment efficacy and effectiveness research, and mental health services research.
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship in Geriatric Mental Health Services Research (T32 MH073553) is a collaborative, NIMH-funded, NRSA program with Dartmouth College (Director: Stephen Bartels, MD, MS), University of Washington (Director: Jürgen UnŸtzer, MD, MPH) and Weill Cornell Medical College (Director: Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH). The program provides postdoctoral training in mental health services research for older adults with mental disorders. In addition to locally-based training, fellows and faculty from all three sites meet together regularly in a web-based seminar.

For more information about either of the Institute's Research Fellowships, please contact the Institute's Administrator, Paul Toth, at (914) 997-5914 or pjt2003@med.cornell.edu.

Advanced Research Career Development

Advanced Research Institute in Geriatric Mental Health (ARI) (R25 MH068502) is an educational program developed by the field of geriatric psychiatry to increase the number of independent investigators conducting interventions and services research in geriatric mental health. Under the directorship of Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH, ARI provides targeted, sustained mentoring and consultation aimed at helping the field's junior investigators achieve their first R01 funding and assume the responsibilities of independent scientists. ARI augments Scholars' existing resources by matching them with mentors from a national pool of senior investigators and providing opportunities for ongoing consultation with a national network of experts in the field. As part of the two-year program, ARI Scholars attend an annual Spring Retreat focused on grant writing.

For more information on the ARI program and application process, click here Advanced Research Institute (ARI) or contact Laura Davan, at (914) 682-9100 ext 2570 or lad9011@med.cornell.edu

Clinical Fellowship

The Institute sponsors an ACGME approved one-year fellowship program in Geriatric Psychiatry directed by Sibel Klimstra, M.D. The objectives of the program are to enhance the knowledge, skills and attitudes of trainees in:

  1. the clinical practice of Geriatric Psychiatry;
  2. the teaching of Geriatric Psychiatry;
  3. the use of social, financial, and legal resources for the elderly; and
  4. the critical review of clinical geriatric research.

These goals are achieved by exposing the trainees to several clinical rotations, a curriculum of didactic courses, supervision, and a teaching experience. The rotations are on the:

  1. Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Service of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division (50% of time);
  2. The Geriatric Psychiatry Specialty Clinic (20% of time);
  3. A nursing home (20% of time);
  4. The Geriatric Evaluation Service, a specialized multidisciplinary assessment of geriatric outpatients with impairment of higher intellectual functions (10% of time for 6 months); and
  5. A selective tailored to the interests of each trainee (10% of time for six months).

Strengths of the program include:

  1. Its 26 years experience offering a fellowship in geriatric psychiatry;
  2. The large full-time faculty of geriatric psychiatrists with accomplishments in teaching and research (several NIMH-funded research projects);
  3. The teaching contributions of Medicine, Neurology and Neuropsychology services;
  4. Its core facilities, which include a large hospital service (45 acute geriatric psychiatry beds), a partial hospital, a geriatric psychiatry specialty clinic and a geriatric nursing home consultation program with the primary mission of training and research;
  5. A diverse patient group based in Westchester; and
  6. Its strong relationships with both county and state-sponsored community facilities and regulatory bodies.

    For more information please contact Sibel Klimstra, M.D. at (914) 997-5807 or sakyol@med.cornell.edu

Research Profiles
 George S. Alexopoulos, MD

 Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH

 Robert Abrams, MD

 Amy Byers, PhD, MPH

 Jose DeAsis, MD

 Faith M. Gunning-Dixon, PhD

 Moonseong Heo, PhD

 Balu Kalayam, MD

 Sibel A. Klimstra, MD

 Dimitris N. Kiosses, PhD

 Andrew Leon, PhD

 Patricia Marino, PhD

 Barnett S. Meyers, MD

 Christopher F. Murphy, PhD

 Patrick J. Raue, PhD

 Herbert C. Schulberg, PhD

 Thomas F. Sheeran, PhD

 Jo Anne Sirey, PhD

 Robert C. Young, MD
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