SUD Post-Doctoral Training Opportunities

• SUDs Case Conferences (monthly, second Thursday, 8a-9a via zoom)
  • Description: Monthly seminar series organized by MGH SUDs Initiative where internal or external guest speakers present on a specific topic related to SUD, usually utilizing a patient case as the bases for discussion. Attended by staff across SUDs and anyone else who is interested.
  • Contact: Elizabeth Powell (eapowell@partners.org; program director)
• Addiction Medicine Fellowship (AMF) Didactic (Weekly, Friday, 9a-10a)
  • Description: Guest speakers related to specific topics in addiction medicine. Attended by fellows, faculty, and anyone else who wants to join.
  •  Contact: Elizabeth Powell (eapowell@partners.org; program director)
• Center for Addiction Medicine (CAM) Grand Rounds (monthly, 11a-12p via zoom)
  • Description: Monthly presentations on SUD research by internal or external speakers.
  • Contact: Chelsea Pike (ckpike@mgh.harvard.edu; organizing clinical research coordinator to be added to the invitation emails) 
• Research in Addiction Medicine Seminar Series (Monthly, Thursday, 10-11a via zoom)
  • Description: Monthly seminar series consisting of research project presentations by investigators, typically junior investigators, researching SUDs
  • Contact: Samantha Sawyer (smsawyer@mgh.harvard.edu; program manager); Led by Nancy Rigotti, MD (nrigotti@partners.com) and Sarah Wakeman, MD (swakeman@partners.org)
• Tobacco Research and Treatment Center (TRTC) Seminar Series
  • Description (Bi-monthly, first and third Thursday of month, 2-3p via Zoom): Bi-monthly seminar series focused on reviewing current research or proposed research on the topic of tobacco use, cessation, other nicotine products (e-cigarettes) and other health behaviors.
  • Contact: Nancy Rigotti, MD (nrigotti@partners.org; Director); Joanna Streck, PhD (jstreck@mgh.harvard.edu)
• Recovery Research Institute Journal Club
  • Description (Monthly via Zoom): Monthly journal club meeting discussing noteworthy papers related to addiction or addiction recovery. 
  • Contact: Lauren Hoffman, PhD (lhoffman1@mgh.harvard.edu)

• SUDs Initiative individual and group psychotherapy
  • Description: The hospital-wide SUDs initiative provides clinical services to patients with SUDs across the hospital. Interns may carry a small caseload of primary SUD cases at the following clinics:
    • West End Clinic: The West End Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital is an outpatient facility for those with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders. Interns can provide individual psychotherapy or co-lead a DBT group. https://www.massgeneral.org/psychiatry/treatments-and-services/west-end-clinic
    • ARMS: Outpatient clinic for those with SUDs and co-occurring mental health disorders focused on youth and young adults. Opportunities for individual and group psychotherapy. https://www.massgeneral.org/psychiatry/treatments-and-services/addiction-recovery-management-service
    • SUD Bridge Clinic: A transitional outpatient addiction clinic for discharged inpatients and patients leaving the emergency department who are not yet connected to outpatient care. The Bridge Clinic provides patients with continued necessary treatment for their SUDs until appropriate community connections can be made.
    • HOPE clinic: The HOPE Clinic (Harnessing support for Opioid and substance use disorders in Pregnancy and Early childhood) provides care for pregnant women with substance use disorder and their infants from conception through early childhood. https://www.massgeneral.org/obgyn/treatments-and-services/hope-clinic
    • *Contact for clinics above: Marti Kane,PhD (martha.kane@mgh.harvard.edu); Medical Director (Sarah Wakeman, MD; swakeman@partners.org)

• Partners in Helping you Quit (PiHQ) employee smoking cessation program
  • Description: Clinical service offering smoking and nicotine vaping cessation behavioral support to MGB employees and their adult dependents (e.g., spouse, parent, children)
  • Contact: Nancy Rigotti (nrigotti@partners.org)

• MGH Cancer Center SmokeFreeSupport Service
  • Description: Provide smoking cessation services to patients with cancer at the MGH Cancer Center
  • Contact: Elyse R. Park, PhD, MPH (epark@mgh.harvard.edu)

Please consider reaching out to research faculty below directly to learn more about their work and opportunities to be involved in their research!

SUD Research Faculty at MGH (alphabetical by last name)

• Travis Baggett, MD* (tbaggett@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: Unstable housing and smoking cessation
• Abigail Batchelder, PhD, MPH (abatchelder@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: SUDs, stigma and HIV
• Benjamin Bearnot, MD, MPH* (bbearnot@partners.org)
  • Research areas: infectious complications of injection drug use, hospital-based interventions, mind-body therapy for treatment of addiction
• Brandon Bergman, PhD (bgbergman@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: digital recovery support services (e.g., online addiction recovery communities, online recovery support meetings); emerging adulthood 
• Corinne Cather, PhD (ccather@mgh.harvard.edu)
• David Eddie, PhD (deddie@mgh.harvard.edu) 
  • Research areas: SUDs/SUDs recovery, psychophysiology
• Eden Evins, MD, MPH* (aeevins@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: Cigarette smoking cessation, vaping cessation and prevention; CBD in anxiety disorders, cannabinoids in opiate use disorder
• Danielle Fine, MD, MSc* (drfine@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: opioid use disorder treatment, people experiencing homelessness, drug overdose-related mortality
• Richard Fletcher, PhD* (rrfletcher@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: SUDs and comorbid psych conditions, digital health, mhealth
• Jodi Gilman, PhD* (jgilman1@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: neuroscience, neuroimaging (functional MRI, PET, fNIRS), cannabis use disorder, medical cannabis, cannabidiol and pain, cannabinoids and opioids 
• Emily Hennessy, PhD* (ehennessy@mgh.harvard.edu) 
  • Research areas: adolescent substance use prevention, addiction treatment and recovery; alternative peer groups; juvenile drug treatment courts; recovery capital; recovery high schools; systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and meta-review methods
• Bettina Hoepper, PhD* (bhoeppner@mgh.harvard.edu)
• John Kelly, PhD (jkelly11@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research Areas: Addiction treatment and recovery support services and mechanisms of bhavior change; addressing stigma and discrimination 
• Gina Kruse, MD* (gkruse@mgh.harvard.edu)
• Allison Labbe, PhD (aklabbe@mgh.harvard.edu)
• Conall O’Cleirigh, PhD (cocleirigh@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: HIV and other health disparities; Cigarette smoking in  individuals with HIV; Substance use treatment development in LMIC to support HIV treatment and prevention outcomes; substance use and chronic pain in people with HIV. 
• Elyse R. Park, PhD (epark@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: Smoking cessation among individuals with cancer
• Paola Pedrelli, PhD (ppedrelli@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: treatment for co-occurring depression and heavy episodic drinking among college students.
• Nancy Rigotti, MD* (nrigotti@partners.org)
  • Research areas: Tobacco control, hospitalized smoking cessation interventions
• Randi Schuster, PhD (rschuster@mgh.harvard.edu)
  • Research areas: neurocognitive effects of adolescent substance use; school-based program development and evaluation 
• Sarah Wakeman, MD* (swakeman@partners.org)
• Timothy Wilens, MD* (twilens@mgh.harvard.edu)

*These faculty do not provide direct clinical supervision to psychology interns

Note: Opportunities listed here include only those where interns can obtain direct clinical contact counted towards clinical hours on internship and licensure.

• ProjectQUIT Study
  • Description: Provide smoking cessation treatment tailored to individuals with HIV with focus on reducing anxiety and depression symptoms
  • Contact: Conall O’Cleirigh (cocleirigh@mgh.harvard.edu)
• The Algorithm Study
  • Description: Brief smoking assessment to support uptake of pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation in HIV primary care settings: A multisite trial
  • Contact: Conall O’Cleirigh (cocleirigh@mgh.harvard.edu)
• SiS-H  
  • Description: Adaptation of a mobile App to support smoking cessation and engagement in HIV treatment in patients receiving primary HIV care. 
  • Contact: Bettina Hoepper, PhD* (bhoeppner@mgh.harvard.edu), Conall O’Cleirigh (cocleirigh@mgh.harvard.edu)
• Project MATTER
  • Description: Provide psychobehavioral intervention focused on stigma and shame to men who have sex with men living with HIV and active substance use disorders who are sub-optimally engaged in HIV treatment.
  • Contact: Abigail Batchelder (abatchelder@mgh.harvard.edu)
• Project iSTRIVE
  • Description: Provide psychobehavioral intervention focused on addressing stigma-related barriers to healthcare to people who inject drugs and are living with HIV but are not virally suppressed. This intervention will be paired with app delivered incentivized directly observed therapy.
  • Contact: Abigail Batchdelder (abatchelder@mgh.harvard.edu)
• iDECIDE
  • Description: DPH-funded SUD diversion program delivered across >100 schools across the state.
  • Contact: Randi Schuster (rschuster@mgh.harvard.edu)
• POTS Study: Medical Cannabis and Prescription Opioid Taper Support 
  • Description: R01-funded 26-week clinical trial evaluating effectiveness of medical cannabis, when added to a behavioral support program, in helping patients on chronic opioid therapy for pain taper opioid dose and maintain pain control. Interns could assist with leading the behavioral support groups.
  • Contact: Jodi Gilman/Eden Evins (jgilman1@mgh.harvard.edu)    
• Varenicline for Vaping Cessation
  • Description: 12-week clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of varenicline and behavioral therapy for vaping cessation in adolescents and young adults
  • Contact: Randi Schuster/Eden Evins (rschuster@mgh.harvard.edu)
• Recovery Research Institute (RRI)
  • RRI research faculty have ongoing opportunities for psychology interns and fellows to deliver psychosocial interventions as part of clinical research. As opportunities depend on current research funding and activities, reach out directly to RRI if interested. 
  • Contacts: John Kelly/Brandon Bergman (bgbergman@mgh.harvard.edu)

• MGH HRSA-funded Postdoctoral Clinical Fellowship in SUDs
  • Description: designed to train advanced practice clinicians in Behavioral Health treatment for patients with Substance Use Disorder under the leadership of Martha Kane, PhD, the Clinical Director of the SUDS Initiative.  This fellowship is primarily based in community facing Behavioral Health clinics integrated into the MGH Community Health Centers in Charlestown and Chelsea.  In addition, there will be opportunities to work directly with community-based coalitions in both communities.  Each of the major inpatient and outpatient treatment programs in the Substance Use Disorders initiative will be providing training experiences to provide a broad based, comprehensive training program. There is a strong emphasis on developing skills and strategies for team based, integrated care for patients with SUD and delivering care via telehealth services.  For more details: https://www.massgeneral.org/education/integrated-substance-use-disorder
  • Contact: Marti Kane (martha.kane@mgh.harvard.edu)

• MGH NIDA-funded K12 Career Development Program in SUDs and Addiction Medicine
  • Description: The program, a collaboration of the MGH Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry, offers a multidisciplinary clinical research training program based at MGH and Harvard Medical School. It aims to provide scholars with a concentrated research experience, mentorship, and advanced training to prepare them for leadership in addiction medicine through independent research careers in academics or industry or influential positions in government. The program will support (1) advanced education and training in research methods relevant to a scholar’s area of interest, and (2) a mentored research experience in the addiction research programs at MGH or affiliated hospitals and institutions. Awards will generally be made for 2 years, contingent on the scholar’s progress. For more details: http://www.mghaddictionmedicine.com/news/call-for-applications-k12-fellowship/
  • Contact: Eden Evins (aeevins@mgh.harvard.edu); Nancy Rigotti (nrigotti@partners.org) (MPIS); Gladys Pachas (gpachas1@mgh.harvard.edu; Program Director)

• MGH Center for Addiction Medicine (iDECIDE Project) Research Fellowship
  • Description: Postdoctoral researcher needed at the Center for Addiction Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School to participate in school-based research on prevention and intervention of addictive disorders in children/adolescents. Fellow will contribute to multi-site school-based clinical trials focused on the prevention and/or treatment of adolescent substance use. Multi-disciplinary approaches include, but are not limited to psychopharmacologic treatment delivery, behavioral assessments, genetic analyses, neuroimaging, pharmacological modeling, cognitive testing, and clinical outcomes. In addition to hands-on conduct of research protocols, duties will also include clinical supervision, manuscript preparation, presentation of findings at conferences, and management of research assistants. Fellow will participate actively in ongoing research and grant submissions, and will be encouraged to develop an independent, related line of inquiry through conduct of pilot projects, preparation of publications and presentations using new and existing datasets, and submission of independent research grants. https://www.idecidemyfuture.org/
  • Contact: Randi Schuster (rschuster@mgh.harvard.edu)

• Recovery Research Institute Fellowship in Addiction Recovery Research
  • Provides 2 year fellowships in treatment and recovery support services research and their mechanisms. Contact: Alexandra Abry (aabry@mgh.harvard.edu)

• BUMC-MGH Global Psychiatry Fellowship (PIs:Henderson/Fricchione)  
  • Description: Provides up to 3 years of postdoctoral support for training in global mental health (and substance use) research. The fellowship provides didactics, local and international mentorship, tuition and travel funding, to support building research relationships to conduct formative research in particular international settings. https://www.bumc.bu.edu/psychiatry/education-2/t32-global-fellowship/
  • Contact: Conall O’Cleirigh (cocleirigh@mgh.harvard.edu)

• HMS Zinberg Fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry Research
  • Description: The Zinberg Fellowship was endowed specifically to support training in research on alcohol and drug abuse disorders. Theoretical or applied research projects that include a social-psychological, public policy, or psychotherapeutic component will be given highest priority. Because Dr. Zinberg was noted for his hands-on approach to address how drugs affect people in natural settings, and because the practice of polydrug use has grown, priority will also be given to proposals that address current drug abuse problems that afflict society (for example, the opioid epidemic). Research proposals that emphasize a humanistic approach rather than relying mostly on technology will be most responsive to this notice. For more details: https://psych.hms.harvard.edu/hms-fellowships
  •  Contact: Heather Adams (heather_adams@hms.harvard.edu; admin)

• Project director positions
  • Many PIs researching SUDs have research grants which fund post-doctoral project directors. Please feel free to email research faculty listed above to inquire about the availability of such positions.

Current Psychology Trainees With Interests in SUDs

• Brenden Tervo-Clemmens, PhD
• Tiffany Glynn, MS
• Matthew Sullivan, PhD
• Jacklyn Foley, PhD
• Corrie Vilsaint, PhD
• Lauren Hoffman, PhD

Former SUD-focused Psychology Trainees

• Abigail Batchelder, Allison Labbe, Randi Schuster, Joanna Streck, David Eddie, Brandon Bergman, Kate Bentley, Paola Pedrelli