The Translational Post-Doctoral Training Program in Neurodevelopment (Neurodevelopmental T32 Fellowship)

Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Program Description

Two-year postdoctoral fellowships funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are available for researchers who seek to improve or expand their ability to conduct interdisciplinary, translational neuroscience research in neurodevelopment and neurodevelopmental or mental disorders.

Research Areas

Postdoctoral projects can encompass basic and/or clinical research and might include investigation into one or more of the following areas:

Developmental psychopathology
Interventional studies
Molecular or behavioral neurogenetics
Neuroimaging
Neurobiology
New diagnostic methods
Outcomes research

Program Areas/Faculty Department Affiliations

Fellows with MD or PhD degrees conduct research during the program with mentors/advisors from the following areas:

Computer Science
Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics
Genetics
Neurology
Neurobiology
Neuroradiology
Neuroscience
Neurosurgery
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psychology

Trainee Program

This two-year training program provides trainees with the essential guidance, training, and mentoring critical to launching an independent career in academic research. The training program starts by recruiting the most talented trainees from MD/PhD, MD, and PhD programs who are interested in pursuing a career in translational neuroscience research and academia. Close interaction between T32 mentors and trainees are supplemented by a structured training program that provides a common knowledge base with respect to translational neuroscience research. Supplemental work will focus on Translational Neuroscience Seminar Series and Proseminars complemented by trainee specific coursework. Administratively, the program consists of co-directors (Drs. Nelson & Glahn) and a group of 19 highly skilled and successful training faculty from diverse array of disciplines.

How to Apply

Applicants should first consult the list of potential mentors and confirm that he/she is willing to serve as primary mentor. Eligible candidates should submit one PDF via email to with the following documents: (1) trainee’s CV, (2) trainee’s research statement (max 2 pages) about research interest and specifically why they have selected this training program, and (3) names and contact information of 2 potential letter writers. Project proposals should clearly state the interdisciplinary nature of the project. If selected for an interview, we will also require: (5) 2 letters of support (one from trainee’s mentor) and (6) mentor’s NIH other support document.

Applications should be submitted by March 14, 2025, with the expectation that trainees will be selected by April 30 and will start as early as July 2025. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with an MD and/or PhD (must be completed at the time training begins). Commitment to the goals of the program and strong academic and research credentials are important criteria used in the selection process.

Further inquiries can be made by reaching out to us directly at .

Faculty Mentors

Mentor Name/Degree Affiliation	Rank	Primary (& Secondary) Appointment(s)	Research Interest
Anne Arnett, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Assistant Professor	Developmental Medicine, Pediatrics	Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Brain- based biomarkers, ADHD
Mark Bear, PhD MIT	Professor	Brain and Cognitive Sciences	Neuroscience
Michelle Bosquet Enlow, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Associate Professor	Psychiatry	Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Stacy Drury, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Professor and Chair	Psychiatry	Neuropsychiatric Genetics
Susan Faja, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Associate Professor	Pediatrics and Psychology in Psychiatry	Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Brielle Ferguson, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Assistant Professor	Genetics and Genomics	Biomarkers of cognitive function
John Gabrieli, PhD MIT, Harvard Medical School	Professor	Brain and Cognitive Sciences	Cognitive Neuroscience
David Glahn, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Professor	Psychiatry	Neuropsychiatric Genetics, Affective and Psychotic Disorders
P Ellen Grant, MD, MSc Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Professor	Radiology and Pediatrics	Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science
Takao Hensch, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Professor	Neurology	Development of Neural Circuits
Maria Jalbrzikowski Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Assistant Professor	Psychiatry	Neuroimaging-based markers of psychosis risk
Jonathan Lipton, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Assistant Professor	Neurology	Neurodevelopment and Circadian Rhythms
Charles A. Nelson, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Professor	Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Psychology in Psychiatry	Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Alexander Rotenberg, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Professor	Neurology	Brain Injury and Epilepsy
Mustafa Sahin, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Professor	Neurology, Neurobiology	Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Neuronal Connectivity
Beth Stevens, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Associate Professor	Neurology	Synapses, Neuron-glia and Neural- immune Interactions
Mriganka Sur, PhD MIT	Professor	Brain and Cognitive Sciences	Learning and Memory
Christopher Walsh, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Professor Associate	Pediatrics and Neurology, Genetics and Genomics	Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Brain Development, Evolution, and Function
Timothy Yu, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital	Professor	Genetics and Genomics	Neurodevelopmental and Neurogenetic Diseases

Categories