Fellowships at Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, & Emory University School of Medicine

Agency: 

Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, & Emory University School of Medicine

Date Posted: 

December 7, 2021

Description: 

Marcus Autism Center, in conjunction with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine, is offering two-year fellowships in four scientific subspecialties.

Fellows will participate in innovative research to provide novel solutions to complex problems in a robust clinical environment.

Our Fellowships

  • The Donald J. Cohen Fellowship in Developmental Social Neuroscience will select fellows for a two-year training in the study of child development and social neuroscience in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
  • The Simons Fellowship in Computational Neuroscience will select fellows for a two-year training at the nexus of computer science and psychology to integrate computational strategies with clinical research goals.
  • The Marcus Fellowship in Speech Science and Engineering will select fellows to spend two years engaged in research on early vocal development in children at risk for ASD.
  • The Education Sciences Fellowship will select fellows for a two-year training in research methodologies to study intervention implementation in educational settings for children with ASD.
  • The Clinical Research Fellowship will select fellows for a two-year training in clinical assessment measures and research methodologies to better understand ASD and related disorders.
  • The Implementation Science Fellowship will select fellows for a two-year training in research focused on translating evidence-based treatments for autism into community settings, as well as the processes and partnerships that support these efforts.

Research training program
Our research fellowships are intended for college graduates to dedicate two intensive years to research on ASD prior to entering graduate studies. Fellows will participate in and guide innovative research while working with families and children affected by ASD, ranging in age, from week-old infants to adolescents and young adults. Fellows receive direct research mentorship from the program directors and Marcus Autism Center faculty members and are involved in a highly active and productive community of clinical research scientists. In addition to research training and mentorship, fellows also complete an intensive summer training seminar covering clinical research in ASD (one week), ASD grand rounds meetings (twice a month), social neuroscience lab meetings (weekly) and ongoing didactic practica. Fellows are strongly encouraged and expected to submit their research for posters and publications and will be funded to attend at least one conference a year. All four fellowship tracks are paid two-year positions with full healthcare coverage.

Visit marcus.org/fellowship for more information and to download an application.

 

Pre-Doctoral Fellowships
Research at Marcus Autism Center Marcus Autism Center is one of five National Institutes of Health (NIH)-recognized Autism Centers of Excellence in the country. It is the largest center for clinical care of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families in the U.S., seeing more than 5,000 patients every year. The center also works in partnership with Yerkes National Primate Research Center, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Georgia Institute of Technology. These varied institutions enable a multidisciplinary and translational approach to ASD research, spanning projects in behavioral neuroscience, neuroimaging, molecular and population genetics, and treatment. The directors of the Fellowship Program lead the social neuroscience, spoken communication, neuroimaging and education sciences research cores within Marcus Autism Center. These research cores use eye-tracking technology, neuroimaging, computational modeling and behavioral neuroscience methods to better understand the causes and developmental mechanisms underlying ASD, and to develop new tools to improve early detection, diagnosis and treatment of ASD. 

Application information

  • Sponsor institutions: Marcus Autism Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine
  • Program directors: Cheryl Klaiman, PhD; Ami Klin, PhD; Warren Jones, PhD; Katherine Pickard, PhD; Gordon Ramsay, PhD; Sarah Shultz, PhD; Lindee Morgan, PhD, CCC-SLP; and Michael Siller, PhD
  • Term of award: Two years
  • Submission deadline: Jan. 7, 2022
  • Award amount: $34,000 annually

All applications must be submitted electronically. The online application portal will open in November 2021. 
To complete your online application, you will need a resume or curriculum vitae, a statement of purpose, two letters of recommendation and a scanned transcript(s).
Visit marcus.org/fellowship or call 404-785-9554 for application materials and additional information.

 

The Donald J. Cohen Fellowship in Developmental Social Neuroscience

Award description
The Donald J. Cohen Fellowship in Developmental Social Neuroscience provides recent college graduates with the opportunity to spend two years engaged in state-of-the-art clinical and basic research with children and families affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Cohen Fellows are directly mentored by program directors and are involved in a highly active and productive community of clinical research scientists who study ASD. Previous Cohen Fellows have led a wide range of research projects and have gone on to PhD, MD and MD/PhD programs in clinical, developmental and basic science specialties. Donald J. Cohen (1940-2001) was a nationally and internationally renowned child psychiatrist whose work improved the lives of children and families all around the world. More information about his life and work can be found here.

Fellowship expectations
Cohen Fellows guide a research project from the point of data collection through analysis and publication of results. Over the course of two years, fellows gain in-depth research and clinical experience through work with infants, toddlers and school-aged children spanning the full autism spectrum. Fellows also complete an intensive summer training seminar covering clinical research in ASD (one week), ASD grand rounds meetings (twice a month), social neuroscience lab meetings (weekly) and ongoing didactic practica.

Contact the Cohen Fellowship Committee at cohen.fellowship@emory.edu or 404-785-9554 with additional questions.

 

The Simons Fellowship in Computational Neuroscience

Award description
The Simons Fellowship in Computational Neuroscience provides recent college graduates with the opportunity to spend two years using computer programming and basic science to advance our understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Simons Fellows are directly mentored by program directors and are involved in a highly active and productive community of clinicians, scientists and engineers who study ASD. Previous Simons Fellows have led a wide range of research projects and have gone on to PhD, MD and MD/PhD programs, as well as research positions in computer and software engineering.

Fellowship expectations
Over the course of two years, Simons Fellows work to integrate computational strategies with clinical research goals, guiding a research project from data collection through analysis and publication of results. Fellows work on developing methods for analyzing visual scanning and eye-tracking data, computational models of visual salience and data visualization techniques, all with the aim of advancing understanding of ASD and efforts at early diagnosis. Fellows also complete a training curriculum through their participation in an intensive summer training seminar covering clinical research in ASD (one week), ASD grand rounds meetings (twice a month), social neuroscience lab meetings (weekly) and ongoing didactic practica.

Contact the Simons Fellowship Committee at simons.fellowship@emory.edu or 404-785-9554 with additional questions.

 

The Marcus Fellowship in Speech Science and Engineering

Award description
The Marcus Fellowship in Speech Science and Engineering is a two-year pre-doctoral research fellowship designed to prepare graduate-level engineers and linguists for entry into a doctoral degree, leading either to an academic career in speech science and engineering, or to a clinical career in speech-language pathology and communication disorders. The main focus of the Training Program is early vocal development in the first years of life in children at risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as part of a broader interdisciplinary research program mapping out the development and derailment of spoken communication in early childhood.

Fellowship expectations
Marcus Fellows will receive training in all areas of speech science relevant to their goals, including speech production and speech perception. They will also receive training in relevant areas of signal processing, including sampling theory, spectral analysis and stochastic processes, as well as speech analysis, synthesis and recognition. Practical training will involve computer programming (Matlab, C, Labview), softwareengineering, hardware design and construction of laboratory equipment where needed. Additional training will also be provided in experimental design, data acquisition, data analysis, statistics, preparation of publications, grant writing, human subject research and bioethics. Fellows will have the opportunity to observe clinical assessments of patients with ASD and related developmental disabilities in the clinic. Each fellow will design and implement a research project of their own under the direct mentorship of the program director and will be expected to present their results at one or more national or international conferences.

Contact the Marcus Fellowship Committee at marcus.fellowship@emory.edu or 404-785-4911 with additional questions.

 

The Education Sciences Fellowship

Award description
The Education Sciences Fellowship provides recent college graduates with the opportunity to spend two years engaged in research investigating educational innovations in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), from early childhood through high school. Educational services are the only universal, federally mandated services available to individuals with ASD who are age 3 or older. Yet, little is currently known about the nature of effective components of classroom-based interventions, measurement of teacher implementation and student learning, and implementation of educational innovations in community settings. Fellows are directly mentored by program directors and involved in a highly active and productive community of clinical/educational research scientists who study ASD. This fellowship aims to serve as a stepping stone for doctoral programs in education, speech-language pathology or developmental/clinical psychology.

Fellowship expectations
Education Sciences Fellows will lead a research project, from data collection through analysis and publication of results. Over the course of two years, fellows will gain experiences with observational research methods, cutting-edge intervention research and implementation science approaches. Furthermore, they will gain in-depth research and clinical experience through work with toddlers, children and adolescents spanning the full autism spectrum. Fellows also complete an intensive summer training seminar covering clinical research in ASD (one week), ASD grand rounds meetings (twice a month), lab meetings (weekly) and ongoing didactic practica.

Contact Michael Siller at michael.siller@emory.edu or 404-785-6863 with additional questions.

 

The Clinical Research Fellowship

Award description
The Clinical Research Fellowship provides recent college graduates with the opportunity to spend two years engaged in cutting-edge clinical research and to learn various assessment measures commonly used for clinical and diagnostic characterization of autism and related disabilities. Clinical fellows will learn assessments across a variety of domains including cognitive/development, social-behavioral, language, and adaptive functioning. Additionally, they will learn to interpret the commonly used instruments as well as writing up the results for families into a clinical report. Fellows are directly mentored by clinicians and program directors and involved in a highly active and productive community of interdisciplinary research scientists who study
ASD. This fellowship aims to serve as a stepping stone for doctoral programs in clinical psychology and PsyD or MD programs.

Fellowship expectations
Clinical Research Fellows will guide a research project, from data collection through analysis and publication of results. Over two years, fellows will gain in-depth clinical and research experience though work with infants, toddlers, and school-aged children spanning the full autism spectrum. Fellows also complete an intensive summer training seminar covering clinical research in ASD (one week), ASD grand rounds meetings (twice a month), clinical assessment and diagnosis team meetings (once  a month), and social neuroscience lab meetings (weekly) and ongoing didactic practica.

Contact the Fellowship Committee at clinical.fellowship@emory.edu or 404-785-9554 with additional questions.

 

The Implementation Science Fellowship

Award description
The Implementation Science Fellowship provides recent college graduates with the opportunity to spend two years engaged in innovative translational research and to learn about the methods used within implementation science to examine the adoption,
implementation and sustainment of evidence-based practices within a variety of community systems, including early intervention and public school systems. Implementation Science Fellows will also learn about common evidence-based practices for
autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how these interventions are implemented and adapted across settings in order to meet the needs of caregivers, providers and healthcare systems. This will include learning how community-partnered, mixed-methods and qualitative research can be used to leverage the voice of autistic individuals, families and community stakeholders in implementation processes. Fellows, who are directly mentored by faculty, will gain experience working alongside key
community stakeholders and will be involved in a highly active and productive community of interdisciplinary research scientists who study ASD. This fellowship aims to serve as a stepping stone for doctoral programs in clinical psychology, for students interested in public health, and for Doctor of Psychology and Doctor of Medicine programs.

Fellowship expectations
Implementation Science Fellows will guide a research project, from data collection through analysis and publication of results. Over two years, fellows will gain in-depth research experience through active engagement in community training and implementation efforts. Fellows also complete an intensive summer training seminar covering clinical research in ASD (one week), ASD grand rounds meetings (twice a month), implementation science lab meetings (weekly) and ongoing didactic practicum.

Contact Katherine Pickard at katherine.e.pickard@emory.edu with additional questions.