Research Track
UT Southwestern has made an institution-wide commitment to training research-oriented residents, and we share that commitment with enthusiasm for training the next generation of psychiatrist-scientists. Our research track, Translational Research Activities in Neuropsychiatry (TRAIN), is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and designed to allow flexibility for residents to develop and implement translational research projects. TRAIN residents have protected time for completion of mentored research projects and engage in research track specific didactics.
With our diverse and extensive faculty, we are uniquely positioned to prepare residents for successful academic research careers. Our close connections with many other departments in provide the framework for a variety of areas of scientific investigation.
“My research interview day was an invigorating experience. I loved all my meetings with the faculty, and Dr. Tamminga's excitement was quite infectious! I did struggle at the thought of moving my family from California to a state where I thought we might not be welcome. I did not know much about the Dallas area or Texas. Dr. Brenner heard me and connected me with a Muslim faculty member who graduated from the program. I was excited to learn about the vibrant Muslim community in Dallas and at UTSW (and see her baby!). I also spoke with five residents and was humbled by the generosity of their time. I loved hearing different perspectives on how to be successful in the research track and about support for residents with children, learning about global health projects, and finding out that the interns had time to partake in a snowball fight in the recent snowstorm.”
- Track Highlights
The R25 supports 40% protected research time in PGY2 and 50% in PGY3 and PGY4.
Didactics are provided by TRAIN faculty, Psychiatry faculty, and O’Donnell Brain Institute faculty through the Center for Translational Medicine and other venues upon approval.
The following scheduling information is a general guide; flexibility is allowed and, in fact, essential to ensure you fulfill all the requirements for general residency as well as the research track. Discuss and plan as early as possible to ensure you can easily accommodate all requirements.
PGY1 months 2-9, Individual meetings with TRAIN Director:
- Discussions about research interest(s) and potential mentor(s)
- Facilitation of meetings with potential mentors
PGYs 2-4, Regular meetings with mentor(s) to facilitate:
- Choosing and designing a mentored research project
- Preparing a research portfolio
- Overcoming obstacles related to conducting projects
- Organizing and analyzing data
- Developing first-authored manuscripts, one based on a literature review related to the resident’s project or a secondary analysis of the Research Mentor’s data and another based on findings of the mentored project
- Faculty Mentors
- Application Process
The research track's application process is identical to the General Residency Program, via ERAS, and has the same required elements.
Strong applications to the research track will include (1) a letter of recommendation from a research mentor and (2) a discussion of their career goals as a psychiatric physician-scientist.
Interviews for the research track occur over 2 consecutive days and includes an interview for the categorical program.
- Residents
PGY 1
Elif Ozan, M.D.
Medical School: Istanbul Universitesi, Cerrahpasa Tip Fakultesi
PGY2
Dhruba Banerjee, M.D., Ph.D.
Undergraduate: University of California, Berkeley
Graduate and Medical School: University of California, Irvine
Prakhar Bansal, M.D., Ph.D.
Undergraduate: University of Connecticut
Graduate and Medical School: UConn School of MedicinePGY3
Cesar Montelongo Hernandez, M.D., M.S., Ph.D.
Undergraduate: New Mexico State University
Medical School: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Victoria Okuneye, M.D., Ph.D.
Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Medical School: University of Chicago Pritzker School of MedicinePGY4
Nabila Haque, M.D., Ph.D.
Undergraduate: Duke University
Medical School: University of California, Irvine
Thomas Pak, M.D., Ph.D.
Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University
Medical School: University of Iowa
“UTSW is one of the few programs that offer an NIMH R25 funded research track position for general psychiatry residents. Here, I get to work with such seminal figures like Dr. Emslie and Dr. Trivedi. I remember reading their studies when I was in medical school at Iowa. Dr. Emslie helped coordinate the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression study and the Treatment of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor-Resistant Depression in Adolescents study, and Dr. Trivedi was the lead on the influential Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression study. In addition, Dr. Trivedi's paper on bupropion and naltrexone for methamphetamine use disorder (published in New England Journal of Medicine) guided my clinical decision-making in adult inpatient psychiatry at Iowa. I am thrilled to be working in Dr. Trivedi's lab with Dr. Ayvaci, an excellent child psychiatrist and researcher. It was actually difficult for me to choose a lab, because there are so many amazing scientists here, but I'm really excited about my research project looking at biomarkers of suicidality in children and adolescents. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in children and adolescents, and it is meaningful to know that our research can help address suicide in this population.”