Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

How to Apply

Launched in 2016, the ACLP Foundation Research Professor Program was developed in memory of Dr. Wayne Katon, Academy president 2012-13, his contribution to research, and to the mentoring of young researchers. It aims to bring leading researchers to the annual meeting and provide research mentorship to early career researchers. It is administered by the Academy’s Research & Evidence-Based Practice (REBP) Committee.

There are two complementary awards with separate application processes:

ACLP Foundation Research Professor Award
Early Career Researcher Mentee Award

The overall objectives of the awards are to promote interest in consultation-liaison psychiatry research and to support the development of emerging talent in the field. A maximum of three mentees are selected each year.

ACLP Foundation Research Professor Award

Candidate Criteria
Applicants must evidence: a substantial background and achievements in research in an area relevant to consultation-liaison psychiatry; a proven track record as a mentor; and a willingness to accept the responsibilities of the role, which are:

Presenting a lecture (or equivalent) at the “Research for Researchers” session at the Academy’s annual scientific meeting
Presenting up to one additional lecture at the same meeting, if requested by the Academy’s Annual Meeting Program Committee
Mentoring of selected mentees at the Academy’s annual scientific meeting
Organizing and maintaining regular contact (every other month is recommended) with assigned mentees for the duration of the program (phone, video-call, or other preferred/suitable means)
Concluding the program by submitting a summary report on mentee interactions to the FACLP Board of Directors by November 1 of the year following selection.

Award
Complimentary registration to the annual meeting and US$10,000 to cover costs to attend the meeting, with the remaining balance provided as an honorarium. The program starts at the annual meeting and concludes on October 31 of the following year.

The 2022 ACLP Foundation Research Professor Award winner is Jane Walker, MBChB, PhD, FACLP, Senior Clinical Researcher, University of Oxford. Dr Walker is a senior clinical researcher at the University of Oxford, UK, and a consultation-liaison psychiatrist. Her research includes large epidemiological studies and multicenter clinical trials of collaborative care interventions. Dr Walker has particular expertise in the psychiatric care of patients with severe medical illnesses, including those at the end of life. She has led large epidemiological studies of more than 20,000 patients, which have brought new insights into the prevalence of major depression in people with different cancers and the effects of depression and anxiety on survival. She has also published a number of seminal studies on the prevalence and nature of suicidal thoughts in people with cancer.

Dr Walker has used her expertise in the design and delivery of clinical trials of complex interventions in C-L psychiatry, especially in the seriously medically ill, to evaluate interventions for both outpatients and inpatients. She led the day-to-day running of a trial for patients with functional neurological symptoms before delivering two multicenter clinical trials in psycho-oncology which included more than 600 participants. Most recently, she has played a key role in the design and delivery of a large multicenter trial, The HOME Study, evaluating the effectiveness of proactive C-L psychiatry for older medical inpatients.

With this background and experience, Dr. Walker will serve as the 2022 ACLP Foundation Research Professor and will support the work and professional development of three ACLP Early Career Researcher Mentees.

Early Career Researcher Mentee Award

Candidate Criteria

Demonstration of current research activity
Willingness and ability to effectively use research mentorship
Academy membership preferred, but not required; no geographical limitations

Expectations of awardees

Attend the entirety of the upcoming Academy annual meeting
Actively participate in the upcoming Academy annual meeting, including research sessions
Participate in mentoring meetings with the Research Professor

Award

Up to four (4) hotel nights
Complimentary annual meeting registration
US$500 stipend to offset travel costs
The priceless personal time and networking connection with a leading figure in the field

L-R: Christopher Celano, MD, FACLP; Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH, FACLP; Gail Ironson, MD, PhD; Michael Bushey, MD, PhD; Kathleen Sheehan, MD; and Brian Anderson, MD

RECIPIENTS of the ACLP Foundation Research Professor Program Awards

2021	Research Professor: David Arciniegas, MD, FANPA, FACLP, University of New Mexico School of Medicine Research Mentees: Erica Baller, MD, MS, University of Pennsylvania Elizabeth Prince, DO, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Melissa Bui, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University

2020	Research Professor: Jeff Huffman, MD, FACLP, Associate Chief of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital Research Mentees: Jennifer Kruse, MD, University of California Zev Nakamura, MD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Kamalika Roy, MD, Oregon Health & Science University

2019	Research Professor: Gail Ironson, MD, Professor, University of Miami, Florida Research Mentees: Brian Anderson, MD, University of California San Francisco Michael Bushey, MD, PhD, University of Indiana Kathleen Sheehan, MD, University Health Network – Toronto Western Hospital

2018	Research Professor: Mary Whooley, MD, FACP, FAHA, FACC, Professor, University of California, San Francisco Research Mentees: Amit Chopra, MD, FAPA, Allegheny General Hospital Christopher Celano, MD, FACLP, Massachusetts General Hospital Elena Ivanova, PhD, University of British Columbia

2017	Research Professor: Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH, FACLP, Assistant Professor, University of Washington Research Mentees: Kelly Edwards Irwin, MD, MPH, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center Eliza Park, MD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Stephanie Smith, MD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

2016	Research Professor: Kurt Kroenke, MD, Professor of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine Research Mentees: Joseph Cerimele, MD, University of Washington School of Medicine Hsiang Huang, MD, Cambridge Health Alliance Mark Oldham, MD, Yale School of Medicine

HOW TO APPLY for the ACLP Foundation Research Professor Program

Research Professor:
Nominations are submitted online using the Research Professor Nomination form by April 17. The professor is selected by both the Foundation of the ACLP and the Academy’s Research Subcommittee. The professor is funded by the Foundation.

Research Mentees:
Nominations are submitted online using the Research Mentee Nomination form. Nominations must be completed by September 30.

The application includes space for a statement, of no more than 750 words, of your current area of research interest. Detail how you think you would benefit from the year-long mentoring relationship and why this mentor would be a good match for you and your work/career.

Applications will be assessed by the Academy’s Research Subcommittee in collaboration with the mentor. Selected candidates will be notified by mid-October.