NEUROIMAGING CENTER
Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory | Training Opportunities
Post-Doctoral Training in Drug Abuse and Brain Imaging
Dr. Lukas shares the award of a T-32 training grant with Dr. Roger Weiss, McLean's Director of the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Treatment Program, and Dr. Domenic Ciraulo, Psychiatrist-in-Chief of the Boston University Medical Center's Clinical Research Unit for Alcoholism Treatment Program. This training grant supports four 3-year post-doctoral positions for human preclinical and clinical research in substance abuse disorders. Through close collaboration with the grant's principal investigators, a wide range of opportunities are available consistent with current funding and specific career goals of the trainee. A strength of the training is gaining extensive experience in brain imaging techniques (MRI, fMRI, MRS) and their application to understanding the neural basis of drug addictions and mechanisms of sleep.
Mentoring for K-Awards
The laboratory has supported and mentored 7 research faculty receiving NIH (NIDA) K01 and K25 training grants in the past 6 years. Typically building on the experience gained during post-doctoral training, researchers under the mentorship of the senior faculty develop a multi-year research program to become independent investigators with their own funding.
Research Assistant Positions
Working closely with the principal investigators, Clinical Research Assistants conduct all phases of a clinical study: preparation and obtaining approval of study protocols and informed consents, subject recruitment and screening, day-to-day management of appointments and study days, data management and analysis, and preparation of presentations and manuscripts. Research assistants learn clinical interviewing techniques and assist in administering physical exams. A wide variety of laboratory techniques are learned including phlebotomy, physiological recording, magnetic resonance imaging procedures, and sleep recordings. The research assistant gains invaluable experience in preparation for graduate or medical school.