Postbaccalaureate Alzheimer's Disease Development Initiative (PADDI)  

 The NIH-funded Postbaccalaureate Alzheimer’s Disease Development Initiative (PADDI) is designed to prepare recent college graduates for the demands of careers in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) clinical science, and to support their pursuit of advanced degree programs. The program helps trainees develop a strong professional identity and a sense of belonging within the research community. Upon completion, scholars will be competitive applicants to MA, MS, MD, PhD, or certificate programs or will be prepared to enter the workforce directly in rigorous clinical research roles, including program coordinators, monitors, administrators, and regulatory specialists. 

PADDI is led byJudith Neugroschl, MD, geriatric psychiatrist and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) Clinical Core Director, and Margaret Sewell, PhD, neuropsychologist and ADRC Outreach Recruitment and Engagement Core Director. Dr. Neugroschl and Dr. Sewell's collective experiences include decades of teaching, patient care, clinical and research mentoring, directing training programs, curriculum development, as well as outreach and recruitment for a wide range of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) studies. 

Trainees work closely with research mentors and teachers, most of whom are faculty at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. These mentors include psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, social workers, doctoral-level scientists, biostatisticians, neuropathologists, cognitive neuroscientists, and clinical trials regulatory specialists. Their research interests span topics such as the effects of light on behavior and cognition, natural language processing to explore biomarkers and cognitive progression, barriers to recruitment in clinical trials, technology use among older adults, and health literacy. 

PADDI is a full-time, in-person, two-year (non-degree) program. Housing is not provided. The position offers an annual salary of approximately $55,000, with benefits. The ADRC is located at 1399 Park Avenue, New York, NY, at 104th Street. 

Program Structure 

Year 1: 
PADDI scholars will spend 75% of their time as clinical research coordinators (CRCs) in the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center where they will learn to conduct cognitive testing, prepare cases for diagnostic consensus conferences, participate in regulatory activities, and engage in community outreach. 25% of their time encompasses training in fundamentals across three areas including clinical, research and regulatory processes. These activities include journal clubs, classes in research ethics, dementia diagnosis, critical reading of the literature, presentation skills, elective rotations in different ADRC cores and, if relevant, MCAT/GRE prep. 

Year 2: 
In addition to continued work as a CRC, the goal is to build on the research skills from year 1 by working with a mentor on a specific research project with the goal of submitting an abstract, poster, or manuscript. Leadership skills classes are offered as well as sessions on financial literacy, career path lectures, interviewing skills and resume building.

Application Process and Deadlines: 
Applicants must have graduated from college within the last three years, have a strong interest in clinical research, and demonstrate an interest in aging and cognition. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.   

Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to both: margaret.sewell@mssm.edu  and judith.neugroschl@mssm.edu.  

The program begins in July. Interviews begin in January, with decisions made by March. 

Summer ADRC College Summer Internship Program

Under the leadership of program directors, Margaret Sewell, PhD, PhD,  Judith Neugroschl, MD, Maria Loizos, Ph.D., and Jane Martin, Ph.D., the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) offers a part-time College Summer Internship for rising senior undergraduates who want research experience before considering graduate education or employment as a clinical research coordinator.

For more information and how to apply:

Interns work individually and as a group on projects that are presented at the end of the program. In past years, interns have worked on projects relating to research attitudes, caregiver burden, the Brain Tissue Donation Program, cognitive testing, and systematic reviews regarding participation of high-risk individuals in clinical trials. Many interns have the opportunity to be co-authors on abstracts, posters, or manuscripts.

Interns work closely with clinical research coordinators on many day-to-day activities of the ADRC including data entry, data collection, administrative work, participant recruitment, community outreach, interacting with research participants and families at the center, observing patient visits, and writing the ADRC newsletter.

Interns attend lectures and didactic classes on topics related to clinical research, dementia, geriatric neuropsychology, neuropathology case conferences, and neurological evaluation. Interns can participate in other educational components of the graduate-level psychology pre-doctoral internship program, as well as Grand Rounds.

Dates and Location:

The 2026 program will run from June 8^th through August 7^th.  Interns must be available for the entire 9-week program, which runs 3 days per week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays). Interns work at our East Side Campus at 1399 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10029. A stipend is provided, but housing is not available.

Application Process and Deadlines:

The application and interview process begins the first week of January 2026 and decisions are made by the 3rd week of February 2026 at the latest. To apply, please email a letter of interest and your CV that includes two references with contact information to all 4 program directors: margaret.sewell@mssm.edu,  judith.neugroschl@mssm.edu, maria.loizos@mssm.edu, and  jane.martin@mssm.edu.

REC Scholars Program

The Research Education Component (REC), under the direction of Nikolaos Robakis, PhD, and Stephen Salton MD, PhD, provides critically needed training for junior faculty, senior postdoctoral fellows, and clinical research track residents and fellows*, to conduct research on Alzheimer’s disease-related disorders (ADRD). The program also helps support gifted and highly motivated junior investigators who are new to ADRD research.

The REC supports trainees to conduct research and provides advanced training in approaches and methodologies needed to conduct high quality, ethical, and multidisciplinary research on ADRDs. REC grants support activities that promote development of future research leaders in ADRD, particularly leaders who can integrate clinical insights with basic and translational sciences to improve interventions for maintaining cognitive health and treating dementia.

Trainees are provided with at least two interdisciplinary mentors, and an individually tailored career development plan as well as multiple forums that will encourage development of trainee presentation skills. The REC assists trainees in the process of submitting and obtaining external grant funding that is appropriate for their career stage and helps them sustain long-term academic careers as independent investigators and future leaders in the basic, translational, and clinical research of ADRDs.

The REC solicits project applications that propose basic, translational, and/or clinical research. Funding up to $95,000 in direct costs for one-year projects is available. 

For more information and how to apply

Applications should include:

• A cover page that includes PI name, title, rank, email address, cell phone number, name of Mount Sinai mentor and PI signature.
• A proposal describing background and approach (3-page maximum including references) that includes: 1) Statement of the problem and questions addressed; 2) Specific aims; 3) Proposed experimental and/or clinical work to test hypothesis and aims; 4) Timeline; and 5) References. 6) A separate budget page describing how funds will be allocated should be attached.
• NIH-style Biosketch

Applications are scored by one or more reviewers, and the REC Scholar Program Admissions Committee evaluates the reviews and selects the awardees. For more details including deadlines, please contact Nikolaos Robakis, PhD and Stephen Salton MD, PhD

*Past or present ADRC Core Leaders and Project Leaders are not eligible as PIs. Support is intended primarily for US citizens and permanent residents, unless there is strong justification otherwise based on exceptional relevance to the NIH and NIA.

APA-Accredited Adult Internship in Clinical Psychology Program

Directed by Jane Martin, PhD the Adult Internship Clinical Psychology Program at Mount Sinai in the Department of Psychiatry works closely with the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC). The training program provides extensive instruction in neuropsychological and psychological test administration, interpretation, and report writing, as well as in psychodynamically-oriented and cognitive-behavioral outpatient psychotherapy. It is a full-time, one-year commitment. The internship begins in July.  Interns participate in professional activities including direct-service clinical training activities, supervision, didactic instruction, and research. Upon successful completion of the training year, interns will have completed 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience which can be applied towards licensure.

For more information and how to apply:

Applicants can contact Dr. Jane Martin directly at jane.martin@mssm.edu or click here.