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The Penn Memory Center offers students of all levels a number of academic opportunities, including fellowships, internships, and a certificate program. Find more information about each opportunity below.
Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program
The Penn Memory Center supports two post-doctoral research fellows (PhD, MD-PhD, MD) each year. This two-year program focuses on individuals interested in Alzheimer’s disease-related work from diverse perspectives. Areas of work may include those that overlap with PMC faculty and collaborators, but could also include other areas, such as outcomes research, health services/economics, genetics, social-psychology, proteomics, novel molecular imaging, etc. We’re looking for the best people doing the best science.
How do I apply?
Contact PMC Co-Director Dr. Jason Karlawish at jason.karlawish@uphs.upenn.edu.
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Clinical Research Fellowship Program
The Penn Memory Center supports two MD or MD/PhD clinical research fellows per year. Fellows in this two-year program should have the ambition of a career as physician-scientists in the field of Alzheimer’s disease clinical research. Individuals in the disciplines of neurology, psychiatry, and geriatric medicine are encouraged to apply. Fellows would be engaged in mentored clinical evaluations and participation in clinical trials and other patient-oriented research. They will also have time for scholarly work with the expectation that grant support will be pursued. Many, if not all, would participate in our recently approved United Council on Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS) Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry Fellowship.
How do I apply?
Contact PMC Co-Director Dr. Jason Karlawish at jason.karlawish@uphs.upenn.edu.
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Penn Minority Scholars in Aging Research
As life expectancy has lengthened, the number and proportion of people suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have increased. This public health challenge disproportionately effects minority populations, particularly older African Americans. The Penn Memory Center and the Penn Healthy Brain Research Center are committed to assuring that the diverse population of older adults in the U.S. receive the care they need and participate in research that improves that care. To achieve this goal, we need to increase the diversity of clinicians and researchers in the field of aging research. In response to this need, the Penn Memory Center and the Penn Healthy Brain Research Center are pleased to announce the creation of the Penn Minority Scholars in Aging Research.
Who should apply?
Candidates are students currently enrolled in a medical or doctoral degree program. We invite applicants from minority groups that are underrepresented in the field of aging research: Black or African-American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. A successful applicant will tell us about their inspiring interest in research or clinical care focused on cognitive health, cognitive impairment (including dementia or mild cognitive impairment), Alzheimer’s disease, or other neurodegenerative disorders. We would also like to know how the applicant came to this interest and how this interest shapes the applicant’s vision of his or her career.
What is involved?
The Penn Minority Scholars in Aging Research Program comprises a paid internship that spans either a 12 week block of full time effort during the summer, or an equivalent block of time during the academic year. This program is co-directed by Jason Karlawish, MD, Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy, and Neurology, and co-director of the Penn Memory Center; and Roy Hamilton, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion for the Perelman School of Medicine.
Scholars will:
- Work with Penn faculty mentor(s) on a scholarly project(s)
- Have an opportunity to observe clinicians in practice
- Attend weekly Penn Memory Center consensus conference to observe patient diagnosis determination and didactic sessions
- Present a final presentation on their project
- Where applicable, scholars will be strongly encouraged to present their work at academic meetings or in peer-reviewed publications.
Topic areas to consider: Applicants are strongly encouraged to tell us what interests them. The center faculty and staff have particular interests in the biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and brain aging, ethics, quality of life, clinical care and diagnosis, stigma, caregiving, public medical communication, and noninvasive brain stimulation techniques.
Applicants are encouraged to tour the Penn Memory Center website to learn about faculty research interests.
How do I apply?
To apply for this program, please submit:
- Unofficial transcript
- Resume
- A one-page essay that explains your background, your interest in aging research, how you came to this interest, what you’d like to do and your career vision. If you have an interest in working with any of the faculty listed on the Penn Memory Center website, please state that on your application.
- The names and contact information of two references
For more information, contact: Kristin Harkins at kristin.harkins@uphs.upenn.edu.
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Public Health Challenges of Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Aging Elective
This course is an opportunity to understand two relatively new public health problems — Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive aging — and to use this knowledge to identify and address the broad set of challenges created by cognitive impairment in industrialized nations, challenges at the intersections of medicine, ethics, public policy, culture and health care.
Students will learn about the history of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive aging and their current definitions, the concepts of cognition and function and how they are assessed, the science and practice of measuring the disease’s prevalence and mortality, autonomy and capacity, risk and preventive factors for cognitive decline, the demography and economics of caregiving, and the public health initiatives and models of care that could enhance cognition and maintain independence. They will apply biostatistical and epidemiological methods to critique papers, close textual analysis to understand concepts and their shifting meanings, and writing to clearly and succinctly frame a problem, its costs and solutions.
The course will use lectures, readings from the literature, in class group discussions and exercises, interviews with guest experts, writing and examinations. Evaluation will be based on participation, presentations, written assignments, and exam results.
This course fulfills a requirement for the Certificate in Public Health and Cognitive Aging certificate program.
Course Director: Jason Karlawish, MD, Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy, and Neurology; Director, Penn Healthy Brain Research Center Co-Director, Penn Memory Center
Details: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays every Spring (1.0 course units)
For more information, contact: Kristin Harkins at kristin.harkins@uphs.upenn.edu.
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Certificate in Public Health and Cognitive Aging
This certificate program is available to qualified students currently enrolled in a Master’s or PhD at the University of Pennsylvania who have acquired a body of knowledge that is key to improving the health and psychosocial outcomes for our aging population. This multi-disciplinary certificate is housed in Penn’s MPH program, but draws from courses in the School of Social Policy & Practice, School of Nursing, and the Perelman School of Medicine. This program is directed by Jason Karlawish, MD, Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy, and Neurology, and Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center (PMC).
Course Requirements
Students pursuing the certificate program must take:
- PUBH 589 “Public Health & the Aging Brain”
- PUBH 502 “Introduction to Priniciples and Methods of Epidemiology” or other relevant epidemiology course
- A course related to public policy, law, ethics, and healthcare management. (Courses already approved are PUBH 505: “Public Health Policy & Administration” and PUBH 507: “Public Health Law & Ethics”)
- An elective relevant to public health and cognitive aging
Additional Requirements
- Attend at least five PMC consensus conferences, at which clinicians review patient diagnoses
- Attend at least five PMC didactic presentations given by PMC clinicians, faculty or staff or invited researchers
- An oral or written presentation
How do you apply?
To apply for this certificate program, you will need to submit:
- Unofficial Penn transcripts
- Resume
- A brief (one-page) essay outlining how the courses and other requirements will train you to develop expertise in the public health dimensions of cognitive aging
- Approval from Graduate Program director and academic advisor
All materials should be submitted to Monique Shaw at jmonique@mail.med.upenn.edu.
For more information, contact: Kristin Harkins at kristin.harkins@uphs.upenn.edu.
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Healthy Brain Scholars Program
Who should apply?
The Scholars Program is for students interested in pursuing research or programmatic work focused in cognitive health, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. It is designed for students whose career goals include cognitive health in aging.
It is open to undergraduate and graduate (master’s, PhD, MD, or equivalent) students who have a scholarly interest in aging and cognition.
What is involved?
This program is directed by Jason Karlawish, MD, professor of medicine, medical ethics and health policy, and neurology, and co-director of the Penn Memory Center. Scholars will design a scholarly project with a team of mentors. This project will include a deliverable such as a peer reviewed publication or intervention in the community, and, as appropriate, a plan for dissemination. Scholars will be linked to CDC’s Healthy Brain Research Network to identify collaborators, projects and datasets.
For more information, contact: Kristin Harkins at kristin.harkins@uphs.upenn.edu.