Azrieli Brain Medicine Fellowship Program

About The Azrieli Brain Medicine Fellowship Program

The Azrieli Brain Medicine Fellowship is a competency-based program that aims to provide its fellows with interdisciplinary competencies that complement their postgraduate specialty training; protected time will be provided for academic activities.

The Azrieli Brain Medicine Fellowship will provide successful trainees with an integrated perspective to approach the clinical and research questions that are related to brain diseases. Examples of conditions that lend themselves to an approach facilitated by Brain Medicine include: traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, functional neurological disorders, developmental brain diseases (e.g., autism, attention deficit disorder), vascular brain diseases, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and a variety of other neurologic and psychiatric conditions that are presenting with significant disturbances in affect, behaviour, and cognition.

Overview

Status: Successful completion of this training will entitle trainees to a certificate of fellowship completion from the University of Toronto.

Length of Program: This is a competency-based (rather than time-based) fellowship. The typical duration is one year, though fellowships may range from 1 to 2 years.

Funding: The successful applicants will receive an annual stipend of $90,000 CAD.

Program Directors: Dr. Sarah Levitt and Dr. Sara Mitchell

Contact: brainmedicine@utoronto.ca

The Azrieli Brain Medicine Fellowship at the University of Toronto will be offered by the Temerty Faculty of Medicine with a July 1st start date. This innovative fellowship has been designed to address an emerging need to approach the study of the brain with an interdisciplinary lens and a collaborative approach.

The Azrieli Brain Medicine Fellowship focuses on the assessment and treatment of impaired affect, behaviour, and cognition (ABC) in complex brain disorders. They will also explore the impact of these disorders on functional abilities, quality of life, and interpersonal relationships. The fellow will gain clinical exposure to multiple complementary disciplines including geriatric medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry and neuropsychology. Fellows are expected to complete an academic project during their fellowship. At least 20% of their time will be protected for academic work (creative professional activity, education, research).

The University of Toronto offers the ideal environment for such training given the breadth of expertise represented across brain diseases. The successful fellows will have the opportunity to work alongside internationally renowned mentors and gain experience using cutting-edge clinical and research methods and technologies, including advanced neuroimaging, neuro-interventions, neuromodulation, genetics, fluid biomarkers, advanced clinical trials, and preclinical research.

Application Details

Candidates must have completed a residency training program in neurology, psychiatry, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, geriatric medicine, family medicine or other brain related specialty*. Both Canadian and International Medical Graduates are welcome to apply.

*In lieu of specialty certification, only current domestic residents must submit a letter of good standing indicating their anticipated graduation date from their residency program. International Medical Graduates must have completed their residency at the time of application.

Interested applicants should submit their updated CV, MD and specialty certificate, a one-page Letter of Intent indicating their interest in Brain Medicine, and the contact information of three references, one of whom must be their Residency Program Director.

Applicants must review the University of Toronto Psychiatry Fellowship Program’s application requirements carefully before initiating an application. Internationally trained applicants may be asked to provide English proficiency test results at the time of application. To learn more, visit the Apply to the Fellowship Program webpage.

Letter of Intent

Along with your full application, please include a one or two page Letter of Intent outlining your interest in brain medicine. The letter should:

Demonstrate your understanding of brain medicine and explain why you are interested in the fellowship, including the learning objectives and competencies you hope to gain.
Describe your background and training—highlighting relevant clinical experiences, academic work, and research projects—and how these have prepared you for the Azrieli Brain Medicine Fellowship.
Outline how brain medicine training will enhance your productivity and support your future career and academic goals.

Interviews & Application Deadline

The application deadline is the last Friday of March of the prior academic year. Please note that the applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and as such, we encourage you not to wait until the deadline to apply.

Application Process

Please submit your application using the online application portal.

Given the competitive nature of the program, available spots may be filled before the posted deadline. Please note that only completed applications—including all three reference letters—will be considered, so ensure that references are submitted promptly.

Contact

General questions regarding the fellowship (any and all are welcome!): brainmedicine@utoronto.ca
For specific information about the application process, contact Ashley Wilcox, Azrieli Brain Medicine Fellowship Administrator (ashleyc.wilcox@utoronto.ca)

Program Specifics

Examples of competencies that the clinical Azrieli Brain Medicine fellow will acquire include:

How to perform a neurocognitive/neurobehavioural assessment at an expert level as required for differential diagnosis and problem formulation;
How to conduct and interpret a complementary and comprehensive neurological and psychiatric examination at an advanced level;
How to describe the content and psychometric properties of the components of a neuropsychological assessment and integrate these data into clinical evaluations;
How to interpret and utilize neuroimaging, neurophysiological, sleep, laboratory, and neuropathology studies;
How to describe the neurobiology of specific brain disorders;
How to apply relevant treatments such as neuropharmacology, neuromodulation (e.g., rTMS, tDCS, Focused Ultrasound, Deep Brain Stimulation), and psychosocial interventions.