CHP Doctoral Student receives NIH Fellowship

Jacqueline Maye received an NIH Kirschstein Individual Research Fellowship

Jacqueline Maye, MS (Mentor: Michael Marsiske) has received funding for an NIH F31 Kirschstein Individual Research Fellowship award for her project entitled “A 14 week study of mindfulness effects on attentional control in older adults”. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. This her second national award for this work.

Funded by the National Institute on Aging, the two-year dissertation study will examine changes in the ability of adults’ aged 65 and older to control mood and attention over the course of fourteen weeks. Each week, participants will receive brief, computer-administered tests of attention and mood. Half of the participants will also participate in eight weekly group sessions of mindfulness education and practice. Maye’s study will compare whether there are differences in the amount and pattern of change in attention and mood between participants who do and do not participate in the mindfulness groups. The study leverages an intervention design first developed by Maye’s co-mentor, Dr. Dawn Bowers (with London Butterfield, a post-doctoral fellow).

The study will take place at The Vitality Mind laboratory at The Village, a large retirement community in Gainesville. The Village has graciously provided space and support for CHP projects since 2012.

Per NIH: “The overall goal of the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs.  In order to accomplish this goal, NRSA training programs are designed to train individuals to conduct research and to prepare for research careers.  More information about NRSA programs may be found at the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) website.

The purpose of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31) is to enable promising predoctoral students to obtain individualized, mentored research training from outstanding faculty sponsors while conducting dissertation research. Applicants for this F31 program are expected to propose a dissertation research project and training plan in scientific health-related fields relevant to the mission of the participating Institutes and Centers. This training plan should reflect the applicant’s dissertation research project, and facilitate and clearly enhance the individual’s potential to develop into a productive, independent research scientist.  The training plan should document the need for, and the anticipated value of, the proposed mentored research and training in relationship to the individual’s research career goals.”  The training plan should also facilitate the fellow’s transition to the next stage of his/her research career.“ The award provides support for stipend, tuition and fees, health insurance, travel, and institutional training costs.

The department of Clinical and Health Psychology has had a long history of outstanding students who have competed for F31 awards, including: