cdi stories

The impact of the Career Development Institute (CDI) for Psychiatry is best articulated through the voices of our graduates. These successful researchers share their experiences and the valuable insights gained through the program's mentorship, skill development, and supportive community. Their stories showcase the enduring impact of the CDI in shaping fulfilling careers dedicated to advancing mental health research.

"The CDI for Psychiatry has been pivotal in strengthening my commitment to research and I hope that I can, in return, serve new investigators interested in mental health research."

– Adriana Di Martino, MD, Faculty

"The opportunity to continue to be involved with an amazing group of scientists and leaders in psychiatric research, to continue that process of being mentored and then mentoring others has been wonderful."

– Kristina Deligiannidis, MD, Class of 2012

"My mentorship of others is strongly motivated by a kind of "pay it forward" responsibility I embrace as a result of the mentorship I received myself as a CDI participant. I do not think I would have been nearly as successful in developing my career thus far if I had not had the good fortune of participating in the CDI just prior to transitioning from psychiatry residency to my postdoctoral fellowship. The combination of senior-level and peer mentors provided a wonderful mix of inspiration and encouragement, a realistic conviction that success was possible, and a set of concrete strategies for achieving that success. The CDI is also structured in a way that creates a lasting bond among the participants – I am still in touch with many of my "CDI siblings" through email and get-togethers at scientific conferences, and greatly value their ongoing support and advice. I look forward to helping this wonderful program grow."

– Daniel Wolf, MD, Faculty

"Research is a pretty hard business. If you can create links early on and have this kind of familial environment, I think it really helps. The CDI is a really nice mechanism for encouraging those warm, friendly relationships in research.  ... As a mentor, I’m learning from my mentees in the same way they’re learning from me. The kind of information I’m learning from them is very different from the information I’m helping them with. So it’s very much a two-way relationship."

– Mary Phillips, MD, Faculty

"I found the CDI experience to be invaluable in guiding my career development and I am very enthusiastic about the opportunity to mentor junior investigators through future career development institutes."

– Jess Fiedorowicz, MD, PhD, Class of 2007

"The CDI is wonderful for fostering information exchange and collaboration and stimulation of new ideas. The trainees all come out of here with a lot of wisdom, and then they reinforce one another with that wisdom."

– Ellen Frank, PhD, Faculty

"The CDI has played a vital role in my career development by furthering my clinical research education and introducing me to outstanding peers from across the country. Two members of the CDI Class of 2008 were recruited to join the psychiatry research faculty at the University of Utah. One has already had her K23 Career Development Award funded, and I plan to submit a K-award application in the fall of 2011."

– Douglas Kondo, MD, Class of 2008

"It's important for people to have many different kinds of mentors who can fulfill different needs. One of the advantages of having a long-distance mentor is having a different perspective on the situation, and different insight and guidance. ... It's a really exciting time to be in psychiatry, and I think this program gives you the skills to be able to build and launch your career in a way that no other program can. ... I strongly support the core mission of the CDI to increase the number of new researchers from diverse institutions and disciplines and to provide mentorship support. Since emigrating as a child from Puerto Rico with my family, I have been fortunate enough to have the support and encouragement of programs like the CDI, which have been instrumental in shaping my interest in research."

– Carolyn Rodriguez, MD, PhD, Class of 2008

"I attended the CDI prior to submitting the K23 award and gained valuable insight into the application process, which I strongly believe helped me to submit a competitive application. In addition, the CDI helped me to begin networking with both established and junior researchers throughout the country, which will likely lead to future collaborations."

– Melissa Lopez-Larson, MD. Class of 2008

"I can't believe it's been 2 years since my class' CDI workshop. So much has happened these past 2 years and I cannot thank you enough for your long-distance mentorship! All the encouragement, career development advice, and grant reviews...thank you SO much!!!"

- Anonymous