Dr. Southam-Gerow will be reviewing applications with the intent to admit a student for the 2027-2028 academic year.

Thank you for your interest in the VCU clinical program and in my work.  At VCU, we believe we offer graduates students top-notch clinical-scientist training in the areas of child/adolescent clinical and behavioral medicine/health psychology.  Our program also benefits from rich practicum experiences offered in the Richmond, VA metro area.  Our relationship with VCU’s excellent medical school also positions the program well for multidisciplinary collaboration, especially with pediatrics and psychiatry.  Finally, our location is outstanding. VCU is in the heart of Richmond, VA, a metropolitan area of about 1M people on the beautiful James River.  We are less than two hours from the mountains, ocean, and Washington, DC metro area.

Research in our lab has as its defining mission the aim to improve access to quality mental health services. In our work, we collaborate closely with our community partners, identifying and testing mutually-generated ideas. The lab’s focus is now wholly on the work of the Center for Evidence-based Partnerships in Virginia.  Please review our website carefully to see if our projects align with your career goals.

Prospective graduates students who would be most happy working with me would have the following interests (in relative order of their likely emphasis during your time at VCU); for more details, see the CEP-Va website or visit the Research page. 

1. Statewide EBP implementation

2. Program evaluation, especially for high fidelity wraparound

3. Fidelity measurement in the context of statewide EBP implementation

4. Implementation in the context of Medicaid and MCOs

5. Understanding the needs of practitioners and provider agencies

6. Mixed methods research

7. Partner and community engaged research

8. Mental health policy research