Position Title: Executive Functioning in Neurodivergent Youth Fellowship
Institution: Children’s Hospital Colorado/ University of Colorado School of Medicine
City: Aurora
State/Province: Colorado
Type of Setting: Hospital or academic medical center
Description: Children’s Hospital Colorado is continuing to accept applications to the Executive Functioning in Neurodivergent Youth postdoctoral fellowship for the 2026-2027 training year. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. See the attached brochure for more information on the fellowship. See below for a description of this specific track:
The Executive Functioning (EF) fellowship provides specialized training in clinical and research activities with neurodivergent youth, including those with autism and ADHD, under the supervision of Dr. Jonathan Safer-Lichtenstein and Dr. Julia Barnes. Fellows will co-lead Unstuck and On Target (Unstuck) groups for children and adolescents and facilitate parallel caregiver groups to support the generalization of EF skills. Clinical activities will occur in the Pediatric Mental Health Institute (PMHI) and community-based research settings, with opportunities to deliver Unstuck in English or Spanish. Fellows will also provide outpatient therapy to neurodivergent youth and their families utilizing a range of evidence-based practices and therapeutic curricula, focusing on those targeting EF skill development. There may also be opportunities to contribute to the development of a new outpatient specialty clinic for youth with neurodevelopmental disorders in partnership with the program director, and to deliver EF-focused training to schools and community organizations, including the Colorado Autism Mentoring Program (CAMP). Research activities include engagement in NIMH-funded Unstuck trials in Colorado and Latin America, as well as an internally funded partnership development grant with a local community organization. Fellows will participate in all phases of research, from implementation and data analysis to manuscript preparation and presentation and receive structured mentorship to pursue independent scholarship. The fellow will spend approximately 60% of their time on clinical activities and 40% on research and program development, with opportunities to present at conferences and publish scholarly products.
Supervisors:
Julia Barnes, Ph.D. (she/her/hers), Associate Professor
Jonathan Safer-Lichtenstein, Ph.D. (he/him/his), Assistant Professor
How to Apply: Please submit all application materials to Dr. Jessica Kenny, PhD (jessica.kenny@childrenscolorado.org) and Kelbie Burdis-Beers (Kelbie.Burdis-Beers@childrenscolorado.org).
Application materials include:
1. Cover letter/statement of interest stating interest and fit with the Executive Functioning in Neurodivergent Youth postdoctoral fellowship track
2. A current Curriculum Vitae
3. Transcripts of doctoral graduate work
4. Three letters of recommendation (Please submit only three letters) – can be emailed directly to Dr. Jessica Kenny and Kelbie Burdis-Beers.
For questions, please contact:
Jessica Kenny, PhD, Psychology Fellowship Training Director (she/hers/hers)
Jessica.Kenny@childrenscolorado.org
Kelbie Burdis-Beers, Operations Coordinator, Psychology Training Program (she/her/hers)
Kelbie.Burdis-Beers@childrenscolorado.org