As an outcome of the 2026 Psychiatry Clinical Research and Scholarship Retreat, Howard Liu, MD, MBA, and the UNMC Department of Psychiatry launched a Clinical Research and Scholarship Accelerator to mentor clinical faculty with an interest in growing their research and scholarship skills through a mentored project.
In August, the inaugural scholars were given 5 percent protected time to meet with mentors and develop a yearlong project that would enhance their clinical research or scholarship skills. The 2026 cohort included five psychiatry faculty members and one internal medicine faculty member who conducts research in the psychiatry department.
The Accelerator is supported by sponsor and chair, Dr. Howard Liu, department administrator, Jeanne Lincoln, director of global research, Soonjo Hwang, MD, and director of clinical research methods, Justin Weeks, PhD. The cohort meets monthly with individual mentoring sessions to advance their projects. This year’s projects range from integrating clinical research metrics into specialty clinics to writing systematic review papers to navigating a first research grant.
The group has already found success. Dr. Zachman, an addiction psychiatrist, served as PI on a successful $260,000 grant that will be funded through the Clarkson Institute.
“I think the Research Accelerator represents the department’s growing commitment to research and scholarship. Offering dedicated time, structured support, mentorship, and accountability make the goal more concrete, feasible, and sustainable,” said Dr. Zachman. “I’m grateful and excited to be part of the inaugural group among curious colleagues whom I am learning from and inspired by.”
Dr. O’Dell, founder and director of the ASPIRE (Active Support for Psychosis in Recovery) Clinic at Nebraska Medicine, said her team has been working on new data-collection programs and writing papers for priority journals.
The Accelerator has many goals for the rest of the academic year, including finalizing a statistical analysis plan for ASPIRE projects, submitting funding proposals to local and national foundations, and inviting guest speakers for future meetings.
Dr. Fischer said the Accelerator is giving crucial support for new clinical researchers.
“Our faculty have the knowledge, passion, and the abilities to build up our research efforts if we come together and support one another,” she said.
2026 Psychiatry Clinical Research and Scholarship Accelerator
- Psychiatry Scholars: Sara Zachman, MD, Assistant Professor, Addiction Division; Lauren Edwards, MD, Assistant Professor, Anxiety Disorders Subspecialty Clinic; Sarah Fischer, PhD, Assistant Professor, ASPIRE Subspecialty Clinic (Psychosis); Riley Machal, MD, Assistant Professor, ASPIRE Subspecialty Clinic (Psychosis); Melissa O’Dell, MD, Assistant Professor, ASPIRE Subspecialty Clinic (Psychosis)
- Internal Medicine Scholar: Amber Brown Keebler, MD, Assistant Professor, UNMC Division of General Internal Medicine, ASPIRE Subspecialty Clinic (Psychosis)
- Sponsors/Mentors: Howard Liu, MD, MBA, chair, UNMC Dept. Psychiatry; Jeanne Lincoln, Administrator; Soonjo Hwang, MD, director of global research, UNMC Dept. Psychiatry; Justin Weeks, PhD, director of clinical research methods, UNMC Dept. Psychiatry