CNSPulse

BUILDING COLLABORATIVE CAPACITY IN EARLY CAREER PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS ACADEMIA, INDUSTRY, AND CLINICAL PRACTICE

Keren Bachi — The Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

2026 ASCP Annual Meeting

Developing effective, sustainable collaborations is essential for early career investigators navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of clinical psychopharmacology and translational mental health research. This workshop, organized by the ASCP Early Career Committee, will provide structured, practical guidance to help emerging scientists, clinicians, and clinician-investigators build collaborative networks that accelerate scientific discovery, enhance career development, and support long-term success across diverse professional trajectories. This interactive session will begin with a moderated panel of leaders representing academia, industry, and clinical practice who will share realworld insights into forming, maintaining, and leveraging collaborative relationships. Panelists will discuss the strategic advantages of interdisciplinary partnerships, common barriers faced by early career professionals, and effective approaches for initiating collaborations with mentors, institutions, community partners, and cross-sector stakeholders. Particular attention will be given to navigating collaboration during career transitions, understanding differences in organizational culture, and promoting equitable and inclusive partnerships that amplify the roles of women and members of underrepresented groups. Following the panel, participants will engage in structured breakout groups led by experienced facilitators from academia, industry, and clinical research. These small-group discussions will offer opportunities for connection with leaders in the field, peer networking, and skill-building exercises focused on communication, expectation-setting, conflict resolution, and team science principles.By the end of the workshop, attendees will be equipped with actionable strategies, expanded professional connections, and greater confidence in their ability to form productive collaborations that support scientific advancement, enhance career resiliency, and contribute meaningfully to the broader psychopharmacology community.

Learning Objective 1: Foster mutual understanding, skill development, and practical knowledge of the collaboration process across academia, industry, and clinical practice, including identify and bridge cultural gaps; recognize and address the differing priorities, timelines, and incentives between various sectors.

Learning Objective 2: Develop effective communication and teamwork skills: apply strategies for open, interdisciplinary communication and teamwork to overcome collaboration barriers and foster a culture of mutual respect, information sharing to attain shared goals.

References

  1. Palmer, M. and R. Chaguturu (2017). “Academia–pharma partnerships for novel drug discovery: essential or nice to have?” Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery 12(6): 537-540.
  2. D’Hooghe, T. (2017). “Transparent collaboration between industry and academia can serve unmet patient need and contribute to reproductive public health.” Hum Reprod 32(8): 15491555.