UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Launched in 2023, the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Implementation Science Faculty Fellowship Program aims to train Penn State researchers interested in applying implementation science to their research programs. For one year, the fellowship provides protected time and mentorship for the fellow to establish a solid theoretical, methodological and scientific foundation for implementation science to be applied in clinical and community health settings. The program is part of the CTSI’s commitment to increase Penn State’s capacity for implementation science studies to address health inequities within the commonwealth and beyond, with a focus on rural communities.

2024-25 Fellow: Kristina Lenker

Kristina Lenker has been selected as the 2024-2025 Implementation Science Faculty Fellow. She is an assistant professor and licensed Psychologist in behavioral sleep medicine at Penn State College of Medicine. Her training specialized in addressing sleep issues in pediatric populations and conducting evidence-based treatment trials for adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Drawing on this expertise, her current research focuses on sleep difficulties in individuals with coexisting neurodevelopmental and sleep disorders.

Throughout the fellowship, Lenker will adapt the Transdiagnostic Intervention for Sleep and Circadian Dysfunction (TranS-C) to develop a process for adapting and implementing sleep interventions for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. Through this project, she will utilize two implementation science frameworks, including the framework for reporting adaptations and modifications expanded (FRAME) and the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR). At the end of her fellowship, she aims to have the knowledge and skillset necessary to become an implementation researcher.

Implementation Science Faculty Fellows complete the following core activities:

• Complete the Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer (TIDIRC) Open Access program.
• Attend the Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health.
• Participate in consultations, the Implementation Science Workgroup, seminars, and other initiatives.
• Attend monthly meetings with mentors to discuss Fellowship progress and deliverables.
• Submit a full R series grant proposal (R01 or R21) or equivalent by the end of the Fellowship.

This Faculty Fellowship is one of the many services offered by the CTISI’s Implementation Science Core, led by William A. Calo, and managed by Chelsea Bufalini.   

If you are interested in learning more about implementation science and would like to incorporate it into a grant or ongoing project, you can request a consultation through the CTSI’s consultation request form.