Amy Elliott, PhD, Chief Clinical Research Officer at Avera Research Institute, leads a research team focused on improving child health and development through community-based research. Dr. Elliott is the principal investigator on several National Institutes of Health (NIH) research projects including the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Study, an initiative to reduce infant mortality in American Indian communities. Dr. Elliott also holds professor and research positions at The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. Education: PhD from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Clinical PsychologyMA from North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, Clinical PsychologyBA from Moorhead State University, Moorhead, Minnesota, PsychologyTopics we cover: If there was one thing you wish everybody knew about child development, what would it be?Why did you go into clinical psychology instead of medicine?Why did you get a master’s before your PhD?If you loved research, why did you want to get licensed as a clinician?How did you choose your PhD program?What was your grad school research on?Having a baby in grad school - unique benefits & challengesWhy did you want to work with children?What did your training look like in graduate school?What was the most valuable part of your PhD?Advice for students interested in Amy’s line of workWhat does a pre-doctoral internship in behavioral pediatrics and genetics look like?Working on interdisciplinary teamsWhen and why did you transition away from clinical work and into full-time research?“What got you here won’t get you there”Amy’s role at Avera Research Institute: Research & findings, leading a team, day in the lifeWhat is one skill, quality, or general factor that has served you no matter where you went in life? Visit psychmic.com to sign up for the newsletter, where you'll get career tips, grad school resources, and job opportunities straight to your inbox! Follow @psych_mic on Instagram to submit questions for speakers and stay in the loop. Music by: Adam Fine