This month the Department of Psychiatry is celebrating our members who achieved major service milestones during 2019 and 2020 and our graduating psychology students and psychiatry residents.
--Carol A. Tamminga, M.D.
Department Chair
Milestones Met
UT Southwestern annually celebrates classified staff who reach milestone years of work (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years). In the Department of Psychiatry in past years, we have had a luncheon for all the celebrants and their supervisors. Because of the pandemic, we did not have a celebration in 2020, but on May 28, 2021,
Dr. Tamminga hosted an online meeting to celebrate the groups from 2019 and 2020, with “Nothing Bundt Cake” mini towers provided for each celebrant. Shelly Sheets and Yolanda Barner-Thomas delivered the cakes to offices on campus and arranged delivery for remote workers. Celebrants are listed below, followed by some screen shots from the online celebrations.
2019
5 Years
Adrianna Harris
Cason Hicks
Sharlenta Johnson
Sara Levinson-Eidelman
Amir Segev
Chanel Smith
10 Years
Elida Godbey
Wadeeah Hasan
Jo Kutty Kurian
15 Years
Marilyn Allen
Ronny Pipes
20 Years
Yelonda Williams
2020
5 Years
Hila Abush Segev
Vanessa Echetabu
Christopher Gonzales
Starla Harrison
Elisabeth Henderson
Catherine Huff
Shailesh Jaiswal
Zulema Jasso
Farra Kahalnik
Alexandra Kulikova
Elisabeth Martinez
Madeline Massey
Shelby Smith
10 Years
Prem Babbili
Nisa Holzapfel
Leigh Hornberger
Melody Lundquist
Maria Monastirsky
Capriana Oyedeji
Sharon Spindle
20 Years
Bruce Jones
Margaret Price
Carol Wortham
25 Years
Yolanda Barner-Thomas
Aida Ramirez-Boyce
Special Recognition
Yolanda Barner-Thomas received special recognition for her service from UT Southwestern, as she was featured with an online profile and a video reminiscing about her 25 years.

Congratulations, Graduates!
The Graduate School graduation ceremony was held in person, masked and distanced, in Gooch Auditorium on campus on May 20. The Psychiatry Residency Program graduation took place similarly on June 4 at the Dallas Arboretum. Families were able to attend virtually at both events. We were very happy that our graduates were able to reconnect to celebrate their achievements together.
Welcome New Faculty and Staff
  • Lisa Ballinger, Mood Disorders, Public Education and Community Outreach Coordinator
  • Mariah Fowler, Mood Disorders, Clinical Research Coordinator
  • Michael Lin, M.D., Assistant Professor
  • Matthew Perdue, M.D., Assistant Professor
  • Mayra Ramos, Emslie Lab, Psych Associate I
Photography Sign-Up
The department of Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs is pleased to offer all UTSW faculty members the opportunity to have a new professional head shot taken each fiscal year. Sitting for a professional photo takes about 10 minutes and requires advance registration.

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Highlights from Our Latest Publications
Professor Emeritus Myron Weiner's text Practical Psychotherapy has been translated into Russian. It will be used as a basic text at the Moscow Institute for Psychoanalysis beginning this fall. Dr. Weiner's other books on psychotherapy include Techniques of Group Psychotherapy, The Psychotherapeutic Impasse, and Therapist Disclosure.

An article about the mindfulness parent support group of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities has been published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders: Mindful Self-Care for Caregivers: A Proof of Concept Study Investigating a Model for Embedded Caregiver Support in a Pediatric Setting.

Other Publications:

Funding Opportunities
All Psychiatry faculty are eligible to apply for special funding for program activities, including support for research symposia or educational or community outreach activities, from the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.

EMD Serano is accepting proposals for novel therapeutic targets with application across several important areas, including, but not limited to, drug discovery, delivery, digital innovation, organoids, bioelectronics and sustainability. The deadline for proposals is June 28, 2021. Apply here.
Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care
It is with great pride that we announce Dr. Madhukar Trivedi has been selected to serve as a Board member for the American Brain Coalition, a nonprofit organization working to reduce the burden of brain disorders through education, public advocacy, and outreach. It raises awareness among policy makers about the cause, impact, and consequences of neurologic, including psychiatric, disorders in society through education and advocacy on cutting edge developments in brain research. It uniquely unites the knowledge and resources of patients and families, researchers, clinicians, universities, government agencies, and private corporations. Dr. Trivedi’s expertise, passion, commitment, and innovative approach to research will certainly enrich the collaboration.
Help us detect mental health problems earlier!
Do you know someone who may be interested in participating in a research study?

Help researchers better understand the relationship between inflammation and suicidal thoughts and actions. We are looking for teens (12-18 years old) who have had suicidal thoughts, but also those who have not. If you know someone who may fall into any of the following groups, they may be eligible!

  1. Have made a suicidal attempt or have had suicidal ideation within the past 3 months 
  2. Diagnosed with anxiety disorder, substance use disorder or have a first degree relative with a history of mental illness or suicidal history?
  3. No individual or family history of mental illness.

Interested in participating? Email Sarah Gibson or call 214-648-2921.
In the News
Madhukar Trivedi, M.D. was featured in D Magazine, Healthcare Business, regarding objective measures of mental health.

Veronica Bordes Edgar, Ph.D., ABPP, was interviewed on “Que es Autismo” (“What Is Autism?”) for Univision as part of the Contigo En La Comunidad morning show.

Courtney Smith, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, was spotlighted in the May 27 Health System News Roundup and described her work with the geriatric psychiatry team.
May 22
NAMIWalks Your Way
North Texas
Our UTSW Psychiatry Team Confabulous raised $2,990 for the National Alliance on Mental Illness in North Texas at this year's virtual event. Thank you to all who participated! Pictured: Adeeb and Saba Masood (top), Joseph and Katherine Guillory (middle), Joshua Walther and Thor (bottom).
July 7 Department Town Hall
Our next Psychiatry Department Town Hall will be held via Zoom at noon on Wednesday, July 7. Reach out with your ideas for topics to cover or questions to be addressed!

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Save the Date
The Faculty Retreat will take place on Friday, October 1, 2021.

More information to come!