April 9, 2026

NEW! Department searching for faculty/researcher to work in Interventional Psychiatry with North Texas VA

There is an exciting opportunity for a clinical researcher faculty position in our department and based at the VA North Texas Health Care System in Mental Health Service. In this position, the faculty member will have their time split 50% for clinical and 50% for research with a focus on interventional psychiatry treatments, especially repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).

This position comes also with start-up funds to launch an rTMS protocol at the VA. To learn more about the position, including clinical responsibilities, see the description linked below.

NEW! Form a team and join Spring Forward Team Challenge for chance to win prizes

The Psychiatry Department's Faculty Wellness Committee is encouraging all faculty and staff to join the UT Living Well Spring Forward Team Challenge. This team activity is a great way to move more, connect with colleagues, and possibly win a prize while getting healthier. This self‑paced challenge is designed for all fitness levels, whether you’re a seasoned walker or a beginner. You can track steps manually or sync your favorite device, get weekly motivation, and earn points along the way. 

Visit https://ut.limeade.com and search "Spring Forward" to create a team of up to five people and log as many steps as you can between now and May 8. The top Psychiatry Department team - identified with "Psych" in its name - will earn prizes from the Chair's Office.

REMINDER: Compliance training is due by April 15

All staff/faculty are required to complete all four modules of annual compliance training by April 15. If you have not completed your training, please log into Taleo Learn > My Required Training > FY 2026 Annual Compliance Training Bundle and complete all four sections. Please note that you may have to go to the second page of the My Required Training to see the assigned training bundle. Each session takes about 30 minutes to complete, but the training can be paused and, once you log back in, it will return to your stopping point. 

Yolanda Barner-Thomas will be pulling a report for the Psychiatry Department later this week and reaching out to those individuals who haven't completed the training and their managers/administrators. Please keep in mind that there is a discipline matrix for those who don’t complete the training by April 15, and the department does not want any Psychiatry staff/faculty on that list. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Yolanda Barner-Thomas.

'Concept to Clinic' program focuses on researchers developing novel technologies

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is providing an opportunity for researchers developing a novel technology to participate in the Concept to Clinic: Commercializing Innovation Education (eC3i) Program.

The eC3i Program is a virtual summer entrepreneurial training program that gives researchers the tools to answer the question “Does my technology have commercial potential?” This program is for academic researchers associated with a NIMH grant developing an innovative technology. It is not a general entrepreneurial training course. Participants can be anyone involved in the research, from grad students and post docs to PIs and grant collaborators, with a strong understanding of the project science and innovation, and a desire to learn and apply business concepts to explore the commercial potential of the invention. This year's program runs from June 1-Aug. 21. All applications must be received no later than April 17.

To be eligible to participate, you must be associated with a NIMH-funded grant award that is active or in a No-Cost Extension through September 2026. Please contact Paige Anderson with any questions about the program and to confirm your eligibility if you plan to apply.

Introducing the FY27 Department Retreat Committee

Planning for the FY27 Department Retreat is in full swing. Retreat Committee members (pictured above) are your best resources for all retreat-related questions or information. Feel free to connect with them anytime. The Retreat Committee members are: (back row from left) Miguel Garza, Dr. Jamylah Jackson, Ph.D., Dr. Kipp Pietrantonio, Ph.D., Dr. Chadrick Lane, M.D., Dr. Munro Cullum, Ph.D., Dr. Ram Madabhushi, Ph.D., (front row) Lilian Hong, Dr. Alyson Nakamura, M.D., Dr. Izabella De Abreu, M.D. Yolanda Barner-Thomas, Tamara Campbell, and Katie Elder. Not pictured: Mariam Andersen, Dr. Sabrina Browne, M.D., Cari Norz, Dr. Tarek Rajji, M.D., Sangita Sethuram, Shelly Sheets, and Jasmina Vuksanovic.

Postdoctoral Fellowships have been announced

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 Clinical Psychology Program graduates on their postdoctoral fellowships. These highly competitive positions reflect their exceptional talent, dedication, and hard work. This is a significant achievement, and the Department of Psychiatry wishes them success as they embark on the next phase of their professional journeys.

It's a Match! See Psychiatry's new residents

Match Day 2026 is in the books! On March 20, 239 UT Southwestern Class of 2026 students learned where their medical educations would lead them next. Seven of those students matched with UT Southwestern Psychiatry and will be returning to start their residencies here next year. Psychiatry was the third-most matched into residency specialty for UT Southwestern students this year. Want to see where UT Southwestern's grads ended up? See a full list of matches broken down by specialty here.

Learn more about Promotion & Tenure process

The 2026 Promotion and Tenure (P&T) season is currently underway. The Medical School Faculty P&T Committee plans to review 224 declared candidates this year. To prepare faculty members for future promotion, Faculty Development provides recorded information sessions from previous years, including the "Demystifying the P&T Process Symposium" and track-specific workshops to explain the process.

A Clinical Scholar Track workshop has been announced for Wednesday, April 15 at Noon. Register for that workshop at the link below. Additional workshop dates should be announced soon. Visit the P&T webpage for the most up-to-date scheduling information.

NEW! Digital Accessibility Office Hours are available

Learn how to create more accessible digital documents and get answers for case-specific questions by logging in to Digital Accessibility Office Hours from Noon-1 p.m. every Tuesday. The sessions are run by digital accessibility experts who can assist with best practices and individualized advice.

'Accessibilty 101' is a great monthly resource

The UT Southwestern Accessibility Team is launching monthly "Accessibility 101" live virtual sessions to maintain momentum and build broad awareness across the organization, with a focus on new hires. "Accessibility 101” is an interactive, foundational session that provides a broad overview of accessibility in everyday work. Through real examples and guided discussion, participants explore why accessibility matters, what is expected by policy, and how to approach documents, presentations, and meetings. The session emphasizes simple, actionable improvements and how to access support resources.

These sessions will start on April 8 and will be held monthly on the second Wednesday at noon. Register for an upcoming session below.

Is your CV accessible and up-to-date?

It is easy to take a CV posted in your faculty bio for granted and let it fall out of date. You also may not have considered accessibility when designing or updating your CV. UT Southwestern's effort to improve accessibility across the institution will include an examination of public-facing CVs in faculty profiles in the coming weeks. If you have uploaded your CV to your faculty profile, it may be removed from the site if it is flagged for lack of accessibility.

If you choose to post a CV in your profile, be sure to run an accessibility check. When building or updating in Microsoft Word, you can use the automated accessibility tool - Tools > Check Accessibility. Other tips include choosing a simple format with text aligned to the left. Use standard size fonts and styles. Use clear headings and subheadings to organize information. Avoid graphics or tables that might cause issues in a screen reader. Simplify text where possible, using easily understood language, short sentences, and bullet points.

NEW! Malory Rudd has joined the Psychiatry Department as a Research Technician. She is a 2025 graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, running, and reading.

NEW! Katherine Constantin, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) who recently joined UTSW Multispecialty Psychiatry Clinic. Originally from Boston, she obtained her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and started her advanced practice career as a PMHNP in the Psychiatric Emergency Department at Parkland Memorial Hospital.

NEW! Melissa Mancillas recently joined the department as an Administrative Associate supporting the Division Chiefs and faculty in Addiction, Interventional, and Geriatric Psychiatry. She started at UTSW in August 2020 in the Department of Plastic Surgery as an admin and surgery scheduler. She also served as a team member of the Employee Engagement Committee, known as The Vibe Tribe. Outside of work, she can often be found me at soccer matches cheering on her children from the sidelines. 

NEW! Isela Rodriguez, LBSW, MPH, CHES, recently joined the Case Management team at the Multispecialty Psychiatry Clinic as a Social Worker I. Originally from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, she holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Baylor University and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from The University of Texas at Arlington. Her clinical interests include health education, prevention, and helping individuals overcome barriers related to social determinants of health.

NEW! Dr. Tyler Evans, Ph.D., recently contributed a MedBlog titled, "Psycho-oncology supports the whole person during and after cancer treatment." The MedBlog came out shortly before World Psycho-Oncology Day, which is April 9.

Dr. Jeff Schaffert, Ph.D., was recently featured in two articles about concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) wrote an article about a recent manuscript published in Neurology and written by UT Southwestern researchers, including Dr. Schaffert, Dr. C. Munro Cullum, Ph.D., and Dr. Christian LoBue, Ph.D., and members of other departments on the research team. The group's work and Dr. Schaffert's recent appearance on "Learning from Leaders," were also the basis for an article about head trauma in former athletes. That research is funded by the Cary Council.

Dr. Jane Foster, Ph.D., was recently mentioned in a UT Southwestern overview of new research. Dr. Foster was noted in a section on poor sleep quality being linked to relapses in major depressive disorder. Read more about the subject here.

Dr. Foster was also recently interviewed for an article in The Economist, titled "Faecal transplants - a treatment for bipolar disorder?" Read the story here (may be subject to a paywall).

Dr. Sarah Baker, M.D., Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, was quoted in a Match Day 2026 article in Center Times Plus.

NEW! Dr. Chadrick Lane, M.D., has been selected as a commencement marshal for the UT Southwestern Class of 2026 commencement ceremony. Dr. Lane was one of six Commencement Marshals selected by the graduating class in recognition of playing a significant and impactful role in their medical education. Selection as a commencement marshal is one of the most cherished recognitions one can receive as a faculty member. In addition to the symbolic nature of the role, the marshals also play roles in the commencement ceremonies by guiding students into the auditorium, assisting them with leaving and returning to their rows, helping them at the stairs, etc.

NEW! A paper by medical student Catherine Agarwal, produced under the supervision of Dr. Sherwood Brown, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., has been awarded second place in the Stanley M. Kaplan Essay Contest. The psychiatry writing competition recognized the paper, "The relationship between asthma and suggested alcohol dependence and heavy alcohol use in the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study: The role of depressive symptom severity," which was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Agarwal has worked with Dr. Brown previously and will soon rejoin his lab for another three-month rotation.

Savannah Dieste, a Clinical Psychology Program graduate student, has been selected as the recipient of the Dallas Psychological Association (DPA) Outstanding Student Dissertation Award for this year. This award recognizes excellent scholarly achievement and the significance of her dissertation research that is titled: A Mixed Methods Study of Trauma and Family Factors in an Intensive Outpatient Program for Suicidal Adolescents.

Five residents were inducted into honor societies last week. Dr. William Burton, M.D., was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society on March 18. The Gold Humanism Honor Society is a community of medical students, physicians, and other leaders who have been recognized for their compassionate care. Dr. Tope Adedolapo, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., Dr. Enrique Chiu Han, M.D., Dr. Nabila Haque, M.D., and Dr. Renae White, M.D., were all officially inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society on March 19. Election to Alpha Omega Alpha is an honor signifying a lasting commitment to professionalism, leadership, scholarship, research, and community service. 

NEW! Several members of the Psychiatry Department submitted posters for the 2026 Celebration of Women in Science and Medicine Poster Session on April 2. The UTSW event is sponsored by the Women in Science and Medicine Advisory Committee, and was open to faculty, postdocs, fellows, residents, and students. See a collection of psychiatry and psychology entries in a special gallery linked below.

NEW! Dr. Carmen Cruz, Psy.D. was recently invited to be part of the “Generations in Dialogue: The Evolution of Psychological Practice” panel for the Dallas Psychological Association. The event was part of the Dallas Psychological Association – 70 years of Celebration. The panelists engaged in conversations about their experiences through an intergenerational lens. 

Clinical Psychology Doctoral Students Rose Talebi and Sarah Taghavi presented posters at the annual American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) conference in New Orleans. Talebi presented "Brief suicide assessment among AYA and older adult neuro-oncology patients." Taghavi presented "Understanding the needs of young adults diagnosed with a Primary Malignant Brain Tumor (PMBT)."

Dr. Tyler Evans, Ph.D., (left) and Dr. Jessica Stone, Psy.D., partnered with UTSW's O'Donnell Brain Institute and the Dallas Mavericks for their Brain and Mental Health Awareness Game on March 23 with giveaways and mental health awareness facts. 

NEW! Sign up for the SOAR R-Grant Writers Workshop

Successfully Obtaining an R Grant (SOAR) is an intensive workshop designed to prepare assistant professors or above who are ready to submit an R01 or equivalent by the October 2026 submission deadline. The workshop includes an in-person orientation followed by six weekly virtual two-hour sessions starting in June and ending with a structured review of grant sections by peers and grant coaches. Access to on-demand videos will be available. 

Key components of program include:

• Internal senior grantsmanship coaches/mentors
• Parallel basic science and clinical/translational workgroups
• Structured grant writing and feedback sessions
• Mock study sections
• End goal of R grant submission in October 2026.

Participants must have a well-developed plan for writing an R01 and have the data (preliminary or published) to support the R01 application. The Application deadline is May 26. Questions? Email Faculty Development for more information.

NEW! ACNP Travel Award applications now open

Each year, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Education & Training Committee selects several early career investigators to attend the ACNP Annual Meeting as travel awardees. Travel awards offer opportunities to attend an outstanding scientific program in clinical and basic research on brain-behavior-drug interactions, become aware of the most recent, and often unpublished, advances in psychopharmacology, and meet and interact with internationally distinguished researchers and scientists.

Any scientist worldwide is eligible to apply for a travel award. All candidates must complete an online application and submit required documentation. Complete application instructions are available on the ACNP Travel Awards webpage linked below. The application deadline is May 14.

The next ACNP Annual Meeting is Jan. 10-13, 2027, in San Diego, California.

NEW! Alumni reception planned for APA Annual Meeting

Alumni planning to attend the 2026 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco in May can reconnect with former residents, fellows, and new trainees, as well as current faculty, during a UT Southwestern Alumni Reception. The reception will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. Food and beverages will be provided. Click here to register for the reception.

Leadership Series covers 'Coaching vs. Managing'

The next session in the Psychiatry Department Leadership Series will be held from Noon-1 p.m. on Monday, April 13. This month's topic is "Coaching vs. Managing," and will be presented by Dr. Mona Robbins, Ph.D., ABPP. Watch for an Outlook calendar invitation for the session.

Recordings of past sessions are available on the Psychiatry Department SharePoint site, along with a listing of upcoming topics. Future sessions are planned from Noon-1 p.m. on the second Mondays of each month from January through October 2026 (excluding August).

2026 Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) Symposium planned for late April

"Interconnected Pathways: Exploring Brain–Mind–Body Interface Disorders beyond FND," the 2026 Virtual Functional Neurological Disorder Symposium, is scheduled for 8 a.m.-3:10 p.m. on Friday, April 24 via Zoom. There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. Click the button below to register.

Key Topics Include: POTS and Dysautonomia in FND, Disorders of Gut–Brain Interaction, Bladder Dysfunction in FND, Chronic Pain and Alexithymia in FND, Virtual Reality and Neuromodulation in FND, Psychedelics and Emerging Therapeutic Approaches, and The Lived Experience of Recovery in FND. Q&A sessions with the speaker panel are also scheduled.

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. This live activity is approved for 5.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. 

Ethics Grand Rounds focuses on end-of-life sedation

The next Ethics Grand Rounds lecture will feature Dr. Joseph Raho, Ph.D., a Clinical Ethicist at the UCLA Health Ethics Center and Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. He will present "Continuous Sedation at the End of Life: When Is It Ethical?" by Zoom from Noon-1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14.

Details on this lecture can be found on the University events calendar. For additional information about this lecture, email Ruth Vinciguerra.

In-person Psychiatry Grand Rounds continue

Dr. Alan F. Schatzberg, M.D., of the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, will present "Understanding the opioid effects of ketamine: implications for treatment development" at an in-person Psychiatry Grand Rounds from Noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13. The presentation will be held in NG3.112 with a reception and food in NG3.108.

This is the latest in-person Psychiatry Grand Rounds. Don't miss your opportunity to learn from visiting physicians and educators when they come to UT Southwestern. In-person attendance reflects well on the Psychiatry Department and offers you the opportunity to interact directly with the visiting speaker. The final in-person grand rounds of this year is listed below.

May 22

Dr. Frederick Nucifora Ph.D., D.O., M.H.S., Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Presenting "Schizophrenia, subtyping and treatment resistance"

Please watch for more information about all Grand Rounds via calendar invitations or by checking the UT Southwestern Events Calendar.