NEW! National Institutes of Health issue K award notices

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently issued two notices affecting K awards and clinical trial training. The notices are NOT-OD-26-098 and NOT-OD-26-095. Key changes (effective for due dates on/after Oct. 12, 2027) include consolidation and simplification:

• Consolidating individual K notice of funding opportunities (NOFOs). For example, K08 and K23 will both be called KC1.
• Eliminating the requirement for data management and sharing (DMS) plans on Ks.
• Clarifying allowable uses of K award funds for clinical trial research activities.

Also, K funds may no longer support conducting clinical trials, feasibility studies, or ancillary studies, which means:

• “Independent Clinical Trial Required” K NOFOs will end.
• K awardees can still gain experience by participating in mentor-led trials and developing protocols.
• Separate funding (institutional, other grants, etc.) is required to lead a trial as PI.

NIH is also seeking input (by Sept. 30, 2026) on new models that would let mentored K recipients lead trials via separate limited-competition Research Project Grants (RPGs) or phased K-to-R awards. Thus, it sounds like K awardees will still have opportunities to conduct clinical trials, but the trials will not be funded through the K award.

UTSW provides DEA registration fee exemption

As a reminder, UT Southwestern clinical providers are eligible for a DEA registration fee exemption if your DEA registration is used exclusively in the performance of your official duties at UT Southwestern. When completing your DEA registration or renewal application, you will need to indicate that you are requesting the fee exemption and provide the following information:

Institution Name: UT Southwestern Medical Center

UTSW Tax ID#: 75-6002868

Certifying Official: Tarek K. Rajji, M.D.

Title: Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry  

Certifying Email: PsychFacultyAffairs@UTSouthwestern.edu

Certifying Phone: 214-648-5555

If you have any questions regarding the DEA registration process or your eligibility for the fee exemption, please contact Jasmina Vuksanovic for assistance.

Girls Empowered by Mavericks (GEM) seeks speakers

UT Southwestern is proud to be the Official Team Doctors of the Dallas Mavericks and presenting sponsor of the Girls Empowered by Mavericks (GEM) program. GEM aims to engage, inspire, and empower girls (9-14) through continued development and success. Participants learn to value their whole self, discover and develop their inherent strengths, and receive the support they need to navigate challenges. UTSW provides speakers on a variety of health topics for their school visits and hoop camps. Individuals interested in being added to the GEM roster of speakers should fill out the form below. 

Is your online academic profile page up to date?

New faculty recruits, students, and professional collaborators access our faculty profiles for many reasons. Keeping these pages up to date ensures the most pertinent information is available, and faculty can update their pages directly via Profile+ (UT Southwestern VPN access required).

In the Biography section, faculty can share their professional history and interests, and the "meta description" is a search engine optimization tool to benefit users. Faculty are allowed to upload CVs, but you must first ensure your CV passes an accessibility check (both as a Word document and as a pdf) and be careful not to include your home address or other personal details. The Links & Social section relates only to official institutional sites (e.g., a research lab or our department's LinkedIn page) and cannot include any personal websites or social feeds.

You can add your publications manually or select from a list. You can star the ones you want to appear at the top. Only 10 items appear on a page, and most users will not click through long lists of papers, so be thoughtful about what you include.

UTSW Library offers APC Journal Search Database

UTSW's Library has developed a faster way of determining which journals have waivers or discounts for open access publishing. The APC Journal Search Database is now available in the Article Processing Charges Guide (UTSW authentication is required). You can search by journal or publisher or by keywords in a journal title (e.g., "Psychiatry"). The search results display the Journal Title, Publisher, Open Access Model, and Discount Value ("Full" means the APC is fully covered). Note: As of Aug. 1, less than 25 articles remain in the article cap for Wiley journals, and once the maximum is reached (estimated to happen in mid to late September), UTSW authors will need to find alternative funding for Wiley articles. 

Reading order reviews are manual checks

Accessibility checkers often flag the reading order for a manual check. In the menu option “Review” in Microsoft Word, select the “Read Aloud” option and press the play icon in the box that appears to learn how the screen reader interprets your text. Note that wherever an image anchor is placed is where its alt text will be announced. In PowerPoint, reading order will be flagged as an item to investigate from the accessibility checker. In the resulting screen, the checker will show you the order of the slide elements for you to make sure they follow your intended flow to rearrange items as needed to retain the intended meaning.

NEW! Dr. Jeffrey Bogard, M.D. is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry. Dr. Bogard earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma and subsequently completed psychiatric residency at the University of Kansas in Wichita. He then completed a fellowship in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at UT Southwestern, and will now be serving as a consultation-liaison psychiatrist at Parkland Health.

Dr. Charles Ho, M.D., earned his medical degree from UT Southwestern and completed General Psychiatry residency and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at UT Southwestern. Dr. Ho joins the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry division as a faculty psychiatrist in the Behavioral Health Integration and Guidance (BHIG) initiative, Children’s Health Outpatient Clinic, and Community Psychiatry Workforce Expansion (CPWE) program.

Madison Cooper recently joined the Department of Psychiatry as a Clinical Research Assistant II in the Jha Lab. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, and brings experience working with children and families through her previous lab work at SMU's Kids in Development Lab.

Jack DeSalvo recently joined the Psychiatry Department as a Clinical Research Coordinator, coordinating study operations, managing protocols, and supporting clinical data collection across research initiatives. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience with a minor in chemistry. Prior to joining UT Southwestern, he worked in respiratory neurobiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where his research focused on fentanyl-induced respiratory depression using translational physiological models. 

Emily Manasian recently joined the Cullum Lab as a Clinical Research Assistant. She earned her master's in clinical psychology from Eastern Michigan University. Her previous research experience includes collecting neuropsychological data from toddlers and using EEG to better understand phonological processes in younger and older adults.

Dr. Matthew Clem, Ph.D., recently joined the team at the Texas Behavioral Health Center as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr. Clem grew up in Virginia and moved to Texas in 2010 after meeting his wife, an Austin native. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Radford University, a master’s degree in educational psychology from The University of Texas at Austin, and a doctoral degree from UT Southwestern Medical Center. After completing a two-year fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Virginia, he returned to Dallas, where he worked in a group forensic psychology practice before transitioning to independent practice as a neuropsychologist and expert witness in criminal and civil cases.

Dr. Harini Suresh, M.D., recently joined Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr. Suresh graduated from medical school at UT Southwestern Medical Center and completed an adult psychiatry residency at Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess before serving a child psychiatry fellowship at UT Southwestern. She will provide clinical outpatient care at Children's Health, supervising fellows and residents, and provide psychiatric care through TCHATT (Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine). 

Dr. Faiz Kidwai, D.O., M.P.H., has joined UT Southwestern Medical Center as a Clinical Assistant Professor and will serve as an attending psychiatrist at the Texas Behavioral Health Center. His academic interests lie at the intersection of forensic and public psychiatry, with a particular focus on providing recovery-oriented care to justice-involved individuals and improving systems for competency restoration. Dr. Kidwai is board-certified in general adult, forensic, and community psychiatry. He earned his medical degree from Kansas City University and completed his psychiatry residency and forensic psychiatry fellowship at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He subsequently completed a Public Psychiatry Fellowship at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Asmi Dhotre recently joined the Department of Psychiatry as a Clinical Research Assistant II in Dr. Manish Jha's Lab. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is particularly interested in understanding clinical disorders and exploring therapeutic strategies to improve psychological well-being. 

Olivia Rosario, LMSW, is a PGY-1 Clinical Social Work Fellow. She graduated from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Psychology and a minor in Social Work. She earned her Master of Social Work degree from The University of Texas at Arlington. After graduation, she worked for a local community mental health clinic.

NEW! Wayne Young, M.B.A., M.Ed., CEO of the Texas Behavioral Health Center (TBHC), recently participated in a Q&A with Center Times Plus. Read about his history, his personal and professional philosophies, and more in the article. Read it here.

NEW! Dr. Sidarth Wakhlu, M.D., was interviewed for a Dallas Morning News article titled, "Why gambling addictions are becoming a problem among younger adults." Read the article at this link (may include paywall).

NEW! Dr. Salahuddin Kazi, M.D., Co-Program Director of the Combined Medicine/Psychiatry Residency reflects on a remarkable journey that began in Karachi, Pakistan, and led to a career dedicated to medicine, education, and service in the latest Unscripted video by UT Southwestern. Watch the video here.

Dr. Shawn McClintock, Ph.D., was featured in an American Psychological Association (APA) Monitor on Psychology article about brain stimulation titled, "What’s new, what’s next: Using brain stimulation to treat mental illness." Read the article here.

Dr. C. Munro Cullum, Ph.D., was noted for his work with the Clinical Core of the North Texas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in UT Southwestern news release. Read the news release here.

Dr. Cullum's 2026 Karen Postal Outstanding Mentorship Award win was also featured in the Center Times Plus. See the article here.

Savanna Dieste, a graduating Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student, was recognized in Center Times Plus for her 2026 Ida M. Green Award. Dieste was honored for her work in suicide risk and prevention. Read the article here.

NEW! Dr. Kenneth Dekleva, M.D., contributed to the new exhibition, "Camouflage: Designed to Deceive," at The International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. He was interviewed for the exhibition last year. Dr. Dekleva is a former U.S. State Department clinical psychiatrist with more than 70 overseas assignments including stints in Moscow, Mexico City, New Delhi, and Vienna. The exhibition notes that Dr. Dekleva "counseled intelligence officers and other U.S. agency workers on how to live under constant surveillance by foreign governments."

NEW! Dr. James Norcross, M.D., cut the ribbon for the opening of the new Children’s Plano Autism/Outpatient Clinic on July 30. 

Dr. Shawn McClintock, Ph.D., has been accepted to the Southwestern Academy of Teachers (SWAT). Comprising leaders from UT Southwestern's four schools, the academy provides a focus for the exchange of ideas and a platform for enhanced interactions among basic, clinical, and social scientists. Membership in SWAT comes with the title "Distinguished Teaching Professor." 

Dr. Adrianna Martin, Ph.D., has been selected as a recipient for the UT Southwestern and Parkland Health Equity Scholars program for the 2026-2028 cohort, focusing on integrating behavioral health in adult sickle cell care. Dr. Martin joined the faculty in 2026 to help develop psychological services in the Sickle Cell Center. She is a graduate of the UTSW Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program and returned to UTSW after completing a fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine. 

Dr. Adam Brantley, M.D., PGY3, has been chosen to receive one of the two 2026-2027 Psychiatry Resident In-Training Examination (PRITE) Fellowships at the American College of Psychiatrists.

Faculty and Clinical Psychology doctoral students presented at the recent at the American Psychology Association (APA) convention. Dr. Kipp Pietrantonio, Ph.D., and Clinical Psychology doctoral student Maya Hubbard presented the poster, "Supporting Student Parents and Care Givers: Challenges, Strategies, and Solutions. Dr. Pietrantonio also presented a symposium titled, "Rethinking Inequality: Averaging Psychological Science to Advance Economic Justice." Clinical Psychology graduate student Davon Breedlove presented two posters and offered speaker introduction for two sessions at the convention. His two posters were titled, "Parenting Stress as a Developmental Mechanism in Functional Neurological Disorder" and "Comparative Autism Spectrum Disorder Profiles in Girls with Turner Syndrome and 7p22.3 Microdeletion."

Children's Health had its second annual Play Therapy Day Conference on July 24. This year’s conference focused on Mental Health Concerns in Kids and brought together experts in play therapy alongside specialists in higher levels of care, psychiatry, suicide prevention, and autism. 

Dr. Hamed Ekhtiari, M.D., Division Chief of Addiction Psychiatry, led a Brain Gym for Recovery workshop for 20 trainers to start the division's new Brain Gym trial. The intervention has two phases with two packages – Neuroscience-Informed Psychoeducation for Recovery (NIPER) and Neurocognitive Empowerment for Addiction Treatment (NEAT) – and will provide brain rehabilitation for cognitive functions important for recovery.

Ila Iverson, a Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student, recently presented a poster at the Mid-Year Meeting of the International Neuropsychology Society in Dublin, Ireland. Her poster was titled "Applying the ECLECTIC + GRIT Framework: Neuropsychological Assessment of Sub-Saharan African Refugees." Other authors on the poster include her supervisors Dr. Beatriz Macdonald Wer, Ph.D., and Dr. Veronica Bordes Edgar, Ph.D.

Emory Oakes, an undergraduate intern for the Inspiring Careers in Mental Health program, gave a poster presentation summarizing her contributions supporting the program's recruitment and evaluation efforts at the closing ceremony for the UT Southwestern Healthcare Summer Internship Program through the Office for Institutional Opportunity. 

NEW! Psychiatry Grand Rounds kick off Sept. 9 with first in-person event the next week

Psychiatry Grand Rounds begin on Wednesday, Sept. 9 from Noon-1 p.m. with Dr. Rakesh Karmacharya, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor at Harvard University presenting "Investigating psychiatric disease biology using patient-derived stem cells." This is the first weekly Psychiatry Grand Rounds of the year. Log into Zoom through this link.

This year's first in-person speaker is Dr. Patrick Triplett, M.D., of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Triplett will speak on "The Benefits and Evolution of Proactive Psychiatric Consultation." The presentation will be Noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The presentation will be held in NG3.112 with a reception and food in NG3.108. In-person Psychiatry Grand Rounds provide opportunities to learn from visiting physicians and educators, and attendance reflects well on the Psychiatry Department. Attendance also offers you the opportunity to interact directly with the visiting speaker.

NEW! Leadership series continues in September

The next session in the Psychiatry Department Leadership Series will be held from Noon-1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14. This month's topic is "Leadership and Well-Being," and will be presented by Dr. Olufunke Awosogba, Ph.D. 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. A final session for this series is planned from Noon-1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12.

NEW! Registration opens for New Faculty Research Forum

Registration is now open for the 2026 UT Southwestern New Faculty Research Forum, the signature research event highlighting the innovative work of UTSW's newest faculty members. The forum will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12. Join the event for a day of discovery, collaboration, and engagement with colleagues from across the UT Southwestern community.

The forum provides an opportunity to:

• Learn about cutting-edge research from newly recruited faculty
• Explore opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration
• Connect with colleagues from across campus.

Ethics Grand Rounds starts Sept. 8

The first Ethics Grand Rounds lecture for the 2026-2027 series will be presented on Tuesday, Sept. 8, from Noon-1 p.m. The speaker will be Dr. Emily E. Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor of Bioethics in the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Healthcare Leadership at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She will present "Ethical Considerations for Conducting Health Research During Armed Conflict." Additional information about this lecture may be found on the university events calendar.

The full 2026-2027 Ethics Grand Rounds schedule is available here. For additional information, contact Ruth Vinciguerra.

TARCC Symposium is now accepting abstracts

Abstract submissions are now being accepted for the 2027 Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium (TARCC) Scientific Symposium. Applications are due by midnight on Oct. 19. Submissions will be subject to review and will be chosen based upon scientific merit and relevance to the TARCC mission. The TARCC Symposium will take place on Jan. 14, 2027. Click here for more information on the TARCC Symposium.

Psychiatry Department Town Hall is Sept. 2

The next Psychiatry Department Town Hall meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 2, from Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom. Watch your calendar for the Zoom link.

ACNP membership and promotion application deadline is Sept. 24

The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) membership committee will accept new membership nominations and promotion applications through Thursday, Sept. 24. Instructions to nominees and promotion candidates are available on the ACNP website. Contact the ACNP Executive Office by email or by phone at 615-324-2360 for assistance.

Apply for the Lyda Hill Biomedical Innovation Fund by Oct. 31

The Lyda Hill Biomedical Innovation Fund will accept applications through Oct. 31. The fund is designed to stimulate collaborative bioengineering research and drive high-impact translation by The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and UT Southwestern (UTSW) researchers and clinicians. Funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, this award opportunity aims to accelerate the work of joint-institutional research teams who demonstrate high potential to rapidly translate and commercialize their work, aiming to advance the pipeline of promising and commercially viable scientific breakthroughs to improve health. Click here for more details from last year's information session.

Annual Research Conference is Nov. 13

Save the date for the Annual Research Conference, on Friday, Nov. 13, from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. All physicians, nurses, and allied health care professionals who are interested in conducting or currently coordinate research at Children's Health, UT Southwestern, Scottish Rite for Children, and Parkland are welcome. This year's theme is "Clinical Research for Impact: Advancing Patient Care Together."