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In Celebration of a Career - Announcements
In the Media - Kudos - Save the Date
| | In Celebration of a Career | | |
Dr. Robin Jarrett, Ph.D., ABPP, will retire from full-time work after more than 40 years of service to UT Southwestern.
Dr. Jarrett earned her B.A. with honors at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at UNC–Greensboro, where she was named 2025 Distinguished Alumnus in Psychology. A board-certified psychologist, she joined the UT Southwestern Psychiatry faculty in 1984 and was one of the first women in the department to earn tenure. She is currently the holder of the Elizabeth H. Penn Professorship in Clinical Psychology.
Dr. Jarrett has led pioneering research on psychosocial factors in health, focusing on mood and related disorders. Her team conducted the first positive randomized clinical trial comparing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to pill placebo and antidepressant medication for adults with depression – a landmark study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). They also went on to design and test how CBT can be used effectively to prevent relapse. This groundbreaking work helped establish CBT as a first-line treatment for depression and clarified how and when CBT prevents relapse. Supported by uninterrupted NIMH funding (including two career awards) for more than three decades, her research program integrated clinical trials, relapse prevention, and translational science. These findings advanced understanding of brain–behavior–health connections and shaped global clinical practice and public awareness. Dr. Jarrett’s work has influenced treatment guidelines, and informed adaptations of CBT for other psychiatric disorders. Her forthcoming co-authored book, Mindful Self-Care for Clinicians and Caregivers: A Group Facilitator’s Guide (Elsevier), aims to expand access to evidence-based interventions for professional and informal caregivers.
Dr. Jarrett is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. She has been clinically active for her whole career and credits her patients for inspiring her best work. Beyond her research accomplishments, Dr. Jarrett has distinguished herself by her service activities and love for mentoring. She has served on numerous editorial boards and NIH study sections, mentored students and junior faculty, and been a valued member of various committees within the Division of Psychology and UT Southwestern at large. She served 15 years on the Promotions and Tenure Committee, 13 years on the Institutional Review Board, and led the Conflict-of-Interest Committee/Office for 21 years. She continues to serve on the Faculty Club Board, now in her 23rd year. Dr. Jarrett is also a certified professional coach, helping individuals and groups activate strengths in work and life.
Dr. Jarrett plans to take a mindful pause and return (part-time) to collaborate in research, teaching, and professional coaching. We are thankful for her dedication to our department and her influence in our field.
| | | NEW! Two Division Coordinators named | Congratulations to the two newest Division Coordinators who will support the efforts of the department's Division Chiefs. With their hiring and promotion, all of the division coordinator positions in the department have been filled. The organizational chart above outlines the Psychiatry Department's administrative leadership. | |
Miguel Garza – General Adult Psychiatry
Miguel Garza brings 10 years of health care experience to his new position. Prior to this role, he worked at Baylor College of Medicine as the Finance Administrator for the Graduate school of Biomedical Sciences for the last three years and as the Research Administrator for the department of Neurosurgery. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from The University of Texas at San Antonio and holds a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Western Governors University.
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Lilian Hong – Psychology
Lilian Hong joins the Department of Psychiatry from the UT Southwestern Department of Neurological Surgery, where she initially started as a Project Specialist and advanced to Project Manager, focusing on department and clinical operations. Most recently, she served as the Interim Department Administrator. She holds a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Studies with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from The University of Texas at Dallas. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, discovering new restaurants, reading, traveling with her husband, playing the piano, and sewing. She values spending quality time with friends and family, especially when it involves board games and great food.
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NEW! View Psychiatry Department Leadership Series recordings and upcoming dates
| Recordings from the Psychiatry Department Leadership Series will be made available on the Psychiatry Department SharePoint site after each session. The first presentation is available now, and upcoming topics are listed on the site to help participants plan to attend future sessions from Noon-1 p.m. on the second Mondays of each month from January through October 2026 (excluding August). Look for Outlook calendar invitations for the upcoming dates listed. | | |
NEW! UTSW faculty, residents attend ACNP Conference
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A large cohort of UT Southwestern doctors attended the 64th Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) in Nassau, Bahamas, in mid-January. The group attended several virtual and in-person panels and connected with colleagues. See the Kudos section of this newsletter for more news from the ACNP.
| | | Writing Accountability Group will have two spring cohorts | The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program will offer two cohorts for its Spring 2026 Writing Accountability Group. The workshop series is designed to make scholarly writing a habit and includes sessions in which researchers will work on their own scholarly writing accompanied by individual and group accountability. The two series consist of eight weekly sessions of around 75 minutes each from 8:15-9:30 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. Cohort 1 will meet each Monday from Jan. 26-March 16. Cohort 2 will meet each Monday from March 30-May 18. | | | Cleaver named new Facilities Administrator | |
Bradley Cleaver has taken on the role of the Department Facilities Administrator effective Jan. 12. He is now the point of contact for the department for asset management, inventory control, renovations/construction, space management, building access, business continuity, and IMPACT. He will be officed in the Chairman's Suite and spend time at Empire Plaza. Please welcome him to this new position and feel free to reach out to him for assistance.
| | | Excitement is building for the new Texas Behavioral Health Center | The decision that UT Southwestern will operate the new Texas Behavioral Health Center made headlines in the UT Southwestern Newsroom and in the Dallas Morning News. (Please note that the second link may require a subscription for access.) The story has also been picked up by CBS News and KERA, among others. | | | Women in Science and Medicine Advisory Committee calls for poster session abstracts | |
The Women in Science and Medicine Advisory Committee (WISMAC) invites the entire UT Southwestern community to submit abstracts for the 2026 Celebration of Women in Science & Medicine Poster Session to be held on April 2. Scientists, clinicians and educators, including faculty, postdocs, fellows, residents and students at UT Southwestern are encouraged to submit an abstract for a poster presentation in basic science, clinical/translational, or public health/education research.
Only one abstract may be submitted per presenting author, and the presenting author must be able to attend the celebration to present their research. Abstracts must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31.
More information is available at the WISMAC website. Volunteer judges can apply using this form.
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Dr. Collin Vas, M.D., published the MedBlog, "Body dysmorphia: Effective treatment for ‘invisible’ mental health condition." Read it here.
| | | | | In its "Reviewer Appreciation December 2025" article, the journal Academic Psychiatry honored Adriane M. dela Cruz, M.D., Ph.D., and Kathlene Trello-Rishel, M.D., among its 2025 Peer Review Mentors, "who, in addition to completing reviews, made advances toward raising up a new generation of peer reviewers through their additional time spent mentoring learners and early career colleagues in the peer review process." | | | |
NEW! Dr. Tarek Rajji, M.D., has been promoted to Fellow status in the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP). A letter informing Dr. Rajji of the change noted that "Promotion is based on both your scientific reputation and your contributions to the College through committee work and involvement in the Annual Meeting program."
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NEW! Dr. Andre Russowsky Brunoni, M.D. Ph.D., M.B.A., has been elected to membership in the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP).
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NEW! Dr. Sherwood Brown, M.D., Ph.D., has been awarded a $10,000 Special Grant Incentive (SGI). The SGI program provides funding to UT Southwestern faculty members who are successful in obtaining federal awards and encourages faculty to further pursue federal awards to advance science and benefit patients.
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NEW! Dr. Nicholas Westers, Psy.D. was recently appointed to Fellow status within the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM). FSAHM designation recognizes a long-term commitment to and advocacy for adolescent health-related issues, demonstrated through professional activities as well as peer recognition. Dr. Westers has been active in SAHM for many years, serving in roles including the co-chair of the Violence Prevention SIG, the Director of Programs for the 2022 and 2023 SAHM Annual Conferences, and most recently serving in an elected role on the Nominations Committee. SAHM is a large, multidisciplinary organization and psychologist representation among Fellows is very small; Dr. Westers is one of approximately five psychologists internationally who have attained this status.
| | | NEW! UTSW Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship graduates, Dr. Maravet Baig-Ward, M.D., Dr. Patrick Butler, M.D., and Dr. Mohayed Mohayed, M.D. (photos left to right) have successfully attained American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Board Certification in the subspecialty of Forensic Psychiatry. | | | NEW! Dr. Stephen Bunt, Ed.D., Dr. Nyaz Didehbani, Ph.D., Dr. C. Munroe Cullum, Ph.D., and Dr. Kristin Wilmoth, Ph.D., and graduate student Logan Shurtz contributed to a First Place-Winning Outstanding Student Project for the journal The Clinical Neuropsychologist submitted by Southern Methodist University Statistics and Data Science graduate student Ellen Taylor. Taylor was awarded first place for her paper, "Using Machine Learning to Predict Concussion Recovery Time: The Importance of Psychological and Symptomatic Factors." Dr. Wilmoth was Taylor's mentor for the project. | | | Congratulations to 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., on their election to the UT Southwestern Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society as Resident Nominees. | | |
NEW! Next Ethics Grand Rounds will focus on pharmacy ethics
The next Ethics Grand Rounds lecture will be "Not Just Drugs: Clinical Ethics and the Health-System Pharmacist," presented by Linda B. Uchal, Pharm.D., M.S., BCPS, BCCCP. Uchal is a Clinical Pharmacist-Critical Care at UT Southwestern's Clements University Hospital. The lecture is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 10 from Noon-1 p.m. Details about this lecture may be found on the University's events calendar here. For more information, please email Ruth Vinciguerra.
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Sign up for group coaching this spring
Group coaching sessions offer a supportive environment where you can connect with faculty peers, share experiences, and gain valuable insights to help you achieve your goals. Sessions facilitated by Dr. Anand Rohatgi, M.D., are interactive and dynamic, featuring a mix of group discussions, exercises, and actionable takeaways. The next cohort begins on March 23 with sessions on April 13, May 11, May 27, and June 8.
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Deadline for Inspiring Careers in Mental Health apps is Feb. 2
The application deadline for Inspiring Careers in Mental Health, a two-week summer internship for rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students and rising college first-years is Monday, Feb. 2. The program provides students with overviews of a range of careers available in mental health. Participants learn about the breadth of work available in mental health in areas like psychotherapy, neuropsychological testing, neuroscience, interventional psychiatry, and community psychiatry.
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Check the calendar for Psychiatry Grand Rounds
Have you been taking advantage of visiting expertise? Psychiatry Grand Rounds will continue each Wednesday at Noon through May, with the exception of holidays and Psychiatry Department Town Hall dates. Details on individual presentations will be shared as they become available. Please watch for more information via calendar invitations or by checking the UT Southwestern Events Calendar.
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Mark your calendars for in-person Psychiatry Grand Rounds
Don't miss your opportunity to learn from visiting physicians and educators when they come to UT Southwestern for in-person Psychiatry Grand Rounds. In-person attendance offers you the opportunity to interact with the visiting speaker and reflects well on the Psychiatry Department. In an effort to promote in-person events, please mark your calendars for the following Psychiatry Grand Rounds scheduled in the coming year.
Feb. 18, 2026
Dr. Zafiris "Jeff" Daskalakis, M.D., Ph.D., UC-San Diego Department of Psychiatry
Presenting "Harmonizing effectiveness & physiology: an exploration of magnetic brain stimulation in depression"
o Location: NG3.112
o Food will be: NG3.108
March 11, 2026
Dr. Chadi Calarge, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine
Presenting "Iron deficiency and adolescent brain development"
o Location: NG3.112
o Food will be: NG3.108
March 25, 2026
Dr. Benoit Mulsant, M.D., M.S., FRCPC, DLFAPA, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
Presenting "Can we predict the future of psychiatry?"
o Location: NG3.112
o Food will be: NG3.108
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