June 18, 2026

The Psychiatry Department remembers the life of Dr. Mary Ellen Bret, M.D.

This week, the Psychiatry Department takes a moment to remember Dr. Mary Ellen Bret, M.D., a longtime educator at UT Southwestern and clinician at Parkland Hospital. She was described by her colleagues as wise, deeply caring, supportive, and good friend. Dr. Bret passed away on June 2.

Dr. Bret began her professional life as a speech pathologist and worked in that field for more than a decade. She came to UT Southwestern for a Fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry in 2002 after graduating from and serving her residency at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. She joined the Psychiatry Department faculty the same year while working as a clinician and assistant medical director for Parkland Hospital Psychiatry Inpatient Services. She worked in the in-patient setting until 2009 when she transitioned to a Geriatric Psychiatrist role at the Parkland Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic. She retired from UTSW in 2023.

“Her diverse experience and encompassing knowledge in mental health care led her to be a sought-after attending psychiatrist for the residents in our clinic,” said Dr. John Sadler, M.D., who got to know Bret well in that role. He called her an “inspiration.”

Dr. Bret was recognized for her educational efforts with outstanding teacher awards in 2007 and 2017. 

“Mary was known not only for her quick wit and wry style but also being a ‘no-nonsense, teacher who always had patients’ bests interests at heart,” said Dr. C. Munro Cullum, Ph.D. “She was the quintessential physician in every sense of the word, and her knowledge of medicine far beyond psychiatry was truly impressive.”

Beyond her medical acumen and teaching ability, Dr. Bret is remembered as “professional, courteous, funny, and very enjoyable to work with,” according to Dr. Timothy Wolff, M.D. 

“Her compassion and ability to speak several languages including Spanish allowed her to reach many, many grateful patients,” he said.  

We’re grateful for all that Dr. Bret contributed to UT Southwestern in her time with the Psychiatry Department. Our patients, faculty, and generations of doctors are all better for her efforts. She will be deeply missed.

NEW! Submit research proposals for Kleberg Foundation funding

UTSW is seeking research proposals for submission to the Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation. The foundation holds two funding cycles each year – in March and September – and UTSW may submit one application per cycle. The current internal competition will be conducted to select a nominee for the fall cycle. Each year, fewer than 10 awards are granted, with funding ranging from $500,000 to $3 million for single or multi-year projects. Renewal grants are also favorably considered.

The Foundation is seeking highly innovative, groundbreaking medical research proposals from top tier institutions in both basic biological and applied research that will have the greatest impact on scientific knowledge and human health. Proposals should be distinctive and novel in their approaches, not being done elsewhere, question the prevailing paradigm, and lead to advancement of knowledge in the field. Proposals should clearly articulate the significance of the research in addressing a critical need in the field. Key areas of interest include cancer, neurological conditions, genetic research and projects, viruses, vaccines, infectious diseases, and antibiotic resistance.

Faculty members at all levels with full-time appointments are eligible, provided they have outstanding research backgrounds and a record of productive and visible publications. For this internal competition, please submit a one-page concept paper in 11- or 12-point font with 1-inch margins, including the project title, the full name of Principal Investigator, and a non-technical description of the proposed research. Please submit this paper and the PI’s CV in a single PDF to Russell Dubose-Boyd and copy Camryn Wellman. These pre-application materials are due by June 30.

NEW! Mathers Grant Awards pre-applications are open

UT Southwestern has been invited to nominate up to three individuals to apply for the prestigious 2026 Mathers Grant Awards Program. The Mathers Foundation supports pivotal scientific research that advances knowledge, enhances human health, and fosters innovation. They empower researchers whose work holds the greatest promise for advancing mankind and medicine, driving meaningful, long-term contributions to science and society. 

All levels of professorship are eligible to apply for funding. Applicants may request $600,000–$700,000 over three years, inclusive of up to 10% indirect costs. More detailed information, including areas of support, is available at the link below.

Interested applicants should submit a one-page research proposal outlining the rationale and significance of the candidate's research and the specific aims for the proposal. The proposal should be in 11- or 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Please submit this paper and the PI’s CV in a single PDF to Russell Dubose-Boyd and copy Camryn Wellman. These pre-application materials are due by July 1.Two pre-applications will be chosen by an internal committee to advance to the next stage for submission of a full application to the foundation

RME Compliance deadline is June 30

All physicians (faculty) covered by the UT System Professional Medical Liability Benefit Plan are required to complete five hours of Risk Management Education (RME) by June 30 of each year as a condition of coverage.

To meet this requirement, faculty may take online courses provided by UT Southwestern, Children’s Medical Center, Parkland Health Hospital System, and/or Med-IQ. Faculty physicians may also provide proof of participation in other risk management electives and activities such as committees, seminars, conferences, societies, review boards, medical documentation, etc. Please review this detailed list of accepted RME electives. Risk management education verification forms and backup/proof of attendance for all RME elective credits are required. Guidance on obtaining proof of attendance for Ethics Grand Rounds is available from Ruth Vinciguerra. Similar guidance for Psychiatry Grand Rounds is available from Tammy Young. If the physician requires a Med-IQ username/password or technical assistance, click here. They can also email Med IQ and/or call 1-888-315-4356 to assist with accessing the portal if needed. 

Nominations now open for A/P Committee

The Psychiatry Department is requesting nominations for the Appointments and Promotions (A/P) Committee membership for the term effective Sept. 1. The committee reviews and provides recommendations on academic appointments, promotions, and faculty advancement. Responsibilities, eligibility requirements, and expectations for committee members are available here. Faculty interested in serving should contact their Division Chief to have their name submitted for nomination.

Researchers: Boost your study recruitment

Need participants for your clinical trial? ‌Reach more people across UT Southwestern by submitting your study to The UTSW Insider, a twice-weekly newsletter sent to all UTSW email addresses. Doing so increases visibility, reaches eligible participants, and supports recruitment efforts. It can also help raise general awareness among the university's health care teams, including physicians and clinical staff who may know people who qualify. 

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‌To be considered, email The Insider with the following details: the Study IRB ID, a brief study overview including your target recruitment audience and any relevant details, and a contact email. ‌ Submissions will be reviewed, and selected studies may be featured in upcoming editions.

NEW! Text styles can affect readability

Decorative or script fonts may impede accessibility or cause corruption when documents are converted to pdfs. “Serif” fonts like Times New Roman have extra flourishes, for example, whereas “sans serif” fonts like Arial, Tahoma, and Verdana have cleaner lines that aid accessibility. Size 9 is the minimum to ensure text can zoom up to 100% without distorting. In Word and Excel, size 11 or 12 is recommended; in PowerPoint, size 18 or higher is recommended. Line spacing needs to be 1.5 times the size of the font. Avoid using different text styles as a design element; uniformity in font is the best practice for accessibility. 

Use a logical heading structure (H1, H2, H3)

Heading styles available in Microsoft Word and other programs maximize usability. Screen readers use hierarchies to determine the order in which text is read, and users can skim documents for the information they need most. Inconsistent heading styles potentially garble the intended message, as readers could jump illogically from one part to another. Heading 1 (H1) is the most important. If a document has a title at the top of the first page, make it H1 so that readers know where to start. Use Heading 2 (H2) for subheadings and Heading 3 (H3) for subsections under H2. Organizing text with these styles and distinctly describing the content increases the document's understandability. Avoid vague or overly creative heading text that might confuse readers. In Microsoft Word, heading tags are available in the Styles gallery, which also allows you to format documents in a consistent manner by tagging individual parts. Styles may vary across platforms. Explore your program's accessibility features to learn more.

NEW! Dr. Jorge Rua Fernandez, Ph.D., joins the department as a postdoc in the Madabhushi Lab and is doing research on repair mechanisms of programmed double-strand breaks (DSB) in neurons. He is originally from Lima, Peru, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Genetics and Biotechnology. He earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University in Nashville working on DNA repair and replication.

NEW! Elexis Stephens, PA-C, earned her Master of Physician Assistant Studies from UT Southwestern. She has worked in Family Medicine with patients of all ages and backgrounds. She is returning to UTSW as an APP Adult Psychiatry Fellow.  

NEW! Dr. Victoria Gonzalez, PA-C, Ph.D., is an incoming UTSW Advanced Practice Provider Psychiatry Fellow and will be rotating through various outpatient and inpatient settings over the next year. She earned her undergraduate degree in biology at UT Rio Grande Valley before completing her master’s degree in physician assistant studies at UTSW. Continuing her academic pursuits at UTSW, she then earned a Ph.D. in Applied Clinical Research. Under the mentorship of Dr. Benjamin Greenberg, her dissertation focused on the prevalence of childhood adversity in pediatric and adult multiple sclerosis patients.

NEW! Dr. Thamires Magalhães, Ph.D., recently joined the Department of Psychiatry as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Division of Interventional Psychiatry, working with Dr. André Brunoni, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Campinas (Brazil) and completed research training at Amsterdam UMC in the Netherlands. Before joining UT Southwestern, she conducted neuroimaging research at Texas A&M University. Her work focuses on understanding brain structure, connectivity, and biomarkers associated with psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.

Deepa Raj, M.P.H., joins the Psychiatry Department as the Senior Manager for the Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care (CDRC). From her previous role as a Research Program Manager in IM-Cardiology, she brings extensive experience in research operations, project management, and oversight of large, cross-functional teams. In her new role, she will work closely with leadership to support and expand the CDRC’s operations.

Dr. Joshua Hubregsen, M.D., recently contributed a MedBlog titled, "Modern electroconvulsive therapy may help relieve depression when other treatments fail." You can read it here.

NEW! Dr. Eric Shute, M.D., was awarded the David A. Waller, M.D., Teaching Award for the Outstanding Child and Adolescent Teacher of the Year at the Fellowship Graduation Ceremony, June 12.

NEW! Dr. Gameli Anthonio, M.D., has been awarded a 2026-2027 Fellowship position with the American Psychoanalytic Association.

NEW! Third year Psychology doctoral student Davon Breedlove's poster was selected to receive the Division 33 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award by the DEI committee.

Dr. C. Munro Cullum, Ph.D., is the recipient of the 2026 Karen Postal Outstanding Mentorship Award from the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) and The Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (SCN; APA Division 40). The Karen Postal Outstanding Mentorship Award honors the importance of mentoring in the field of neuropsychology, as well as the dedication and impact of individuals with a distinguished record of guiding, teaching, advising, and encouraging students and colleagues, including those who are connected to few other resources in the field. Nomination letters described his mentorship as inspiring, personalized, and enduring.  

Several faculty members and residents were honored with awards as a part of the Residency Graduation Ceremony on June 5. The following awards and honors were bestowed at the ceremony.

Faculty and Staff Awards

Outstanding PGY-1 Teacher – Dr. Katherine “Brittany” Karlay, M.D.

Outstanding PGY-2 Teacher – Dr. Michael Li, M.D.

Outstanding PGY-3 Teacher – Dr. Sandarsh Surya, M.D.

Outstanding PGY-4 Teacher – Dr. Abbie Ewell, M.D.

Outstanding PGY-I Teaching Site – CUH Inpatient 50, Dr. Larry Thornton, M.D.

Outstanding PGY-II Teaching Site – Parkland Consults, Dr. Emily Kahl, M.D.

Outstanding PGY-III Teaching Site – Addiction Clinic, Dr. Sidarth Wakhlu, M.D.

Outstanding PGY-IV Teaching Site – Parkland Addiction CL, Dr. Kapila

Marambage, M.D.

Outstanding Clinical and Volunteer Faculty – Dr. Kitzia Moreno, Ph.D.

Special Recognition Award (Staff) – Tameka Ellis

Faculty Mentor of the Year – Dr. Chadrick Lane, M.D.

Outstanding contribution to medical student education by faculty – Dr. Lessley

Chiriboga, M.D.

Paul C. Mohl Award – Dr. Melissa Black, Ph.D.

Resident Awards

Outstanding contribution to medical student education by residents – Dr. Adam Brantley, M.D., and Dr. Nicholas Champagne-Aves, M.D.

Outstanding Fellow contribution to medical student education by residents – Dr. Hannah Gomez, M.D.

Shared Shoutout: Service Award – Dr. Andrew Contreras, M.D.

Shared Shoutout: Healing Award – Dr. Julia Chavez, M.D.

Shared Shoutout: Advocacy Award – Dr. Jennifer Oruebor, M.D., M.S.

Shared Shoutout: Research Award – Dr. Sarah Elmer, M.D.

Shared Shoutout: Education Award – Dr. Seena Ounsinegad, M.D.

Shared Shoutout: Duty Award – Dr. Nicholas Champagne-Aves, M.D.

Chief Residents Recognition – Dr. Temitope Adedolapo, M.D, M.S, M.B.A., Dr. Rachel Cantu, M.D., Dr. Thomas Pak, M.D., Ph.D., Dr. Victoria Ragland, M.D., and Dr. Kaylee Schrader, M.D., M.P.H.

John F. Hickman M.D. Award – Dr. Victoria Ragland, M.D.

Andresen Award – Dr. Cesar Montelongo Hernandez, M.D., Ph.D.

Chairman’s Research Award – Dr. Nabila Haque, M.D.

Leigh Hornberger, Chief Psychometrist in the Neuropsychology Clinic, has been selected for a 2026 Meritorious Service Award. ‌The awards are presented to team members who consistently demonstrate the PACT service standards and go above and beyond their everyday responsibilities to support the delivery of exceptional patient care. The award includes a $500 monetary reward.

Julie Estabrook, a Psychometrist III within the Neuropsychology Clinic, has graduated from Ball State University of Muncie, Indiana, with a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology. She completed additional hours to obtain a certificate in Neuropsychology for Teaching and Learning. 

Jasmine Moore, LMFT, Clinical Therapist at the Multispecialty Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic (MSOPC), recently completed her American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) Certification. AASECT training includes human sexuality, sexual functioning, relationship systems, diversity in sexual expression, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of sexual concerns. She is believed to be the first clinician to complete this four-year specialized certification at MSOPC.

Dr. Dhruba Banerjee, M.D., Ph.D., PGY2 on the Research Track, has been selected to receive the 2026 National Institute of Mental Health Outstanding Resident Award. The award recognizes residents with "outstanding research and academic potential." Dr. Banerjee has been invited to participate in an awards program at the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland, in October. 

Dr. William Goette, Ph.D., will receive the 2026 DocStars Award and funding from the Cary Council for his proposal, “A Pilot Study of Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Interference-Sensitive Learning in Cognitive Impairment.” The award comes with a $50,000 grant. 

Savannah Dieste, a senior student in the Clinical Psychology Graduate Program, accepted the 2026 Ida M. Green Award at a ceremony in May. Dieste's dissertation research was conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Sunita Stewart, Ph.D. She is pictured here second from left with (left to right) Michael McMahan, president and CEO Southwestern Medical Foundation, Ondine Cleaver, Co-chair of the Women in Science & Medicine Advisory Committee, and Andrew Zinn, Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

NEW! Dr. Tyler Evans, Ph.D., presented on behalf of the Psycho-Oncology team at the International Interdisciplinary Conference on Clinical Supervision at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The presentation was about the team's multi-tiered clinical supervision model and implementing it in academic medicine.

UT Southwestern Psychiatry was well represented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, May 27-30, with multiple speakers and poster presenters. Those presenters included Dr. Snoben Kuruvila, M.P.A.S., PA-C, Dr. Nabila Haque, M.D., Clinical Research Lead Virgilio Garza, Clinical Research Assistant II Amrita Ghose, Popular Science Data Analyst III Nandini Jha, CRA II Annsley Martin, and medical student Megan Lean. Click the link below for a full list of their presentations. The photo above is (from left to right): Lean, Ghose, Dr. Manish Jha, M.D., Martin, Garza, Dr. Kuruvila, and Nandini Jha. Click here for more information about their presentations and posters.

Dr. Sidarth Wakhlu, M.D., did a Grand Rounds presentation in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston on the “Management of Alcohol Use Disorders” on May 14.

NEW! Seminar focuses on Natural Language Processing

The Clinical Informatics Center (CIC) will host an engaging discussion on how Natural Language Processing (NLP) is being applied to better understand and address mental health challenges through both clinical and social media data. This special seminar will feature two visiting researchers from the University of Melbourne, Australia. It will take place on Tuesday, June 23, from Noon-1 p.m. in G9.102. Lunch will be provided.

Featured Presentations

From Single-Site to Cross-Site: NLP for Self-Harm Detection Using Emergency Department Triage Notes – Liuliu Chen, Ph.D. Candidate

Shifts in Mental Health Discourse on Reddit: The Rise of Neurodivergence – Jemima Kang, Ph.D. Candidate

NEW! AIRC symposium reflects on 20 years of discovery

Join the Advanced Imaging Research Center (AIRC) for a two-day symposium celebrating its 20th Anniversary, commemorating two decades of excellence, discovery, and impact in imaging research. Speakers from the Psychiatry Department include Dr. Andre Russowsky Brunoni, M.D. Ph.D., M.B.A., Dr. Hamed Ekhtiari, M.D., Ph.D., and Dr. Manish Jha, M.D., among others.

The symposium is scheduled from 8 a.m-5 p.m., July 6-7, and will bring together leaders, collaborators, innovators, and industry partners to reflect on the AIRC's journey and chart the future of imaging science under the theme: Imaging → Seeing → Understanding → Healing.

2026-2027 Ethics Grand Rounds series announced

The UT Southwestern Ethics Grand Rounds series has announced its 2026-2027 schedule. The lectures are presented at Noon on the Second Tuesday of each month between September and May. All of the lectures will be presented virtually. The lecture on April 13, 2027, will also be presented in person. Registration is required to participate virtually. Emails will be sent each month with the relevant details. Please contact Ruth Vinciguerra with questions. See the 2026-2027 Ethics Grand Rounds here.

Explore REDCap's extended features with CTSA

REDCap can be an invaluable tool for clinical research. Get the most out of this flexible and secure data collection software in an engaging session led by Dr. Mujeeb Basit, M.D., M.M.Sc., at Noon on Tuesday, June 30.

Participants will get an intro to REDCap, dive into REDCap features and how it supports clinical and translational research, learn how to design and manage automated invitations, and understand how REDCap integrates with Epic.

Library offers class on Article Processing Charges

"Article Processing Charges – How They Work and Determining Possible UTSW Author Discounts" introduces the basics of transformative agreements and article processing charges (APCs) for open access publishing. Participants will also learn how to identify funding opportunities and institutional support for these fees through the Library's APCs Guide. This online session is planned for Tuesday, June 23 from Noon-1 p.m. Registration is required.