Dear colleagues,
As I am sure you all know, graduation season is upon us. It is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of our students and trainees and to look to the future as these new doctors move on to their next adventure. We had the opportunity to celebrate the commencement of medical school students on May 15 – twenty-two of them had chosen psychiatry for their residency. I am proud of their accomplishments and wish them well in their residencies. For those graduates who will serve their residencies at UT Southwestern, the other faculty and I look forward working with you.
Three of the future residents who matched with UTSW earned special recognition for their work in medical school. I urge you all to read more about Dr. Cheyenne Grubbs, M.D., Dr. Mohammad Khan, M.D., M.P.H., and Dr. Bilal Rehman, M.D., M.T.S., in articles linked in the Kudos section below. All three have acquitted themselves well in their academic endeavors and made lasting impressions on their faculty and classmates. We expect wonderful things from them, and I am confident that they will continue to do excellent work.
I also wanted to point to two faculty members who did the department good service during the commencement ceremony. Dr. Sarah Baker, M.D., an Associate Dean of Student Affairs, announced names during the hooding ceremony and was recognized for her efforts with students during graduation. Dr. Chadrick Lane, M.D., served as a Marshal during the ceremony, having been selected by the graduating class for his significant and impactful role in their medical education. It is a pleasure to work with such dedicated educators and physicians.
I look forward to the upcoming resident and fellowship graduations in the coming weeks. I hope you do as well.
Cheers,
Tarek K. Rajji, M.D.
Professor and Chair
| | |
Announcements - Ensuring Accessibility
Welcome New Faculty and Staff - In the Media - Kudos
Transitions - Presentations - Celebrations, Events, and Save the Dates
| | |
NEW IN THIS ISSUE
- UTSW Psychiatry has a strong showing at NAMIWalks North Texas
- Applications are open for the Clinical Neuroscience Scholar Program
- Nominate an APP for their outstanding service
- Chris Loehrlein joins the CRI
- Combat "Scanxiety" with a MedBlog by Dr. Laura Howe-Martin, Ph.D.
- Dr. Victoria Ragland, M.D., has an article published in MedLink® Neurology
- Dr. Shawn McClintock receives the Mary Rosedale Patient Advocacy Award
- Three future residents are honored for their work in medical school
- Dr. Molly Camp, M.D., is recognized for her years of service
- Dr. Kayla Murphy, M.D., and Shalini Maharaj, PA-C, present posters at ISEN
- Multiple faculty make presentations at the APA Annual Meeting
- The Psychiatry Department Leadership Series' next date is announced
- The OBI Physician-Scientist Trainee Symposium will be July 17
| |
NEW! NAMIWalks North Texas draws a UTSW crowd
UTSW Psychiatry Team Confabulous represented UT Southwestern well at NAMIWalks North Texas 2026, engaging and informing the public while also helping raise $5,000 for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The funds will be used to provide free mental health education programs, support groups, advocacy efforts, and community outreach. The department thanks everyone who came out to walk, to volunteer, or just to say "Hello." Special thanks go to Dr. Joseph Guillory, M.D. for serving as Team Captain, Dr. Hamed Ekhtiari, M.D. for representing the Division of Addiction Psychiatry in person and providing educational materials, and Cari Norz for leading organizational efforts in the Chair's Office.
| | |
NEW! Clinical Neuroscience Scholar Program applications open
The O'Donnell Brain Institute is now accepting applications for the Clinical Neuroscience Scholar (CNS) Program through July 13. The CNS Program is centered on patient-facing clinical program development with particular emphasis on novel, innovative approaches to care, such as multidisciplinary programs organized around a specific disease or disease area. Each scholar will receive $1M to be used over five years ($100K annually for salary support and $100K annually for clinical program development and scholarly work).
| | |
NEW! Nominate an APP for their outstanding service
Nominate an Advanced Practice Provider for the 2026 APP Outstanding Achievement Awards through June 28. Submit a deserving APP colleague for consideration in these six categories: Teaching, Ambulatory Clinical Practice, Inpatient Clinical Practice, Leadership, Professional and Community Service, and Scholarly Endeavors.
Nominations are also open for the APP CHAMPion of the Year Award, which recognizes a non-APP leader, faculty, or staff member who demonstrates good partnership and advocacy for APPs in their daily work. All Health System staff members are eligible to submit to each category. Award recipients will be announced at the APP Celebration Week Event on Thursday, Sept. 24.
| | | Lane named to MSOPC Leadership Team | |
The Psychiatry Department has named another member of the new Multispecialty Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic (MSOPC) leadership team.
Dr. Chadrick (Chad) Lane, M.D.
Associate Medical Director
Geriatric and Neuropsychiatry
Dr. Lane joined the faculty in 2021. He was the inaugural OBI Clinical Neuroscience Scholar, and he is the co-leader of the Functional Neurological Disorder Program at MSOPC. He has served as the Medical Student Clerkship Director and is currently the Associate Program Director of the Combined Neurology-Psychiatry Residency Program. This role will report to Dr. Arthur Westover, M.D., Medical Director for MSOPC.
Dr. Lane's new role will be effective on June 1. In announcing this new appointment, Dr. Kala Bailey, M.D., M.B.A., also thanked Dr. Molly Camp, M.D., for her many years of dedicated leadership and her significant impact on shaping Geriatric Psychiatry at UTSW.
| | | Doximity Residency Navigator survey is live | |
The Doximity Residency Navigator survey, a primary source for U.S. News & World Report to rank residency programs, is now open. Last year the Psychiatry training program ranked 14th in the nation, moving up one spot while retaining the No. 1 ranking for Texas and the South. That ranking has a considerable impact on where medical students decide to apply. If you received a survey link in your email, voting for UT Southwestern Psychiatry will help ensure that the program's ranking continues to reflect its excellence.
Eligible physicians should have received a direct link to the survey via email but also can access the survey by logging in to the Doximity website.
| | | The Style Council supports institutional communication | |
The UTSW Insider has introduced a recurring feature named The Style Council. This resource offers guidelines for clear and consistent communications that adhere to UTSW style.
Each installment will highlight timely updates and/or refresher tips – from commonly misspelled terms to punctuation preferences that shape our voice. Consistency in style is an important dimension of UT Southwestern’s commitment to quality, helping our writing reflect the same care, accuracy, and professionalism we bring to other aspects of our work.
| | | Wayne Young named VP, CEO of TBHC | |
UT Southwestern has appointed Wayne Young, M.B.A., M.Ed., as Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Behavioral Health Center (TBHC) and Vice President of Behavioral Health Integration and Partnerships at UTSW, beginning on Aug. 3. Mr. Young brings more than two decades of experience in behavioral health care and its leadership. In his current role as CEO of The Harris Center in Houston, he leads more than 2,600 team members who deliver behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disability services to more than 96,000 patients each year.
Prior to that position, Mr. Young was Senior Vice President of Behavioral Health Services at JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, which included a 20,000-visit psychiatric emergency room and inpatient psychiatric hospitals/pavilions with more than 130 total beds, along with multiple clinics and four partial hospitalization programs.
We are pleased to have Mr. Young join us and expect that he will do great things at TBHC. Dr. Hicham Ibrahim, M.D., M.B.A., Vice President and Senior Executive Officer for Ambulatory Services, will continue serving as Interim CEO until Mr. Young’s arrival. Please see Dr. Podolsky's announcement for more information on Mr. Young's appointment.
| | | Health care practitioners must create a CE Broker account to comply with new Texas law | |
A new Texas law requires all health care practitioners to verify continuing education (CE) through CE Broker, which the Texas Medical Board has designated as the official tracking platform. Effective on Sept. 1, providers must have an active CE Broker account.
Please do the following required actions for your UTSW CME Credits to be uploaded into CE Broker.
The Office of Continuing Education has established a support service to assist you through this process. Please email your request to: CEOffice@utsouthwestern.edu. Webinars providing step-by-step tutorials on using CE Broker to track, manage, and report CME, supporting audit readiness and ongoing compliance will be announced soon. Check the link below for more information
| | | What is Alt Text? Why is it important? | Alt Text, short for "alternative text," describes images embedded in email, Word and PDF documents, and websites. It is an important tool for screen readers and useful for communicating the content when images do not download automatically. Well-written alt text not only describes the image literally but conveys its meaning and purpose. Strive to make alt text as concise and accurate as possible. If an image is purely decorative, mark it that way, so the screen reader omits it. For a complex image like a chart or graph, a longer explanation in the text near the image may help more than extended alt text. This tip and others are available from the university's Digital Accessibility Core Concepts webpage. Visit this page to learn more strategies. | | |
Use assistive tools to gain a new perspective at a Global Accessibility Awareness Day road show
| |
UT Southwestern is offering a hands-on road show of assistive technologies in recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 21. Rotate through stations to explore real-world scenarios using assistive tools like screen readers, magnification, and keyboard only navigation and try common digital tasks, from accessing learning content to completing forms and navigating resources, through the lens of different users.
Complete all three stations for the opportunity to earn a Starbucks cup and gift card! The road show will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Thursday, May 21, near NG3 Commons, T. Boone Pickens Medical Education & Conference Center. Be sure to stop by, grab some snacks, and walk away with practical tips to create more accessible digital content in your daily work.
| | | Welcome New Faculty and Staff | | |
NEW! Chris Loehrlein recently joined the department's Clinical Research Infrastructure (CRI) as a Program Coordinator. He will support faculty as they set up their clinical research practices and oversee a CRI referral program to help bridge clinics with research study recruitment efforts. He serves as a representative on the UTSW Employee Advisory Council and has been with the university since 2017.
| | | |
Dr. Marian Fagbemi, M.D. joins the psychiatry department as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr. Fagbemi obtained her bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and her medical degree from the UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine. She completed psychiatry residency at Creighton University School of Medicine in Phoenix. She will work in the psychiatric emergency center at Parkland Hospital.
| | | |
Dr. Victoria Lutgen Gronau, Ph.D., joins the Psychiatry Department as a Senior Research Scientist in the Coughlin lab and will work to advance the molecular understanding of neuropsychiatric conditions using neuroimaging techniques. Dr. Lutgen Gronau graduated from Marquette University with a degree in Neuroscience.
| | | |
Victoria Kilguss has joined the Psychiatry Department Financial Office as an Accountant II. She received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Accounting from the University of North Texas at Dallas and a master’s degree in Forensic Accounting from Utica University. She is working toward her CPA license before pursuing a CFE license certificate in the long term.
| | | |
Noah Puente, M.P.H., B.S.P.H., recently joined the Psychiatry Department as a Clinical Research Coordinator for Dr. Jennifer Coughlin's team. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from The University of Texas at Arlington and his Master of Public Health from UT Southwestern. He has worked in health education and direct patient care.
| | | |
NEW! Dr. Victoria "Vika" Ragland, M.D., a PGY6 neurology-psychiatry combined resident, was featured in a MedLink® Neurology content spotlight for her article, "Neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with neurologic diseases."
Log in to MedLink® Neurology to read the article.
| | | |
NEW! Dr. Shawn McClintock, Ph.D., was awarded the Mary Rosedale Patient Advocacy Award from the International Society for ECT and Neurostimulation at the organization's annual meeting, May 16. The award recognizes individuals who are advocates for patients and those who educate the public about brain stimulation and endeavor to decrease stigma surrounding chronic mental illness.
| | | NEW! Three UT Southwestern Medical School graduates and future UTSW Psychiatry Department residents were recognized for their work in the leadup to graduation on May 15. Dr. Cheyenne Grubbs, M.D., was honored with the North Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians Award for Outstanding Medical Student in Psychiatry. The award honors a student for excellent work in psychiatry and mental health. Dr. Mohammad Khan, M.D., M.P.H., was presented with the Rolland C. Reynolds Pathology Award. The Reynolds Award recipient is selected based on humanitarian qualities. Dr. Bilal Rehman, M.D., M.T.S., was recognized with the Iatros Award. The Iatros Award was established by the UT Southwestern Medical School Class of 1984 to honor a graduate who most emulates the complete qualities of a physician. | | | |
Dr. Mallory Cash, M.D., has been honored with the Excellence in Clinical Ethics Award at Parkland Health. This recognition reflects her exceptional leadership, compassion, and dedication to addressing the complex ethical challenges that arise in patient care. Dr. Cash was honored for exemplifying excellence in education and communication surrounding clinical ethics.
| | | | | Dr. Nicholas
Champagne-Aves | | | | Six UT Southwestern Psychiatry Residents were selected for fellowships by the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Andrew Contreras, M.D., and Nicholas Champagne-Aves were selected for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship. Dr. Blad Munoz, M.D., was selected for the Diversity Leadership Fellowship. Dr. Sarah Elmer, M.D., was selected for the APA's Leadership Fellowship. Dr. Jennifer Oruebor, M.D., M.M.S., and Dr. Thomas Pak, M.D., Ph.D., were selected for the APA's SAMHSA/Vanguard Fellowship. | | | |
Reagan Volzer, CRC Lead for Dr. Sherwood Brown's team, received the Rising Star award at Clinical Research Professionals Day. The Rising Star award is given to a clinical researcher who shows exceptional growth, enthusiasm, and dedication in their role as a clinical research professional, demonstrates initiative and a willingness to take on new responsibilities or challenges, and has achieved notable milestones or accomplishments early in their career that reflect their potential as a future leader in clinical research. Her award was presented by Dr. Robert Toto, M.D.
| | | |
This month's Golden Heart Award for Clinical Excellence goes to Libby Kay, M.S.S.W. The Golden Heart Award honors providers for their clinical excellence in service to meeting the needs of our patients.
| | | |
Melita Gonzales, an acccountant with the Psychiatry Department, recently graduated Cum Laude from University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science degree (B.A.A.S.) with concentrations in Administration and Organizational Supervision.
| | | Clinical Psychology Doctoral Students Briana Johnson and Cecilia Lazcano have been awarded Erin Bain Jones Scholarships from the Dallas Woman’s Club Foundation. | | | |
Dr. Joel Elmquist, D.V.M., Ph.D., was recently elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). This well-deserved honor is one of the highest forms of recognition for scientists in the United States. The NAS advises the federal government on matters of science and technology, and its members are active contributors to the international scientific community.
Dr. Elmquist is a Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Internal Medicine with secondary appointments in Psychiatry and Pharmacology. The Director of the Center for Hypothalamic Research, Dr. Elmquist has had a long-standing relationship with the Psychiatry Department since 2006. He worked alongside fellow NAS member Dr. Eric Nestler, M.D., Ph.D., the then-Psychiatry Chair and Drs. Jeffrey Zigman and Michael Lutter. The team studied neuropeptides and peripheral hormones including ghrelin and leptin that control feeding behavior and mood. Dr. Elmquist has maintained his Psychiatry appointment since that time and his staff regularly attend Psychiatry Neuroscience WIPS.
Dr. Elmquist is an exceptional scientist and the Chair’s Office extends its formal congratulations to him on this honor. For those unfamiliar with Dr. Elmquist’s work and his history at UT Southwestern, please see this news release announcing his election to the NAS.
| | | |
Dr. Jeff Schaffert, Ph.D., achieved American Board of Professional Psychology Specialty Board Certification in Clinical Neuropsychology.
| | | |
NEW! Please join us in thanking Dr. Molly Camp, M.D., for her many years of service to the UT Southwestern Psychiatry Department as she embarks on the next stage of her career journey. Dr. Camp earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She completed residency training in psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine and UT Southwestern, followed by advanced training in geriatric psychiatry through a UT Southwestern fellowship. She joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2012. She was named Interim Division Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry in 2025.
Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry, Dr. Camp is the Director of the Neurocognitive and Geriatric Psychiatry Program in the UT Southwestern Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic. Her clinical work focuses on the mental health of older adults, including cognitive concerns, mood disorders, caregiving stress, grief, and life changes related to aging.
Dr. Camp has been recognized for her teaching efforts several times in her career, including being named an Outstanding Clinical Educator by the Southwestern Academy of Teachers (SWAT) in 2016, a group into which inducted into in 2024. She was awarded the American Psychiatric Association Irma Bland Award for Excellence in Teaching Residents in 2020 and was named the Geriatric Psychiatry Educator of the Year by the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry in 2023. Dr. Camp holds the endowed title of the Jake Tobolowsky Professorship in Psychiatry, in Memory of Helen B. Tobolowsky and in Honor of Dr. David M. Tobolowsky, an honor she earned in 2020.
She has been named to the Board of Directors for the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry through 2028, in addition to serving on its Teaching for Training Committee and its Mentor for Scholars program.
A sought-after lecturer on neuropsychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and medical education, Dr. Camp has presented at conferences and grand rounds nationwide and in Canada. She has published a variety of academic articles and book chapters on geriatric psychiatry and medical education. Her most recent peer-reviewed publication is on an improv-based approach for teaching psychiatry residents to communicate with patients with dementia.
She plans to remain in Dallas, working in private practice. We offer her congratulations and best wishes on the next step in her career.
| | | |
NEW! Dr. Kayla Murphy, M.D., and Shalini Maharaj, PA-C, presented posters at the International Society for ECT and Neurostimulation Annual Meeting. Dr. Murphy received an ISEN travel award and presented a poster titled, "ECT in an Era of GLPs: Developing an Institution-Specific Protocol for Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients Treated with GLP-1 Receptor Agonist." Ms. Maharaj (pictured) presented a poster titled, "When Repetition Reduces Reliability: Expanding Cognitive Screening Tools for Frequent Monitoring During ECT."
| | | |
NEW! Several UTSW faculty presented at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, May 16-20. Pictured are Dr. Manish Jha, M.D., who served as the course director and Dr. Joshua Hubregsen, M.D., was a co-presenter for "Diagnosing and Managing Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD): What’s Available and What’s on the Horizon?" Also presenting at the meeting were: Dr. Adam Brenner, M.D., Dr. Sherwood Brown, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Dr. Joseph Guillory, M.D., Dr. Abhisek Khandai, M.D., Dr. Darlene King, M.D., Dr. Alyson Nakamura, M.D., Dr. Thomas Pak, M.D., Ph.D. (PGY4), Dr. Diana Robinson, M.D., and Dr. Carol A. Tamminga, M.D.
| | | NEW! A cohort of nine second-year Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellows presented their final research projects in person to a live audience of staff and faculty on May 12 and 19. Throughout the academic year, Dr. Graham Emslie. M.D., mentors the fellows through weekly research meetings, providing guidance in the development and completion of their individual research projects. Dr. Emslie would like to recognize this year’s annual CAP Fellow Research Presentations and highlight the scholarly work of the fellows. | | | Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists Drs. Kaylee Davis-Bordovsky, M.D., and Katherine Kerr, M.D., were two of the three delegates representing Texas at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Assembly in Washington D.C. They reported on current challenges facing Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists in Texas to the AACAP Executive committee and collaborated with other states on opportunities for change and solutions to better serve patients. | | | |
The Psychiatry Department was well-represented at the O'Donnell Brain Institute Annual Research Day on April 29. Dr. Anila D'Mello, Ph.D., gave the keynote address, "Little Brain, Big Impact: The Cerebellum in Health and Disease." Ekene Nwosisi-Oluwadamisi (pictured), a graduate student in Clinical Psychology, presented, "Mental Health Outcomes in Black and Latine Mothers of Autistic Children: Risk & Protective Factors.” Dr. Joseph Guillory, M.D., presented, “Peer-Led Recovery Support Following Psychiatric Discharge for Transitional Age Youth: A Randomized Pilot Study.”
| | | Dr. Sidarth Wakhlu, M.D., recently gave two presentations. He presented “Role of the Addiction Psychiatrist in the Transplant Process” at the 2026 UT Southwestern Liver Disease and Transplant Symposium Fort Worth, and “Addiction Medicine for the Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist” at the UT Southwestern 9th Annual Hepatology Update. | | | Celebrations, Events, and Save the Dates | |
NEW! Leadership series continues in June
The next session in the Psychiatry Department Leadership Series will be held from Noon-1 p.m. on Monday, June 8. This month's topic is "Recognition, Motivation, & Retention," and will be presented by Dr. Alyssa Hasty, 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. Future sessions are planned from Noon-1 p.m. on the second Mondays of each month from January through October 2026 (excluding August).
| | |
NEW! OBI Physician-Scientist Trainee Symposium planned
The O'Donnell Brain Institute Physician-Scientist Trainee Symposium will bring M.D./Ph.D. students from around the country to deliver talks on their research and to network with the UT Southwestern neuroscience community. The event is set for July 17 from 8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m. in NG3.112, the T. Boone Pickens Medical Education & Conference Center.
| | |
In-person Psychiatry Grand Rounds continue
Dr. Frederick Nucifora Ph.D., D.O., M.H.S., an Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, will present "Schizophrenia, subtyping and treatment resistance" at an in-person Psychiatry Grand Rounds from Noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27. The presentation will be held in NG3.112 with a reception and food in NG3.108.
Don't miss your opportunity to learn from a visiting physician and educator. In-person attendance reflects well on the Psychiatry Department and offers you the opportunity to interact directly with the visiting speaker.
| | |
Successfully Earn a K Award Workshop planned
The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program will offer its Successfully Earn a K Award (SEAK) Workshop this summer and has opened up applications. The workshop will run from June 15 through Aug. 31. Applicants should have a K award under development with a mentor in place or a K award that is being revised for re-submission.
Participants will write sections of their grant application for review at each session, turning in a completed grant at the conclusion of the workshop, and taking part in a mock study section. The program is designed for early career faculty submitting a K01, K08, or K23 application in October 2026. Participants will need to be prepared to write the grant application at the beginning of the workshop. Space is limited. The application deadline is May 29.
| | | |
View as Webpage
You are receiving The Pulse e-newsletter as a member or affiliate of the Psychiatry Department. Email items to Psychiatry Communications by 5 p.m. on Fridays for consideration of inclusion in the next issue.
| | | | |
