NEW! New department leadership structure announced

Dear colleagues,

I hope you are having a good start of the academic year. Over the past 11 months, I have had the privilege to get to know you and work with many of you on several initiatives. One department wide activity has been the restructuring of the leadership team to build on the accomplishments to date, meet the needs of where we are, and position us for a successful future in academic and service excellence. 

The new department organizational structure will follow a matrix model, led by an Executive Leadership Team which includes Division Chiefs and Vice Chairs, all reporting to the Chair.

On the academic side, we are establishing new Division Chief positions with some Division Chiefs being supported by Associate Division Chiefs. The Division Chiefs and Associate Chiefs will focus on faculty development, academic trajectory, and professionalism. All faculty will report directly to Division Chiefs, who will support them in close collaboration with the Vice Chairs, Chiefs of Services, and Medical Directors.

On the clinical side, we will have Chiefs of Services reporting in these roles to the Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs. Chiefs of Services will be supported by Medical Directors. The Vice Chairs and Chiefs of Services will focus on quality, efficiency, and productivity at the service level.

On the education side, we will continue to have a Vice Chair, Education, and Program Director, and these roles will continue to be supported by Associate Program Directors and Fellowship Directors.

On the research side, we will continue to have a Vice Chair, Clinical Research, who will lead the Clinical Research Infrastructure. In addition, our basic science research will continue to be led by the Division Chief of Psychiatry Neuroscience.

On the psychology side, we will continue to have a Vice Chair, Psychology, who will lead the education and research services in psychology, and collaborate with the Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs, in co-leading psychological services. In addition, we have established a Chief of Service for Psychology, who will report to both the Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs, and the Vice Chair, Psychology. Lastly, we established a distinct Division Chief position for Psychology to focus on the Psychology faculty development, academic trajectory, and professionalism.

In addition, the department is home to the Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium at UT Southwestern, and the VA North Texas Health Care System Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health Service, all members of the Executive Leadership Team, as well as several special programs such as Computational Psychiatry in Mood Disorders, Ethics, Molecular Imaging in Psychiatry, and Translational Research in Schizophrenia.

A key development in the new structure is the (re)-establishment of the academic divisions. In this context, please join Dr. Rajji and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) in welcoming three new Division Chiefs: Dr. Andre Russowsky Brunoni, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Dr. Jennifer Coughlin, M.D., and Dr. Laura Lacritz, Ph.D.

Our aim is for purposeful, collaborative leadership, and I look forward to your feedback as operations advance within this newly designed structure. 

Cheers,

Tarek Rajji, M.D.

Professor and Chair

NEW! State Employee Charitable Campaign kicks off

Are you in the mood to do some good? Want to improve the quality of life for people locally, across the country, and around the world? The annual State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) is underway, and giving to your favorite charity has never been easier. The SECC works with hundreds of local, state, national, and international charities, providing needed funding for the causes you care about. You can make a one-time donation or choose a monthly payroll deduction of as little as $2 (or more if you are feeling generous). If you donate through PeopleSoft you will be registered to potentially win one of 50 prizes including FC Dallas Fantasy Camp tickets, a Mavs facility tour, State Fair of Texas tickets, UT Southwestern branded items, and more. SECC representatives will be at the North Campus Commons and Skyline Cafe on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. if you want to make a cash or check donation. Email Kirk Dickey in the Chair's Office with any questions about the SECC.

Research Security Program established, officer appointed by UT Southwestern

New state and federal requirements mandate the establishment of a formal Research Security Program and the appointment of a Research Security Officer at UT Southwestern. Research Security refers to the protection of research activities – including data, intellectual property, and personnel – from theft, misuse, or exploitation by foreign or domestic threats. The Research Security Program is designed to safeguard academic freedom and uphold the integrity of our research enterprise in compliance with recent federal and state requirements. It must include four core elements: Cybersecurity, Foreign Travel Security, Research Security Training, and Export Control Training. Rhonda Oilepo, Associate Vice President of Research Regulatory Affairs, has been appointed the UT Southwestern Research Security Officer. She will lead the implementation of these requirements in collaboration with the Research Security Steering Committee, which includes representatives from faculty, Legal Affairs, Compliance, Export Control, Sponsored Programs, Conflict of Interest, the Office of Technology Development, and the Research Integrity Office.  

Why does this matter to you?

The Research Security Program has been established to comply with state and federal requirements and to protect your research funding, your work, and your collaborations. Federal agencies such as the Department of Defense (DOD), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Energy (DOE) are increasingly reviewing key personnel and their foreign collaborations. In some cases, they require an institution’s Research Security Office to develop risk mitigation plans before making award decisions. By integrating security into the research lifecycle, we not only protect our intellectual assets but also demonstrate to sponsors our commitment to responsible stewardship – an increasingly critical factor in securing funding. The university will continue to provide updates as guidance, information, and requirements evolve. All additional updates will be posted on a dedicated Research Security webpage.

LEAD Program is taking junior faculty applications

Leadership Emerging in Academic Departments (LEAD) is now accepting applications for the Class of 2026. The LEAD Program is an in-house program at UT Southwestern designed for junior faculty who aspire to develop their leadership skills. The program uses didactic lectures, case studies, and experiential activities to explore topics including self-discovery, communication, influence, negotiation, difficult conversations, and inspiring trust. Participants also work with an executive coach and anchor the LEAD learning objectives with an individual capstone leadership project. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 5 p.m.

The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology is accepting new member nominations

The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) is accepting new membership nominations and promotion applications. Th ACNP is an international organization of leading brain scientists whose membership is selected primarily based on their original research contributions. The submission deadline is Thursday, Sept. 25.

Get your tickets for the department retreat

The Psychiatry Department's first-ever combined faculty and classified staff retreat is from 1-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 at the Dallas Zoo. Get ready to roar with teamwork, connection, and a little adventure as we start the year off right! As a reminder, registration is required by Sept. 12 to secure your admission ticket. Please take a moment to complete the registration process using the link below.  

Employees enjoy a paleta break

Congratulations to our newly promoted faculty. Please join us in celebrating this achievement.

Promotion to Professor

Dr. Jamie Becker, Ph.D., is the Director of Psychiatry at Children’s Health where she is responsible for the oversight of mental health care delivery and programming on the inpatient medical floors and emergency department of the Dallas Campus. She expanded the consultation-liaison umbrella of services with an emphasis on quality and performance improvement. She recently completed service as the Associate Training Director for the Child Health Psychology Training program. She serves as co-chair of the High-Risk Behavioral Health Council for Children’s Health and is a board member on the Texas State Board of Examiners in Psychology.

Track: Clinician

Graduate School: Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science

Internship: Baylor College of Medicine

Fellowship: Nationwide Children’s Hospital/The Ohio State University 

Dr. Dina Hooshyar, M.D., is the Director of the VA’s National Center on Homelessness among Veterans. Her responsibilities include promoting and performing research that advances the understanding of the causes and contributing factors to Veteran homelessness, assessing the effectiveness of VA programs to meet the needs of homeless Veteran populations, identifying, disseminating, and integrating into standard care best practices in preventing and ending Veteran homelessness, and serving as a resource center for all research and training activities related to Veteran homelessness. 

Track: Clinician-Educator

Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Internal Medicine Residency: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic

Infectious Diseases Fellowship: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Psychiatry Residency: Yale University

Dr. Nhan (Dennis) Le, M.D., works on the consultation-liaison service at Clements University Hospital, as well as in the psychiatric emergency room at Parkland Memorial Hospital. He previously also worked on the inpatient psychiatric unit at Zale Lipshy University Hospital and the consultation-liaison service at Parkland. His clinical interests include delirium and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Track: Clinician

Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine

Residency: UT Southwestern Medical School 

Promotion to Tenured Associate Professor

Dr. Ram Madabhushi, Ph.D., studies how the organization of chromosomes and integrity of the genetic material in neurons affects their functions. His research uses this knowledge to understand mechanisms that regulate experience-driven adaptations in behavior, and how defects in these processes could cause autism spectrum disorders, age-related neurological disorders, and even some cancers.

Track: Tenure-Accruing/Tenure

Graduate School: Weill Graduate School of Cornell University

Postdoctoral Training: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Promotion to Associate Professor

Dr. Kala Bailey, M.D., M.B.A., joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2014 and serves as Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Psychiatry. In July of 2025, she was appointed Executive Clinical Director of Neurosciences, providing operational oversight of clinical performance for the UTSW Health System Neuroscience service line. She holds a secondary faculty appointment in the Department of Neurological Surgery. Her clinical expertise is in interventional psychiatry, utilizing neurostimulation and other innovative methods to treat medication-refractory mental disorders.  

Track: Clinician-Educator

Medical School: UT Southwestern Medical School 

Residency: Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Sarah Baker, M.D., serves as an Associate Dean for Student Affairs for the medical school and leads the Mental Health, Policy, and Law area of concentration for the general psychiatry residency program. She practices adult outpatient psychiatry at Parkland Behavioral Health Center, where she supervises and teaches residents and medical students. She is the course director for Physicians and Society, a required course for fourth-year medical students, and Psychiatry and Pop Culture, a medical student elective. Dr. Baker’s academic interests include forensic psychiatry, community psychiatry, medical humanities, advocacy, and medical education.

Track: Clinician-Educator

Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch

Residency Training: UT Southwestern Medical School 

Fellowship: Yale Division of Law and Psychiatry

Dr. Jessica Heerschap, Ph.D., has been the psychologist in the Suicide Prevention at Children’s Intensive Outpatient Program at Children’s Health Dallas since 2017 where she has provided both clinical care to adolescents at risk for suicide and supervision to psychology trainees. This month, Dr. Heerschap will transition positions to Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) at UT Southwestern. She is also actively involved in teaching to trainees at both UT Southwestern and Children’s Health. Her academic interests include addressing depression and suicide in youth.  

Track: Clinician-Educator

Graduate School and Internship: UT Southwestern

Postdoctoral Training: Children’s Health, Suicide Prevention and Resilience Intensive Outpatient Program 

Dr. Beatriz MacDonald Wer, Ph.D., is bilingual pediatric neuropsychologist at Children’s Health and is the Lead Neuropsychologist at My Health My Resources in Tarrant County at the Autism Collaborative Care Clinic. Dr. MacDonald Wer is an invited faculty member of the master’s program in Applied Neuropsychology at the Universidad Del Valle de Guatemala. Her areas of expertise include program development centered in sustainability and access, cultural and bilingual assessment and research, genetic and neurodevelopmental disorders, and training and education. Dr. MacDonald Wer co-developed the SALUD Strutt MacDonald Equitable Healthcare Model and the Culturally Expressive and Responsive (CER) Supervision Model in Neuropsychology. She serves on several national and regional boards and initiatives focused on increasing healthcare access, fostering mentorship and sponsorship, and strengthening the student pathways.

Track: Clinician-Educator

Graduate School: University of Denver

Postdoctoral Training: University of New Mexico Hospitals

Dr. Preston Wiles, M.D., ended his faculty appointment after 15 years at UT Southwestern in April. Please join us in honoring his commitment to medicine and service to the university. Dr. Wiles received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Sewanee in 1978 before going on to earn his Medical Doctorate at UT Southwestern in 1983. He completed Psychiatry residencies at Harvard Medical School and Yale School of Medicine, where he was chief resident in 1990, followed by a Fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center and subsequent appointment as Supervising Faculty and Associate Clinical Professor at Yale from 1992 to 2010. Outside the academic sphere, his greatest impact lay in the lives of the children and adolescents he saw in his private practice, to who whom he dedicated the bulk of his career – as well as the countless others whom he fought for in court, on committees, and as a frequent consultant for public schools, health plans, and children’s hospitals in Connecticut. He fought for the rights of youth and juvenile offenders in the Superior Court for Juvenile Matters and worked to protect the interests of children and adolescents in child custody cases and in the foster system. He contributed as a medical consultant to the Yale Law School’s research on post-traumatic stress disorder in refugee children during the 1990s Liberian Civil War and ensuing refugee crisis, and in 1999, he became a leading voice amid the national discussion around 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez, cowriting an op-ed in the New York Times and appearing on CNN. He represented Connecticut doctors in the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry assembly and served on its executive committee and the Connecticut Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, as well as on American Psychiatry Association committees regarding children, families, and violence, for many years. He also served as keynote speaker of the inaugural World Autism Conference: Unity Through Diversity, in Melbourne, Australia, in 2002. A steadfast believer in intersectionality and holistic care, he became a qualified mindfulness instructor at the UMass Center for Mindfulness – a skillset he brought to UT Southwestern for the first time when he was called back to his alma mater in 2010. He had a lasting impact as the Drs. Anne & George Race Professor of Student Psychiatry and Assistant Dean of Student and Residential Mental Health and Wellness at UT Southwestern. During his tenure, the number of unique visitors to the student mental health clinic quadrupled, as the clinic expanded its outreach and services. He implemented suicide prevention training and peer advocacy for medical students and spearheaded a number of new programs including mindfulness classes, wellness workshops, and student and faculty retreats. 

NEW! Dr. Tyler Evans, Ph.D., joins the department as a Clinical Assistant Professor working in the Department of Psychiatry — Psycho-oncology. Dr. Evans earned her doctorate in counseling psychology from Texas A&M University. During her clinical internship and fellowship at WellSpan, she focused on health psychology, providing psychotherapy in outpatient, primary care, and obstetrics and gynecology settings. 

NEW! Katrina Vasquez joins the department as an Education Coordinator and brings more than six years of experience in Psychiatry. She will work closely with Dr. Adriane dela Cruz and take the lead on organizing and managing didactics for our residents. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in managing complex schedules, maintaining accurate records, and ensuring smooth coordination across multiple stakeholders. Katrina is known for her go-getter attitude and warm personality.

Audrey Nelson joins the department as an Administrative Coordinator and will provide primary support to Dr. Tarek Rajji in his chairman functions. Audrey graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sociology and minor in Human Resource Management from Texas Woman’s University. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, traveling, reading, and learning the newest line dances.

NEW! A paper on youth with atypical depression co-authored by Dr. Emine Rabia Ayvaci, M.D., was featured in a Psychiatric News Alert. Read the study here.

Eleven UT Southwestern Psychiatrists were named to the 2025 Super Doctors list by MSP Communications and will be featured in the December issue of Texas Monthly. Dr. Adam Brenner, M.D., Dr. Urszula Kelley, M.D. Dr. Alyson Nakamura, M.D., Dr. John Sadler, M.D., Dr. William Thornton, M.D., Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, and Dr. Tim Wolff, M.D. were selected as "Super Doctors." Dr. Molly Camp, M.D., Adriane dela Cruz, M.D., Ph.D., Dr. Jessica Moore, M.D., and Dr. Juan Sosa, M.D., were selected as "Rising Stars." The full Dallas-area list and information on the selection process is available at here.

Dr. Darlene King, M.D., was part of a Mashable article about "AI Psychosis." Read the article here.

Dr. Seungwon “Sebastian” Choi, Ph.D., was featured in Center Times Plus for his Klingenstein Fellowship Award in Neuroscience. Read the article here.

Dr. Christian LoBue, Ph.D., was interviewed by Texas Standard/NPR about a research study titled, "Cognitive Impairment and Dementia-Related Diagnoses in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," that is now published in Neurology. Read or listen to the interview here.

Dr. Lina Chalak, M.D., is a coauthor of a new paper in the journal Pediatric Research about the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy in lowering parental perceptions of a child's vulnerability, a critical factor in the child’s future development. Read her paper here.

The MedBlog, "TMS: How specialized magnets relieve medication-resistant depression," has been updated to include a newly produced video about the procedure featuring Dr. Kala Bailey, M.D., and Dr. Naveed Khokhar, M.D.

NEW! Drs. Lynnel Goodman, Ph.D., and Madhukar Trivedi, M.D., have been awarded an R21 pilot grant from the National Institute of Mental Health titled "Social Media Concerns Related to Emotional Experience in Naturalistic Settings: SCREENS." The project will investigate how objectively measured adolescent social media use amount and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) self-reported positive/negative social media experiences impact internalizing symptom trajectories. Going beyond virtual contexts, they will also investigate how in-person social context impacts the relationship between social media use and internalizing symptoms. Drs. Betsy Kennard, Psy.D. and Abu Minhajuddin, Ph.D. will serve as Co-Investigators. 

NEW! Dr. Kitzia Moreno, Ph.D., has been appointed Chair of the Task Force Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity for the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS), a two-year initiative dedicated to advancing equity, inclusion, and representation in the global study of self-injury. She was invited to lead this effort in recognition of her expertise in culturally responsive care for individuals with serious mental illness and her commitment to health equity. In this role, Dr. Moreno will guide the Task Force in identifying barriers to membership for underrepresented groups and developing sustainable strategies to diversify ISSS’s international community.

NEW! Dr. Jasmine Liu-Zarzuela, M.D., MPH, has been selected for an American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Educational Outreach Program grant for General Psychiatry Residents.

Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, M.D., has been awarded a $15,000 Collaborative Research Grant Incentive (CRGI). The CRGI program provides incentive payments to UT Southwestern faculty members who are the PIs, Co-PIs/MPIs, or Project Leaders of NIH program projects, research cooperative agreements, or collaborative program for multidisciplinary teams grants

Dr. Ram Madabhushi, 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.

Dr. Juan Sosa, M.D., has been accepted to the Texas Medical Association Leadership College Class of 2026.

Dr. Snoben Kuruvila, D.M.S., M.S.P.A.S., PA-C, CAQ-Psych, has achieved his Doctor of Medical Science degree.

The BvB Foundation will fund a two-year fellowship with a dementia focus for one fellow in the UT Southwestern Neuropsychology program. This is the fifth BvB Fellowship that the foundation has funded since 2016 under the direction of Dr. Laura Lacritz, Ph.D. The program will begin recruiting for the position in the fall of 2026.

Dr. Cherise Chin Fatt, Ph.D. has been awarded a Clinical and Translational Science Award Program pilot grant for "Developing the Framework for Data Coordinating Center and Enhancing Automated Quality Control." The project's objectives include streamlining data and clinical service components into a comprehensive Electronic Data Capture System that will serve as the foundation for the Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care (CDRC)'s Data Coordinating Center and expanding the capabilities of the in-house-built Python pipeline used to identify data quality issues to include a graphical user interface and automated query assignment.

Congratulations to the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program on being accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) for 10 years, the maximum period possible. This achievement reflects the enduring strength of the program and its commitment to excellence in training. It is a collective success, made possible by the dedication and contributions of our faculty, staff, and students — past and present. The collaboration, shared vision, and hard work across all levels of the program have been instrumental in reaching this outcome. Thank you to everyone who supports and advances the educational mission of the program.

Dr. Elizabeth Heitman, Ph.D., has been accepted to the Southwestern Academy of Teachers (SWAT). Comprised of 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. Heitman will be recognized formally at the Excellence in Education Awards presentation in February 2025.

Dr. Adriane dela Cruz, M.D., Ph.D. has been accepted to the Southwestern Academy of Teachers (SWAT). Comprised of 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. dela Cruz will be recognized formally at the Excellence in Education Awards presentation in February 2025.

Dr. Lia Thomas, M.D., presented "Well, That's New: Special Topics in Advising," at the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry Summer/Fall Virtual Workshop.

Dr. Seena Ounsinegad, M.D., took part in a panel titled "Stronger Together: Building Mental Health Through Advocacy" at the 2025 American Psychiatric Association and American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) Learning Lab in Washington, D.C. Dr. Ounsinegad is an APAF Fellow.

Victoria Cantu, a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program, has been selected as a semifinalist in the 2025 North American Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Junior Investigator Best Abstract in Clinical Research Award. Victoria will present a poster at the NACFC 2025 conference in Seattle in October.

NEW! Ethics in AI virtual symposium

The Ethics in AI group at UT Southwestern has planned a morning of learning and networking via Zoom, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8. See a tentative program here. Panelists and short talk presenters from UT Southwestern will contribute their thoughts around the ethical ramifications of AI and its impact in their field of work and study. The Zoom will remain open after the talks to foster interaction, dialogue, and free idea exchange among participants. Registration closes on Oct. 3.

NEW! Mastering the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute funding application process

This virtual workshop aims to equip researchers, clinicians, and community stakeholders with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to develop competitive applications. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of PCORI's funding priorities, application requirements, and review processes. Panelists include Dr. Cherise Chin Fatt, Ph.D. The workshop is planned from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

NEW! Walk to End Alzheimer's

Walk to End Alzheimer's – Dallas will kick off at Klyde Warren Park on Saturday, Nov. 1. UT Southwestern's UTSW CLP 2025 team, including many members of the Psychiatry Department, will take part this year. There is still time to sign up for those who which to participate.

Psychiatry Grand Rounds 2025-2026

Psychiatry Grand Rounds begin in September and will continue through May, each Wednesday at Noon with the exception of 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.