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Faculty Promotions - In Celebration of a Career - Announcements
Welcome New Faculty and Staff - In the Media - Kudos
Presentations - Save the Date
| | Congratulations to our newly promoted faculty. Please join us in celebrating this achievement. | | | |
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
| | | In Celebration of a Career | |
| |  | NEW! 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.
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| | | Dr. Sunita Stewart, Ph.D., will end her faculty appointment on Aug. 31 after 32 years of service to UT Southwestern. Please join us in applauding Dr. Stewart’s contributions to psychology, education, and research. Dr. Stewart received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, before earning her Master of Science and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1978 and 1981 respectively. She began her career in New York before coming to UT Southwestern and Children’s Medical Center from 1984 to1992 and again from 2001 to present. She served as Chief Psychologist at Children’s Medical Center for almost 25 years. Under her leadership, Psychology grew from a single position to 45 faculty, with parallel growth in pre- and post-doctoral training programs. Dr. Stewart also spent seven years in the Department of Community Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. Her areas of research interest are cross-cultural psychology, psychology of minoritized cultural and ethnic groups, and trauma and suicidality in adolescents. She has served on the Editorial Board of several journals and is currently Associate Editor for the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. She has written or co-written 175 peer-reviewed papers, contributed to multiple books and other publications, and has presented professionally in nine countries. Dr. Stewart is a Fellow in two divisions of the American Psychological Association, and a member of the International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology and the Texas Psychological Association. She is a winner of the Dallas Psychological Association’s Distinguished Psychologist Award, a two-time winner of the Research Mentor Award from the UTSW Division of Psychology, and a Lifetime Achievement Award winner from the Low Birthweight Development Center. We thank Dr. Stewart for all of her work at UT Southwestern and wish her the best in her coming endeavors, part of which will be as a returning retiree with a part-time appointment.
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NEW! Research Security Program established, officer appointed by UT Southwestern
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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.
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LEAD Program is taking junior faculty applications
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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 | The Psychiatry Department cooled off on Aug. 19 with a paleta giveaway at Empire Central. Members of the department came by to pick up the treats for themselves or to take them back to their officemates. | | | |
Be sure to report Risk Management Education
| All clinical M.D. 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, you 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 contact Jessica Jurado, M.B.A., B.S.H.A. for more information or an RME verification form. | | | NIH Loan Repayment Program application cycle opens on Sept. 1 | |
The National Institutes of Health will begin accepting applications for the Extramural Loan Repayment Program (LRP) on Monday, Sept. 1. Awardees can receive up to $100,000 in qualified educational debt repayment with a two-year award. To learn more about eligibility requirements, application dates, and the benefits of receiving an LRP award, visit the LRP website, check out this overview video, and/or attend one of our upcoming events:
- Oct. 7 – LRP Technical Assistance Webinar
- Nov. 6 – LRP Ask Me Anything Session
Please note that the deadline to apply is Nov. 20.
| | | Welcome New Faculty and Staff | | |
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.
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Dr. Andre Russowsky Brunoni, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., joins the department as the Division Chief of Interventional Psychiatry after a successful trajectory at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of São Paulo Medical School. Dr. Brunoni's research focuses on developing innovative therapeutic strategies using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and other neuromodulation techniques for treating major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, OCD, schizophrenia, and post-COVID cognitive symptoms. His extensive publication record includes 432 peer-reviewed articles.
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Dr. Jason Chin, M.D., joins the Clements University Hospital 5 Orange Inpatient team as a faculty member. Dr. Chin went to medical school and residency at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina. He moved to Dallas for the first time this month and said he is excited to start at UTSW and begin his life in Texas.
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Dr. Bernice Yau, M.D., completed medical school at McGovern Medical School, psychiatry residency at UT Southwestern, and a consultation-liaison psychiatry fellowship at Columbia University. Following training, she worked in psycho-oncology at the Mount Sinai Hospital. She currently works on the Parkland Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service and in the Parkland Psycho-Oncology Clinic, and she is also an Associate Program Director for the Psychiatry Residency.
| | | 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. 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.
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NEW! 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
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NEW! 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.
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NEW! Dr. Juan Sosa, M.D., has been accepted to the Texas Medical Association Leadership College Class of 2026.
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NEW! Dr. Snoben Kuruvila, D.M.S., M.S.P.A.S., PA-C, CAQ-Psych, has achieved his Doctor of Medical Science degree.
| | | Neuropsychology Fellowship | |
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.
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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.
| | | Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program accredited | 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. | | | |
Southwestern Academy of Teachers
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.
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Southwestern Academy of Teachers
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.
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New and Emerging Children's Mental Health Research
Dr. Emine Ayvaci, M.D. has been awarded a $283,991 New and Emerging Children's Mental Health Research (NECMHR) initiative grant by the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium for her proposal, "Nudging Parental Action with A Randomized Controlled Trial of Text Messaging Intervention for Suicide Prevention." Her study was one of 22 proposals selected as part of the $8.5 million NECHMR initiative.
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New and Emerging Children's Mental Health Research
Dr. Karabi Nandy, Ph.D., was awarded a $474,367 New and Emerging Children's Mental Health Research (NECMHR) initiative grant by the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium for her proposal, "A Data-Driven Approach to Early Mental Health Screening in Offspring of Parents with Bipolar Disorder." Her study was one of 22 proposals selected as part of the $8.5 million NECHMR initiative.
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NEW! 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.
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NEW! 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.
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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.
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Dr. Carmen Cruz, Psy.D., presented at the 2025 annual American Psychological Association convention in Denver, Colorado. The presentation was titled “Bridging Generations: Building Community and Connection Through Relational-Cultural Theory.”
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Blair Wallace, an undergraduate intern for the Inspiring Careers in Mental Health program, spoke at the closing ceremony for the UT Southwestern Healthcare Summer Internship Program through the Office for Institutional Opportunity. He also gave a poster presentation summarizing his contributions supporting the program's recruitment and evaluation efforts.
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NEW! Psychiatry Department Town Hall schedule change
The Psychiatry Department Town Hall schedule has been updated to ensure the conversations held are relevant to the groups attending. All faculty and staff are encouraged to attend the Town Hall via Zoom from Noon-12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10. Please use your calendar's original Zoom link to attend this meeting. Discussion topics will include a review of the Psychiatry Department's new organizational chart by Dr. Tarek Rajji, M.D., followed by a related message, and information about the department's Oct. 17 retreat at the Dallas Zoo from Dr. Chadrick Lane, M.D. A second meeting for Faculty only is planned from 12:30-1 p.m. and will address UT Southwestern paid faculty compensation. A related message from Dr. Rajji will follow. Faculty should check their calendars for this new meeting invitation. We look forward to seeing you at the Town Hall.
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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.
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Faculty Leader Professional Development
The Office of Faculty Wellness and Engagement is pleased to offer two free professional development opportunities designed to strengthen coaching competencies among faculty leaders.
The Coaching Skills for Leaders Workshop is a two-day in-person workshop on Oct. 24-25 that introduces foundational coaching techniques that faculty can integrate into their leadership roles to promote wellness and engagement. The workshop also includes six monthly virtual group sessions. The workshop is open to chairs, chiefs, medical directors, program directors, section heads – established leaders with at least 2–4 direct reports. Focus areas include asking curious, open-ended questions, supporting others in discovering their “why," and guiding individuals toward meaningful accountability. This program is not designed to produce professional coaches, but rather to enhance traditional mentoring, advising, and management skills with coaching techniques.
| The UTSW Coach Certificate Program is a 10-month professional development program that is ideal for faculty interested in becoming professional coaches or integrating coaching into their leadership toolkit. Graduates will be eligible to pursue a Board Certified Coach or International Coaching Federation Asssociate Career Coach credential after completing required coaching hours. This professional development opportunity is intended for faculty with a strong interest in coaching. Past participants include associate deans, division chiefs, program directors, and mentors. The program includes in-person and virtual sessions and a minimum of 15 hours of coaching practice. | | | |
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