January 17, 2024
The hectic pace of the holidays is giving way to taking up our tasks again in the new year. Some treat patients with cognitive and affective dysfunctions. Others write/submit grants. Teach. Recruit. Renovate spaces. Prepare budgets. We are resurrecting the common and noteworthy functions of our lives. And we are more aware this new year about our growing vulnerabilities to events like COVID, wars, hunger in our own cities, aging, and the like. We make resolutions to see our friends more, leave a mark with our daily work, love our kids even better, and take care of the needy.

In all of this, we will fit our work productivity together at UT Southwestern.
UT Southwestern has been able to make a mark in our community and our state and in the nation. And we are all proud of this. I hope that all have a wonderful and productive 2024. 
--Carol A. Tamminga, M.D.
Department Chair
In This Issue
Spotlight on UT Southwestern and Children's Health Center for Autism Care -- Doximity Voting -- Texas Medical Board License Renewals -- Welcome New Faculty and Staff -- Awards and Accomplishments --
Upcoming Events -- OBI News and Events
Spotlight on... UT Southwestern and Children's Health Center for Autism Care
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The UT Southwestern and Children's Health Center for Autism Care just rounded out a productive year, where we completed over 8,000 clinical encounters across service lines. Patients and their families come to the center to participate in integrated care with UT Southwestern health care professionals in Psychiatry, Neurology, and Psychology. As the prevalence of autism has recently been raised to 1 in 36 children, the demand for services remains high.

Our team has seen exciting growth and expansion. Dr. Eric Shute will be joining us for part of his time to support the robust psychiatric services provided by Dr. Stephen Elliot. There are five psychologists (Drs. Katherine Bellone Mount, Julia Cartwright, Kimberly (Kadie) Dooley, Amber Gibson, and Natalie Raff) who provide clinical services focused on diagnostic evaluations to establish first-time diagnoses of autism, as well as ongoing therapeutic support for children and adolescents. Enriching our service delivery are active training programs, including neurodevelopmental neurology, psychology trainees (practicum students and interns), postdoctoral fellows in psychology, and psychiatric residents and fellows who participate in rotations during clinic.
Katherine Bellone Mount, Ph.D. (pictured below), serves as Director of Psychological Services and is entering her 10th year at UT Southwestern. She shares, "Being in this role allows me the opportunity to support incredible psychologists, mentor inspiring trainees and students, and oversee clinical programming to ensure that we are serving families in effective and efficient ways, all while being able to continue the clinical work that I love - providing behaviorally based intervention. It is my privilege to walk alongside families on their journey with a neurodiverse child, as we work together to better understand and support their child's needs through an affirming lens. I am grateful to have a job that is personally fulfilling, while also challenging myself on a daily basis with opportunities to learn from my patients and see the growth that is possible."
U.S. News & World Report Survey and Voting
U.S. News & World Report will soon be sending out its opportunity for annual voting to eligible physicians via Doximity. Please keep our UT Southwestern Psychiatry department in mind when you vote. Your support is important in enhancing our department's reputation nationwide!
Did You Know?
The Texas Medical Board (TMB) has provided updated information on its website regarding license renewals and the need for fingerprinting during the renewal process. The vendor for fingerprinting is IdentiGo, and the fee is $38.25. The fingerprinting requirement begins with licenses that expire in February 2024. For more information, visit the TMB website.
Welcome New Faculty and Staff!
Faculty
  • Shelby Stohlman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Neuropsychology

Staff
  • Angelica Berrios, Ambulatory RN, Psychiatry Multispecialty Clinics
  • Soham Majmudar, Clinical Research Assistant I, Translational Neuroscience 
  • To Thai, Research Associate, Greene Lab
Faculty Openings
We have many opportunities!
Awards and Accomplishments
The UT Southwestern Special Grant Incentive (SGI) program provides funding to faculty members who obtain federal awards (e.g., NIH, NSF, DoD, NASA, DARPA). Faculty do not need to submit awards for consideration. Each quarter, the Provost Office automatically reviews faculty awards to determine which are eligible for SGI.

We congratulate Steven Shabel, Ph.D., who received a $10,000 SGI Award.
Nicholas Westers, Psy.D., ABPP, has been elected to be the next President of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS). ISSS is the leading international organization for the advancement of research and treatment of non-suicidal self-injury, and as President for a 4-year term, Nicholas will lead the organization toward fulfilling its mission.
Amor Correa, Ph.D., has been selected to serve as a member of the Item Review Committee for the Examination of Professional Practice in Psychology, which is the licensing exam for psychologists administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.
Ozlem Hokelekli, M.D., Ph.D., a third-year resident on the research track, presented two posters at the 59th National Neurology Meeting in Antalya, Turkey. The posters were titled Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures Presenting with Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Bradycardia and Seizure and Multiple Sclerosis Presenting with Cognitive Symptoms: A 20-year Course.
Adrienne Mays and Erin Harper participated in a Girls Empowered by Mavericks event where they discussed the Components of Kindness to a full house of children and their parents.
The Psychiatry Multispecialty Clinic celebrated Haylee Phillips, LCSW, as she transitioned to private practice in Frisco. Haylee was with the team for 5 years and was a great part of their growth success.
Elizabeth Heitman, Ph.D., has been appointed to an ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that will assess the current use of the social constructs of race and ethnicity in biomedical research and provide recommendations to guide the scientific community in the future.
Samir Abu-Hamad, M.D., a fourth-year resident in the Internal Medicine/Psychiatry Residency Program, was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha as a resident member nominee, an honor granted to residents and fellows who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, high professionalism, leadership, and gifted teaching.
Upcoming Events
Psychiatry Grand Rounds
Select Wednesdays at Noon

  • January 17: Sarah Baker, M.D., Chadrick Lane, M.D., Mohona Sadhu, M.D., Psyched About Assessments: Strategies for Excellent Medical Student Narrative Evaluations
  • January 24: Phil D. Harvey, Ph.D., Technology Based Assessment and Treatment of Functional Disability
  • January 31: Tyler J. VanderWeele, Ph.D., Flourishing and Spirituality in Psychiatry
  • February 7: Conor Liston, M.D., Ph.D., Probing and Rescuing Dysfunctional Brain Circuits in Depression
  • February 21: Collin Vas, M.D., Faculty Development: Psychopharmacology Update

Watch for Emails with Calendar Invites, CME Codes, and Zoom Links
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health Presentation and Q&A Session
Investigators are encouraged to attend an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) presentation followed by a Q&A session on January 17 at 2 p.m.
ARPA-H is a new federal research funding agency that supports bold and transformative biomedical and health science breakthroughs that cannot readily be accomplished through traditional research or commercial activity. The agency has a budget of $1.5 billion of research funding that needs to be awarded in the next two years. Currently, there are two ways for investigators to obtain ARPA-H funding:
 
1. Apply through the Open Broad Agency Announcement (Open BAA) by March 14.
 
2. Respond to one of the posted research programs already launched by ARPA-H.
Clinical and Translational Science Award Program Q&A Sessions
The Clinical and Translational Science Award Program (CTSA) is sponsoring two funding opportunities to help foster equitable and sustainable community-academic collaborations. Proposals require the involvement of a community partner in all aspects of the study plan. This approach seeks to enable investigators to work with community organizations to identify health priorities and develop projects that will address those needs. Investigators are encouraged to apply to one of the following awards by February 16:
 
The Community Engagement Pilot Grant aims to support research studies that test new approaches to addressing health problems through community-engaged implementation. Pilot grants of up to $30,000 will be awarded. Indirect costs are not allowed. Learn more by attending a Q&A session Jan. 19, Jan. 31, or Feb. 12.
 
The Community Engagement Planning Grant funds the development of innovative and impactful research projects that are conducted in community-based and/or clinical settings, with the potential to lead to future community-engaged research opportunities. Planning grants up to $15,000 will be awarded. Indirect costs are not allowed. Learn more by attending a Q&A session Jan. 22, Feb. 5, or Feb. 13.
International Play Therapy Week
February 4-10 is International Play Therapy Week. Play therapy is an evidence-based counseling intervention for children. To celebrate, Autumn Brown, LCSW, RPT-S, and Sara Loftin, LPC-S, RPT-S, will deliver baskets and bags filled with treats to various units and providers at Children’s Medical Center. Play Therapy, within the Consult-Liaison Psychiatry Service, seeks to serve the mental health needs of children and their families impacted by complicated medical circumstances by providing developmentally supportive therapy through play, a child’s natural mode of communication.
Ethics Grand Rounds
Tuesday, February 13, 2024; 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. (online only)

Medical Ethics Related to Child Abuse: Evaluations, Diagnoses, and Reporting

Deborah E. Lowen, M.D.
Former Deputy Commissioner of Child Health, Tennessee Department of Children's Services, and Senior Medical Editor, Child Abuse Pediatrics Sub-board, American Board of Pediatrics

While there is no fee to attend, participants must register. Register to attend virtually. Upon registration, participants will receive the Zoom event ID and link to join the webinar. For additional information, please see the announcement.
Department Town Hall
Wednesday, February 14, 12 p.m., via Zoom

Check your calendar for the Zoom link.
Email topic ideas for presentation/discussion or any questions to be addressed or complete the Form.
Inspiring Careers in Mental Health Internship for High School Students is accepting applications for 2024 until February.
The internship is open to all rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders and rising college first-years.
Email Inspiring Career Internship for more information.
UTSW Health System’s Celebration of Excellence will take place on April 26 -- an opportunity to showcase the exceptional work happening across our hospitals and clinics every day. Find all the details on the newly designed Celebration of Excellence SharePoint site (UTSW login required), including an entire section on the poster submission process, as well as a list of key dates, information on coaching help, and more.
Those already familiar with the process can also submit their proposal directly through this digital form.
Final poster submissions are due March 4.
Please email [email protected] with any questions.
The Southwestern Academy of Teachers Small Grants Program is now accepting applications. If you are a faculty member or trainee working in collaboration with a UT Southwestern faculty member, you could be eligible for up to $3,500 per project. These grants are intended to fund education research projects related to the teaching priorities of the UT Southwestern schools. In turn, the program promotes educational research conducted by faculty and staff and innovation in the UTSW educational community. The submission deadline is May 1.
Chairman's Office Operations Staff
Yolanda Barner-Thomas, Assistant Director of Department Operations, recently shared information about her wonderful team at Psychiatry Grand Rounds. In case you missed it, this staff collaborates on all administrative processes throughout the Department of Psychiatry. From hiring faculty and staff, to assisting with office and location support, this team is always here to help. Pictured in the back row from left to right: Jim Dimitroff, Technical Support Specialist III; Cristalla Edwards, Facilities Administrator; Tamara Campbell, Credentialing Specialist; Skylar Robinson, Administrative Associate; Jasmina Vuksanovic, Faculty Coordinator. Pictured in the front row from left to right: Lidia Ortiz, Administrative Associate (and Acting Assistant to the Chair); Sharlenta Johnson, Reimbursement Specialist; Yolanda Barner-Thomas; Shelly Sheets, Administrative Coordinator. Not pictured: Jessica Jurado, Program Coordinator, Faculty Recruitment.
Applications are open for the OBI's Clinical Neuroscience Scholars Program, which provides outstanding early-career faculty with mentoring in brain disease-related disciplines. The OBI is seeking candidates with demonstrated excellence and passion for clinical care and future promise in teaching and/or clinical investigation.

Scholars receive $1 million to be used over 5 years ($100,000 for salary support and $100,000 for scholarly work per year). Learn more about eligibility and how to apply. Applications are due February 29, 2024.
You are receiving this newsletter as a member or affiliate of the psychiatry department. The newsletter is typically sent the third Wednesday of the month.
If you would like to submit an item, the deadline is the second Wednesday of the month. Please email [email protected].