UT SOUTHWESTERN DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY 2020 - 2021 RESIDENTS
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UT SOUTHWESTERN DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY
2020 – 2021 RESIDENTS
FOURTH YEAR RESIDENTS
Hi, I’m… Arqam Abdali
• Undergraduate institution: University of Houston
• Medical school: Texas Tech Lubbock
• Professional interests: Addictions psychiatry
• Personal interests: Watching and playing basketball, traveling,
spending time with family
• Other important information about me: Married, with 2
children
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Large city with many
recreational activities, food, etc
Hi I'm... Eleanore Knox
• Undergraduate institution: University of Texas Austin
• Medical school: LSU New Orleans
• Professional interests: transitional age psychiatry, telepsychiatry
• Personal interests: road trips, listening to podcasts, yoga, going to the Korean
spa (pre-COVID)
• Other important information about me: Born and raised in Louisiana, but
moved to Texas for college. Went back to Louisiana for medical school where
I met my hubs (in anesthesia). We came back to Texas for residency where we
plan to stay. I got married my intern year, and we had a baby my PGY3 year.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Lots of things to do, without the traffic of
Austin or the humidity of Houston
Hi I'm... Maryann Muyco • Undergraduate institution: University of Houston • Medical school: Baylor College of Medicine • Professional interests: Psychotherapy, depression, anxiety, student mental health, transitional age mental health, outpatient psychiatry • Personal interests: Spending time with my family, reading, video games, trying few food places • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Lots of good food, cost of living, large city perks without being too crowded Hi I'm... Amelia Rezai • Undergraduate institution: Tufts University • Medical school: UT Southwestern • Professional interests: College mental health, Psychotherapy • Personal interests: Traveling, reading, cooking • Other important information about me: Part of the Diversity/Inclusion Committee, on the psychotherapy track, part of the literature and psychiatry organizational group • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: The delicious food options, White Rock Lack, warm weather
Hi I'm... Juan Sosa • Undergraduate institution: The University of Texas at Dallas. • Medical school: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center • Professional interests: Forensic psychiatry; correctional psychiatry • Personal interests: Cycling, tennis, racquetball, art exhibits • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Size of city, easy to get around, lots of various fun suburbs, lots of places to shop and eat, easy to fly to other parts of the US Hi I'm... Chris Sterwald • Undergraduate institution: University of Miami • Medical school: Duke University School of Medicine • Professional interests: Forensic psychiatry, severe and/or treatment resistant mental illness, violence, addiction • Personal interests: Running, video games, travel • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Good restaurant/bar scene, awesome airports, cool weekend trips within driving distance, no snow
Hi I'm... Megan Verlage • Undergraduate institution: Harvard College • Medical school: The Ohio State University College of Medicine • Professional interests: Women's Mental Health, LGBTQ Mental Health, Private Practice • Personal interests: Rugby, Spinning, being a mom! • Other important information about me: I am always happy to talk to anyone about our program! That being said I know that some people are interested in talking to residents with specific backgrounds. To that effect, I grew up in Mexico for 18 years, I identify as LGBT, and I was a college athlete. • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I wanted to be in driving distance of family (who live in Arkansas) and I wanted to be at a large program in a big city where I would see a diversity of patients. Hi I'm... Evelyn Ashiofu • Undergraduate institution: University of Texas at Austin • Medical school: University of Texas School of Medicine (Long) • Additional training: Masters in Public Health- UTHSC • Professional interests: Currently applying to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, transitional aged youth, young adults, African American mental health, diversity ands inclusion, health inequities, psychoeduction, mentoring • Personal interests: Traveling, Concerts, Brunching, Happy hours, Sneaker collecting, Kickboxing • Other important information: I am originally from Houston and have lived in every major city in Texas except for El Paso so I can answer any questions about living in Texas. Also, I am chair of our program's diversity and inclusion committee and happy to answer any questions regarding diversity efforts in our program! • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I love the the fact that Dallas gives big city vibes but still a country atmosphere. So even though there's so many things to do and participate in, everyone is still so down to earth and friendly here. Plus there's a great young professional scene here!
Hi I'm... Antara Banik • Undergraduate institution: UT - Pan American • Medical school: Baylor College of Medicine • Professional interests: Applying to child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship! I enjoy mood disorders, suicide prevention, and early psychosis. I hope to do outpatient work in the future addressing these issues with a large psychotherapy component. • Personal interests: Hanging out with my dog, cooking and baking, Netflixing, and camping/hiking. • Other important information about me: I hope to incorporate reducing stigma against mental illness through education. I also enjoy mentoring students applying to psychiatry. • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Cost of living, there is a something to do for every type of person. I would have never though about living in Dallas, but this program was too wonderful to pass up. I've never regretted it! Hi I’m… Cecilia Fitz-Gerald • Undergraduate institution: Louisiana Tech University • Medical School: LSU School of Medicine - Shreveport • Professional interests: C/L psychiatry, emergency psychiatry, sports psychiatry • Personal interests: playing/watching sports, reading, traveling • Other important information: Chief resident • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: large urban city with a low cost of living and great restaurants, Southwest airlines hub
Hi I'm... Bilge Turkozer (Research Track) • Medical school: Ankara University School of Medicine • Additional training: Psychiatry Residency Training at Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkey • Professional interests: Child and adolescent psychiatry, preventive psychiatry, early psychosis • Personal interests: Walks in nature, reading about history, playing tennis • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Warm weather and warm people, and good quality of life
THIRD YEAR RESIDENTS
Hi I'm... Jay Italiya • Undergraduate institution: Texas Tech University • Medical school: TTUHSC School of Medicine • Additional training: MBA - Texas Tech University • Professional interests: Outpatient psychiatry • Personal interests: Movies, Board games, Video games, Hiking • Other important information about me: Indian-American. Grew up in Dallas. Married. I have a dog named Watson. • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: All the amenities of a large city, while still having reasonable cost of living. My wife and I also have lots of family in the area, so that was also a major factor. Hi I'm... Damilola Salako • Undergraduate institution: SMU • Medical school: UTSW • Professional interests: Interested in pursuing a fellowship in addiction psychiatry and working with transitional age youth/adults. I've also learned that I really enjoy therapy! • Personal interests: reading, writing, animal crossing, cosplay, and collecting new hobbies to see what sticks (currently pending and sticking: roller skating!) • Other important information about me: I have a dog. Her name is Willow and she's a jack russell terrier/corgi mix • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: To quote IGN, "there's a little something for everyone." You can enjoy everything Dallas has to offer (suburbia, uptown/downtown life, shopping, food and cuisine, etc) despite where you live. I'm always learning about a new hole in the wall or hidden gem.
Hi I'm... Arielle Rubin
• Undergraduate institution: Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University
• Medical school: University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
• Professional interests: autism, neurodevelopmental disabilities, early childhood
adversity and trauma, women's mental health, mental health equity and inclusion
, working with Spanish speaking populations
• Personal interests: trying to make Instagram recipes come to life, playing with my
dog, traveling
• Other important information about me: in a long-distance relationship throughout
residency. No Texas ties or experience prior to residency. fast tracking into child
psychiatry. very involved in LMSA prior to residency so happy to talk to any
incoming members as well!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: easy to live in, coming from a driveable city
like Phoenix, Arizona. lots of food options, easy to live close to the hospital, I
chose Dallas for the program first and for central location in between Arizona
(where my family) and Florida (where my partner lives)-thanks Love Field!
Hi I'm... Alexis Kropf
• Undergraduate institution: Southwestern University
• Medical school: UT Southwestern
• Professional interests: Clinically, I am interested in working with
diverse patient populations, especially historically underserved
groups. I am excited by cultural psychiatry and being involved in
medical student education. In the future, I am considering a
fellowship in Consult/Liaison.
• Personal interests: Cooking, baking, reading, visiting the Dallas
ArboretumHi I'm... Jenny Tan • Undergraduate institution: University of Chicago • Medical school: University of Kentucky College of Medicine • Professional interests: psychotherapy, transitional age youth, women's mental health • Personal interests: Anything outdoors (hiking, long neighborhood walks, park picnics, the Dallas arboretum) but I also love art museums, TV marathons, and having meals with my friends • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: As a non-Texas native, I moved here not knowing anyone but quickly found a community and support system in my residency class and genuinely love living in Dallas! Affordable quality of life, great food, fun neighborhoods, year-round warmth and sunshine, kind people Hi I'm... Jarrod Tunnell • Undergraduate institution: Baylor University • Medical school: Texas Tech University, Lubbock • Additional training: MBA, Texas Tech University Professional interests: Outpatient child psychiatry; teaching; working with kids with trauma; reducing stigma in religious communities • Personal interests: Reading, playing tennis, home projects • Other important information about me: I am Christian, and my faith in God is very important to me. • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: My wife and I have family here. A lot of friends also travel through Dallas or live nearby.
Hi I'm... Michael Jennings • Undergraduate institution: Wake Forest University • Medical school: Texas Tech Paul L. Foster School of Medicine • Professional interests: CL Psychiatry, Psychopharmacology, Sleep Medicine • Personal interests: Dungeons and Dragons, video games, movies, spending time with family, chess • Other important information about me: My lovely wife is a surgery resident and I have one son. I was previously a combined internal medicine and psychiatry resident for 3 years before I switched to the general psychiatry program. • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Born and raised in Dallas. My family lives here. Dallas is a fun and diverse place with amazing food and lots of stuff to do. Hi I'm... Hunter Neely • Undergraduate institution: Texas A&M University • Medical school: The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston • Professional interests: Women’s mental health, psychotherapy, forensic psychiatry. • Personal interests: Anything outdoors with my golden retriever Jackson. Hiking, reading, music, kicking it with friends and family. • Other important information about me: Into nature, dogs, architecture. • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: So much variety to Dallas. Great food, good mix of city and outdoors. Even better people!
Hi I'm... Marquis Peacock • Undergraduate institution: UNC-Chapel Hill • Medical school: UNC-Chapel Hill • Professional interests: Community psychiatry, CBT/ACT therapies, technology • Personal interests: Cooking, reading fiction and poetry, hiking, tennis, basketball, video games, watching anime and cartoons • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: You get all the pleasures of a big city without huge population density. Hi I'm... Darlene King • Undergraduate institution: University of Texas at Austin • Medical school: UT Southwestern • Additional training: Certificate in Bioinformatics • Professional interests: General Psychiatry; Treatment Resistant Depression; Informatics; Interface between psychiatry and technology • Personal interests: Caring for a hamster named Milton; Exercising; Gardening; Cooking; Sewing; Arts and Crafts • Other important information about me: Feel free to ask me about anything! • Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: It is easy to get around and many things to do here. The cost of living is reasonable. Access to many resources in Dallas.
Hi I'm... Megan Lowther
• Undergraduate institution: Southwestern University
• Medical school: UT Southwestern
• Professional interests: I have enjoyed managing acute presentations of mental
illness, particularly mania and psychosis, as well as engaging people in
psychotherapy. I am interested in exploring early psychosis, women's mental
health, and college mental health.
• Personal interests: I enjoy maintaining lots of houseplants, walking my dog,
hosting people for dinner and board games, going on vacations, hiking, and
spending too many hours watching TV.
• Other important information about me: I am married to my husband who is in
banking. We have one dog. We own a condo near North Campus that we bought
off of another co-resident during first year!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I grew up in Plano so have family close by.
Dallas is the hub of Southwest Airlines and AA which makes it easy to travel.
Hi I'm... SK Arthur-Bentil
• Undergraduate institution: Harvard College
• Medical school: Alpert Medical School (Brown)
• Professional interests: Transitional Age Youth, Psychotherapy
• Personal interests: Cooking & trying new recipes at home and
new restaurants with friends. I'm food-motivated haha
• Other important information about me: I'm originally from Dallas,
but have moved around A LOT before returning here for
residency, so I'm happy to share with newcomers my reasons for
coming to UTSW and my favorite things about DFW.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Dallas has everything you'd
want - food, art & culture, sports and opportunity - with
reasonable cost of living. I'm happy to be home!Hi I'm... Megan Tusken Hi I'm... Dimitri Macris
Undergraduate institution: Brown University Undergraduate institution: Oberlin College
Medical school: The University of Chicago Medical school: University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson
Hi I'm...Michael Giles (Research Track) Hi I'm... Margaret Wang (Research Track)
Undergraduate institution: University of Houston Undergraduate institution: UCLA
Medical school: UTSW Medical school: University of ChicagoSECOND YEAR RESIDENTS
Hi I'm... Neema Khonsari
• Undergraduate institution: UT - Austin
• Medical school: UTMB - Galveston
• Professional interests: Community Psychiatry (i.e. working within a public,
outpatient mental health clinic such as MetroCare). I would like to become
involved in legislation and advocacy in some capacity as well.
• Personal interests: Weightlifting, Texas Longhorns Football, Fishing,
Woodworking, Running, Drinking/Making Coffee
• Other important information about me: I'm an Iranian-American that is proud of
my heritage, but is unabashedly Texan as well. Faith and spirituality are vital for
me. The Office is my happy show
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I chose UTSW primarily due to my interest in
public/community psychiatry and a program with strong psychotherapy training.
I was blown away on my own interview day by how all the residents seemed to
genuinely enjoy being around one another. This held true for my class.
Hi I'm... Kaylee Davis-Bordovsky (C & A Track)
• Undergraduate institution: Texas A&M University
• Medical school: University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston
• Professional interests: I am going into child and adolescent psychiatry. I am
interested in school psychiatry (specifically implementing mental health
curriculums through technology classes) and rural psychiatry. I have learned in
residency that first-break psychosis excites me!
• Personal interests: I am zoo connoisseur and am a member of the world-class
Dallas and Fort Worth Zoos. I also love going to musicals at Dallas Fair Park and
Bass Performance Hall.
• Other important information about me: Child-track, school psychiatry, native
Texan, grew up in the country
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Large residency program with many
opportunities, low cost of living, excellent job prospects for my spouse
(engineer), large city cultural experiences availableHi I'm... Charles Ho (Rural & Public MH Track)
• Undergraduate institution: Rice University
• Medical school: UT Southwestern
• Professional interests: Still evolving. Interested in outpatient practice in general
adult psychiatry. Looking forward to explore child & adolescent psychiatry.
• Personal interests: Traveling. Exploring the variety of neighborhoods in the
metroplex. Keeping up to date with the local food scene. Visiting restaurants
and coffee/boba shops.
• Other important information about me: Originally from California. Yelp elite
member.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Reasonable cost of living. Quality big city
amenities but not too crowded (yet). Two major airport hubs within a short drive.
Developing food scene. And of course UTSW's psychiatry department!
Hi I'm... Alexandra H. Antonioli (Research Track)
• Undergraduate institution: Yale University
• Medical school: University of Colorado
• Additional Training: Ph.D. Molecular Biology (University of Colorado)
• Professional interests: My interests include understanding biomarkers in first episode
psychosis and the relationships between autoimmunity and mental illness. I hope to
continue splitting my time between clinical work and research.
• Personal interests: In my free time I enjoy tennis, swimming, floristry classes, and
traveling between Colorado and Texas.
• Other important information about me: From MT, lived in CT, then CO, and now TX
with a significant amount of time spent in CA (San Diego). I feel that I have
experienced life is in a variety of states and my spouse actively lives in another state!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I love the city, food, and activities. There is a lot
to do here and I liked the weather (coming from growing up in freezing Montana!). I
came here because of the research program and because I felt the residency was
very welcoming and supportive.Hi I'm... Joshua Lampley
• Undergraduate institution: University of Texas in
Arlington
• Medical school: Texas Tech El Paso
• Professional interests: I enjoy Addiction and CL
• Personal interests: Road cycling, basketball, and
woodworking
• Other important information about me: Parent
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Public transit
Hi I'm... Eduardo Rivera Mirabal
• Undergraduate institution: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Medical school: University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
• Professional interests: I'm most interested in outpatient psychiatry, likely
general psychiatry. I'd love to integrate psychotherapy to my practice and work
with Hispanic communities.
• Personal interests: I enjoy playing video games, watching movies/series, reading
and listening to podcasts. I also enjoy spending time with my family and my dog
Fiona.
• Other important information about me: Some of my favorite podcasts:
Philosophize This, Academy of Ideas, White Coat Investor. Some of my favorite
books: The Stranger, 1984, Cat's Cradle, The Wanting Seed, Ham on Rye.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I love the Katy Trail, where I take my dog out
on her daily walks. I have family in Houston, so I enjoy being able to visit them
on weekends. I chose UTSW because of the supportive culture, outstanding
program leadership, and robust psychotherapy training.Hi I'm... Kwame Nuako
• Undergraduate institution: University of Notre Dame
• Medical school: University of Tennessee Health Science Center
• Professional interests: I like working with patients to begin to discuss unresolved
past trauma while in the inpatient setting. I like treating patients with substance
abuse disorder and may be interested in addiction psychiatry in the future.
• Personal interests: Running, watching college/pro football, going to concerts/music
festivals (pre rona), listening to hip hop from different eras
• Other important information about me: I grew up in a small rural towns in West
Virginia then West Tennessee. My family is from Ghana and loves traveling in the US,
so I've been able to see different parts of the states. First time Texan now and loving
it.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Growing up in a small town, I knew that I wanted
to have the experience of doing residency in a large, diverse city. Lots to do, lots of
interesting people to meet, and great food. There are even hidden gems in Irving,
Arlington, and Fort Worth.
Hi I'm... Adeeb Masood (Rural & Public MH Track)
• Undergraduate institution: University of Texas at Austin
• Medical school: McGovern Medical School (UT Houston)
• Professional interests: My professional interests: reducing disparities in clinical care
as an RPMH track resident, conducting research in Cultural Psychiatry regarding
practical application of screening tools, working with the Muslim and South Asian
populations, and diversity and inclusion in training.
• Personal interests: Basketball (#MFFL), Longhorn football (hook 'em), losing friends
over board games, ultimate frisbee, cooking, traveling, fantasy football,
cinematography and film
• Other important information about me: RPMH track, Married (wife attends the
Clinical Psychology program here) Raised in ATX, Med School in HTX, now in Dallas
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I moved to Dallas because my wife was in the
Psychology program here but I came to love the Psychiatry residency and city. Dallas
has so much to offer: amazing food, activities, good weather, safe, affordable, easy
to travel around the US, great place to settle down!Hi I'm... Colette Kendrick
• Undergraduate institution: Rice University
• Medical school: Baylor College of Medicine
• Professional interests: Still deciding! Potentially child or forensics.
• Personal interests: cooking and baking, trying new restaurants and
coffee shops, going to the dog park with my pup, listening to crime
podcasts
• Other important information about me: I grew up in Denver, but have
loved living in Texas for the last 9 years!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Lots of different neighborhoods
to choose from within 15 min from campus (apartments, townhomes,
houses). Lots of restaurants with various cuisines! Two airports
(Lovefield is 5 min from hospital, so super easy to visit family)
Hi I'm... Audrey Eichenberger
• Undergraduate institution: Baylor University
• Medical school: Texas A&M College of Medicine
• Professional interests: Geriatric Psychiatry, LGBTQ+ Mental Health,
Community Psychiatry, Cross-Cultural Psychiatry
• Personal interests: Baking, watching movies, enjoying live music, trying
new restaurants, and spending time with friends, family, and my cat
• Other important information about me: I am a Dallas native, and I am a
member of both the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the LGBT
Inclusion Committee.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I love that Dallas is incredibly diverse,
as this has allowed me to work with a myriad of individuals and learn
from a wide range of unique stories. I also appreciate that Dallas has
great food, music, and art.Hi I'm... Matthew Yung
• Undergraduate institution: Harvard
• Medical school: Indiana University School of Medicine
• Additional training: M.S. in Cellular & Integrative Physiology (Indiana University School of
Medicine)
• Professional interests: Schizophrenia, first-episode and early psychosis, transitional age
youth mental health, psychotherapy, medical student education, Inpatient and academic
psychiatry
• Personal interests: Running on the Katy Trail, cooking and trying new recipes, exploring
Dallas and finding the best boba tea in town , listening to podcasts and watching Netflix,
traveling
• Other important information about me: It's my first time living in Texas, so feel free to
contact me for more information about life in Dallas!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: large city with a diverse population, great restaurants
and BBQ, outstanding and supportive faculty and co-residents, strong psychotherapy
training and schizophrenia research, diversity in clinical training sites and opportunities to
serve a broad array of patients
Hi I'm... Lillian Cole
• Undergraduate institution: University of North Carolina Wilmington
• Medical school: Texas Tech Health Sciences Center
• Additional training: Master’s degree in biomedical sciences
• Professional interests: CAP, Transitional age youth, First break
psychosis
• Personal interests: Hanging out with my 3-year-old son and amazing
hubby!
• Other important information about me: It’s easier to ask than to
spend a gazillion hours trying to figure it out!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Lots of opportunity for growth,
multiple training sites with very different populations, family friendly,
international airport for easy traveling!Hi I'm... Josh Walther
• Undergraduate institution: UT Austin
• Medical school: UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine
• Additional training: MPH, UT School of Public Health
• Professional interests: I'm interested in community/public psychiatry, global and refugee
mental health, and possibly forensics and correctional psychiatry. I enjoy learning about
system design and hope to advocate for improved services to diminish inequities and
structural barriers our patients face.
• Personal interests: Biking, taking the dog out and listening to audiobooks, hiking/camping,
live music, more TV and movies than I care to admit, finding new food spots.
• Other important information about me: I tried to couples match but my SO matched to
OBGYN in Cincinnati. However, we were able to successfully navigate the transfer process
so that she could transfer to UTSW as a PGY2 after the first year. So I'm happy to answer any
questions about that process!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I like the location of the med center being close but not
too close to downtown, easily navigable public transit, decent food, etc. I leaned toward
staying in Texas as my family lives here and I preferred to be within driving distance, and
wanted to train in a large city.
Hi I'm... Laura Yuan (Research Track)
• Undergraduate institution: UT Dallas
• Medical school: UT Southwestern
• Additional training: PhD from UT Southwestern (through MSTP)
• Professional interests: I am especially interested in young adults/transitional age
patients and find working with families very rewarding. I am excited to start therapy
and outpatient work and research as a PGY2! I hope to work in an academic setting
after residency.
• Personal interests: Outdoor activities/hiking, video games, playing with my cats,
food (eating, cooking, baking)
• Other important information about me: Research track resident. Looking to start a
family/have kids in addition to having two cats. Used to be well versed in food in
Dallas but then COVID happened. Love to hike so please let me know if you are ever
planning a trip and need someone to come with you!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I was drawn to the diversity of patients and
clinical experiences, as well as the balance of pharmacology vs therapy training at
UTSW. I also love the food scene in Dallas and the ease of travel.Hi I'm... Anna Faubion (C & A Track)
• Undergraduate institution: University of Arkansas
• Medical school: Washington University in St. Louis
• Professional interests: I'm in the fast-track Child and Adolescent Fellowship, and plan to
pursue a career in CAP. I'm keeping an open mind re: career goals, but so far I have really
enjoyed my time in outpatient psychiatry. I also enjoy working with developmental
disabilities and eating disorders.
• Personal interests: In my free time, I love to hang out with my husband and friends. I also
enjoy daily trips to the gym, Katy trail, or tennis courts after work. When I get a long
weekend, I often travel home to see family in Missouri. Even as an intern, I was easily
able to do all of these!
• Other important information about me: If you have any other questions, please reach out!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I chose UTSW largely because both the residency and
CAP fellowship are very large, with diverse clinical opportunities and many potential
mentors. My husband is in my class in the 4-year adult program, and UTSW was our
favorite program for these reasons plus proximity to family.
Hi I'm... Natalie Spiller
• Undergraduate institution: Indiana University
• Medical school: University of Louisville
• Additional training: Masters in Business - University of Louisville
• Professional interests: I’m still considering but I like addiction
and neuromodulation so far!
• Personal interests: Hiking, yoga, travel, and cuddling my
animals (I have 2 cats and a dog)
• Other important information about me: I’m from KY and
sometimes my twang will come out :)
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I chose Dallas because of
the program, the flight options, the food options and the
peopleHi I'm... Bernice Yau
• Undergraduate institution: UT Austin
• Medical school: McGovern Medical School
• Professional interests: Consult Liaison psychiatry, medical education
• Personal interests: cooking / quarantine baking (yes, I have a
sourdough starter), musicals, movies, learning more about home
decor
• Other important information about me: Am part of the NNCI
program this year, and am really looking forward to helping create
more educational content in neuroscience!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: many outdoor trails (white rock
lake is beautiful!), diverse food scene, Dallas Summer Musicals, the
State Fair
Hi I'm... Matthew Faubion
Undergraduate institution: University of Arkansas
Medical school: University of Missouri-Columbia School of MedicineFIRST YEAR RESIDENTS
Hi I'm... Nora H. Abdullah
• Undergraduate institution: Southern Methodist University
• Medical school: University of Texas Medical Branch
• Professional interests: Child Psychiatry, Trauma, Abuse, PTSD, Refugee and
Global Mental Health
• Personal interests: Cooking, Event Planning, Traveling, Watch Ted Talks
• Other important information about me: As a minority woman from a background
where mental health is not accepted within society, I hope to change what it
means to seek mental health help within my community and other minority
communities. I also hope to volunteer my time in global communities.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I was born and raised in the DFW area and
couldn't wait to come back. I knew UTSW was the place for me when I
interviewed here. Dr. Brenner is an incredible PD and the sky is the limit for what
you can do here, you will start working towards your goals with all the support
you can imagine on Day 1!
Hi I'm... Chengxi (Vincent) Li
• Undergraduate institution: Columbia University
• Medical school: UT Southwestern
• Professional interests: Probably inpatient psych, but excited to explore
interests in residency!
• Personal interests: Music (playing, composing/arranging, listening);
Eating/cooking international foods, especially if spicy; Low-budget
traveling/exploring
• Other important information about me: Christian, Chinese-American,
and Musician are identities that describe me well!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Even if my family/friends/church
weren't local, I'd still love Dallas for its diversity and great people.
Regarding training, residents see patients from all segments of Dallas'
population at UTSW's affiliated institutions: public, private, VA,
community clinics, etc.Hi I'm... B. Katherine Karlay
• Undergraduate institution: Southern University and A & M College,
Baton Rouge
• Medical school: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New
Orleans
• Additional training: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
• Professional interests: Psychotic Disorders. ECT/TMS. Integrative
Psychiatry. Community Psychiatry.
• Personal interests: Social Justice, Traveling, Blogging, Brunching and
Yoga.
• Other important information about me: I have a wonderful family with 4
children.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Family, Diversity, Education and
Entertainment
Hi I'm... Cassandra Jones
• Undergraduate institution: University of Houston Clear Lake
• Medical school: UT San Antonio
• Professional interests: I enjoy working with the Geriatric patient population and
their families to help them achieve improved quality of life. Managing
psychiatric care in the setting of medical problems is interesting about this
population.
• Personal interests: I create art work using glass beads on canvas. Many of my
pieces are medical in nature. My spouse and I love going to the zoo but also
enjoy hanging out with out pets at home.
• Other important information about me: Latina , LGBTQ. First generation
college student
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I chose UTSW because of the variety of
clinical experiences this program provides. There is a county/university hospital,
a hospital that predominantly treats individuals with insurance, the VA, the state
hospital, the jail, and so many more experiences.Hi I'm... Barbara “Bobbie” Banner (Rural & Public MH Track)
• Undergraduate institution: Texas A&M University
• Medical school: UTMB
• Professional interests: I am interested in rural/community health, and LGBTQI+
healthcare. I find it satisfying to help underserved communities with the respect they
deserve. I am hoping to work in rural West Texas (hopefully around my hometown of
Abilene) in the future.
• Personal interests: I enjoy writing (especially poetry) and playing the piano. I’m an
enthusiastic amateur at both, but they bring me a lot of joy.
• Other important information about me: I am a proud member of the LGBTQI+
community, and tend to use the labels of nonbinary (pronouns they/them/theirs) and
pansexual. But gender and sexuality are both spectrums, and I am still walking
forward through my gender and sexuality journey!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I like the overlap of city and country life in Dallas.
I thought that Dallas would give me a great host of experiences. It’ also very nice to
be closer to my family and friends of my hometown.
Hi I'm... Zhengshan Liu (Research Track)
• Undergraduate institution: I am a foreign medical graduate and I haven't
attended undergraduate institution
• Medical school: Anhui Medical University
• Additional training: PhD, University of Rochester
• Professional interests: I am interested in listening and understanding patients'
experiences and I am excited about developing new models to diagnose and treat
patients with mental disorders. I hope to be become a psychiatrist scientist in the
future.
• Personal interests: I enjoy cooking dinner and watching Netflix as well as running
and hiking.
• Other important information about me: As a foreign medical graduate, I have had
several difficulties during the on-boarding process. People in both our program
and other departments provide support and help whenever I need them.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Dallas is a big city with a variety of restaurants,
shopping centers, and living places.Hi I'm... Rija Siddiqui
• Undergraduate institution: Austin College
• Medical school: Texas A&M College of Medicine
• Additional training: UT Southwestern/Children's Health General Pediatrics Residency (2016-
2019), UTSW Chief Resident of Pediatrics (2019-2020)
• Professional interests: I am interested in pursuing a career focused on maternal mental health
and caregiver psychiatry. I would love to care for parents of children with complex and chronic
healthcare conditions as well as caregivers taking care of their loved ones.
• Personal interests: I love hiking and visiting national and state parks, exercising (I'll try any
workout class except for spin!), watching Netflix documentaries, and most importantly -
spending time with my toddler and husband.
• Other important information about me: I completed a pediatrics residency and a chief year in
pediatrics before starting psychiatry residency. During my first residency, I realized I want to
focus my clinic care on mental health, especially after having my first baby during residency.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: The weather is beautiful from October to April and perfect
for being outside. There are so many great places to eat, trails, and parks to take my little one
to! Everyone is so supportive at UT Southwestern and I really like that everyone comes from a
different walk of life.
Hi I'm... Nick Boswell
• Undergraduate institution: Tufts University
• Medical school: Baylor College of Medicine
• Professional interests: I'm unsure of specific career goals but am interested in addictions
due to the huge impact such disorders have on patients' lives and the benefits of current
and emerging therapies. I'm still exploring my future plans for inpatient vs. outpatient
practice (or combining both).
• Personal interests: Reading: Recently finished Educated by Tara Westover (which was
great); Exercising: Finding new places in Dallas to run outdoors and playing some tennis
on days off; Exploring new restaurants in Dallas: Currently testing out breakfast taco
• Other important information about me: I'm originally from a suburb of Dallas (Allen) but
haven't lived in this area since high school so it still feels like I'm exploring a new place. I
really value the breadth of practice settings at UTSW and the numerous opportunities to
work with underserved populations
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: It's a rapidly growing city with a variety of living
environments near UTSW. There are urban environments in areas like Uptown, Deep
Ellum, and Victory park and quieter areas that still have good urban access in areas like
Lower Greenville and Oak Lawn.Hi I'm... Sarah Hergert (C & A Track)
• Undergraduate institution: Northeastern University
• Medical school: University of Florida
• Professional interests: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Personal interests: Painting, reading, Netflix (plus Hulu, HBO...you
get it), hiking, hanging with my kitties
• Other important information about me: I have 2 cat-children, was
born and raised in Massachusetts, went to Florida for medical
school, and am excited to be in Dallas!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: The people in the program were
warm and welcoming, Dallas has a lot to offer in terms of food and
culture, and so many opportunities within the program to see what
fits your interests!
Hi I'm... Kimberlyn Maravet Baig-Ward (Research Track)
• Undergraduate institution: Texas A&M University
• Medical school: NIH GPP- Virginia Commonwealth University School of
Medicine
• Additional training: Post-doc, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine;
PhD, (Biochemistry) Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
• Professional interests: Addiction Psychiatry, Women’s Mental Health, Research
(molecular underpinnings of addiction, OCD, depression, women’s health)
• Personal interests: Spending time with my family, riding bikes with my kids,
writing, meditation, mindfulness
• Other important information about me: Research, PhD, MBA, parenthood,
women in medicine, moms in medicine
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I wanted to live in Dallas so we can be closer
to my parents and extended family. My kids love visiting their grandparents and
cousins! North Texas is a great place to be with lots of options for fun and
activities all around!Hi I'm... Marisela Munoz (C & A Track)
• Undergraduate institution: SMU
• Medical school: UTMB Galveston
• Professional interests: I am interested in child and adolescent
psychiatry.
• Personal interests: In my spare time I like to work out, watch
Netflix and explore new restaurants in Dallas.
• Other important information about me: I was born and raised
in Dallas.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: My favorite things about
Dallas is that is a big city that offers a wide variety of things to
do and everything is pretty accessible.
Hi I'm... Sravan Narapureddy (Rural & Public MH Track)
• Undergraduate institution: University of Florida
• Medical school: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley SOM
• Additional training: M.S. Management University of Florida
• Professional interests: Schizophrenia, Under-resourced Populations,
Mental Health Policy & Psychopharmacology.
• Personal interests: Badminton, Biking, Card Games, Hiking & Studio
Ghibli
• Other important information about me: Indian American Immigrant.
Coming from a culture that often minimalizes mental health, I aim
passionate about tackling the stigma surrounding mental health.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Numerous Parks & Trails, Diverse
Population, Ease of Travel with DFW Airport & Cost of LivingHi I'm... Adrienne Adler-Neal
• Undergraduate institution: University of Pennsylvania
• Medical school: Wake Forest School of Medicine
• Additional training: PhD - Wake Forest School of Medicine; MPH - University of
Memphis
• Professional interests: I hope to tailor my practice to primarily treating women's
mood disorders with an emphasis on cognitive and integrative therapies
• Personal interests: I enjoy hiking/camping, acting, reading, yoga, and dance.
• Other important information about me: I have a personal and professional
interest in integrative medicine and focusing on techniques, for instance
meditation and nutrition, that foster physical/mental/spiritual health.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: More than anything, I felt that the program at
UTSW was the most supportive one I encountered throughout the interview
process, and that more than anything is why I chose Dallas. Since being here, I
have enjoyed exploring the parks and nearby lakes.
Hi I'm... Isabel Clark
• Undergraduate institution: Tulane University
• Medical school: Tulane University School of Medicine
• Additional training: Master of Science in Brain and Mind Sciences (University of Sydney)
• Professional interests: Forensics, Addiction, Consults.
• Personal interests: Spending quality time with my partner, friends, & family, including my dog!
Exploring restaurants, bars, neighborhoods, parks, etc. Taking my dog to MUTTS or any of the many
dog parks throughout the city. Traveling to other cities on the weekend to see family/friends. Being
active, running, walking around the city, meeting new people, and feeling connected with a
community.
• Other important information about me: I had no family, friends, or connection to Dallas before
coming here. I have found this city and the UTSW community to be incredibly diverse, welcoming,
accepting, uplifting and lots of fun!
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: With the most sincerity, my favorite part of living here is having the
best co-residents and program director I could ever hope for! I truly feel like we are a family and that I
have an incredible support system here. Dallas is a relaxed and accessible city. I can walk or run to
many places. I enjoy the warm weather and the amount of outdoor spaces and activities. It's
extremely dog, pedestrian and bike friendly. There are many different scenes to explore and embrace
- art, music, restaurant/bar, sports, outdoor running, biking, water sports, and more. Dallas is pretty
and clean. I believe that anyone can fit in here and find their own community outside of UTSW!Hi I'm... Sudad Kazzaz Hi I'm... Vinay Kotamarti
Undergraduate institution: University of Houston Undergraduate institution: Rice University
Medical school: Baylor College of Medicine Medical school: UT Southwestern
Hi I'm... Scott Newton Hi I'm... Brayden Efseroff (C & A Track)
Undergraduate institution: Brigham Young University Undergraduate institution: University of Texas at Austin
Medical school: Texas Tech University Health Science Center Medical school: UT SouthwesternINTERNAL MEDICINE - PSYCHIATRY RESIDENTS
Hi I'm... Ashlin Christensen Szalanski (PGY-4) Hi I'm... Tung “Tom” Phan (PGY-3)
Undergraduate institution: Wharton College of Business at the Undergraduate institution: Brandeis University
University of Pennsylvania Medical school: Tufts University School of Medicine
Medical school: Tulane UniversityHi I'm... Emily May (PGY-3)
• Undergraduate institution: University of Pennsylvania
• Medical school: University of Kansas
• Professional interests: Geriatric Medicine and
Psychiatry
• Personal interests: Dedicated dog mom and avid
Netflix binger
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I love Parkland!
Hi I'm... Dani Morelli (PGY-2)
• Undergraduate institution: Hunter College
• Medical school: LSUHSC New Orleans
• Additional training: Hunter College, MA, Biology
• Professional interests: Given Med-Psych, I am really interested in pursuing
GI-Psych through Hepatology & Addiction in an academic setting. I am
looking forward to an integrative practice to take care of the whole person
as well as teaching. I am also passionate about anti-racism initiatives.
• Personal interests: I love to cook/bake & host parties. I also enjoy my yoga
community and taking dance classes as well as the hiking.
• Other important information about me: I am very passionate about social
justice and pushing for equity.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: It is a diverse, big city. The cost of living
is ideal for residency.Hi I'm... Charlotte McLean (PGY-2)
• Undergraduate institution: UC Davis
• Medical school: Tulane University School of Medicine
• Professional interests: Palliative care
• Personal interests: Playing with my pets (a greyhound and two
cats), cooking, driving, and failing miserably at gardening
• Other important information about me: Most of my family lives
in Europe and I spent a significant portion of my life also living
in Europe. I’m happy for anyone to reach out to me who also
has their family overseas and is worrying about logistics
involved with seeing them.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Lots of dog friendly venues!
Hi I'm... Giovani Moises Zelada (PGY-1)
• Undergraduate institution: University of Southern California (USC)
• Medical school: University of California Davis School of Medicine
• Professional interests: Integrated behavioral health primary care, urban
underserved medicine, community medicine, public and preventive health,
Latinx health
• Personal interests: FOOOOD (I love to cook/bake, love to eat out and try new
cuisine), college football, Latin dance
• Other important information about me: I am a first-generation college graduate,
medical school graduate, and the first health care professional in my family. My
family immigrated from Guatemala and my background and culture is
something I am very proud of and a huge part of my identity.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Dallas is incredibly rich in culture and
diversity. To have the opportunity to receive strong training in both Psychiatry
and Internal Medicine, at an institution that is based out of one of the country’s
largest and most robust community/public hospitals, made UTSW a no-brainer.Hi I'm... Samir Abu-Hamad (PGY-1)
• Undergraduate institution: Georgetown University
• Medical school: Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Additional training: MS in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University
• Professional interests: Global Health, Inpatient psychiatry, inpatient medicine,
med-psych, microbiome and the gut-brain axis, GI, holistic/ayurvedic medicine
• Personal interests: DJing house music, going to concerts/music festivals, soccer,
NBA basketball, playing basketball, traveling, cooking (especially Lebanese
food), photography
• Other important information about me: Grew up in Lebanon, but moved to the
US
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: 100% the people. It was refreshing when the
pre-interview dinner conversation with the med-psych residents was about yoga,
concerts, and the Dallas dating scene rather than research publications; also Dr.
Brenner is the most caring PD I met on the interview trailNEUROLOGY - PSYCHIATRY RESIDENTS
Hi I'm... Robert Weir (PGY-6, Research Track)
• Undergraduate institution: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
• Medical school: University of Nebraska Medical Center
• Professional interests: Autoimmune neuropsychiatry,
Psychoneuroimmunology, Neuromodulation
• Personal interests: Athletics, Classical Piano,
Finance/Economics, Reading
• Other important information about me: Chief Resident of the
Neurology & Psychiatry Combined Residency
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Lots of amenities without
feeling as dense as many metropolitan areas; People are kind;
cost of living is inexpensive
Hi I'm... Joyce Chen (PGY-4)
• Undergraduate institution: Rice University
• Medical school: UT Southwestern
• Professional interests: functional neurologic disorders, ER
psychiatry
• Personal interests: indoor rock climbing (bouldering),
traveling/hiking, trying different food/restaurants
• Other important information about me: psychiatry-neurology
combined resident
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: Oso climbing gym, trying
various restaurants, running on Katy trailHi I'm... Alex Rollo (PGY-3)
• Undergraduate institution: San Jose State University
• Medical school: UT Southwestern
• Profession interests: The most interesting patients I've met had diseases that span the
neuropsychiatric spectrum. I have seen their frustration with delayed or disjointed co-
management, and I wish to provide holistic management of brain diseases like TBI/PTSD,
dementias, and movement disorders.
• Personal interests: Succulent/cactus gardening, road biking, computer gaming, reading
science fiction
• Other important information about me: I was a non-traditional med student, and continue
to be a non-traditional Neuro/Psych resident. I worked in tech and design after high school
for a couple years before getting my undergraduate degree, and worked a couple years in
a cancer lab before med school.
• Favorite aspects of living in Dallas: I enjoy the variety of restaurants (particularly if you're
willing to venture a few miles away from UTSW) and the entertainment in the Greenville
and Deep Ellum areas in my free time. Also, Dallas and its nearby burbs are affordable for
home ownership on one resident's salary.
Hi I'm... Victoria “Vika” Ragland (PGY-1)
Undergraduate institution: UCLA
Medical school: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley SOMYou can also read
