Welcome to the first newsletter of this academic year! I enjoyed seeing many of you at one of our summer picnics and I hope you had a chance to enjoy the beautiful Seattle summer. As we come back for a new school year, it’s nice to see more people on campus and in our hallways. We welcome you back to your offices and laboratories, and we will continue to follow UW guidelines to make our workplace as safe as we can, using masks indoors and following state recommendations to be vaccinated. As we start this new academic year, there is much we can be proud of and there are many exciting things to look forward to. We will touch on just a few of them in this newsletter with a lot more to come as the year progresses.
First, I want to thank more than 300 department faculty, staff, and trainees who dedicate a big portion of their days to caring for patients in our hospitals and clinics. This is hard work, and you are more needed than ever. Since the start of the pandemic, we have substantially increased the number of patients we see in our hospitals and clinics, working under challenging circumstances, with COVID still a part of our lives and work. Many of you recently participated in a UW Medicine survey focused on wellness and burnout, and while our department fares relatively well compared to other clinical departments when it comes to clinician burnout and fulfillment, it is clear that the work is hard, that we often cannot do all we would like for our patients, and that burnout is a real risk and challenge for many of us. In that context, I want to thank you not only for what you do for our patients every day, but also for taking care of yourselves and for taking care of and covering for each other. Over the past year, I have seen many beautiful examples of faculty, staff and trainees working together as teams and taking care of each other and I cannot thank you enough for this. As a small token of our appreciation, we recently mailed a stylish Patagonia fleece jacket with a UW Psychiatry logo to our faculty who see patients as part of their work. I hope these jackets will keep you warm and comfortable as we move into the cooler fall season.
A big thanks also to our faculty and staff who have worked hard to recruit another outstanding class of residents and fellows this year. I am deeply impressed by your relentless drive to improve our training and workforce development programs. To further strengthen our education team, we are recruiting additional faculty to lead our psychiatry residency and consult-liaison fellowship programs and I appreciate everyone’s input on these searches. Our researchers have also kept busy during the pandemic, starting this academic year with a bang: $24 million in research grants and contracts so far this academic year, putting us on track of going well beyond the $35 million raised in AY 2022. Thanks to all our research faculty and staff for your amazing work! We are celebrating several new research centers such as the Center for Community-Engaged Drug Education, Epidemiology and Perinatal Mental Health and Substance Use Education, Research, and Clinical Consultation (PERC) Center, and several exciting newly-funded research programs that will support work as far away as West Africa and large-scale clinical trials of highly innovative ways to address serious problems such as opioid addiction.
Looking ahead, we also have much to look forward to. We have begun to substantially expand the services we offer at our outpatient psychiatry clinic at UWMC Roosevelt this year, and over the coming year we will see the completion of our new 150-bed Behavioral Health Teaching Facility on the Northwest Campus of UW Medical Center. Our colleagues at Seattle Children’s will be moving into new clinical space at 70th and Sandpoint, and we have also expanded into new research spaces in the E and F wings of the UW Health Sciences Building and the UW Tower. We recently received a $6 million grant to partner with our School of Nursing to start a new Residency Program for Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners and we are excited about building a new program that will offer training in evidence-based psychotherapies to students in undergraduate programs across the state. We are also preparing for the coming session of the state legislature, building on the strong relationships we have enjoyed with our legislative colleagues over the past few years. Our colleagues from the UW Government Relations team led by Madeline Grant recently joined us for a briefing on government relations. Please reach out to me and to Madeline and her team if you see opportunities for additional collaborations with our state and local officials.
Our Grand Rounds series is off to a great start, and I want to thank Joe Cerimele, MD, MPH, Semhar Abraha, and Mike Walker for their efforts. Please reach out to Joe if you would like to present and share some of your exciting work with colleagues in the department or if you have a suggestion for a great outside speaker. And please reach out to Becky Sladek, MS, if you would like to share things about your work with the more than 1,000 faculty, staff, trainees, and friends of the department who read our newsletter.
I am excited about the coming year and new opportunities ahead. I hope you will join me in our shared mission to help improve the health of the public by providing clinical care to patients and families who are struggling with mental health and addiction problems, by training and inspiring our future colleagues in mental health care, by leading research programs that will bring us new approaches and solutions to improving mental health and behavioral health care in the future, and through advocacy and other ways to improve the health and wellbeing in our own community and in communities around the world. I thank you all and I wish you a great start to the new academic year.
Jürgen
Congratulations to the recipients of our Staff Scholarship Awards Congratulations to the recipients of our latest round of Staff Scholarship Awards! Funded by department and philanthropic funds, the awards support professional development of classified or professional staff who work in our department. Awardees include:
Meg Brunner, MLIS (ADAI), to take a course on digital accessibility (making websites, documents and other digital materials accessible to people with a range of different types of disabilities) through Deque University.
Debra Glazer, MPH, PT (Maternal/Child Mental Health), to complete a certificate program for Maternal Mental Health for Mental Health and Clinical Professionals.
ADAI, team award, for a training on microaggressions, including prevention and mitigating harm.
Thank you to the Staff EDI professional development selection committee (Vaughan Collins, MSW,Winnie Ho, Jennifer Magnani, MSW, Andie Uomoto, MPA, and Jasmine Zhu) for reviewing the proposals and to the donors who make this program possible. If you are interested in supporting this program, you can contribute to the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Staff Development Fund.
Substantial opportunities for continued growth Over the next few years, we will have tremendous opportunities for growing our clinical, research and training programs. We are creating a new position on our Human Resources team focused on recruiting faculty and staff, including faculty to lead and work in the new Behavioral Health Teaching Facility. Please help us identify and recruit great faculty and staff colleagues to join our team over the coming year. Reach out to Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA, Heather Glansbeek, MBA, or Staci Guerrero, MBA, if you have a chance to recruit at conferences or other venues or if you have suggestions for how we can identify and recruit some outstanding new faculty and staff. Below is a partial list of currently active recruitments for faculty and staff:
Vice Chair, Finance and Administration, Department
Garvey Family Endowed Professorship for Technology and Brain Health (focused on leadership for our growing neuromodulation program)
Tim B. Engle Endowed Professorship for Brain Health Innovations (focused on providing leadership for programs in cognitive aging)
Schaie Endowed Professorship in Cognitive Aging
Faculty Director for the department’s new Clinician Scientist Training Program
Psychiatry Residency Program Director
Psychiatry and psychology faculty to contribute to the growing clinical programs (inpatient and outpatient) at Harborview, UW Medical Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle Children’s, the UW Primary Care Clinics, and the Puget Sound VA Health Care System
Consolidation of finance team
With the departure of Ali Iqbal as Vice Chair of Finance and Administration, we have been consulting with colleagues in the Dean’s office and reviewing our administrative structure, including the way we manage the department’s financial affairs. After careful consideration, we have decided to consolidate the clinical and non-clinical finance teams under one Associate Director. Heather Glansbeek, MBA, will be named the Department Financial Officer and will lead this combined team. Binyam Abraham will continue in his role as Finance Manager and will work with leadership to support the team during this transition. This reorganization necessitates the difficult decision to eliminate the position of Associate Director of Finance currently held by Nadia Khan, MBA. Nadia has been a strong member of our finance team and this change does not reflect on her performance. Nadia’s last day with us will be October 19, and we wish her all the best. Thank you, Nadia, for all your work in the department!
Hazing Prevention Training
If you are in a position with direct ongoing contact with students in a supervisory role or position of authority over students, please complete the University’s Hazing Prevention Training, developed by UW Student Life, by December 16, 2022. This includes anyone working with undergraduate students or medical students, including courtesy faculty and supervising faculty. The training is required on an annual basis and will help those in student-facing roles recognize the signs and dangers of hazing and understand the UW’s prohibition on hazing, reporting protocols and supporting resources. For questions about training content or the University’s prohibition on hazing activities, email Community Standards and Student Conduct at cssc@uw.edu or visit their webpage for additional information and resources.
Please help us welcome our new faculty and staff! Angela Dahiya, PhD, MS, joined the department in July 2022 as a Postdoctoral Scholar-fellow working with Jennifer Gerdts on the UW's ECHO/INCLUDE programs, is conducting research with Karen Bearss on the RUBI parent training program for autistic children with co-occurring behavioral difficulties, and is providing assessment and treatment services to children and families at the Seattle Children’s Autism Center. Her clinical and research interests are focused on the dissemination and implementation of accessible care for families and their children with developmental disabilities in diverse and rural/low-income communities, especially using technology. Dr. Dahiya is a California native and grew up in San Francisco. She completed her BA from UC Davis and her MA from Pepperdine University. Outside of work, she enjoys trying new restaurants, traveling & enjoying the outdoors, exploring new places with her husband and dog, Kona, as well as spending time with friends and family. She is excited to be back on the west coast after living in Virginia for the past five years. If you would like to reach out to Angela and say hello, her email is adahiya@uw.edu.
Miranda Delawalla, PhD, MPH, joined the department in June 2022 as a Postdoctoral Scholar-fellow in the Psychology Training in Alcohol Research (PTAR) Fellowship at the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors (CSHRB). Dr. Delawalla completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology at the University of Georgia and has been at the University of Washington for about five years completing both her MPH and PhD in the Department of Epidemiology. Her research focuses have primarily been adolescent depressive symptoms and substance use, as well as maternal and child health. As a graduate student, Dr. Delawalla also worked as a teaching assistant for epidemiology and biostatistics courses and as a research assistant for the Strategic Analysis, Research & Training (START) Center in the Department of Global Health. Outside of work, Dr. Delawalla loves to read, needlepoint, hike, bake, and spend time with her family and dogs. If you would like to reach out to Miranda and say help, her email is martin94@uw.edu.
Arya Kadakia joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Coordinator for the Behavioral Research in Technology and Engineering Center (BRiTE Center). Arya will be working as a mHealth practice facilitator as well as a coordinator for research that examines the use of technology for schizophrenia. He recently graduated from Dartmouth College where he studied psychology and global health. Over the past few years, Arya developed a passion for the use of technology to enhance the quality of clinical care, improve mental health outcomes, and increase equity for diverse populations. His past work includes creating a natural language processing classifier to monitor digital peer support fidelity, developing components of a mHealth application, as well as conducting and publishing research on this topic. Outside of work, Arya likes to do photography, go scuba diving, and go on treks. If you would like to reach out to Arya and say hello, his email is arya1999@uw.edu.
Maggie Johansson joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Coordinator for the Genes 2 Mental Health study in the Research in Autism and the Brain lab (RAB Lab). She is located at the UW Seattle campus at the Center for Human Development and Disability (CHDD). In June of 2022, Maggie graduated from UW with her BS in Psychology. Previously she worked as a Research Assistant in an ADHD Behavioral Therapy lab. Outside of work, she loves to explore the many amazing state/national parks in Washington. Most recently she has gone to the Olympic National Park, and the Mt. Rainer National Park. She is so excited to be joining the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences department.
Anna Larsen, PhD, MPH, joined the department in July 2022 as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Behavioral Research in Technology and Engineering (BRiTE) Center. She will contribute to new and ongoing studies focused on developing and implementing digital mental health interventions for mental health in low- and middle-income settings. Dr. Larsen recently completed her doctoral program at UW Epidemiology where she evaluated maternal depression and associated adverse infant outcomes among Kenyan mother-infant pairs, supported by a NICHD F31 award. She is currently funded by a NICHD F32 award to expand this work to assess linkages between mother-infant interactions and child social-emotional development. Dr. Larsen is excited to gain new experience in mobile health intervention development at the BRiTE Center. Outside of work, Dr. Larsen enjoys traveling to new places, getting outside, and painting when inspiration strikes. If you would like to reach out to Anna and say hello, her email is annalar@uw.edu.
Courtney Marecki joined thedepartment inJuly 2022 as an Analytical Chemist and LC/MS and Conjugations Specialist for the Pravetoni research group at Harborview Medical Center. Courtney has a MA in Chemistry and a MA in Education. She has worked as a high school and undergraduate chemistry professor for the last eight years. Outside of work, Courtney enjoys spending time with her family playing games, riding horses, hiking, and kayaking. If you would like to reach out to Courtney and say hello, her email is cmarecki@uw.edu.
Olivia Michael joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Study Assistant at the SMART Center. Olivia recently graduated with a BS in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience and a BA in Global Health from UC San Diego. During her time at UCSD, she spent two years as a research intern under Dr. Brookman-Frazee at the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC). She is passionate about improving community mental health services, combating disparities in access, and increasing the utilization of evidence-based practices among youth with autism. In the future, she plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and hopes to continue researching methods to successfully implement and sustain evidence-based practices. In her free time, Olivia enjoys relaxing in nature, practicing yoga, and trying new foods. If you would like to reach out to Olivia and say hello, her email is omicha@uw.edu.
Merih Mehari, MSW, joined the departmentin July 2022 as a Research Assistantfor the CoLab for Community & Behavioral Health Policy. Merih will be assisting the team with data collection, interpretation, and act as cultural liaison. Merih graduated from the University of Washington in 2018 with a MSW. After his graduation he has been working as a behavioral health therapist in community mental health agency and outpatient clinics in the Seattle area. Merih plans to pursue his doctoral program with focus on addressing behavioral health issues of underserved population through community engagement and empowerment. He draws perspectives from his own migration experience to the state and working with low-income families in the King County. In his free time, he enjoys doing activities that enhance his spiritual and physical wellbeing. He also likes to cook, read, and socialize. If you would like to reach out to Merih and say hello, his email is mtm19@uw.edu.
Aaron Rosser joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Study Assistant in Rebecca Hendrickson’s lab as part of the NW MIRECC. Aaron is a recent graduate from the University of Washington holding a dual degree in Psychology and Philosophy. During his time there, Aaron worked with the School of Nursing DPEN team to develop an evidence-based intervention for informal caregivers and volunteered his time on the board of the non-profit Circle of Friends for Mental Health. Outside of work, Aaron is passionate about reading, philosophical theory, and playing his flute. If you would like to reach out to Aaron and say hello, his email is rossea@uw.edu.
Amy Schoen, MBA, joined the department in August 2022 as a Clinical and Operations Financial Analyst. Amy will be supporting the Department’s overall clinical efforts with a primary focus on Seattle Children's Hospital. Amy has a BA in Accounting and an MBA, both from Western Washington University. Prior to joining UW, she worked at T-Mobile for over seven years as a Senior Tax Analyst, first in property tax then in indirect tax controversy. Outside of work, Amy enjoys spending time with her husband and their cat and dog, playing video games, visiting breweries, and hiking. If you would like to reach out to Amy and say hello, her email is aschoen5@uw.edu.
Patima Sdek, PhD, joined the department in July 2022 as a Lab Manager in Marco Pravetoni’s lab located at Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Sdek received her PhD in Medicine at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in 2001 and came to America for postdoctoral training. After five years of postdoctoral training, she was offered an Assistant Researcher position at UCLA, but left because of a family relocation. She has tried different career paths after that but getting back to the research field is always what she wanted. Dr. Sdek is very happy to have this opportunity to work in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at University of Washington. Outside of work, Dr. Sdek enjoys fishing, gardening and reading. If you would like to reach out to Patima and say hello, her email is sdek55@uw.edu.
Wenqi Zhang joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Coordinator for the Supporting Psychosis Innovation through Research, Implementation, and Training (SPIRIT) lab. She will be mainly working on the CBTpro trial with Sarah Kopelovich and Rachel Brian. Wenqi graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in Psychology in 2022. During her years in college, she worked as a Research Assistant in the CAPS Lab on Metric structure in literacy development and Couperus’ Lab on selective attention as well as individual differences in mental health. In her spare time, Wenqi enjoys playing the guitar and covering songs with friends. If you would like to reach out to Wenqi and say hello, her email is wzhang97@uw.edu.
Jasmine Zhu joined the department in July 2022 as a Continuing Education Coordinator with the Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI). Jasmine has done previous social and clinical psychology research in a volunteer capacity, and prior to that she taught elementary school for the past two years. Before teaching, Jasmine worked in business as an account manager at Microsoft. She graduated with her Bachelor's in Science from University of Maryland in 2018 and has lived in Seattle for the past four years. Outside of work, Jasmine enjoys bouldering, collecting and caring for houseplants, hanging out with friends, hiking, reading, learning about new topics, and surfing. If you would like to reach out to Jasmine and say hello, her email is jzhu12@uw.edu.
Department research events
We're taking the opportunity this year to re-evaluate our research events to better meet the needs of our diverse research community including trainees, early career researchers and seasoned PIs. Instead of holding one research retreat this year, we will hold a Clinician Scientist Day for trainees and early investigators in collaboration with our psychiatry and psychology residency programs; host topic-oriented research symposia in collaboration with Centers and Programs; include research presentations as part of our Grand Rounds series (email Joe Cerimele, MD, MPH, if you have ideas for topics or speakers); and offer additional ways to find research resources and opportunities (e.g., department wiki, research orientation, Friday weekly). Please reach out if you would like to collaborate on organizing and hosting a research-oriented symposium or other program. More to come!
New research centers focus on opioid use, perinatal mental health Two new centers joined our department over the summer. The Center for Community-Engaged Drug Education, Epidemiology and Research (CEDEER) group at ADAI led by Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, joins research with the “real-world” to generate innovative, evidence-based, and person-centered responses to the use of opioids, stimulants and other illicit substances. The Center’s goal is to collect and share knowledge gained from research, local data, clinical expertise, and personal lived experiences of people who use drugs. This knowledge is used to improve policies and services to reduce substance-related harms and improve the lives of people impacted by substance use. Equitable access to relevant and effective care is necessary to address current and historical policies that create inequitable harm to people who use opioids and stimulants. Learn more
The Perinatal Mental Health and Substance Use Education, Research, and Clinical Consultation (PERC) Center led by Amritha Bhat, MBBS, MD, MPH, and Deb Cowley, MD and administered by Jamie Adachi, MPH, aims to transform perinatal mental health and substance use disorder delivery systems through excellence in clinical consultation, education, and health services research. The team provides direct specialty psychiatric care, psychiatric telephone consultation (Perinatal Psychiatry Consultation Line), integrated mental health treatments, workforce development initiatives, and conducts innovative health services research. The creation of this new Center recognizes the continued growth and expansion of our Maternal-Child Mental Health Program, and a naming transition will happen over the next few months. Learn more
New grants in mHealth, fentanyl overdose
With $24 million in new grants so far this academic year, we cannot begin to capture all of the exciting work done by our researchers. We will briefly profile two recent grants to give a bit of a glimpse of the wide range of exciting work going on in the department’s research labs.
Dror Ben-Zeev, PhD, received a R01 award from the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) for “Combining mHealth and nurse-delivered care to improve the outcomes of people with serious mental illness in West Africa”. In West Africa, the hardships of serious mental illnesses (SMI) such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are compounded by pervasive societal stigma, scarce treatment options, systematic exclusion, neglect and abuse. Most people with SMI in West Africa receive care from traditional and faith healers who have no formal training in assessment, treatment of SMI, or preservation of human rights and patient safety. Dr. Ben-Zeev’s multinational team will deploy and evaluate M&M: a dual-pronged intervention package comprised of a smartphone system designed to train healers and support their delivery of brief evidence-based psychosocial interventions (M-Healer) combined with pharmacotherapy delivered directly to the patients they are treating via visiting nurse (Mobile Nurse). Learn more.
Marco Pravetoni, PhD, received an award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for “Development of a monoclonal antibody to reverse overdose from fentanyl and its analogs: from manufacturing to clinical trials.” The incidence of fatal drug overdoses has dramatically increased due to the proliferation and widespread availability of fentanyl and its analogs, often found in street drug mixtures. Fatal drug overdoses totaled more than 92,000 in 2020. Current medications are not always sufficient to prevent or reverse overdose from fentanyl and its analogs. As a complementary strategy to current medications, Dr. Pravetoni’s team has developed humanized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against fentanyl and its analogs. Anti-fentanyl mAbs can be co-administered with standard of care treatments for Opioid Use Disorder and/or overdose and may offer longer-lasting clinical benefits over opioid receptor antagonists. As far as we know, this is the only award funded by the National Institutes of Health to move an anti-fentanyl mAb to Phase I clinical trials.
ADAI Small Grant proposals due 10/17
The Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI) works to stimulate and facilitate UW research on alcohol and drug use and addiction through its Small Grants Program, which awards funds to UW researchers (faculty and research scientists or mentored pre-doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows) for pilot studies and developmental research. Research is supported across a broad range of study related to alcohol and drug use and addiction, from pharmacology to clinical and psychosocial research. Applications are due Monday, October 17. Learn more
Thank you to our clinicians! The pandemic has stressed our employees and our health care system’s finances tremendously. Our clinicians continue to be very busy as all our sites struggle with high patient volumes and staffing challenges. The work is rewarding but very stressful. Initial data from the UW Medicine Clinician Well-Being Survey indicate that our clinicians find it challenging to meet all the needs of their patients. Some of that sentiment is driven by things beyond our control, but we will be taking a hard look at what we can do to improve our ability to better serve our patients’ needs, including the development of new and better clinical facilities and additional staffing over the coming years. We will talk more about the results of the recent clinician wellness survey at upcoming faculty meetings over the next few months.
Susan McLaughlin appointed new director of Behavioral Health Institute
The UW Medicine Behavioral Health Institute (BHI) at Harborview is a relatively new program at Harborview Medical Center that supports faculty and staff in their efforts to innovate in the area of Behavioral Health Care. The Institute serves as a comprehensive regional resource and is committed to the improvement of behavioral health care in Washington State and beyond. Current work supports such efforts as innovative training and workforce development programs, a program to improve the care of individuals experiencing a first episode of psychosis, training for telepsychiatry, and improvement of the state’s crisis response system.
Susan McLaughlin, PhD, has been selected as the new Director of the BHI, following Jim Vollendroff, MPA, who served as its inaugural director. Susan served as Chief Executive Officer of HealthierHere since 2017, and prior to that she spent many years with King County Department of Community and Human Services as well as King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division. Susan has also served as a clinical psychologist in private practice and holds a PHD in Clinical Psychology from San Diego State University. This new position will have oversight of the BHI and report to Sommer Kleweno Walley, MHA, MA, Chief Executive Officer at Harborview and a member of the BHI Steering Committee. Other members of the Steering Committee include Carolyn Brenner, MD, Mark Snowden, MD, MPH, and Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA. We welcome Susan to this new role and are excited to partner with her on furthering the important work of the Behavioral Health Institute.
New renderings show light, open space at the Behavioral Health Teaching Facility We are making good progress on the construction of the new Behavioral Health Teaching Facility at the University of Washington Medical Center-Northwest campus. The exterior façade of the building is underway with the goal of fully enclosing the building by the end of November. The building will ultimately support a full continuum of clinical services ranging from medication management and psychotherapies to state-of-the art neuromodulation treatments for adult and geriatric patients and patients who have psychiatric, medical, and surgical problems. The building will also become the new home for our residency education team and house interdisciplinary training and workforce development programs that are focused on preparing and supporting the next generation of behavioral health providers for Washington State. The BHTF is expected to open its doors in 2024. Enjoy these photos and watch construction live.
Nominations open for 2021-22 Faculty Awards
Last year, we streamlined the nomination process for all our department faculty awards to make it quick and efficient. We also moved the nomination period to the fall so recipients can include their awards in their promotion packets, if applicable. The nomination link is now live.
Nominating a colleague for one of our faculty mentoring awards offers a chance to show your appreciation for the help they have given you to further your career and to celebrate the significant amount of time and energy that our teachers give to inspiring and training the next generation of behavioral health professionals. Please take a moment to nominate your colleague(s) by Friday, November 25, 2022. Thank you!
Zoe Kratina-Hathaway receives Margaret O’Donnell Prize in Psychiatry
Congratulations to fourth year medical student Zoe Kratina-Hathaway, MD, this year’s recipient of the Margaret O’Donnell Prize in Psychiatry! This prize is awarded to a senior medical student who has been highly involved in behavioral health issues and outstanding academic work in psychiatry. As a medical student she was the co-leader and coordinator for the Mental Health Clinic in Boseman, MT. This student-run volunteer clinic provides psychiatric care for patients unable to afford mental health services. She also was a co-lead for the Psychiatric Interest Group and has extensive involvement in substance use disorder research including a four-year long NIH funded Medical Student Addictions Research program.
Several faculty members were called out for their excellent clinical care in Seattle Magazine’s 22nd annual list of the best physicians in the Puget Sound region. Congratulations to the following people who were voted a Top Doc by their peers: Rick Ries, MD (addiction psychiatry), Andy Saxon, MD (addiction psychiatry), Christine Yuodelis-Flores, MD (addiction psychiatry), Ray Hsiao, MD, (child and adolescent psychiatry), Ian Kodish, MD, PhD (child and adolescent psychiatry), Hower Kwon, MD, (child and adolescent psychiatry), Kathleen Myers, MD (child and adolescent psychiatry), Carol Rockhill, MD, PhD, (child and adolescent psychiatry), Mark Snowden, MD, MPH, (geriatric medicine), Jesse Fann, MD, MPH, (psychiatry), and Greg Simon, MD (psychiatry). Dr. Saxon was also named a Top Doc by Seattle Met Magazine!
Alysha Thompson, PhD, received the 2022 Promoting Evidence Based Mental Health Services Award from the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Division 53 of the American Psychological Association, in August at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
University of Washington
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356560
Seattle, WA 98195
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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Congratulations to the recipients of our latest round of Staff Scholarship Awards! Funded by department and philanthropic funds, the awards support professional development of classified or professional staff who work in our department. Awardees include:
Over the next few years, we will have tremendous opportunities for growing our clinical, research and training programs. We are creating a new position on our Human Resources team focused on recruiting faculty and staff, including faculty to lead and work in the new 
Angela Dahiya, PhD, MS, joined the department in July 2022 as a Postdoctoral Scholar-fellow working with Jennifer Gerdts on the UW's ECHO/INCLUDE programs, is conducting research with Karen Bearss on the RUBI parent training program for autistic children with co-occurring behavioral difficulties, and is providing assessment and treatment services to children and families at the Seattle Children’s Autism Center. Her clinical and research interests are focused on the dissemination and implementation of accessible care for families and their children with developmental disabilities in diverse and rural/low-income communities, especially using technology. Dr. Dahiya is a California native and grew up in San Francisco. She completed her BA from UC Davis and her MA from Pepperdine University. Outside of work, she enjoys trying new restaurants, traveling & enjoying the outdoors, exploring new places with her husband and dog, Kona, as well as spending time with friends and family. She is excited to be back on the west coast after living in Virginia for the past five years. If you would like to reach out to Angela and say hello, her email is 
Miranda Delawalla, PhD, MPH, joined the department in June 2022 as a Postdoctoral Scholar-fellow in the Psychology Training in Alcohol Research (PTAR) Fellowship at the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors (CSHRB). Dr. Delawalla completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology at the University of Georgia and has been at the University of Washington for about five years completing both her MPH and PhD in the Department of Epidemiology. Her research focuses have primarily been adolescent depressive symptoms and substance use, as well as maternal and child health. As a graduate student, Dr. Delawalla also worked as a teaching assistant for epidemiology and biostatistics courses and as a research assistant for the Strategic Analysis, Research & Training (START) Center in the Department of Global Health. Outside of work, Dr. Delawalla loves to read, needlepoint, hike, bake, and spend time with her family and dogs. If you would like to reach out to Miranda and say help, her email is 
Arya Kadakia joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Coordinator for the Behavioral Research in Technology and Engineering Center (BRiTE Center). Arya will be working as a mHealth practice facilitator as well as a coordinator for research that examines the use of technology for schizophrenia. He recently graduated from Dartmouth College where he studied psychology and global health. Over the past few years, Arya developed a passion for the use of technology to enhance the quality of clinical care, improve mental health outcomes, and increase equity for diverse populations. His past work includes creating a natural language processing classifier to monitor digital peer support fidelity, developing components of a mHealth application, as well as conducting and publishing research on this topic. Outside of work, Arya likes to do photography, go scuba diving, and go on treks. If you would like to reach out to Arya and say hello, his email is 
Maggie Johansson joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Coordinator for the Genes 2 Mental Health study in the Research in Autism and the Brain lab (RAB Lab). She is located at the UW Seattle campus at the Center for Human Development and Disability (CHDD). In June of 2022, Maggie graduated from UW with her BS in Psychology. Previously she worked as a Research Assistant in an ADHD Behavioral Therapy lab. Outside of work, she loves to explore the many amazing state/national parks in Washington. Most recently she has gone to the Olympic National Park, and the Mt. Rainer National Park. She is so excited to be joining the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences department.
Anna Larsen, PhD, MPH, joined the department in July 2022 as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Behavioral Research in Technology and Engineering (BRiTE) Center. She will contribute to new and ongoing studies focused on developing and implementing digital mental health interventions for mental health in low- and middle-income settings. Dr. Larsen recently completed her doctoral program at UW Epidemiology where she evaluated maternal depression and associated adverse infant outcomes among Kenyan mother-infant pairs, supported by a NICHD F31 award. She is currently funded by a NICHD F32 award to expand this work to assess linkages between mother-infant interactions and child social-emotional development. Dr. Larsen is excited to gain new experience in mobile health intervention development at the BRiTE Center. Outside of work, Dr. Larsen enjoys traveling to new places, getting outside, and painting when inspiration strikes. If you would like to reach out to Anna and say hello, her email is 
Courtney Marecki joined the department in July 2022 as an Analytical Chemist and LC/MS and Conjugations Specialist for the Pravetoni research group at Harborview Medical Center. Courtney has a MA in Chemistry and a MA in Education. She has worked as a high school and undergraduate chemistry professor for the last eight years. Outside of work, Courtney enjoys spending time with her family playing games, riding horses, hiking, and kayaking. If you would like to reach out to Courtney and say hello, her email is 
Olivia Michael joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Study Assistant at the SMART Center. Olivia recently graduated with a BS in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience and a BA in Global Health from UC San Diego. During her time at UCSD, she spent two years as a research intern under Dr. Brookman-Frazee at the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC). She is passionate about improving community mental health services, combating disparities in access, and increasing the utilization of evidence-based practices among youth with autism. In the future, she plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and hopes to continue researching methods to successfully implement and sustain evidence-based practices. In her free time, Olivia enjoys relaxing in nature, practicing yoga, and trying new foods. If you would like to reach out to Olivia and say hello, her email is 
Merih Mehari, MSW, joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Assistant for the CoLab for Community & Behavioral Health Policy. Merih will be assisting the team with data collection, interpretation, and act as cultural liaison. Merih graduated from the University of Washington in 2018 with a MSW. After his graduation he has been working as a behavioral health therapist in community mental health agency and outpatient clinics in the Seattle area. Merih plans to pursue his doctoral program with focus on addressing behavioral health issues of underserved population through community engagement and empowerment. He draws perspectives from his own migration experience to the state and working with low-income families in the King County. In his free time, he enjoys doing activities that enhance his spiritual and physical wellbeing. He also likes to cook, read, and socialize. If you would like to reach out to Merih and say hello, his email is 
Aaron Rosser joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Study Assistant in Rebecca Hendrickson’s lab as part of the NW MIRECC. Aaron is a recent graduate from the University of Washington holding a dual degree in Psychology and Philosophy. During his time there, Aaron worked with the School of Nursing DPEN team to develop an evidence-based intervention for informal caregivers and volunteered his time on the board of the non-profit Circle of Friends for Mental Health. Outside of work, Aaron is passionate about reading, philosophical theory, and playing his flute. If you would like to reach out to Aaron and say hello, his email is 
Amy Schoen, MBA, joined the department in August 2022 as a Clinical and Operations Financial Analyst. Amy will be supporting the Department’s overall clinical efforts with a primary focus on Seattle Children's Hospital. Amy has a BA in Accounting and an MBA, both from Western Washington University. Prior to joining UW, she worked at T-Mobile for over seven years as a Senior Tax Analyst, first in property tax then in indirect tax controversy. Outside of work, Amy enjoys spending time with her husband and their cat and dog, playing video games, visiting breweries, and hiking. If you would like to reach out to Amy and say hello, her email is 
Patima Sdek, PhD, joined the department in July 2022 as a Lab Manager in Marco Pravetoni’s lab located at Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Sdek received her PhD in Medicine at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in 2001 and came to America for postdoctoral training. After five years of postdoctoral training, she was offered an Assistant Researcher position at UCLA, but left because of a family relocation. She has tried different career paths after that but getting back to the research field is always what she wanted. Dr. Sdek is very happy to have this opportunity to work in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at University of Washington. Outside of work, Dr. Sdek enjoys fishing, gardening and reading. If you would like to reach out to Patima and say hello, her email is 
Wenqi Zhang joined the department in July 2022 as a Research Coordinator for the Supporting Psychosis Innovation through Research, Implementation, and Training (SPIRIT) lab. She will be mainly working on the CBTpro trial with Sarah Kopelovich and Rachel Brian. Wenqi graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in Psychology in 2022. During her years in college, she worked as a Research Assistant in the CAPS Lab on Metric structure in literacy development and Couperus’ Lab on selective attention as well as individual differences in mental health. In her spare time, Wenqi enjoys playing the guitar and covering songs with friends. If you would like to reach out to Wenqi and say hello, her email is 
Jasmine Zhu joined the department in July 2022 as a Continuing Education Coordinator with the Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI). Jasmine has done previous social and clinical psychology research in a volunteer capacity, and prior to that she taught elementary school for the past two years. Before teaching, Jasmine worked in business as an account manager at Microsoft. She graduated with her Bachelor's in Science from University of Maryland in 2018 and has lived in Seattle for the past four years. Outside of work, Jasmine enjoys bouldering, collecting and caring for houseplants, hanging out with friends, hiking, reading, learning about new topics, and surfing. If you would like to reach out to Jasmine and say hello, her email is 
Two new centers joined our department over the summer. The Center for Community-Engaged Drug Education, Epidemiology and Research (CEDEER) group at ADAI led by Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, joins research with the “real-world” to generate innovative, evidence-based, and person-centered responses to the use of opioids, stimulants and other illicit substances. The Center’s goal is to collect and share knowledge gained from research, local data, clinical expertise, and personal lived experiences of people who use drugs. This knowledge is used to improve policies and services to reduce substance-related harms and improve the lives of people impacted by substance use. Equitable access to relevant and effective care is necessary to address current and historical policies that create inequitable harm to people who use opioids and stimulants. 
The Perinatal Mental Health and Substance Use Education, Research, and Clinical Consultation (PERC) Center led by Amritha Bhat, MBBS, MD, MPH, and Deb Cowley, MD and administered by Jamie Adachi, MPH, aims to transform perinatal mental health and substance use disorder delivery systems through excellence in clinical consultation, education, and health services research. The team provides direct specialty psychiatric care, psychiatric telephone consultation (Perinatal Psychiatry Consultation Line), integrated mental health treatments, workforce development initiatives, and conducts innovative health services research. The creation of this new Center recognizes the continued growth and expansion of our Maternal-Child Mental Health Program, and a naming transition will happen over the next few months. 
Dror Ben-Zeev, PhD, received a R01 award from the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) for “Combining mHealth and nurse-delivered care to improve the outcomes of people with serious mental illness in West Africa”. In West Africa, the hardships of serious mental illnesses (SMI) such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are compounded by pervasive societal stigma, scarce treatment options, systematic exclusion, neglect and abuse. Most people with SMI in West Africa receive care from traditional and faith healers who have no formal training in assessment, treatment of SMI, or preservation of human rights and patient safety. Dr. Ben-Zeev’s multinational team will deploy and evaluate M&M: a dual-pronged intervention package comprised of a smartphone system designed to train healers and support their delivery of brief evidence-based psychosocial interventions (M-Healer) combined with pharmacotherapy delivered directly to the patients they are treating via visiting nurse (Mobile Nurse). 
The pandemic has stressed our employees and our health care system’s finances tremendously. Our clinicians continue to be very busy as all our sites struggle with high patient volumes and staffing challenges. The work is rewarding but very stressful. Initial data from the UW Medicine Clinician Well-Being Survey indicate that our clinicians find it challenging to meet all the needs of their patients. Some of that sentiment is driven by things beyond our control, but we will be taking a hard look at what we can do to improve our ability to better serve our patients’ needs, including the 
We are making good progress on the construction of the new Behavioral Health Teaching Facility at the University of Washington Medical Center-Northwest campus. The exterior façade of the building is underway with the goal of fully enclosing the building by the end of November. The building will ultimately support a full continuum of clinical services ranging from medication management and psychotherapies to state-of-the art neuromodulation treatments for adult and geriatric patients and patients who have psychiatric, medical, and surgical problems. The building will also become the new home for our residency education team and house interdisciplinary training and workforce development programs that are focused on preparing and supporting the next generation of behavioral health providers for Washington State. The BHTF is expected to open its doors in 2024. 
Zoe Kratina-Hathaway receives Margaret O’Donnell Prize in Psychiatry
Several faculty members were called out for their excellent clinical care in 
The University of Washington Board of Regents has approved Susan Stoner, PhD, as the holder of the Ann Streissguth, Ph.D. Endowed Professorship in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Stoner is Director of the 
Alysha Thompson, PhD, received the 2022 Promoting Evidence Based Mental Health Services Award from the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Division 53 of the American Psychological Association, in August at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association in Minneapolis, Minnesota.