It was good to see many of our faculty and staff at this year’s annual meeting on June 16. We took some time to reflect on the past year and to look at what’s ahead.
It goes without saying that this has been a challenging and remarkable year. As we struggled with a global pandemic that is unprecedented in our lifetime, we also started to confront centuries of systemic racism and inequities. Here in Seattle, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with regards to the pandemic and we are enjoying some of the new freedoms that come with being vaccinated, but it is clear that we have a long way to go in our efforts to achieve our goals related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Many of us lost friends, family and loved ones this year. Others have lost their economic bearings or their sense of safety. For some, it has not been safe to go out on the street. And for many of us, this has been a year where we have come to appreciate the tremendous privileges that we experience in our lives. This has been both a scary time and also a very important time to make change, and many of us are still working to find a new normal.
In the midst of these challenges, I have seen what a remarkable group of faculty, staff, trainees, alumni, leaders and donors you are. I have seen amazing examples of support, flexibility, willingness to step up and help each other, and resilience. You are part of a remarkable team that is passionate about the work we do and the people we serve, and I thank each and every one of you for being a part of this team.
At our meeting, we had a chance to reflect on many of the exiting things going on in our work, and I will call out just a few of them here. We congratulated and celebrated a dozen faculty who are being promoted this year and I want to thank our departmental promotions committees and our HR team for their support of this important work! We announced that professors Lydia Chwastiak and Eric Bruns will serve as co-chairs of our departmental promotions committee and also take on a new role as co-directors for faculty development, working closely with myself, our service chiefs, and our center directors to help support and advance our junior faculty. We announced a new Clinician Scientist Transition (CST) Award that will support the career of clinician scientists, and a new department-funded clinical postdoctoral fellowship for graduates of our psychology internship program. Mark Snowden provided an update on our department’s work on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and we welcomed UW’s Chief Equity Officer, Paula Houston, Ed.D. to help us ‘kick off’ a staff EDI committee that will complement the work of similar committees focused on our faculty and trainees. We also celebrated faculty and staff who received awards for their outstanding work this year. We celebrated the work of our clinicians who saw nearly 100,000 patient encounters this year, our educators who spent nearly 25,000 hours teaching an amazing group of trainees across our programs, and our researchers who attracted more than $ 50 million in grants and contracts to support their work to find better solutions for individuals living with mental health and addiction problems. We also reviewed a number of innovations in our clinical programs and our educational programs. Please refer to our annual meeting slides for additional information, and those of you with a UW NetID can view recordings of the annual meeting and the breakout sessions.
A few days ago, we celebrated the graduation of another remarkable group of psychiatry and psychology residents and fellows. I am proud to welcome this amazing group of new mental health professionals at a time when their work is needed more than ever. We also celebrated a number of our faculty who received awards for their amazing work with our trainees over the past year.
In summary, I can say that our department is strong and resilient, thanks to the amazing work of all of you. As in earlier years, we will take two months off from writing a newsletter this summer and we will return with a new newsletter when we are all back in the office together this fall. In the meantime, I hope that you stay cool and you have a great summer! Thank you, as always, for all you do!
Jürgen
Please help us welcome our new faculty and staff!
Paige Combs joined the department in June 2021 as a Research Coordinator at the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behavior (CSHRB) working with Anne Fairlie, PhD, on Project Reflect. Paige was previously an undergraduate student at San Jose State University in San Jose, California and graduated with her BA in Sociology concentrated in Community Change. Paige is presently a dual degree graduate student in UW’s School of Social Work and Public Health with interests in all aspects of well-being, but especially mental health and how it intersects with physical health, nutrition and the environment. She also has interest in self-esteem, motivation and resilience. Paige’s previous employment includes working as a Research Analyst at Applied Survey Research in California where she supported various projects serving vulnerable and marginalized communities through community needs assessments, program evaluations, and school readiness assessments. Paige is passionate about research, academia, and therapeutic services and hopes to blend her interests to build thriving resilient communities. Her favorite self-care activities include being with her loved ones, playing with her dog Peanut, walking, weightlifting and being in nature. She recently got a paddleboard and is excited to get out in the water. If you would like to reach out to Paige and say hello, her email is pcombs20@uw.edu.
Kathryn Cunningham, PsyD, joined the department in June 2021 as an Acting Assistant Professor. Dr. Cunningham is a Clinical Psychologist at Echo Glen Children’s Center and a team member at the CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy where her work focuses on improving behavioral health outcomes among justice-involved youth. She is committed to increasing health equity among marginalized populations through her work with individuals and systems. Dr. Cunningham most recently completed a two-year forensic psychology postdoctoral fellowship through the University of Washington and Child Study and Treatment Center. Prior to that, she worked in Austin, TX as a pre-doctoral intern at Travis County Juvenile Probation Department. She completed her graduate training at Loyola University Maryland and her undergraduate education at UW where she was a psychology major with a minor in diversity studies. Outside of work, Dr. Cunningham enjoys horseback riding, competing in local hunter/jumper shows, exploring new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. If you would like to reach out to Dr. Cunningham and say hello, her email is kateac@uw.edu.
Kristen Hiatt joined the department in June 2021 as a Program Assistant working with the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. Kristen is currently enrolled as an MSW student at UW. She has a background in Human Geography and has previously worked in community mental health and homeless services. Outside of work, Kristen loves to backpack, run, read and care for her ever-growing indoor plant collection. If you would like to reach out to Kristen and say hello, her email is hiattk4@uw.edu.
Alice Lee joined the department in June 2021 as a Research Study Assistant for Dr. Doug Zatzick’s Trauma Survivors Outcomes and Support study. Alice graduated from UW in Public Health and was previously a Case Manager serving a low-income population with resources and case management at Valley Cities, which is an outpatient mental health clinic. Alice grew up dancing but now she tries to keep herself as active as possible like snowboarding and going on runs. She loves to meet new people, so she welcomes you to reach out to her to get a cup of coffee. If you would like to reach out to Alice and say hello, her email is ajl32@uw.edu.
Jessica Maura, PhD, joined the department in February 2021 as an Acting Assistant Professor and licensed Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Maura serves as Clinical Psychologist on the Intake and Brief Intervention Services (IBIS) team at Harborview Mental Health and Addictions Services. She provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) on the inpatient units at Harborview, is a CBTp Clinician at the Specialized Treatment Program for Early Psychosis (STEP) and serves as an assessor and clinical supervisor in the Central Assessment of Psychosis Service, a tele-evaluation service that identifies youth experiencing signs and symptoms of psychosis (a program developed and overseen by Dr. Sarah Kopelovich). Dr. Maura earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Miami and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Psychosis Treatment and Recovery at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Maura’s research has focused primarily on the impact that culture and other psychosocial factors have on the diagnosis and treatment of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, as well as examining the efficacy of culturally adapted interventions for Schizophrenia. Outside of work, Dr. Maura enjoys hiking and stand-up comedy. If you would like to reach out to Dr. Maura and say hello, her email is jmaura@uw.edu.
Eric Bruns and Lydia Chwastiak to lead faculty development efforts To strengthen our capacity to advance and promote our junior faculty, we have asked professors Eric Bruns, PhD, and Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH, to serve as Co-Directors for Faculty Development. Drs. Bruns and Chwastiak have done a fantastic job as Co-Chairs of our Promotions Committee this year and will build on their understanding of what it takes to be promoted to help our junior faculty ‘make the right moves’ when it comes to progressing in their academic ranks. Lydia and Eric will work closely with Maureen Johnson, Associate Director for Human Resources, to streamline processes, develop guidelines for faculty and mentors, and to help advise junior faculty about issues related to promotion.
Athena Wong named Associate Director of Education Athena Wong has been named Associate Director of Education. In this new role, she will partner with Heidi Combs, MD, Vice Chair for Education, Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD, Psychiatry Residency Program Director, our program directors across our education programs and our staff leadership to focus on operations of our educational programs. Athena has over 20 years of experience managing our department’s ACGME programs and will focus on improving our trainee experience, managing the education staff team and implementing process improvement across the operations. Her expertise will be an important asset as our education programs are expanding with additional Seattle and Montana track trainee slots and moving to the new BHTF in academic year 2024.
Alison Laing to chair SOM Research Workgroup Alison Laing will take over as Chair of the Medical School Administrators School of Medicine (SOM) Research Workgroup in July for a two-year term. The workgroup has administration representation from SOM Shared Services, the Dean’s Office and clinical and basic science departments with a focus on looking at current issues and finding best practices across the school’s research administration portfolio.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Staff Committee
Over the past year, we have worked on a range of efforts focused on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), but this work is never complete and we have much left to do. To complement our Faculty Diversity Committee led by Mark Snowden, MD, and similar committees in our training programs (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Residency Committee and the Psychology Internship Program’s Diversity Advancement Committee), we are forming a EDI committee for staff.
Following advice from the Leaders Guide for Convening and Running an Effective EDI Committee put together by UW Medicine’s Office of Healthcare Equity, we have identified an initial structure for this group. Two Co-Chairs will lead the group and 6-12 Committee Members will work to advance the group’s initiatives. We anticipate having several workgroups that will be led by a Committee Member and open to all department staff. Chair Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA, will serve as the Executive Sponsor for this group and Vice Chair for Finance and Administration Ali Iqbal, MBA, will serve as its Executive Champion. You can read about these roles and others in the Leaders Guide.
If you are interested in being a Co-Chair or a Committee Member, please reach out to Semhar Abraha (semhar12@uw.edu) to schedule a conversation with Ali. We are looking for people who represent both our research and administrative activities and who are passionate about this work. Membership to the group is open to all levels of department staff but we are encouraging people who are early in their careers and who wish to contribute to the broader work of the department. We intend to hold conversations with interested people this summer and launch the new staff EDI committee this Fall.
A big thank you to Paula Houston, Ed.D., UW Medicine’s Chief Equity Officer, for her help in getting us organized and for giving an inspiring presentation at the breakout session at our recent annual department meeting.
Nathan Sackett receives Clinician Scientist Transition (CST) Award to develop novel therapeutics
Nathan Sackett, MD, MS, is the first recipient of our new Clinician Scientist Transition (CST) Award. Funded by philanthropic and departmental support, the award provides funds to advance the career of clinician scientists who are committed to starting careers in clinical or translational research. Finding time to pursue research interests is difficult while fully engaged in clinical and teaching responsibilities, and the CST Award supports this career trajectory by protecting a clinician scientist’s time to do so.
Dr. Sackett will use his award to explore novel therapeutics, such as the use of psychedelics to treat substance use disorders. He completed his psychiatry residency and Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship with us and we are excited to welcome Jonathan to the UW faculty and to support his work in novel therapeutics.
Final report: Re-engineering siloed systems of care through evidence-integrated design thinking
In April 2021, we announced the recipients of our 2020 Small Grants Program aimed at advancing the clinical, educational, research, and/or advocacy missions of our department. We were able to allocate nearly $ 100,000 to a terrific set of diverse, one-year proposals from faculty, staff and trainees on a wide range of topics. This is the final report for the “Re-engineering siloed systems of care for youth through evidence-integrated design thinking” project involving Lindsey Weil, PhD, Mandy Owens, PhD, Sarah Walker, PhD, and Larry Wissow, MD.
The project was able to document the acceptability, feasibility and implementation success of an approach to behavioral health policy planning developed to facilitate multi-sector collaboration, participatory policy codesign (PPCD). The department support was critical to building proof of concept for the approach. Since the project began, the investigator team has submitted two federal grants (R34 to NIDA, and a U01 to NIH) and received invitations to submit two special issues with the journals Evidence and Policy and Health Services Research.
This project strengthened and facilitated new collaborations with the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice, the Center for Public Health Innovation and Policy Science in the School of Public Health, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, and the bay-area nonprofit, Public Health Institute. Read more
Jeremy Clark Summer Research Fellowship
To honor the memory and contributions of our colleague and friend, Jeremy Clark, PhD, three UW undergraduate students have been selected to receive the Jeremy Clark Research Fellowship for summer 2021. The three students will be working in several Division of Psychiatric Neurosciences labs and were chosen by the selection committee from a strong pool of applicants. Sarah Ransom (Neumaier lab), Emma Skillen (Schindler lab), and Anna Slaven (Stella lab) will each be supported for ten weeks. This is the third summer during which Clark Fellows have been selected and we hope to continue to honor Jeremy each year. The Fellowship is supported by philanthropic donations.
Before his untimely death, Jeremy was a dedicated mentor and was passionate about his neuroscience investigations, which centered on the intersection of adolescent brain development and alcohol dependence. He was the recipient of a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, which was bestowed to him at the White House.
Four community partnerships selected to improve depression care
With generous support from the Archstone Foundation, department faculty under the leadership of Jürgen Unützer MD, MPH, MA, have named four partnerships to participate in a learning collaborative to improve depression care for older adults and reduce mental health disparities. Each partnership, consisting of a primary care clinic and a community-based organization (CBOs), will receive a one-year award of $30,000 to participate in a continuous quality improvement learning community with the goal of creating an innovative solution to address patients’ medical, behavioral and social needs to improve care. The four selected partnerships include:
Community Health Centers of the Central Coast (CHCCC) and Food Bank of Santa Barbara County (FBSBC)
Eisner Health and Special Service for Groups’ SILVER Program
San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services Age Wise program and Lifestyle Medical
Grove by Sutter Health and Council on Aging, Santa Rosa, CA
This new initiative builds upon previous work with the Archstone Foundation’s Depression in Late-Life Initiative. Investigators include Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA,Theresa Hoeft, PhD,Patrick Raue, PhD, and John Kern, MD. Mindy Vredevoogd and Kat James provide research support.
Congratulations to our Graduates!
On June 25, we celebrated the graduates of our residency and fellowship programs at our virtual graduation via Zoom with box lunches sent to each graduate’s home. We missed the ability to see each other, to say good-bye with some hugs and high fives, but it was wonderful to hear and celebrate everyone’s accomplishments and we are proud of graduating such a fine group of new mental health professionals during this critical time. We wish our graduates all the best for their next steps and we hope that we will all stay in touch.
Numerous trainees and faculty members received awards at the graduation ceremony. Congratulations to all!
Psychology Resident Awards
The Making a Difference Joan C. Martin, PhD, Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Psychology Resident – Jonathan Reeves, MA
The Director’s Prize: Dr. Nancy Robinson Award – Katherine Walukevich-Dienst, MA
The John E. Carr PhD Award for Outstanding Achievement in Empirically-Supported Psychotherapies – Julia Brechbiel, MA
Psychology Internship Faculty Recognition Awards for Teaching & Supervising Excellence
Adult Track – Kristen Lindgren, PhD
Autism Track – Kathleen Lehman, PhD
Behavioral Medicine/NP Track – Ivan Molton, PhD and Shelley Wiechman, PhD
Child Track – Eileen Twohy, PhD
Integrated – Kari Stephens, PhD and Amy Starosta PhD
Excellence in Public Psychiatry and Social Dedication: Shane Collins, MD
Outstanding Chief Resident: Gabriella Stamper, MD, PhD, MA
Psychiatry Residency Faculty Recognition Awards
Deborah Cowley Psychiatry Chief Residents’ Award: Laurel Pellegrino, MD and Matthew Iles-Shih, MD
Excellent Clinical Faculty Award: Sharon Romm, MD
Excellent Academic Faculty Award: Matthew Iles-Shih, MD
Clinician Teacher Faculty Pathway Outstanding Junior Faculty Award
Thomas Soeprono, MD
Second annual Psychiatry Resident Scholarship and Research Day
Last month, the Psychiatry Residency Program held another successful Scholarship and Research Day. This year the retreat was expanded to all second-, third- and fourth-year residents and included more presentations. Residents presented on topics ranging from Residency training, addiction, telehealth and remote collaborative care. Srijan Sen, MD, PhD, from the University of Michigan joined the retreat and gave a fascinating talk on “Physician Training: A Prospective Model to Understand how Stress Leads to Depression.” Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Scholarship and Research Day awards!
Resident’s Choice: Shane Collins, MD, MS, Formulating structural vulnerability: a phenomenological case study of “medical noncompliance” in the setting of social suffering and historical trauma
Director’s Award: Kat Liang, MD, PhD, The brain-body connection: a stress responsive gene involved in glucocorticoid signaling is active in serotonin neurons
Lightening Round Talks: Robin Berger, MD, MRCPsych, Improving care for recurrent foreign body ingestion in the PBMU
We thank everyone who joined this special day and look forward to hearing how our Residents continue to explore new topics through scholarship and research in the upcoming year.
At the department annual meeting, we honored several members of our faculty and staff who have contributed in various ways to the success of our department. Big congratulations to each of them!
Gary J. Tucker Career Teaching Award:
Heidi Combs, MD The Gary J. Tucker Career Teaching Award, named in honor of the Chair of our department from 1985 through 1997, recognizes exceptional career achievement in teaching and education and honors Dr. Tucker's significant contributions to our academic programs, his leadership and dedication as a teacher, clinician, and scholar, his love of teaching, and his ability to inspire and encourage trainees.
The award is given to a member of the academic or clinical faculty who has demonstrated, throughout his or her career, outstanding skills as a teacher and dedication to education. This year, the award was given to Heidi Combs, MD.
Dr. Combs loves to teach and has a stellar record of exceptional, very highly rated teaching of medical students, residents, faculty, physicians in practice and other learners. She was an outstanding leader of medical student education in our department and was recognized as Teacher Superior in Perpetuity by the UW School of Medicine in 2013. This honor, held by only 21 other teachers in the School’s history, is bestowed upon those who have received the Distinguished Teaching Award from the graduating class four times. She is intimately involved in the education of psychiatry residents and is a founding faculty member of the Clinician-Teacher Pathway for our residency program. She regularly educates primary care providers on detection and treatment of psychiatric illnesses in primary settings and has a long record of significant accomplishment and recognition in faculty development (including the Stern Endowed Chair). She is also a superb role model and mentor. Dr. Combs assumed the role of Vice Chair of Education in 2020 and in that role, she oversees all educational efforts for our department.
Past recipients of the award include Jack Carr, PhD, Johan Verhulst, MD, Chris Varley, MD, Joan Romano, PhD, Deb Cowley, MD, Dick Miyoshi, RPh, Marcella Pascualy, MD, Elizabeth McCauley, PhD and Andrew Saxon, MD.
Wayne J. Katon Outstanding Mentor Award:
Tracy Simpson, PhD The Wayne J. Katon Outstanding Mentor Award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates sustained commitment to the creative, scholarly, professional and personal development of research mentees. The award honors Wayne Katon, MD, a gifted and dedicated mentor who supervised medical students, psychiatry residents, research fellows and junior faculty across several departments, many of whom have become principal investigators of their own grant funded research programs. He directed an NIH-funded T-32 Fellowship Program in Primary Care Psychiatry for over 25 years that produced more than 30 successful researchers at the interface of medicine and psychiatry, including many members of our department. The award is funded by the Wayne Katon Memorial Fund for Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Development. This year, the award was given to Tracy Simpson, PhD.
There was a terrific nomination packet submitted on Dr. Simpson’s behalf from a large group of colleagues and mentees which detailed a remarkable generosity and investment in her mentees. The selection committee was very impressed with Dr. Simpson’s track record of mentoring a diverse group of faculty and trainees. Her commitment to developing the next generation of researchers in alcohol use disorders, PTSD and Veterans’ mental health was very clear. An excerpt from her nomination packet states, “She is one of those rare mentors who, behind closed doors and when no credit can be given, consistently puts in the extra effort to support the growth and success of her mentees. I can say without hesitation that even among mentor superstars, Dr. Simpson is truly exceptional.” Dr. Simpson has previously received the Exceptional Psychology Mentorship/Leadership Award by the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and the Outstanding Mentor Award by the American Psychological Association.
Past recipients of the award include Raphe Bernier, PhD, Mary Larimer, PhD, Kathleen Myers, PhD, Christine Lee, PhD, and Patricia Areán, PhD. We also congratulate this year’s other nominees Michele Bedard-Gilligan, PhD and John Fortney, PhD.
Exceptional Staff Award:
Debra Morrison & Michele Roe The Exceptional Staff Award honors and celebrates the valuable efforts staff members make toward supporting the mission of the department and upholding our core values of collaboration, continuous learning and mentorship, and integrity and accountability. This year’s Exceptional Staff Award went to Debra Morison, Senior Project Manager and Practice Coach for the AIMS Center, and Michele Roe, Process Improvement Analyst and Education Project Manager. The below excerpts from their respective nomination packets give a hint at their exceptional service.
“Debra is one of the most humble and collaborative people I’ve had the privilege to work with over the course of my career. She never seeks the spotlight, is the quickest person to give credit to her collaborators, and always look for the ways she can continue to learn and grow rather than resting on her considerable expertise. I know I can count on Debra to bring her ‘A-game’ to every meeting, every email, every conversation. She never cuts corners or takes the easy path.”
“Michele’s work is notable for accuracy, flexibility, creativity, adaptability and efficiency. She produces real results quickly, and her quality of work improved the success of every project I have seen her work on. She is always open to suggestions and is an effective team member even when it involves a diverse group of individuals (residents, faculty, students, internal and external to UW), but also works well independently. She has a knack for proposing solutions to problems and rising to every occasion.”
Exceptional Team Award: Department Finance Team New this year is the Exceptional Team Award, born from the recognition that we have an incredible number of effective teams that support our work and that no one person acts in isolation. The winner of this inaugural award is the Department Finance Team consisting of Binyam Abraham, Marlene Parafina, Linda Sandhop and Beth Kunze-Sieps. The Finance Team is led by Nadia Khan, Associate Director of Financial Services. The team works across our department and in all our mission areas (education, clinical and research) and processes over 100 transactions a week with an eye on delivering timely service and ensuring a high level of compliance with state and federal financial guidelines.
“In my 20 years of employment at UW, this is hands down the most talented team I’ve worked with. In the last year, they have managed to provide seamless support to the Department despite the abrupt transition to remote work and the loss of a key fiscal position due to layoffs. Most importantly, they consistently operate with the Department’s values in mind (Diversity, Collaboration, Continuous Learning and Mentorship, Integrity and Accountability).”
In Other News...
Pamela Y. Collins appointed to the National Advisory Mental Health Council Pamela Y. Collins, MD, MPH, who holds a joint professorship in psychiatry and global health, has been appointed to the prestigious National Institute of Mental Health’s National Advisory Mental Health Council (NAMHC) for a three-year term.
The Mental Health Council advises the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) on all policies and activities relating to the conduct and support of mental health research, research training and other programs of the Institute. The Council is chaired by NIMH Director Dr. Gordon.
Dr. Collins is the Director of the UW Global Mental Health Program, Executive Director of the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), a member of the advisory council for citiesRISE and director of the West Coast Global Mental Health Consortium, among other leadership roles. She was recently an advisor to “The Me You Can’t See,” a multi-part documentary series co-created by Oprah Winfrey and the Duke of Sussex to destigmatize mental illness through honest discussions and personal stories.
Christine Lee receives Translational Science Award The Society of Prevention Research (SPR) honored Christine Lee, PhD, with the 2021 Translation Science Award. The Translational Science Award is given to an individual or a team of individuals in recognition for contributions to the field of prevention science in the area of Type 1 or Type 2 translational research. Dr. Lee’s scholarly interests focus on the etiology and prevention of substance use behaviors and consequences during adolescence and young/early adulthood. She has developed a highly successful portfolio of work bridging developmental, social, and motivational theory with applied prevention and intervention techniques to strategically address high-risk behaviors during the transition to adulthood. Dr. Lee’s research addresses important questions regarding how recent marijuana legislation in Washington State impacts young adult marijuana use and consequences; what motivates young adults to engage in alcohol and marijuana use; how alcohol expectancies, alcohol use and consequences are linked in a natural feed-forward process that maintains high-risk behaviors; how developmental transitions and event timing influence use; and what are efficacious prevention and intervention strategies and for whom and under what conditions are these most effective.
SPR is dedicated to advancing scientific investigation on the etiology and prevention of social, physical and mental health, and academic problems and on the translation of that information to promote health and well-being.
Margaret Sibley honored by the Association for Women in Science Margaret Sibley, PhD, received the Early Career Achievement in STEM Award from the Association for Women in Science, Seattle branch. Dr. Sibley was recognized for her achievements in advancing science and contributing to STEM education as well as being an outstanding mentors and leader.
Dr. Sibley received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2012 from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Her work focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adolescents and young adults, building motivation and executive function skills in teenagers, and parenting teenagers and young adults with ADHD. She authored a book on delivering therapy to adolescents with ADHD (The STAND Program: Supporting Teens’ Autonomy Daily). Dr. Sibley’s clinical work combines Motivational Interviewing and organization skills training to support teen with ADHD and their parents. She is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), Professional Advisory Board for Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), and the editorial boards for scientific journals that include the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Dr. Sibley has co-authored over 75 scientific papers on ADHD. Prior to coming to UW in 2019, Dr. Sibley was an Associate Professor at Florida International University.
Faculty receive Seattle Magazine’s Top Doc award Several faculty members were called out for their excellent clinical care in Seattle Magazine’s list of Top Doctors. Congratulations to the following people who were voted a “Top Doctor” by their peers: Ray Hsiao, MD, (child and adolescent psychiatry), Hower Kwon, MD, (child and adolescent psychiatry), Carol Rockhill, MD, PhD, (child and adolescent psychiatry), Mark Snowden, MD, MPH, (geriatric psychiatry), and Jesse Fann, MD, MPH, (psychiatry). *The Addiction Psychiatry bucket incorrectly lists child and adolescent psychiatrists. We will update this list when we have correct information.
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Seattle, WA 98195
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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Paige Combs joined the department in June 2021 as a Research Coordinator at the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behavior (CSHRB) working with Anne Fairlie, PhD, on Project Reflect. Paige was previously an undergraduate student at San Jose State University in San Jose, California and graduated with her BA in Sociology concentrated in Community Change. Paige is presently a dual degree graduate student in UW’s School of Social Work and Public Health with interests in all aspects of well-being, but especially mental health and how it intersects with physical health, nutrition and the environment. She also has interest in self-esteem, motivation and resilience. Paige’s previous employment includes working as a Research Analyst at Applied Survey Research in California where she supported various projects serving vulnerable and marginalized communities through community needs assessments, program evaluations, and school readiness assessments. Paige is passionate about research, academia, and therapeutic services and hopes to blend her interests to build thriving resilient communities. Her favorite self-care activities include being with her loved ones, playing with her dog Peanut, walking, weightlifting and being in nature. She recently got a paddleboard and is excited to get out in the water. If you would like to reach out to Paige and say hello, her email is 
Kathryn Cunningham, PsyD, joined the department in June 2021 as an Acting Assistant Professor. Dr. Cunningham is a Clinical Psychologist at Echo Glen Children’s Center and a team member at the CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy where her work focuses on improving behavioral health outcomes among justice-involved youth. She is committed to increasing health equity among marginalized populations through her work with individuals and systems. Dr. Cunningham most recently completed a two-year forensic psychology postdoctoral fellowship through the University of Washington and Child Study and Treatment Center. Prior to that, she worked in Austin, TX as a pre-doctoral intern at Travis County Juvenile Probation Department. She completed her graduate training at Loyola University Maryland and her undergraduate education at UW where she was a psychology major with a minor in diversity studies. Outside of work, Dr. Cunningham enjoys horseback riding, competing in local hunter/jumper shows, exploring new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. If you would like to reach out to Dr. Cunningham and say hello, her email is 
Kristen Hiatt joined the department in June 2021 as a Program Assistant working with the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. Kristen is currently enrolled as an MSW student at UW. She has a background in Human Geography and has previously worked in community mental health and homeless services. Outside of work, Kristen loves to backpack, run, read and care for her ever-growing indoor plant collection. If you would like to reach out to Kristen and say hello, her email is 
Alice Lee joined the department in June 2021 as a Research Study Assistant for Dr. Doug Zatzick’s Trauma Survivors Outcomes and Support study. Alice graduated from UW in Public Health and was previously a Case Manager serving a low-income population with resources and case management at Valley Cities, which is an outpatient mental health clinic. Alice grew up dancing but now she tries to keep herself as active as possible like snowboarding and going on runs. She loves to meet new people, so she welcomes you to reach out to her to get a cup of coffee. If you would like to reach out to Alice and say hello, her email is 
Jessica Maura, PhD, joined the department in February 2021 as an Acting Assistant Professor and licensed Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Maura serves as Clinical Psychologist on the Intake and Brief Intervention Services (IBIS) team at Harborview Mental Health and Addictions Services. She provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) on the inpatient units at Harborview, is a CBTp Clinician at the Specialized Treatment Program for Early Psychosis (STEP) and serves as an assessor and clinical supervisor in the Central Assessment of Psychosis Service, a tele-evaluation service that identifies youth experiencing signs and symptoms of psychosis (a program developed and overseen by Dr. Sarah Kopelovich). Dr. Maura earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Miami and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Psychosis Treatment and Recovery at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Maura’s research has focused primarily on the impact that culture and other psychosocial factors have on the diagnosis and treatment of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, as well as examining the efficacy of culturally adapted interventions for Schizophrenia. Outside of work, Dr. Maura enjoys hiking and stand-up comedy. If you would like to reach out to Dr. Maura and say hello, her email is 
To strengthen our capacity to advance and promote our junior faculty, we have asked professors Eric Bruns, PhD, and Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH, to serve as Co-Directors for Faculty Development. Drs. Bruns and Chwastiak have done a fantastic job as Co-Chairs of our Promotions Committee this year and will build on their understanding of what it takes to be promoted to help our junior faculty ‘make the right moves’ when it comes to progressing in their academic ranks. Lydia and Eric will work closely with Maureen Johnson, Associate Director for Human Resources, to streamline processes, develop guidelines for faculty and mentors, and to help advise junior faculty about issues related to promotion.
Athena Wong has been named Associate Director of Education. In this new role, she will partner with Heidi Combs, MD, Vice Chair for Education, Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD, Psychiatry Residency Program Director, our program directors across our education programs and our staff leadership to focus on operations of our educational programs. Athena has over 20 years of experience managing our department’s ACGME programs and will focus on improving our trainee experience, managing the education staff team and implementing process improvement across the operations. Her expertise will be an important asset as our education programs are expanding with additional Seattle and Montana track trainee slots and moving to the new BHTF in academic year 2024.
Following advice from the 
Final report: Re-engineering siloed systems of care through evidence-integrated design thinking
Jeremy Clark Summer Research Fellowship
Four community partnerships selected to improve depression care
The Gary J. Tucker Career Teaching Award, named in honor of the Chair of our department from 1985 through 1997, recognizes exceptional career achievement in teaching and education and honors Dr. Tucker's significant contributions to our academic programs, his leadership and dedication as a teacher, clinician, and scholar, his love of teaching, and his ability to inspire and encourage trainees.
The Wayne J. Katon Outstanding Mentor Award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates sustained commitment to the creative, scholarly, professional and personal development of research mentees. The award honors Wayne Katon, MD, a gifted and dedicated mentor who supervised medical students, psychiatry residents, research fellows and junior faculty across several departments, many of whom have become principal investigators of their own grant funded research programs. He directed an NIH-funded T-32 Fellowship Program in Primary Care Psychiatry for over 25 years that produced more than 30 successful researchers at the interface of medicine and psychiatry, including many members of our department. The award is funded by the 
The Exceptional Staff Award honors and celebrates the valuable efforts staff members make toward supporting the mission of the department and upholding our core values of collaboration, continuous learning and mentorship, and integrity and accountability. This year’s Exceptional Staff Award went to Debra Morison, Senior Project Manager and Practice Coach for the AIMS Center, and Michele Roe, Process Improvement Analyst and Education Project Manager. The below excerpts from their respective nomination packets give a hint at their exceptional service.
“Michele’s work is notable for accuracy, flexibility, creativity, adaptability and efficiency. She produces real results quickly, and her quality of work improved the success of every project I have seen her work on. She is always open to suggestions and is an effective team member even when it involves a diverse group of individuals (residents, faculty, students, internal and external to UW), but also works well independently. She has a knack for proposing solutions to problems and rising to every occasion.”
New this year is the Exceptional Team Award, born from the recognition that we have an incredible number of effective teams that support our work and that no one person acts in isolation. The winner of this inaugural award is the Department Finance Team consisting of Binyam Abraham, Marlene Parafina, Linda Sandhop and Beth Kunze-Sieps. The Finance Team is led by Nadia Khan, Associate Director of Financial Services. The team works across our department and in all our mission areas (education, clinical and research) and processes over 100 transactions a week with an eye on delivering timely service and ensuring a high level of compliance with state and federal financial guidelines.
Pamela Y. Collins appointed to the National Advisory Mental Health Council
The Society of Prevention Research (SPR) honored Christine Lee, PhD, with the 2021 Translation Science Award. The Translational Science Award is given to an individual or a team of individuals in recognition for contributions to the field of prevention science in the area of Type 1 or Type 2 translational research. Dr. Lee’s scholarly interests focus on the etiology and prevention of substance use behaviors and consequences during adolescence and young/early adulthood. She has developed a highly successful portfolio of work bridging developmental, social, and motivational theory with applied prevention and intervention techniques to strategically address high-risk behaviors during the transition to adulthood. Dr. Lee’s research addresses important questions regarding how recent marijuana legislation in Washington State impacts young adult marijuana use and consequences; what motivates young adults to engage in alcohol and marijuana use; how alcohol expectancies, alcohol use and consequences are linked in a natural feed-forward process that maintains high-risk behaviors; how developmental transitions and event timing influence use; and what are efficacious prevention and intervention strategies and for whom and under what conditions are these most effective.
Margaret Sibley, PhD, received the Early Career Achievement in STEM Award from the Association for Women in Science, Seattle branch. Dr. Sibley was recognized for her achievements in advancing science and contributing to STEM education as well as being an outstanding mentors and leader.
Several faculty members were called out for their excellent clinical care in 
