Department Kudos

SAVE THE DATES 

UPCOMING FACULTY DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR

The following are the dates for upcoming faculty development seminars, which will be held on Zoom:

• Wednesday October 9 from 9-10:30am – AI Tools to IMPROVE WORK EFFICIENCY
• Wednesday November 20 from 9-10:30am – Publishing for Faculty Focused on Teaching and/or Service 

WRITING GROUPS: UPCOMING

The Faculty Writing Group is the first Wednesday of every month from 8:00-9:00am. However, there will not be a writing group in September. These meetings are on Zoom. This group is for faculty including adjunct faculty.

SPOTLIGHTS

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: Erica Lee, PhD

Erica Marshall Lee is a double board-certified psychologist (Clinical Psychology, Serious Mental Illness) and Associate Professor and Eminent Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. She is the Assistant Vice Chair, Faculty Development- Diversity and Inclusion and Associate Director, Advocacy and Diversity for Postdoctoral Residency Program in Health Service Psychology. Erica also serves as Practicum Director for Emory students at Grady and is an Assistant Editor for Intersections: The Education Journal of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center. She is a member of the School of Medicine Diversity Council and the University Senate Committee for open expression. She is often invited to speak and provide lectures at conferences focused on advocacy, social justice and diversity.

Outside of her Emory roles, Erica is the Clinical Director of Psychosocial Rehabilitation/Peer Services and Director of Psychological Services, Youth and Family Tree services at Grady Health System, Behavioral Health Outpatient Services. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor, Morehouse University School of Medicine. 

Erica is the Past President and fellow of the Georgia Psychological Association (GPA) and member of the American Psychological Association, where she serves as Chair for APA Division 18 Serious Mental Illness/Serious Emotional Disorder (SMI/SED) section, Co-Chair for APA Division 18 Policy and Advocacy Committee and APA Division 29, Domain Representative for Education and Training. She is also a member of the APA Task Force on Serious Mental Illness/Severe Emotional Disturbance and serves on the Editorial Board for APA Psychological Services Journal.  

Erica is passionate about serving and advocating with individuals with serious mental health concerns, particularly with underrepresented communities. She loves working collaboratively with individuals and observing them use their voice and actualize progress toward achieving their life goals. She feels privileged to accompany them and finds inspiration, meaning and hope taking part in their journey. Erica also enjoys supervision, training and mentoring and appreciates sharing the professional and personal trajectory individuals take in growing and transitioning on their respective paths. Additionally, Erica values participating in the respective committees she is involved in. She finds the wonderful and hard work involved in shifting and improving professional, academic and systemic concerns crucial.

Some key highlights of Erica’s career trajectory have been her promotion to associate professor and being elected as GPA President, as well as becoming a fellow of GPA. She is proud to have established a young adult psychosocial rehabilitation program and developed a social justice advocacy curriculum for psychology learners.  

Erica’s future plans and goals involve continued progress toward promotion to professor and continued work toward improving and expanding recovery, social justice and advocacy-oriented care and reducing racial inequities in mental and physical healthcare for individuals experiencing serious mental health concerns, she would also like to establish specialty specific training programs for working with individuals experiencing serious mental health concerns as well as actualize a comprehensive recovery center for this population.  

Outside of the workplace, Erica is involved in assisting unhoused individuals with obtaining food and serves on Lakeside High School’s Principal’s Advisory Committee. Her faith is important to her and as such prayer is vital. She is a true foodie and enjoys finding new and exciting places to eat. She loves animals, her workouts, playing video games, gardening, crocheting and shopping. Most of all, Erica is devoted to her family and along with her culinary-skilled husband, spends quality time supporting her two children and four grandchildren.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: David Goetsch

David Goetsch currently serves as the Human Resources Administrator for Brain Health which includes, Psychiatry, Neurology, Neurosurgery and Rehab Medicine, along with Orthopedics, Brain health Staff, and Goizueta Institute. The HR team has seven individuals that support each of the areas in the full life cycle of employment, as well as the credentialing process for all locations. 

David most recently served in the Provost’s Office at Emory University, supporting all faculty recruitment for the entire university complex along with DEI initiatives. Prior to his 16 years at Emory University, he worked with Marriott Hotels as a general manager and regional manager/ director for 17 hotels over 22 years. David appreciates the work and effort it takes to keep an organization compliant while still offering customer service. 

Working during the 1996 Olympics was a wonderful experience and David was honored to be named the general manager of the year for his company and for Marriott Hotels in 1998. He appreciates the opportunity to come to Emory as one of three people on the national search team for top talent for six years. 

Outside of David’s everyday work he gets the most out of his other efforts with DEI and serves on the advisory board for the Emory Pride Employee Network. He leads a workout group at 5:30 in the morning that keeps me engaged and healthy. 

TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT: Mackenzie Jones, MD, MPH

Mackenzie Jones is a PGY-4 Resident in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, as well as a co-chief resident at Grady and the Research Track. She also serves as a member of the DEI and DISC committees. Mackenzie has also participated in the 2023 Emory University Psychoanalytic Institute Fellowship, which included eight monthly meetings over the course of one year.

In this line of work, Mackenzie has most enjoyed getting to know so many inspiring people - including patients, clients, colleagues, mentors, students and friends. She is so grateful this work always reminds her to continue caring about people, stay curious and open to learning and keep striving to become a better person and psychiatrist. 

A key highlight of Mackenzie’s career trajectory is matching at Emory! She was ecstatic when she found out she matched here in the research track. Giving her first oral research presentations at the Schizophrenia International Research Society Annual Meeting and Winter Conference on Brain Research in 2019 was also a major highlight. Mackenzie also highlights teaming up with her incredible Co-Chiefs: Eric Galante at Grady and Najeah Okashah for Research. She is also proud of being nominated by her co-residents to serve as president of the residency program, as well as starting an elective at Grady Outpatient Psychiatry during her PGY-4 year to learn more about treatment approaches for people who experience psychosis and have a history of trauma. She also sends thanks to all the support she has had from several mentors including David Goldsmith, Jennifer Wootten, Nadine Kaslow, Rachel Waford, Keith Wood and Justin Palanci. 

Mackenzie has enjoyed so many parts of her training in psychiatry, it has been hard to narrow down her interests looking to the future. She would love to stay in academics so she can teach and learn from residents, students and all the multidisciplinary treatment team members. Mackenzie would also like to grow as a member of a professional community that values and promotes diversity of backgrounds, identities, experiences and ways of thinking. She hopes research will continue to be a part of my career; she finds it meaningful to spend time on projects that aim to improve the understanding of mental health and improve treatment options and outcomes for people seeking mental healthcare. 

Outside of work, Mackenzie enjoys hiking around Georgia and the Appalachian Mountains, swimming and paddling in lakes and streams around Georgia, running, cycling and strolling on the Beltline, as well as spending time with friends and family – those here in Atlanta and those spread out across the country.

MENTOR SPOTLIGHT: Ann Schwartz, MD (written by Marsha Stern, MD, MPH)

Ann's mentorship style is multifaceted and embodies professionalism and work-life balance. She is a role model in creating meaningful change by engaging leaders and colleagues collaboratively to tackle challenging issues. Ann is proactive, always anticipating needs and she consistently responds to emails in a timely manner. She extends her mentorship through sponsorship, connecting mentees with national learning opportunities and offering to write letters of recommendation or support for her colleagues and trainees. 

Ann's generosity and wealth of experience make her an outstanding mentor. She freely shares her knowledge and insights with her mentees. Her involvement on national boards and committees, along with her extensive network of friends and colleagues, allows her to connect her mentees with valuable opportunities and individuals in the field.

Through my time with Ann, I've witnessed firsthand her ability to handle difficult conversations and provide constructive feedback with grace and effectiveness. In her leadership roles, where such conversations are often unavoidable, Ann doesn’t shy away from addressing sensitive topics. Instead, she approaches them with a level of empathy and directness that fosters understanding and growth.

Observing Ann in these situations has been invaluable to me. Her example has given me the confidence and skills to approach my own difficult conversations with more clarity and purpose. I’ve learned how to deliver constructive feedback in a way that is both honest and supportive, ensuring that the message is received positively and leads to meaningful improvement. 

Ann’s mentorship has profoundly influenced me in ways I continue to realize. Her guidance has not only enhanced my ability to communicate effectively but has also shaped my approach to leadership and interpersonal relationships.

Early in my faculty career, I was invited to join a peer mentoring group for junior women, which included faculty from both Emory and Morehouse. Ann was one of the first speakers we invited, and when asked how she managed to excel in scholarship while balancing her administrative, clinical and family responsibilities, she shared a key piece of advice: publish the work you’re already doing. She provided examples from her own experience, such as developing curricula and subsequently publishing her work, illustrating how to integrate scholarship from routine responsibilities.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: Psychiatry at Emory University Student Health Services (written by Robert (Bobby) Elliott, MD)

Emory University Student Health Services (EUSHS) provides a wide variety of outpatient mental health services to meet the needs of Emory University students. It works closely with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Center for Student Wellbeing to provide psychiatric care, counseling, case management and health promotion services for students. The most common issues treated are anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, trauma, alcohol and substance use disorders, sleep problems and ADHD. The prevalence of mental health issues in the young adult population has been increasingly steadily over the past decade, and EUSHS has expanded services to meet this need at Emory both by hiring additional mental health staff and facilitating student access to a third-party telehealth platform called TimelyCare.

The purpose of EUSHS is to provide timely evaluation and management of students with emotional and mental health difficulties. It is oriented to facilitate open accessibility, early intervention, rapid identification of precipitating issues and initiation of appropriate treatment. CAPS provides urgent walk-in triage services for mental health crises and follows a brief model of treatment for counseling services for approximately a semester’s duration. Psychiatrists at EUSHS provide psychopharmacologic evaluation and treatment following a long-term model of care, and often provide consultation to other providers as needed. Mental Health Services are available during normal weekday business hours 8:30am-5:00pm, year-round and conveniently located on campus in Suite 124 at 1525 Clifton Road, one floor below EUSHS Primary Care. As part of EUSHS, a description of available mental health services is communicated to the Emory community through a regularly updated internet webpage. EUSHS psychiatry staff also assist CAPS staff in outreach activities designed to raise campus awareness of available services at EUSHS and CAPS.

The psychiatric service of the EUSHS is staffed by four faculty psychiatrists including Director for Psychiatry Services (Bobby Elliott), Associate Director for Psychiatry Services (Alyson Goodwin), two staff psychiatrists (Haley Way and Donna Tsai), LCSW therapist (Virginia Plummer), LCSW case manager (Latoya Grandy-Walker), LCSW eating disorder coordinator (Rachel Brown) and patient services coordinator (Rick Gregory). The psychiatrists are faculty members in the Emory University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. PGY3 psychiatry residents also participate in patient care under the supervision of the faculty psychiatrists. Current residents are Mimi Ackleh and Levi Obama.

Initial appointments for mental health evaluation are made via telephone (404-727-6145), by SHS primary care providers or in person through the EUSHS 1525 Clifton Road facility patient schedulers. Follow-up appointments can also be scheduled via Point and Click Open Communicator. Referrals for therapy are made to CAPS, other providers in the community or other clinics such as OPTP, and the SHS LCSW therapist. Evidence-based practice is a feature of service, including utilization of validated scales for depression and anxiety which are completed by students at each appointment. These are used by providers to improve treatment planning and are analyzed periodically to demonstrate average improvement of students from the initial appointment through subsequent follow-up assessments. EUSHS is also able to use this data to show equivalence of treatment efficacy prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with exclusively in-person appointments, to tele-health appointments done during the pandemic. EUSHS conducts annual student satisfaction surveys with the Spring 2024 survey showing 98% satisfaction with psychiatry services, and 97% agreeing the service had a positive impact on student ability to complete current or future academic goals.

In Spring 2024, EUSHS started an initiative, led by Alyson Goodwin, to collaborate with Student Health Services-Primary Care to increase training and consultative support for primary care providers with the goal of expanding the scope of services to include some mental health services. Post-training rating scales indicated primary care providers felt more comfortable with this expanded scope of care after the initiative. EUSHS also participates in an interdisciplinary Eating Disorder Treatment Team at SHS, including primary care, CAPS, athletic trainers and an eating disorder coordinator.

Important University collaborations of the service include weekly participation in Care Team, including University deans and leaders from Residence Life, Student Conduct, Emory Police Department, CAPS and Student Case Management Services. Other collaborations include Campus Life Medical Leave Review Team, Campus Life Crisis Practice Group, Emory Mental Health Leadership Council and CAPS-Psychiatry Multicultural and Diversity Committee, which organizes DEI based trainings for CAPS and Psychiatry staff with the goal of supporting clinician professional growth, through cultural humility, to provide excellent care to all students. In recent years, topics have included international student needs, first generation students, socioeconomic status, disabilities, race, ethnicity and LGBTQ identities.

One lesser known and important fact about EUSHS services is psychiatry services are free for enrolled students. This policy is meant to reduce barriers to access and ensure all Emory students can receive the psychiatric care they need.

For additional information about Psychiatry at Student Health Services, please contact Bobby Elliott, via email or 404-727-0386. 

WELLNESS COMMITTEE

The Wellness Committee is recruiting members!  

If you have an interest in helping others make better lifestyle choices and create a culture of wellness, we need you! We’re looking for members in the Department who are available to meet at least once a month.

Contact Elizabeth McCord and Charlotte Van Hale if interested.

DISC: GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Neha Khorana, PhD, Adjunct Faculty

Please share a fun fact about you related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• I have lived in three different countries throughout my life thus far.

Please share a celebration important for you/your family’s identity and/or a favorite/personally meaningful celebration in your identity and upbringing

• We are big on celebrating Diwali and Christmas in our family, as it represents the two big religions and cultures that are part of our lives and we hope to share with our children. 

Please share a microaggression you have witnessed or experienced, how it impacted you or others, and how you/they coped.

• I have many times had comments made about how "well I speak English" given that I am "not from here."

Please share a clinical encounter related to a particular holiday/celebration in which you learned something related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

• In my private practice, I work often with South Asian women who share a similar background to myself and learned so much about the diversity within the group itself, even just within India. I have learned about different languages, cultural practices, religions, foods and values held by other women who are from India and how this impacts their daily lives and especially their view of themselves and others. I am always reminded that although we share much in common, there are many individual and within-group differences as well. 

Given your intersectionalities, please share your point of view as you encounter the world/what do you want people to know (consider) about your unique point of view (frame of reference)

• I am an Indian-American woman who is an immigrant raised in Canada and now living in the US, which has helped me to better understand the many differences between these two neighboring countries in terms of their cultures and values.

What types of adjustments to professional activities have arisen due to your diversity status (addressing identity differences with patients)/ professional interests/efforts specifically sought in areas of teaching, service, or clinical work as a result of your diversity status or commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work.

• I have had to many times correct individuals on how they say my name and I always ask others how they pronounce their name, even if it looks "simple." I also always ask individuals how they identify their race and ethnicity and look to others for telling me how they identify rather than me placing labels upon them. In addition, I have taken time in my own therapy to process my biases and how these affect my daily interactions and especially my clinical work.

How has your diversity status has helped you develop greater resilience?

• My diversity status has allowed me to recognize each of us has unique identities, traits and/or characteristics others may view differently from how we view ourselves. For example, I view women as being powerful, competent and compassionate and hope others view me that way as well, but I am aware in most communities, this is a marginalized identity. I find by having marginalized identities as a woman of color and an immigrant, I am able to foster more compassion for others.

Donovan Ellis, PhD, Faculty

Please share a fun fact about you related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

• Last Fall I had the opportunity to participate in the Emory University’s Science Gallery Atlanta’s “Justice” community exhibit. A phone booth was provided where passersby were invited to share their thoughts and perspectives on justice and equity, and if selected, would be included as part of a podcast through partnership with WABE, NPR and PBS called “Calls for Justice.” Ultimately, the podcast was nominated as a Webby Awards honoree which is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Felt like an honor to lend my voice and perspective to such a cool project. 

Given your intersectionalities, please share your point of view as you encounter the world/what do you want people to know (consider) about your unique point of view (frame of reference).

• As a Black American, cisgender, male, psychologist, my identities have afforded me a perspective acknowledging and addressing diversity status is not really an option, but rather a functional requirement when navigating the personal and professional world around me. When leveraged as an opportunity, this approach allows me to provide responsive and intentional mentorship, supervision, clinical care and service. I think what's most interesting is the differences in approach to acknowledging one's relative power and privilege as a function of both visible and invisible identities. Holding a stance of active inquiry and curiosity leads to a constant recognition of the status quo across multiple system and ultimately provides me with the motivation to contribute towards change in both small and big ways. Whether that be teaching courses in multicultural psychology, holding leadership positions in DEI committees or simply validating a colleague’s experiences with microaggressions, these steps help me support efforts towards improving equity and access in all spaces I find myself in.

FACULTY KUDOS

Research

Chu C, Pan W, Ren Y, Mao P, Yang C, Liu C, Tang YL. Executive Function Deficits and Medial Temporal Lobe Atrophy in Late-Life Depression and Alzheimer's Disease: A Comparative Study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1243894. 

El-Gabalawy R, Sommer JL, Hebbard P, Reynolds K, Logan GS, Smith MSD, Mutter TC, Mutch WAC, Mota N, Proulx C, Shaigetz VG, Maples-Keller JL, Arora RC, Perrin D, Benedictson J & Jacobsohn E. (in press). An immersive virtual reality intervention for preoperative anxiety and distress among adults undergoing oncological surgery: Protocol for a 3-phase development and feasibility trial. JMIR Research Protocols.

Goodman G. (in press). Practical applications of transforming the attachment relationship to God: Using Attachment-Informed Psychotherapy. Routledge.

Goodman G. (in press). Using psychoanalytic techniques to transform the attachment relationship to God: Our refuge and strength. Routledge. 

Gu M, Zheng L, Gu J, Wang S, Shi Y, Jiang F, Liu H, Tang YL. Would you choose to be a psychiatrist again? A large-sample nationwide survey of psychiatrists and psychiatry residents in China. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 2023, 17: 43.

Hyatt CS, Phillips NL, Sleep CE, Lynam DR, & Miller JD. Graduate student perspectives on training and clinical experiences with Antagonism treatment. (in press). Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment. 

Hyatt CS, Reddi PJ, Michopoulos V, van Rooij S, Beaudoin FL, An X, Stevens JS, Zeng D, Neylan TC, Clifford G, Jovanovic TJ, Linnstaedt SD, Germine LT, Bollen KA, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PJ, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BW, Kurz MC, Swor RA, Gentile NA, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon M, Harris E, Pearson C, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Dommeier RM, Rathlev NK, O’Neil BJ, Sergot P, Sanchez L, Bruce SE, Miller MW, Pietrzak RH, Joorman J, Barch DM, Piazzagalli Sheridan JF, Smoller JW, Pace TW, Luna B, Binder E, Harte SE, Elliott JW, McLean SA, Kessler RC, Ressler K, Koenen Karestan K, Maples-Keller JL. (in press).  Longitudinal associations between five factor model and impulsive personality traits and PTSD symptoms: Findings from the AURORA study. Journal of Research in Personality. 

Katrinli S, Michopoulos V. Decoding Sex Differences in PTSD Heritability: A Comprehensive Twin Study. Am J Psychiatry. 2024 Aug 1;181(8):690-692. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20240496. PMID: 39086294.

Li B, Liu CM, Wang LN, Jin WQ, Pan WG, Wang W, Ren YP, Ma X, Tang YL. Cognitive Control Impairment in AX-Continuous Performance Test in Patients with Schizophrenia: A Pilot EEG Study. Brain and Behavior, 2023, Oct 10:e3276. doi: 10.1002/brb3.3276.

Liu J, Ji JT, Zhou M, Liu HF, Fan YY, Mi S, Tang YL. Non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents with mood disorders and the roles of self-compassion and emotional regulation. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2023, 14:1214192. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1214192

Liu X, Liang S, Liu J, Sha S, Zhang L, Jiang W, Jiang C, Hermida AP, Tang Y, McDonald WM, Ren Y, Wang G. Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Electroconvulsive therapy Cognitive Assessment (ECCA), an ECT-specific cognitive screening tool. Journal of ECT, 2023, DOI: 10.1097/YCT.0000000000000977

Maples-Keller JL, Hyatt C, Phillips N, Sharpe BM, Sherrill A, Yasinski C, Reiff C, Rakofsky J, Rauch, SAM, Dunlop B, Rothbaum BO. (in press). Rapid effects of MDMA administration on self-reported personality traits and affect state: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial in healthy adults. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.

Maples-Keller JL, Watkins L, Hellman N, Phillips NL, & Rothbaum BO. (in press). Treatment approaches for posttraumatic stress disorder derived from basic research on fear extinction. Invited Review, Special Issue- “Stress and cognition: from bench to bedside?” Biological Psychiatry. 

Palitsky R, Kaplan DM, Perna J, Bosshardt Z, Maples-Keller JL, Levin-Aspenson HF, Zarrabi AJ, Peacock C, Mletzko T, Rothbaum BO, Raison CL, Grant GH, & Dunlop BW. (2024). A framework for assessment of adverse events occurring in psychedelic-assisted therapies. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 02698811241265756.

Peacock C, Mascaro JS, Brauer E, Zarrabi AJ, Dunlop BW, Maples-Keller JL, Grant GH, Raison CL, Rab F, Palitsky R. (in press). Spiritual health practicioner’ contributions to psychedelic assisted therapy: A qualitative analysis, PLOS one.

Norrholm SD, Maples-Keller JL, Rothbaum BO,Tossell CC. (in press). Remote warfare with intimate consequences: A narrative review of posttraumatic stress responses in service member remote piloted aircraft (RPA) personnel, Journal of Mental Health and Clinical Psychology

Schneider RL & Faro AL. (2024). Exposure and response prevention for obsessive compulsive disorder. In Nemeroff CB & Craighead WE. (Eds.), The ADAA Patient Guide to Mood and Anxiety Disorders. American Psychiatric Association Publishing.  

Short NA, Witkemper KD, Burud GA, Lechner M, Bell K, Black J, Buchanan J, Ho J, Reed G, Platt M, Riviello R, Martin SL, Liberzon I, Rauch SAM, Bollen K, & McLean SA. (2024). Research with women sexual assault survivors presenting for emergency care is safe: Results from a multi-site, prospective observational cohort study. J Psychiatr Res, 178, 156-163.

Sitar SI, Yarbrough CR, Mataczynski MJ, Peralta AM, Kan M, Crawford ND, Kee C, Young HN, Welsh JW. Qualitative Assessment of Barriers to Buprenorphine Access: The Role of Pharmacies. Subst Use Misuse. 2024 Aug 18:1-9. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2024.2392545. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39155479.

Welsh JW, Durham, RM, Sitar SI, Modisette KC, Estrada BD, Dennis ML. Diagnosing Adolescent Substance Use Disorders Using the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs Quick Version-4. Epub ahead of print. Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice. 2024.

Zhang L, Li Z, Li M, Yang Y, Hsu M, Xia L, Liu T, Liu Y, Jiang F, Liu H, Tang YL. Mental health symptoms and their associated factors among pharmacists in psychiatric hospitals during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, 2023, 10, e77, 1-9.

Honors, Awards, Rankings

The Prolonged Exposure in Primary Care Training program received the overall notice of continued funding from the VA Office of Rural Health. 

Warrior Care Network, which includes the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, received the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Award this year for Clinical Excellence.

Mandy Bekhbat received a NARSAD Young Investigator award from the Brain and Behavior Foundation to examine links between glucose dysfunction and reward deficits in depression.

Marianne Celano received the Family Psychologist of the Year Award from the Society of Couple and Family Psychology, Division 43 of the American Psychological Association for outstanding sustained contributions to the specialty. 

Katie Cullum was appointed as Associate Director of the OCD & Anxiety Intensive Program.

Sobha Fritz has been named a member of the Society of Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference 2025 Scientific Program Committee. 

David Goldsmith has been named an Associate Editor of the journal Schizophrenia Research.

Mike Martin (1) received the APA Division 18 VA Section 2024 Excellence in Service Award (2) finished his term as Association of VA Psychologist Leaders Past-President and received the Past-President Award.

Roman Palitsky and Deanna Kaplan received a grant from the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation for “Identifying Optimal Responses to Challenges Related to Expanding the Perception Box in Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy.”

Yilang Tang (1) has been appointed as an associate editor for the journal Asia-Pacific Psychiatry (2) is co-editing a Special Article Collection for Frontiers in Psychiatry, focusing on “Assessment and Management of Addictive Disorders in Sexual and Racial Minorities.” The submission portal is open for contributions.

Presentations

Geoff Goodman (1) Our refuge and strength:  Transforming attachment to the living God.  Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Psychiatry Residency Didactic Session, Morehouse University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 2024 (2) Our refuge and strength:  Transforming attachment to the living God.  Emory University Psychoanalytic Institute Fellowship Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 2024 (3) Once upon a time:  Studying Ugandan preschoolers' storytelling/story-acting play activity.  Paper presented at the meeting of the Association for Play Therapy, Atlanta, GA.  (poster)

Rebecca Schneider (1) led a support group for misophonia at the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) conference. (2) was part of a panel discussion titled “Misophonia – It’s Not OCD” at the IOCDF conference. (citation: Guzick AG, Schneider R, Petersen J, & Spencer SD & McGuire JF. (2024, July). Misophonia- It’s not OCD. Panel discussion at the 29th Conference of the International Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Foundation (IOCDF), Orlando, Florida, USA) 

Media

Geoff Goodman (1) American Psychological Association – Sex Addiction (2) Podcast Interview – Candler in Conversation: Chaplaincy Discourse (3) Sex Addiction and Recovery – Overcoming Betrayal and Addiction podcast with Dr. Rob Weiss and Tami VerHelst. 

Noriel Lim and Marianne Celano (1) American Board of Professional Psychiatry – Bringing Social Media into the Conversation with Diverse Teens and Family.

ADJUNCT FACULTY KUDOS

Michelle Robbins was appointed as Chair and Clinical Professor at Mercer’s PsyD Program.

Ashlee Zito was selected as a member of the Georgia Psychological Association’s Ethics Committee.

TRAINEE KUDOS

Bettale C, Pomales M, Boy A, Moran T, *Agarwal M, & *Powers A. (2024). Investigating the impact of caregiver ACEs screening and pediatrician-led discussions on PTSD symptoms in a majority-Hispanic pediatric primary care clinic setting. Medical Care. *Joint senior author