Karen Cropsey, Psy.D.
Vice Chair of Clinical Research

Dr. Karen Cropsey, Professor, has been selected as the new Vice Chair of Clinical Research for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology after serving as the Interim Vice Chair for Research Training and Faculty Development.  Since joining the department in 2007, Dr. Cropsey has dedicated herself to being a leader and representative for the department in the clinical research field.  Her clinical research interests include developing treatment interventions for patients with substance abuse disorders, with a particular focus on smoking cessation and opioid treatment interventions in underserved populations.

Dr. Cropsey currently holds a number of leadership and representative roles for the department.  She is the Faculty Representative for the Heersink School of Medicine on the Faculty Senate, where she is also the Chair of the Faculty Senate Research Committee.  Dr. Cropsey is the Co-Director of the Heersink School of Medicine Center for Addiction and Pain Prevention and Intervention (CAPPI).  She has been continuously funded by the NIH for the past 20 years, has published over 140 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and is an Associate Editor for Drug and Acohol Dependence.  In addition to these roles, Dr. Cropsey is also a standing member of the Interventions to Prevent and Treat Addiction (IPTA) NIH study section and a committee member for the Review of Specific Programs in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA).

Karen Gamble, Ph.D.
Vice Chair of Basic Research

Dr. Karen Gamble, Professor, has been selected as the new Vice Chair of Basic Research for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology.  For the past year, she has served as the Interim Director of the Division of Behavioral Neurobiology.  In that time, she has coordinated the Return to Operations plans and procedures as well as coordinate regular discussions of research topics both from basic and clinical research perspectives.

Dr. Gamble joined the department in 2009 and has maintained an internationally recognized research program focused on circadian biology and sleep health using both basic, pre-clinical research in transgenic animal models and translational collaborative research in patient populations.  She has organized meetings and symposia, including those focused on professional development, such as the Society for Research in Biological Rhythms (SRBR) events, Trainee Day and Junior Faculty Workshops.  Dr. Gamble is Co-Director of the UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences Nueroscience theme and the Sleep-Circadian Pillar of the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center.  Dr. Gamble also co-chairs the SRBR Strategic Planning Committee and chairs the Neuroscience of Sleep and Circadian Biology Society for Neuroscience Annual Datablitz Program.  She is a member of the editorial boards for the Journal of Biological Rhythms and Journal of Pineal Research, as well as a Reviewing Editor for Sleep Advances and European Journal of Neuroscience.

Yogesh Dwivedi, Ph.D.
Director of the Division of Behavioral Neurobiology

Dr. Yogesh Dwivedi, Professor, has been selected as the new Director of the Division of Behavioral Neurobiology.  Before and since joining the department in 2013, Dr. Dwivedi has established himself as a decorated leader among research facutly on an international scale.  The major thrust of Dr. Dwivedi's research is to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with depression, stress, and suicidal behavior by integrating basic and clinical neuroscience.

Dr. Dwivedi joined the department as the Elesabeth Ridgely Shook Endowed Chair and Director of Translational Research in the UAB Mood Disorders Program.  He is also the Co-Director of the UAB Depression and Suicide Center.  Dr. Dwivedi has received numerous awards from and is a member of the National Institute of Mental Health study section, the Scientific Advisory Council of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and the Genetics and Neurobiology Task Force for the International Association of Suicide Prevention.  His research is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, AFSP, NARSAD, Marshal Reynolds Foundation, and Stanley Foundation.  He has published over 170 papers and numerous book chapters, and has also edited the book The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide.  Dr. Dwivedi serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals and has been invited worldwide for various talks and symposia.

Tiffany Nowell, Ph.D.
Director of Psychology Internship Training

Dr. Tiffany Nowell, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry has been selected as the new Training Director of the UAB-BVAMC Psychology Internship Consortium. Since joining the Department less than two years ago, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to clinical training providing therapy supervision to psychology interns, graduate students and residents.

Dr. Nowell currently serves as a clinician providing outpatient psychotherapy and assessment services. Her experience with the LGBTQ population has been integral to the expansion of access for those patients as well as partnerships within UAB primary care clinics and select inpatient programs. Dr. Nowell received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2015 from Saint Louis University School of Medicine followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Prior to joining UAB Psychiatry, Dr. Nowell served as a Staff Psychologist at the University of Denver Health and Counseling Center.

Adrienne Lahti, M.D.
Director of the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center

Dr. Adrienne Lahti, the F. Cleveland Kinney Endowed Chair Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, has been selected as Director of the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center (CNC). Since joining UAB Psychiatry in 2006, Dr. Lahti has been an active participant in the programs and activities of the CNC. For the past several years, she has served as a member of the CNC Faculty Advisory Committee and was instrumental in helping the CNC establish the Alabama Advanced Imaging Consortium.

Dr. Lahti is currently a tenured professor and Vice Chair for Research Training and Faculty Development in Psychiatry. A seasoned clinician-leader she recognized for establishing the first clinic in Alabama to focus on first episode psychosis for patients from their late teens to early adulthood. Dr. Lahti also leads the Neuroimaging and Translational Research Laboratory dedicated to the study of schizophrenia using multimodal brain imaging techniques. In addition to her research and leadership roles, she is an active clinician, providing psychiatric care to patients with late life schizophrenia at the UAB Community Psychiatry Program.

Soumya Sivaraman, M.D.
Director of Electroconvulsive Therapy Services

The Department of Psychiatry is pleased to announce that Dr. Soumya Sivaraman, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry has been selected to serve as the new Director of Electroconvulsive Therapy Services. Since joining UAB Psychiatry, Dr. Sivaraman has expanded ECT services to an operational level that hasn’t been seen since 1999. Her extensive training in ECT and knowledge of best practices has been vital to improving operational standards for efficient, patient-centered provision of ECT services and related quality projects. In addition to overseeing ECT operations, Dr. Sivaraman will continue teaching and mentoring trainees on this important, life-saving procedure.

Dr. Sivaraman completed her medical training at Coimbatore Medical College and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in India. She completed her residency in General Psychiatry at UAB in 2017 before joining the department as Assistant Professor.

James T. Cullinan, D.O.
Interim Division Director for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Dr. James Cullinan, Associate Professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has been appointed as Interim Division Director for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Cullinan currently serves as Director of UAB Child Psychiatry Clinical Services as well as Training Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program.  In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Cullinan is an active clinician, providing inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care to children and adolescents both at UAB and Children’s Hospital of Alabama.

Dr. Cullinan graduated from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1995. He went on to complete his residency at SUNY Stony Brook in General Psychiatry followed by a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In 2001, he joined UAB Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor, and in 2010 was promoted to Associate Professor.

The UAB Department of Psychiatry is pleased to announce that Yesie Yoon, M.D., Assistant Professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, has been appointed as the Director of Child Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison and Integrated Care Services for the Department of Psychiatry. In this role, she will continue developing integrated care clinics in the Child Psychiatry Division and will continue to hold key roles vital to patient care and training missions in the Department.

Dr. Yoon joined UAB in 2016, where she has worked on inpatient medical units across UAB and Children’s of Alabama with physicians, nurses, and families to provide evidence-based clinical care. Her efforts to optimize service provision include creation of the Outpatient Psychopharmacology Consultation Clinic (OPCC) at Children’s Behavioral Health where she works in collaboration with primary care providers to provide recommendations on diagnosis, medication and outpatient treatment options. “Since joining UAB, Dr. Yoon has drawn upon her many skillsets to enhance the presence and reputation of the Psychiatry Consult service,” said Dr. Meador-Woodruff, Heman E. Drummond Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry.

Dr. Yoon received her M.D. from Yonsei University College of Medicine, and completed her residency training at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and University of Cincinnati in Pediatrics, Adult Psychiatry, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  She served as chief resident in 2015-2016 before joining UAB as Assistant Professor in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry with a secondary appointment in General Pediatrics.

UAB Department of Psychiatry is pleased to announce the recruitment of Dr. Andrew Hardaway to the Faculty of Division of Behavioral Neurobiology as an Assistant Professor.  Dr. Hardaway received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University where he studied genetic contributions to dopamine signaling using the nematode Caenhorhabditis elegans. In 2014, he moved to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he worked in the Department of Pharmacology and Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies as a post-doctoral fellow before joining the Research Faculty as Assistant Professor. An accomplished, NIH-funded, translational scientist,  Dr. Hardaway’s research focuses on the neurobiology of normal and abnormal feeding such as binge eating as well as anxiety, mood disorders and other common comorbid conditions.  He plans to relocate to UAB this December.

UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology announces the appointment of M. Bates Redwine, M.D., Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, as Director of Ambulatory Psychiatry for the department. In this role, he will provide leadership and oversight of outpatient clinical operations in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology.

 Dr. Redwine currently serves as Director of Geriatric Psychiatry as well as the Training Director of the department’s Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program. In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Redwine is an active clinician, providing inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care to adults and geriatric patients at UAB.

 A seasoned clinician-leader and valued member of faculty in the UAB Department of Psychiatry for more than a decade, Dr. Redwine has successfully managed Geriatric psychiatry services across UAB.  “We are very pleased that Dr. Redwine has agreed to serve in this capacity and confident that he will continue to optimize service provision in this vital area of our clinical portfolio,” said Dr. Meador-Woodruff, Heman E. Drummond Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry.

 Dr. Redwine graduated from Medical College of Georgia in 1994. He went on to complete his residency in General Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, followed by a fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry at Emory University. In 2007, he joined UAB Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor, and in 2013 was promoted to Associate Professor. His clinical interests include geriatric psychiatric conditions, especially dementia and late-life depression, as well as Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and other somatic treatments.

The University Of Alabama System Board Of Trustees appointed Dr. Rachel E. Fargason, Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Services in the Department of Psychiatry, to the Patrick H. Linton Professorship in Psychiatry.

Dr. Fargason, Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Services in the Department of Psychiatry, joined UAB in 1993. A dedicated clinician, educator and exceptional leader, she is recognized for her clinical accomplishments across the department, UAB Medicine and throughout the state. Since 2013, she has held multiple clinical leadership roles during which she has been highly instrumental in transforming clinical services within the Department of Psychiatry to meet the ever growing demand at UAB and the community for mental health care.  She serves as Medical Quality Officer for Psychiatric Services for UAB Medicine where she continues to work tirelessly to expand and improve clinical services not only within the department but across UAB Medicine.Dr. Fargason remains an active clinician, treating psychiatric patients across the life-span and is well-known as an expert in adult ADHD. In addition to her clinical work she operates multiple general practice teaching clinics for residents, and overseeing a team of ambulatory nurse practitioners in the spirit of expanding outpatient access.

Dr. Fargason earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland in 1987 before moving to Illinois to begin post graduate training. She subsequently transferred to UAB to complete her psychiatry residency and in 1993 she joined the faculty as Assistant Professor. Her dedication and achievements, both academic and clinical, paved the way for her succession through the academic ranks, first as Associate Professor in 2002 and subsequently her promotion to Professor in 2013.

“Dr. Fargason’s excellence as our departmental clinical leader in her role as Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, and the broader respect that she enjoys throughout the institutional clinical enterprise, makes her an exceptional appointee to the Linton Professorship in the Department of Psychiatry,” said Dr. Meador-Woodruff, Heman E. Drummond Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry.

 The Patrick H. Linton Endowed Professorship was established in honor of Dr. Linton, a longstanding faculty member and chair of the Department of Psychiatry. This Professorship has historically been held by a senior leader in our departmental clinical mission to honor the clinical growth and accomplishments of Dr. Linton during his 20 year tenure as chair of Psychiatry. 

UAB Department of Psychiatry announces the opening of the Beacon Recovery Day Treatment Center and additional evidence-based treatment and recovery support services pivotal to the health and wellbeing of individuals with substance use disorders. The recent opioid epidemic has undeniably intensified the need for expanded treatment services. In response, UAB Beacon Recovery has grown rapidly within the past year to provide a wider range of treatment options to more individuals. Along with a new Day Treatment Program, the expansion includes a walk-in assessment clinic, additional specialty treatment groups, treatment-integrated peer recovery support, school-based adolescent treatment and family services. In addition, physicians from UAB Center for Psychiatric Medicine provide on-site mental health and primary health care as well as medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

Assessment and treatment services are accessible to anyone seeking help, regardless of income or ability to pay. To support the expansion and the need for additional space, Family and Adolescent Programs and the Department’s Administrative Core for the Substance Abuse Division was relocated to the 3rd floor of the Tower Building at 530 Beacon Parkway West near Homewood.

Addiction spans across all age, gender, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic groups from big cities to rural communities. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), nearly one in every 10 Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs yet very few (11%) receive treatment. The surge in opioid use and overdose deaths has heightened community-wide response efforts to identify gaps and develop strategies to reduce barriers to treatment. The new Day Treatment Program and expansion of other Beacon Recovery services supports UAB Department of Psychiatry’s efforts to offer quality, comprehensive outpatient continuum of care for adults and adolescents with substance use needs.

Meet the clinical team and learn more about Beacon Recovery

OPEN HOUSE 
Thursday May 2, 2019
3:30 to 5:00

 For more information about Beacon Recovery, visit www.uabmedicine.org/beaconrecovery or connect via Facebook @ UABMedicineBeacon

On February 28, 2019, Dr. Karen Cropsey, Vivian Conatser-Turner Endowed Professor in the UAB Department of Psychiatry, presented testimony before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services about the devastating opioid epidemic that has blanketed our state and nation. As one of several presenters, Dr. Cropsey highlighted system-wide gaps and policy barriers that impede access to effective treatment interventions and presented strategies to support a system that is comprehensive, accessible, and inclusive. Click HERE to read the transcript.

Karen Cropsey, PsyD, is a Professor and Clinical Psychologist in the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology. Dr. Cropsey completed her doctoral training at Indiana State University in Terre Haute followed by an internship in Clinical Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and postdoctoral fellowships in forensics and substance abuse at University of Mississippi and Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2007 she joined the faculty of UAB Psychiatry as Associate Professor where she serves as a clinician and researcher focused on addiction treatment. For the past 20 years, Dr. Cropsey has conducted numerous NIH-funded research on addiction and opioid use disorders, particularly among disadvantaged populations such as justice-involved individuals and persons living with HIV/AIDS.

Over the past year, the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology has recruited five new clinician-educators to our primary faculty.  These new faculty members bring expertise in areas critical to the many clinical and training missions of the department, including child and adolescent, geriatric, adult, consultation-liaison, and public sector psychiatry.  These new faculty members include:

 Pamela E. Parker, M.D.

Dr. Pamela Parker joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology as an Associate Professor. Dr. Parker graduated from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, and received a Master of Arts from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. She completed pre-medical studies at the University of Rochester and Huntingdon College in Montgomery before attending Heersink School of Medicine. Dr. Parker, previously served as the Chief Resident of UAB Department of Psychiatry and Director of Psychiatric Consultation Services at both UAB and University of Arkansas. Dr. Parker serves as a Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist and leads the department’s first Behavioral Intervention Teams (BIT) focused on early recognition and treatment of comorbid psychiatric and addictive disorders that interfere with medical treatment.

Tiffany Nowell, Ph.D.

Dr. Tiffany Nowell joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Nowell graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Keene State College before attending Saint Louis University where she received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2015. She subsequently spent a year at the University of California, Santa Cruz as a postdoctoral fellow in a clinic serving students including the LGBTQ population. Most recently she served as Staff Psychologist at the University of Denver Health and Counseling Center. Dr. Nowell provides outpatient psychotherapy and assessment services and her experience with the LGBTQ population supports expansion of access for those patients as well as partnerships within UAB primary care clinics and select inpatient programs.    

Alison Thomas, Ph.D.

Dr. Alison Thomas joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor and Clinical Director of the Community Psychiatry Program (CPP). Dr. Thomas received her Ph.D. from Suffolk University in 2017. She completed her doctoral internship in Clinical Psychology at UAB before joining the Department as a post-doctoral trainee.  Dr. Thomas’ training and knowledge combined with her commitment to patient-centered and recovery-oriented approach to practice is pivotal to her administrative responsibilities as the Public Division’s Clinical Director. As Clinical Director she is responsible for ensuring the provision of quality clinical care and programs at CPP and providing psychotherapy and assessment services to clinic patients with serious mental illness. In addition to her clinical and administrative assignments in the Public Division, Dr. Thomas also participates in the First Episode Clinic at Sparks and provides inpatient testing at Center for Psychiatric Medicine.

Matthew Ehrlich, M.D.

Dr. Matthew Ehrlich joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor.  Dr. Ehrlich graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Williams College in Massachusetts before receiving his M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco. He went on to complete his residency in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School followed by a fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry. After completing his training, Dr. Ehrlich served as an Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard and practiced at Cambridge Health Alliance. His clinical service at UAB will focus on inpatient and outpatient care of geriatric patients at Center for Psychiatric Medicine in addition to serving patients with HIV/AIDS in Palliative Care.

Tolulope Peters, M.D.

Dr. Tolulope (Tolu) Peters joined the faculty in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  Dr. Peters completed her medical training at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology College of Health Sciences in Nigeria. After receiving her M.D., she completed training in Psychiatry at MetroHealth Medical Center, an affiliate of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Following her training in Cleveland, Dr. Peters came to UAB where she completed a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Peters’ clinical services will be focused on treating patients at Children’s Hospital of Alabama.

The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology is pleased to announce the 2019 match results for General Psychiatry Residency and Child & Adolescent Fellowship. “We had another outstanding Match this year and look forward to the opportunity to provide an academically diverse and enriching training experience to promote the professional development of our newest group of residents and fellows” said Dr. Meador-Woodruff, Heman E. Drummond Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry. Congratulations to all who matched with us! 

General Psychiatry

Zviadi Aburjania - Tbilisi State Medical University Faculty of Medicine

Ibrahim Askar -  University of South Carolina School of Medicine

Ethan Atwood - University of Arkansas College of Medicine

Branden Benningfield -  Heersink School of Medicine

Harrison Hill - Heersink School of Medicine

Kristin Lovvorn - Washington University Health and Science- Belize

Christopher Michaelson - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine- Auburn

Moniqua Tillman - University of Mississippi School of Medicine

Child and Adolescent Fellowship

Luke Chiou - LECOMT/Centerstone of Florida

Kelly Buchanan - University of Louisville

Manasa Enja - Case Western Reserve University

Matt Pixley - University of Alabama at Birmingham