It is with great pleasure we announce that after a committee search, Paul Borghesani, MD, PhD has been approved by the Medical Executive Board and Board of Trustees as the Chief of Service for Psychiatry at Harborview Medical Center (HMC).

Dr. Borghesani works as a psychiatrist at HMC where he is the medical director for the Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) and sees patients on the psychiatric intensive care unit (ICU). He also served as the director of psychiatry clerkships from 2018-2025, overseeing clerkship training for over 100 students annually at HMC and in dozens of sites across the five-state WWAMI region. In July 2024, he was appointed as the acting Chief of Psychiatry at HMC overseeing staffing, operations, and development of behavioral health care at HMC.

Dr. Borghesani completed his medical training at the Harvard/MIT Program of Health Sciences and Technology where, as a recipient of a Medical Scientist Training Program, he received his PhD in neurobiology studying the early development and function of the cerebellum. After completing his residency in psychiatry here at UW, he was awarded a K12 career development grant and went on to publish in the field of structural and functional neuroimaging with an emphasis on neural changes with aging. In the fall of 2012, he shifted the primary focus of his career from research to teaching and clinical work. While working full-time in the psychiatric ICU at HMC, he developed teaching and administrative skills allowing him to take on leadership roles in both the clinical and educational spheres. In all of his work, Dr. Borghesani is committed to providing excellent care for patients most in need of behavioral health care while incorporating teaching and neuroscience into his daily practice.

Please extend a warm welcome and congratulations to Dr. Borghesani as the new Chief of Service for Psychiatry at Harborview.