Honors & Awards

Ray Hsiao named speaker-elect of the APA Assembly

Department News | May 29, 2025

Congratulations to Ray Hsiao, MD who was named 2025-2026 speaker-elect of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Assembly during the Annual Meeting of the APA in Los Angeles, CA.

The APA Assembly represents and serves the needs of the district branches and state associations and recommends actions to the Board of Trustees. Their meetings are officiated by a speaker, speaker-elect, and recorder using The American Institute of Parliamentarians Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure. To ensure a wide range of voices and ideas, Assembly representatives are selected regionally and include resident-fellows, early-career psychiatrists, minority and underrepresented psychiatrists, and representatives from allied organizations.

Dr. Hsiao is director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency program at Seattle Children’s Hospital where he is also serving as interim chief of psychiatry and interim director of  the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Kate Comtios receives Annual Research Award at AFSP Lifesavers Gala!

Department News | May 29, 2025

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) held its 36th annual Lifesaver's Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City and honored Kate Comtois, PhD with their Annual Research Award. AFSP is a leading suicide prevention organization in the United States. In addition to Dr. Comtois, the honorees included mental health advocates Ethan and Naomi Sacks, media personality Jay Glazer, researcher Marsha Linehan, and AFSP honored Eric and Terry Murray, parents of the late PGA Tour player Grayson Murray with the Survivors of Suicide Loss Lifesaver Award.

Dr. Comtois is a clinical psychologist specializing in suicidal thoughts and behavior, psychiatric disability and employment, and borderline personality disorder. Dr. Comtois has revolutionized suicide prevention by developing game-changing interventions that have transformed how clinicians approach and treat patients with suicidal thoughts, behavior and risk. Her innovative work — including Caring Contacts, adaptations of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), and Preventing Addiction Related Suicide (PARS) — has equipped thousands of providers with effective tools to engage with high-risk individuals and save lives across diverse clinical settings. Dr. Comtois currently serves as a scientific advisor to AFSP and has received several AFSP grants, including a 2006 Distinguished Investigator Grant and a 2015 Focus Grant for her work on reducing short-term suicide risk after hospitalization.

"AFSP is honored to host the Lifesaver's Gala every year to recognize outstanding contributions and milestones in suicide prevention," said AFSP Chief Executive Officer Robert Gebbia. "Each distinguished honoree has significantly advanced suicide prevention through their research, advocacy or by sharing their personal stories of how suicide has affected their lives, which helps inform the public about suicide and its prevention.”

Sunny Lovin receives John R. Pettit Endowed Leadership Award!

Department News | May 29, 2025

We are delighted to share that Sunny Lovin, MSW, LICSW, director of outpatient behavioral health at Harborview Medical Center, is the 2025 recipient of the John R. Pettit Endowed Leadership Award.

Sunny Lovin has worked at UW Medicine since 2005. In her current role as director of outpatient behavioral health at Harborview Medical Center, she leads a highly skilled and dedicated team of both clinical and non-clinical staff, overseeing a diverse range of programs designed to support Harborview’s mission by improving the well-being of individuals facing behavioral health challenges.

Colleagues recognized Sunny’s ability to guide teams with empathy and transparency while empowering staff to reach shared goals. They shared that this has led to not only a more positive workplace but has also created better patient outcomes, with one colleague noting that she is “a person who can create a vision and inspire us to engage and turn that vision into a reality.”

Dean Tim Dellit, a member of the nominating committee, says, “Sunny has been a dedicated member of the UW Medicine and Harborview Medical Center community for 20 years and has proved herself an exceptional leader in supporting the behavioral health of people in our community. She took on the role of director during the stressful time of the pandemic and not only managed to move the clinic forward but was also able to meet the department’s long-term goals. We are incredibly grateful for her vision, empathy and ability to inspire hope.” Congratulations, Sunny!

Presidential panel at Society of Behavioral Medicine’s annual meeting

Department News | April 30, 2025

Kate Hoerster, PhD, MPH recently co-presented on a panel at the Society of Behavioral Medicine's Annual Meeting in San Francisco about the MOVED BY LOVE study, which seeks to reduce disparities and ensure Veteran-centered care for Black Veterans. The panel was selected as a presidential panel by the society. Dr. Hoerster and the other panelists presented findings from their four interlocking studies including Photovoice, a project that has already been published.

The panel from left to right includes Lamont Tanksley, peer support counselor at VA Puget Sound; JoAnne Hall, Veteran advisory council member for MOVED By LOVE; Na'imah Muhammad, research coordinator at VA Puget Sound; Kate Hoerster, PBSCI associate professor at VA Puget Sound and co-principal investigator of MOVED By LOVE; and Jessica Breland, co-principal investigator and core investigator at VA Palo Alto. 

Jesse Fann elected president of the APOS Board of Directors

Department News | March 15, 2025

The American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) Board of Directors has elected Jesse Fann, MD, MPH to fill the role of president on the APOS Board of Directors. The APOS Nominating Committee selected Jesse to appear on the competitive election ballot and his seat was secured via majority vote by the APOS full membership. Jesse is a consultation-liaison psychiatrist and health services researcher with PBSCI and an adjunct professor in the Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine and Epidemiology. He is also medical director of the Department of Psychosocial Oncology at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Jesse previously served as the APOS Board’s treasurer and began his two-year term as president on March 7. Congratulations, Jesse!

UW Distinguished Staff Award nominees

Department News | March 15, 2025

Congratulations to Diane Powers, MBA, MA and Athena Wong, MHA who have both been nominated for UW Distinguished Staff Awards in the Career Achievement category! Athena is the department’s associate director of education and Diane is co-director of the AIMS Center. The following paragraphs are excerpts from their nomination letters describing the fantastic contributions they’ve both made to our department.

For over 20 years Diane Powers has demonstrated excellence in her UW work, positively impacted each person she works with and supported the dissemination of integrated care around the world.  In 2004, she helped found the Advancing Integration Mental Health Solutions (AIMS) Center to promote the delivery of mental health services in primary medical settings and specifically the implementation of the Collaborative Care Model.  She has trained thousands of clinicians and hundreds of health care organizations around the county and world to expand access to mental health services. She has accomplished this through her servant leadership and dedication!

Since joining the UW Psychiatry Residency Program as a program assistant in 2000, Athena Wong quickly rose through the ranks, taking on a leadership position. She is an exceptional team leader, earning the trust and respect of those she supervises. She ensures our educational programs and staff work as effectively as possible. She creates a safe, stimulating, enjoyable work environment for staff while maintaining high expectations for performance. Athena and her team are extraordinarily competent, responsive, courteous, helpful, and professional, and have been cited as a reason trainees choose our residency. In 2021 Athena became associate director for education, the highest staff position within the education program. She is highly deserving of this honor. 

Assembly Resident-Fellow Member Mentor Award

Department News | March 15, 2025

Congratulations to Jacqueline Hobbs, MD, PhD, who has been selected to receive the 2025 Assembly Resident-Fellow Member (RFM) Mentor Award for her outstanding work as a mentor and advocate for RFMs! Jackie is the director of our Psychiatry Residency Program and she will be presented with this award on Saturday, May 17, during the Assembly luncheon at the RFM Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Thank you, Jackie, for your dedication to mentoring future psychiatrists. Your inspiration and support of RFMs makes a tremendous difference!

CPDD Awards in Excellence: Innovator Award

Department News | March 15, 2025

Congratulations to Marco Pravetoni, PhD, winner of the 2025 College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) Innovator Award! This award, sponsored by Indivior, Inc, recognizes an individual who has developed innovative approaches in basic science, clinical research, or treatment and prevention science that reflect ground-breaking strides with potential for significant impact in drug dependence. Marco leads the Center for Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders and Overdose and will be presented with this award during the CPDD Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

C-L Fellow receives Trainee Editorial Fellowship

Department News | January 30, 2025

James Lee, MD, one of our Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellows, has received Academic Psychiatry’s Trainee Editorial Fellowship. Congratulations, James! This award is an opportunity for psychiatry residents and fellows with demonstrated interest in education, scholarship, and leadership to expand their skills in scholarly publication. During this one-year fellowship, trainees will learn about and participate in peer reviewing, decision making, and editorial writing for an academic medical journal.

James completed his residency with PBSCI and a year as Harborview inpatient chief. He is grateful for his past educational experiences, including Yale College, where he majored in Cognitive Science (with a focus in canine cognition), and Mayo Clinic School of Medicine for medical school. He has received the American Psychiatric Association Diversity Leadership Fellowship, the Association for Academic Psychiatry Resident Psychiatric Educator Award, the Paul Kalanithi Writing Award, and the Stephen C. Hofmann Award. James has also been published in New England Journal of Medicine and Academic Medicine. Alongside his dedication toward LGBTQ+ and public psychiatry, he is an advocate for medical humanities as an actor, violinist, and short story writer.

Myra Parker receives Distinguished Staff Award at MLK tribute event

Department News | January 30, 2025

We are thrilled to announce that Myra Parker, JD, MPH, PhD is the School of Medicine’s 2025 Distinguished Service Award Recipient! This award honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by recognizing employees and students who exemplify his call to serve others. For over 30 years, Myra has served as a leader, organizer, and do-er who has a genuine love for Native people. She embodies Dr. King’s legacy of service and truth telling through her mentoring, research, teaching, and traditional practices.
 
Myra is an associate professor with PBSCI and leads the 7 Directions Center for Indigenous Public Health housed within the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors (CSHRB). 7 Directions connects research, practice, policy, and organizers in urban and tribal communities that have the health and wellness of indigenous people at the heart of their work.
 
An adjunct faculty in the UW School of Public Health, Myra leads the school’s first indigenous health class and will be collaborating on new curriculum development in the future. When a public health student pointed out the need to have a course on this topic, Myra was one of the first to step up and help make it happen. She is a mentor to other faculty, especially Native colleagues, and she always gives a hand to support those in need of guidance and support.
 
A colleague who nominated her shared that they “have learned so much from Myra and would love nothing less than for her – as well as all our indigenous colleagues in 7 Directions – be recognized for the work they do.” Congratulations, Myra!