Honors & Awards

Highlights from the 2025 AAP Annual Meeting

Department News | September 30, 2025

Our department was well represented at the recent Association for Academic Psychiatry (AAP) Annual Meeting in Milwaukee where our faculty, fellows, residents, and staff showcased their work and were acknowledged for their dedication to advancing the field of academic psychiatry. A big congratulations to our own Heidi Combs, MD, MS for her outstanding leadership as president of AAP from 2024–2025. We are so grateful for her service!
 
We are also thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of two colleagues – Laurel Pellegrino, MD, who received the Early Career Development Award, and Andy Phan, MD (PGY4), who received the Resident Psychiatric Educator Award at this year’s meeting. Please join us in congratulating Drs. Pellegrino and Phan for their well-deserved achievements!

Rob Chen selected for Outstanding Resident Award Program

Department News | September 30, 2025

We’re excited to share that Rob Chen, MD, PhD has been selected for the prestigious Outstanding Resident Award Program by the National Institute of Mental Health. Now a third-year resident, Dr. Chen is working with Douglas Fowler, PhD in the UW Genome Sciences Center to investigate how genetic mutations linked to schizophrenia impact neuronal function. He is also collaborating with Debby Tsuang, MD, MSc on research using large-language models to unravel the genetics of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. His work aims to deepen our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying serious mental illness and ultimately support the development of more targeted treatments. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Chen on this well-deserved honor!

Madison Reichelt receives the Margaret O’Donnell Prize in Psychiatry 

Department News | September 30, 2025

Congratulations to fourth year medical student Madison Reichelt, this year’s recipient of the Margaret O’Donnell Prize in Psychiatry. We award this prize to a senior medical student who has been highly involved in behavioral health issues and done outstanding academic work in psychiatry.
 
As a member of the Student Committee on Health Access, Madison set out to license more providers in longitudinal (telehealth) care to WWAMI students regardless of their current location. She proposed a solution utilizing the interstate licensure compact, and after 18 months and dozens of meetings, they are now licensing a third interstate provider through Husky Health, with more sites to come. Madison’s career aspirations are to improve underserved access to psychiatric care. She is currently working on her capstone for the Black Health Justice Pathway, which is an exploration of the history of systemic racism in psychiatry and ways to promote health justice in modern practice.
 
We thank her for the amazing work she has done thus far for our field and for the many things we know she will accomplish as a psychiatrist and colleague in the future.

Jesse Fann receives ACLP Foundation Research Professor Award

Department News | September 30, 2025

Jesse Fann, MD, MPH has been selected as the winner of the 2025 ACLP Foundation Research Professor Award by the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry! This award honors an individual with a substantial track record of research achievement in an area relevant to consultation-liaison psychiatry, as well as demonstrated excellence in mentorship. As part of the award, Dr. Fann will deliver a lecture during the Research Professor Presentation session at the ACLP Annual Meeting on November 21 in San Antonio, TX.
 
Congratulations to Dr. Fann on this well-deserved recognition! Your contributions to both research and mentoring exemplify the spirit of this honor.

Michael V Vitiello named a 2024 Highly Ranked Scholar by ScholarGPS

Department News | September 30, 2025

ScholarGPS celebrates Highly Ranked Scholars for their exceptional performance in various fields, disciplines, and specialties. The prolific publication record and the outstanding quality of his scholarly contributions have placed Professor Emeritus Michael V Vitiello, PhD in the top 0.05% of all scholars worldwide according to the most recent 2024 ScholarGPS rankings!
 
Highly Ranked Scholars are the most productive authors (by number of publications) whose works demonstrate exceptional impact (citations) and outstanding quality (h-index). These scholars hold a ScholarGPS rank within the top 0.05% in any given field, discipline, or specialty.
 
Congratulations to Dr. Vitiello for being recognized as a Highly Ranked Scholar based on his accomplishments in the psychiatry discipline over the past five years and the totality of his career.
 
Highly Ranked Scholar – Prior 5 years
#1 – Sleep disorder
#5 – Sleep medicine
#28 – Sleep
 
Highly Ranked Scholar – Lifetime
#5 – Sleep disorder
#12 – Sleep medicine
#52 - Sleep

Seattle Magazine and Seattle Met’s top doctors list for 2025

Department News | September 30, 2025

We’re proud to report that once again Seattle Magazine’s annual list of top doctors in the Puget Sound region features a number of faculty and courtesy faculty members from our department. Congratulations to Jesse Adams, MD; Joshua Bess, MD; Dorcas Dobie, MD, Jesse Fann, MD, MPH; Lina Fine, MD, MPhil; Ray Hsiao, MD; Ian Kodish, MD, PhD; Hower Kwon, MD; Charles Meredith, MD; Richard Ries, MD; Carol Rockhill, MD, PhD; Peter Roy-Byrne, MD; Andrew Saxon, MD; and John Wynn, MD. Additional congratulations to Rebecca Hendrickson, MD, PhD; Sarah Kish, PA-C; and Lida Turner, MD, PLCC; for being included in Seattle Met’s list of top doctors for 2025. Thank you all for your great work!

Congratulations to our 2025 graduates!

Department News | June 23, 2025

On June 20, 2025, we came together at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture to celebrate the graduation of our psychiatry residents, psychology residents, and senior fellows! 

It was a day filled with pride, joy, and deep appreciation as we honored this exceptional group of emerging mental health professionals. We couldn’t be more proud of the clinicians, scholars, and advocates they’ve become. As they step into the next chapter of their careers, we are confident they will continue to make a profound impact in the world of mental health.

To our graduates: thank you for your hard work and your commitment. We are excited to see where your paths lead and the lives you will touch. Please know that you will always be a part of our UW family, and we hope to keep in touch as you continue to shine in your future endeavors. Here’s to your bright futures and the incredible difference you will make!

Numerous trainees and faculty members received accolades 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 – Clara O’Brien, MS
  • The Director’s Prize: Dr. Nancy Robinson Award – Eleanor Battison, MS
  • The John E. Carr PhD Award for Outstanding Achievement in Empirically-Supported Psychotherapies – Katherine O’Connell, MS, LMHCA
  • The Joseph Becker PhD Award for Outstanding Research Achievement – Emma Parrish, MS

Psychology Internship Faculty Recognition Awards for Teaching & Supervising Excellence

  • Adult Track – Ty Lostutter, PhD
  • Autism Track – Megan Goldenshteyn, PhD
  • Behavioral Medicine/NP Track – Shelley Wiechman, PhD, ABPP and Arjun Bhalla, PhD
  • Child Track – Eileen Twohy, PhD

Psychiatry Resident Awards

  • Outstanding Junior Resident – Ruth Assefa, MD
  • Hoffmann Award – Michael Silva, MD
  • Academic excellence – Yanni Chang, MD, MPH
  • Clinical excellence – Jules Harari, MD
  • Outstanding resident – Kathy Snyder, MD, MBS
  • Outstanding Teaching Scholars – Alexis Carnduff, MD
  • Excellence in Public Psychiatry and Social Dedication – Michael Measom, MD, MEd
  • Outstanding Chief Resident – Claire Oduwo, MD

Psychiatry Residency Faculty and Staff Recognition Awards

  • Deborah Cowley Psychiatry Chief Residents’ Award – Matt Iles-Shih, MD
  • Excellent Faculty Mentor Award – Laurel Pellegrino, MD
  • Excellent Teaching Faculty Award – Dana Dieringer, MD

2025 residency didactic award winners

Department News | June 23, 2025

These resident-selected awards recognize faculty and guest didactic speakers for their excellence in teaching and their valued contributions to resident education.​

​Best Case-Based Learning Award​

  • Stephanie Corp, DO – Medical Clearance​
  • Amelia Dubovsky, MD and Chris Nguyen, MD – Complex Decisional Capacity and Safety Monitoring Case Discussion​
  • Nadejda Bespalova, MD – Psychopharmacologic Treatment of Bipolar Mania in the Outpatient Setting; SUD in Women​
  • Joan Fiore, PhD – Couples and Family Therapy​

​Best Inclusion of EDI Concepts and Language​

  • Dana Dieringer, MD – Restraints and Seclusion​
  • Laurel Pellegrino, MD and Cummings Rork, MD, PMH-C – Physician Response to Patient Suicide​
  • Maria Yang, MD – Psychotic Disorders Treatment Cases Part 1; Homelessness and Psychiatry​
  • Christine Curry, MD – Social Justice and Structural Violence in Public Sector Psychiatry
  • Rebecca Hendrickson, MD, PhD – Criticisms of Psychiatry and Patient Movements​
  • Amanda Seely, MD – Psychiatric Epistemology: Deconstructing the Clinical Gaze​

Best Incorporation of Evidence-Based Information​​

  • Garth Terry, MD, PhD – Cannabis​​
  • Paul Borghesani, MD, PhD – Ten (or so) Essential Papers on Antipsychotics​​
  • Stephen Thielke, MD, MS, MA – Geriatric Psychopharmacology: Advanced​​
  • Jonathan Buchholz, MD – Addiction Psychopharmacology: Advanced​​

Most Engaging Lecturer​​

  • Heidi Combs, MD, MS – Diagnosis and Psychopathology of Personality Disorders: Intro; Diagnosis and Psychopathology of Catatonia​​
  • Robin Berger, MD – Starting Supportive Therapy: MBT Skills​​
  • Stephen Thielke, MD, MS, MA – Dementia: Intro​​
  • Paul Borghesani, MD, PhD – Neuroscience Series​​
  • Bertrand Wicholas, MD – Advanced Psychodynamic Psychotherapy series

Faculty and staff department awards

Department News | June 23, 2025

At the department annual meeting on June 11, 2025, we honored several members of our faculty and staff who have contributed in various ways to the success of our department. A big congratulations to each of them! And thank you also to the Staff Awards Committee (Semhar Abraha, Juliann Salisbury, Rachel Llarenas, Sara Ochoa, and Joanne Quiray) and the Faculty Awards Committee (Anna Ratzliff, Heidi Combs, Suzanne Murray, Dror Ben-Zeev, Ray Hsiao, and Ryan Kimmel).

Exceptional Professional Staff Award:
Sara Barker, MPH

The Exceptional Professional Staff Award honors and celebrates the valuable efforts a professional staff member makes toward supporting the mission of the department. The award recognizes individuals for their overall dedication and service and for upholding our core values of collaboration, continuous learning and mentorship, and integrity and accountability. This year’s award went to Sara Barker, MPH, the associate director for implementation with the AIMS Center.

"Sara represents the AIMS Center with national policymaking bodies, national healthcare organizations, and international partners interested in implementing integrated care for behavioral health conditions. She is completely dedicated to her position in the department, she brings her whole self to the job and goes above and beyond when that is necessary to accomplish our goals."

Exceptional Classified Staff Award:
Mandi Nugent, BA

The Exceptional Classified Staff Award honors and celebrates the valuable efforts a classified staff member makes toward supporting the mission of the department. The award recognizes individuals for their overall dedication and service and for upholding our core values of collaboration, continuous learning and mentorship, and integrity and accountability. This year’s award went to Mandi Nugent, BA, an administrative assistant with the ADAI Northwest Addiction Technology Center.

“Mandi consistently goes above and beyond in every aspect of her work. Her dedication, integrity, and collaborative spirit elevate our entire team and have a lasting impact on both our internal culture and the communities we serve across the region. She is not only an awesome colleague, but also a trusted friend to all her coworkers!”

Exceptional Team Staff Award:
Trauma Recovery & Resilience Innovations

The Exceptional Team Award was 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 year’s Exceptional Team Award is the Trauma Recovery & Resilience Innovations team. Members include Sophia Balint, Jayda Farmer, Carolina Ibarra, Fran Pardillo, and Malia Richard.

“This is a group of hard workers. They are engaged, focused, and dependable. They are always on the lookout for ways to help others in the department, and they leave things better than they found them beyond their work on studies specifically. They check in with each other, express care and support, and generally keep their heads up even when it's challenging. They are real models for navigating adversity, and I'm so proud of them.”​

And congratulations to all of our professional/classified staff award nominees including: Alexa Beaulieu​, Mackenzie Deiman​, Casey Ehde​, Kyreston Jones​, Courtney Marecki​, Jonathan Orrala, Rachel Porter​, Christina Sargent​, Emily Taylor, and team award nominees from the Research Operations Team including: Beth Azuma-Moy​, Austin Campbell​, Pam Collins​, Grace Kim, Alison Laing, Katie Nowlin​, Belinda Sachs​, Sara Suom​, and Martyn Valenzuela.​

Outstanding Early Career Educator Award:
Laura LaPlante, MD

The Outstanding Early Career Educator Award recognizes an assistant professor level educator for excellence in teaching.​ This year’s winner is Laura LaPlante, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

"Dr. LaPlante takes an innovative and inclusive approach to teaching and education, leveraging adult learning theory to develop best practices in training.  She continuously refines her lectures based on feedback from trainees and colleagues, ensuring they remain relevant and impactful.  Her teaching spans diverse settings, including large lecture halls, seminars, one on one supervision, and patient education, demonstrating her adaptability and commitment to effective learning."

Gary J. Tucker Significant Achievement ​in Education:
Jennifer Piel, MD, JD

The Gary J. Tucker Significant Achievement ​in Education award recognizes an academic or clinical faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding skills as a teacher and a strong dedication to education throughout their career.​ This year’s winner is Jennifer Piel, MD, JD, director of the Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law (CMHPL).

"Dr. Piel is an enthusiastic educator and advocate for forensic mental health. As the director CMHPL, she brings needed attention to forensic issues in mental health and has made the UW a trusted voice in this space."​

Outstanding Early Career Clinician Award:
Dana Dieringer, MD

The Outstanding Early Career Clinician Award recognizes an assistant professor level clinician for excellence in clinical care or quality improvement. This year’s winner is Dana Dieringer, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. ​

​"Dr. Dieringer is a clinician deeply committed to the Harborview mission on both inpatient psychiatry and palliative care services. She brings compassion, deep clinical expertise and high standard for the care she delivers making her a role model for trainees and peers alike!"

Significant Achievement in Clinical Care:
Jason Veitengruber, MD

The Significant Achievement in Clinical Care award recognizes an associate professor or professor for excellence in clinical care or quality improvement.​ This year’s winner is Jason Veitenruber, MD, the medical director, psychiatry inpatient, at Harborview Medical Center.

"Dr. Veitengruber is a strong clinical leader for Harborview Inpatient Service! He is an expert clinician that I will take my toughest cases to for peer consultation and has been invaluable as a resource through big changes like the transition to Epic."​

Outstanding Mentor in Clinical Care:
Ryan Kimmel, MD

The Outstanding Mentor in Clinical Care award recognizes mentoring faculty who are furthering the careers of mentees dedicated to our clinical mission.​ This year’s winner is Ryan Kimmel, MD, the chief of psychiatry for UW Medical Center.

"Dr. Kimmel demonstrates a tireless commitment to peers and colleagues. His dedication to the wellbeing of those he supervises and mentors is surpassed only by his dedication to patients and the mission of UWMC. On countless occasions, he has made himself available overnight and on weekends, ensuring that we all have adequate support and camaraderie. Liberal with compassion and empathy, Dr. Kimmel is quick to help us problem solve and dedicated to supporting our sustainability."​

Outstanding Early Career Research Award​:
Brittany Blanchard, PhD

The Outstanding Early Career Research Award recognizes an assistant professor level scientist who has demonstrated outstanding skills or impact as a researcher.​ This year’s winner is Brittany Blanchard, PhD, an assistant professor and director of the Division of Population Health Analytics Team (P-HAT).

"Dr. Blanchard is one of the most successful earlier investigators in our department: she has excelled in her own area of research, the prevention of overdose among people who use drugs, she serves as the director of the Population Health Analytics Team where she provides sophisticated statistical support to numerous investigators throughout the department and she always follows through on her commitments to colleagues offering support in difficult times."​

Significant Achievement in Policy, Advocacy, ​and Community Impact:
Sarah Walker, PhD, MS

The Significant Achievement in Policy, Advocacy, ​and Community Impact award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated significant achievement in policy, advocacy, or community impact.​ This year’s winner is Sarah Walker, PhD, MS, the director of CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy.

"Dr Walker has demonstrated visionary leadership, unwavering commitment to advancing behavioral health policy, and extraordinary achievement in translating evidence into action by improving systems for children’s mental health and championing transformative reform in the juvenile justice system."​

Significant Achievement in Research, Scholarship, and Innovation​:
Marco Pravetoni, PhD

The Significant Achievement in Research, Scholarship, and Innovation award recognizes associate professors or professors for outstanding skills as a researcher.​ This year’s winner is Marco Pravetoni, PhD, the Rick L. Seaver Endowed Professor for Brain Wellness.

"Dr. Pravetoni is a scientific leader advancing novel biologics for treatment and prevention of overdose to IND and FDA approval . Areas of innovation include 1) vaccines, monoclonal antibodies (mAb), and small molecules to treat or prevent SUD, opioid use disorders (OUD) and overdose, 2) mechanisms and biomarkers underlying or predicting efficacy of immunotherapeutics and medications in pre-clinical models of SUD and OUD patients."​

​Wayne J. Katon Outstanding Mentor Award​:
John Neumaier, MD, PhD

The Wayne J. Katon Outstanding Mentor Award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to fostering the creative, scholarly, professional and personal development of their mentees.​ This year’s winner is John Neumaier, MD, PhD, the director of the Division of Psychiatric Neurosciences.

"Dr. Neumaier has dedicated significant time and effort to support the development of the next generation of physician scientists through his commitment to the resident research track. Each year he personaly leads the efforts to identify potential residents and provide mentorship as they explore research careers. Without Dr. Neumaier, many of us in the department would not be here!" ​