Rick Ries named Addictions “Champion”

Department news | March 31, 2016

Rick Ries, Director of our Addictions Division, has been appointed the Addictions “Champion” by Dean Ramsey to lead the ACO process of developing consistent alcohol/drug approaches starting with developing consistent alcohol use screening practices throughout the UW Medicine Accountable Care Network. He will be working with a team led by David Dugdale, UW Medicine medical director for care management.


ADAI researcher receives Distinguished Dissertation Award

Department news | February 29, 2016

Kudos to Dennis Wendt on receiving the Distinguished Dissertation Award in Qualitative Inquiry from Division 5 of the American Psychological Association. Dennis is a clinical psychologist and postdoctoral fellow in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. His postdoctoral work is with the UW Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute and his mentor is ADAI Director Dennis Donovan.


Aaron Lyon receives 2016 DIS SIG Early Career Award

Department news | January 31, 2016

Assistant Professor Aaron Lyon has recently been awarded the DIS SIG Early Career Award that is presented to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the science of dissemination and implementation through research, practice, and leadership. Congratulations Aaron!


Will French and Ian Kodish recognized for educational excellence

Department news | January 31, 2016

Each year, the Outstanding Junior Clinician Teacher Faculty Award honors an outstanding clinician teacher faculty member in our department who is at the instructor or assistant professor level. The award recognizes outstanding teaching, curriculum development, educational research and scholarship, and/or educational administration.

The first four recipients of this award were Suzanne Murray (2011), Heidi Combs (2012), Ray Hsiao (2013), and Anna Ratzliff (2014). We are pleased to announce that the 2015 recipients of this award were Will French and Ian Kodish! The award will be presented at Graduation in June.


Addictions training program receives national ranking

Department news | December 31, 2015

The UW School of Medicine’s addictions programs have done it again. For the fourth year in a row, US News and World Report ranked UW Medicine as a top 10 medical school for drug and alcohol abuse programs, coming in at #10. Four west coast schools made the top ten list with Harvard University ranking first. The Drug and Alcohol Abuse training program was one of eight programs at UW medicine to receive a top 10 ranking. The other UW Medicine programs are Family Medicine (#1), Rural Medicine (#1), AIDS (#4), Geriatrics (#8), Pediatrics (#8), Internal Medicine (#8) and Women’s Health (hidden ranking).

Richard Ries, Director of the Addictions Division and the Addictions Services at Harborview, is proud of the fact that we are the only psychiatry department in the country that offers an Addictions Track as an entry option for residents. Addiction graduates function as clinical and research faculty at various departmental sites and occupy key positions in regional hospitals and treatment centers. The national ranking is just one indicator of the strength of our Addictions Division. An innovative leader in such areas as wrap-around care and opioid treatment, the Addictions Division has a large number of faculty members who engage in research, patient care, and education including Dennis Donovan’s group at the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, Mary Larimer’s team at the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, Therese Grant’s work at the Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit, Andy Saxon’s research on opioid addiction treatment at the Center of Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education, Ray Hsiao’s efforts at The Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Murray Raskind and colleague at the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers , John Neumaier’s group in Psychiatric Neurosciences and Mark Sullivan’s work to study and intervene in the prescription opioid epidemic.


Amritha Bhat receives 2015 William Webb Fellowship

Department news | November 30, 2015

The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine (APM) selected Amritha Bhat, MD, as the recipient of a 2015 William Webb Fellowship, a nationally competitive program. This fellowship fosters the career development and leadership potential of outstanding trainees with an interest in consultation liaison psychiatry. As a Webb Fellow, Dr. Bhat will serve on pivotal task forces and working groups as part of the APM leadership team. Congratulations, Amritha!


Vivek Datta receives 2015 Rappeport Fellowship

Department news | November 30, 2015

Resident Vivek Datta, MD, MPH, has recently been awarded the Rappeport Fellowship presented to outstanding residents with a particular interest in the relationship between psychiatry and the law. The fellowship seeks to award those who will make a significant contribution to this field. Congratulations Vivek!


Andrea Niles wins Joseph Becker Research Award

Department news | November 30, 2015

This year's recipient of the Joseph Becker Research Award is Andrea Niles, MA, an Adult Track resident in the Psychology Internship Program. The award stimulates quality research by rewarding a psychology resident for independence, creativity and intellectual depth in a research effort. Andrea’s research examines how PTSD confers greater risk for poor physical health among sexual minority women.



Seon Kum wins APA Minority Award

Department news | June 30, 2015

Seon Kum, Psychiatry PGY-3 Resident, has won a one-year funded American Psychiatric Association/SAMHSA Minority Fellowship to pursue projects and national leadership activities focused on diversity in mental health care and addressing health disparities. Seon's plans for his fellowship year include establishing a Men of Color group for patients at the Seattle VA, helping to initiate and mentor medical students in the Department's Diversity Subinternship Program, and exploring local mental health care delivery and needs for underserved groups, as well as national best practices.