Faculty
Core Faculty
Lisa Adler, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP), George Washington University, New York University
Clinical Services: Adolescent Inpatient Eating Disorders Unit (MBU), Intensive Outpatient/Partial Hospital Programs for Eating Disorders, Outpatient Eating Disorders
Interests: Eating Disorders, Training and Education, Psychotherapy, Interdisciplinary Care
Aaron Besterman, M.D.
Associate Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of California Los Angeles, University of California San Francisco
Clinical Service: The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services (CAPS) Inpatient Unit and Consultation - Liaison Service at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego
Research: Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Grant-Funded Researcher and Principal Investigator
Interests: Research, Genetics, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Academic Medicine, Training and Education, Mentorship
Anne Bird, M.D.
Professor
Triple Boarded in Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Director, Transforming Mental Health Initiative (Integrated/Collaborative Care)
Previous Institutional Affiliations: Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, University of Bristol (England)
Clinical Service: Transforming Mental Health Initiative (Integrated/Collaborative Care)
Interests: Integrated Care, Healthcare Administration, Systems of Care
Nicholas Chan, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of California San Diego
Clinical Service: Encinitas Outpatient Clinic
Interests: School-Based Interventions, Wellness Initiatives, Child Development, Course Director for the Child and Adolescent Interviewing Didactic Series
Willard Connor, M.D.
Associate Professor
Director, Outpatient County Clinics and Behavioral Health Urgent Care
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of California San Diego, University of California Los Angeles
Clinical Service: Outpatient County Clinics and Behavioral Health Urgent Care
Interests: Healthcare Administration, Systems of Care, Training and Education
Joshua Gibney, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Triple Boarded in Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of Utah
Clinical Service: Director of Education for Transforming Mental Health Initiative (Integrated/Collaborative Care)
Interests: Education, Quality Improvement, Health Informatics, Electronic Health Records, Course Director for Integrated Care Didactic Series
Hilary Gould, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of California Los Angeles, University of Hawaii
Clinical Service: Family Health Centers of San Diego (Federally Qualified Health Center)
Interests: Psychotherapy, Training and Education, Academics, Community Mental Health
Jay Giedd, M.D.
Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: The National Institutes of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University
Clinical Service: UCSD Department of Psychiatry
Research:Grant-Funded Researcher, UCSD Department of Psychiatry. Ranked #1 Globally in Child Psychiatry by the ADI Scientific Index in 2024, including over 93,000 lifetime citations!
Interests: Neuroimaging, Neuromodulation, Neurodevelopment, Neuroscience. Course Co-Director for Neuroscience Didactic Series
Guido Frank, M.D.
Professor
Director of Psychiatry, Medical Behavior Unit, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego
Co-Director of Research, UCSD Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research
Previous Institutional Affiliations: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh; Ludwig-Maximillans-University Munich, Germany; Klinic Roseneck Prien
Clinical Service: Rady Children's Hospital San Diego Medical Behavior Unit; UCSD La Jolla Outpatient Clinic
Research: Neurobiology and Treatment of Eating Disorders. Grant-Funded Researcher and Principal Investigator.
Interests: Eating Disorders, Psychopharmacology, Neuroscience, Psychotherapy, Research, Clinical Trials
Willough Jenkins, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Medicine
Medical Director of Inpatient, Consultation-Liaison, and Pediatric Psych ED Services
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of British Columbia (Canada)
Clinical Service: Consultation-Liaison Service, Indigenous/First Nations Telehealth, Hospital Administration
Interests: AACAP Physically Ill Child Committee, Psychosomatics, Psychopharmacology, Rural Indigenous Medicine, TikTok Influencer (37.3K Followers), World Health Organization Media Campaign/Messaging
Jeffrey Max, M.D.
Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: Brown University, Witwatersrand Medical School (South Africa)
Clinical Service: University of California San Diego Department of Psychiatry
Research: Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury. Grant-Funded Researcher and Principal Investigator.
Interests: Research, Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Neuroscience, Psychotherapy. Course Co-Director for Neuroscience Didactic Series.
Benjamin Maxwell, M.D.
Associate Professor
Division Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Una Davis Family Chair in Behavioral Health, Inpatient Psychiatry
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of California Irvine, University of Texas
Clinical Service: The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services (CAPS) Inpatient Unit
Interests: Healthcare Administration, Systems of Care, Global Mental Health, Inpatient Psychiatry
Shavon Moore, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Director, UCSD Child and Teen Psychiatry
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of California San Diego
Clinical Service: Child and Teen Clinic, Intensive Outpatient/Partial Hospital Programs for Eating Disorders, Outpatient Eating Disorders
Interests: Engagement with Multiple AACAP Committees, Outpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Community Psychiatry, Eating Disorders
Aisha Omorodion, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: Albany Medical College, Cornell University
Clinical Service:The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services (CAPS) Inpatient Unit, Consultation - Liaison Service, Pediatric Psych ED
Interests: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives, Training and Education, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Community Psychiatry
Ekta Patel, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Director, Pediatric Psych ED
Previous Institutional Affiliations: New York University
Clinical Service: Pediatric Psych ED, Consultation - Liaison Service
Interests: Ketamine Research Trial, Training and Education, Course Co-Director for First Year Journal Club, Adverse Event Analysis, and Case Conference Series and the Psychiatric Emergencies Didactic Series
Karishma Patel, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: Loma Linda University, Albert Einstein Montefiore Medical Center
Clinical Service: The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services (CAPS) Inpatient Unit, Consultation - Liaison Service, Pediatric Psych ED
Interests: Acute Services, Course Co-Director for First Year Journal Club, Adverse Event Analysis, and Case Conference Series and the Psychiatric Emergencies Didactic Series
Jason Schweitzer, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: Cambridge Health Alliance of Harvard Medical School
Clinical Service: Transforming Mental Health Initiative (Integrated/Collaborative Care)
Interests: Integrated and Collaborative Care, Community Psychiatry (Former Track Director), Psychotherapy, Training and Education
Desiree Shapiro, M.D.
Associate Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of California San Diego
Clinical Service: Director, UCSD Hear (Healer Education Assessment & Referral) Program
Research: Child and Adolescent Psychaitry Inclusive Excellence Program.
Interests: AACAP Presidential Task Force, AACAP Clinical Essentials Committee, Medical Student Education, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Efforts, Wellness, Self-Compassion, School-Based Health
Shawn Singh Sidhu, M.D., DFAPA, DFAACAP
Professor
Program Director, University of California San Diego Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of California Los Angeles, Northwestern University
Clinical Service: Native American Mental Health (On Reservation, Telehealth, and Consultation), Substance Use Disorders (Adolescents and Pregnant/Post-Partum Mothers), School-Based IOP/PHP, Mental Health Access Programs
Interests: AACAP Council, Co-Chair: AACAP Clinical Essentials Committee, Co-Chair: AACAP Annual Review Course, AACAP Assembly of Regional Organizations Executive Committee (former), APA Council on Children, Adolescents, and Their Families (former), Course Director for the Cultural Psychiatry and Systems of Care Didactic Series, Co-Director for the Society of Asylum Medicine, Co-Founder and Co-Director for the Native American SmartCare Program, Substance Use Disorders, Spirituality
Hannah Sweet, M.D.
Associate Professor
Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAPS) Inpatient Unit
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of California San Diego
Clinical Service:The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services (CAPS) Inpatient Unit
Interests: Co-Director of the Psychotherapy Didactic Series, Director of the Fellowship Call Committee, Liaison to the San Diego Psychoanalytic Center
Emily Troyer, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Director of the UCSD Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program Community Track
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of Illinois Chicago
Clinical Service: Family Health Centers (FQHC), San Diego Youth Services, San Diego Centers for Children
Research: NIH T32 Recipient for PsychoNeuroImmunology Research in Pediatric Anxiety
Interests: Community Psychiatry, Training and Education, Advocacy, Research
Katherine Nguyen Williams, Ph.D.
Professor
Director of Strategic Development and Clinical Innovations, Director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Program, Co-Director of Psychology Internship Program
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of California Los Angeles Harbor, Loma Linda University, Pepperdine University
Clinical Service: Outpatient Child and Adolescent Psychology
Interest: Co-Director of the Psychotherapy Didactic Series, Training and Education, Public Speaking and Education, Writing and Publishing
Michelle Wu, M.D.
Associate Professor
Associate Program Director, University of California San Diego Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, Northwestern University
Clinical Service: The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services (CAPS) Inpatient Unit
Interests: Training and Education, Course Director for the Psychopharmacology Didactic Series, Former Liaison to the San Diego Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (SDACAP), Recipient of the UCSD School of Medicine Kaiser Teaching Award for Excellence in Education, Faculty Lead for the UCSD School of Medicine Medical Student Peer Support Group (MAPS), Peer Supporter for the UCSD Physician Peer Support Program