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 Disordes, 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: Grant-Funded Researcher and Prinicipal Investigator, Inpatient, and Consultation - Liaison
Interests: Research, Genetics (Rady Institute for Genomic Medicine), Neurodevelopmental Disorders
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: Torrey Hills Outpatient Clinic
Interests: 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
Jay Giedd, M.D.
Professor
Previous Institutional Affiliations: The National Institutes of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University
Clinical Service: 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
Medical Director of the Adolescent Inpatient Eating Disorders Unit (MBU)
Previous Institutional Affiliations: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh, Ludwig-Maximillans University (Germany)
Clinical Service: Grant-Funded Researcher and Principal Investigator
Interests: Research, Clinical Trials, Eating Disorders, Psychopharmacology, Neuroscience, Psychotherapy
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, 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: Grant-Funded Research, University of California San Diego Department of Psychiatry
Interests: Research, Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injuery, Neuroscience. 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: Inpatient Psychiatry
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: Inpatient, Consultation - Liaison, 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, Inpatient
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: Inpatient, Consultation - Liaison, 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
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 Programming for Adolescents and Pregnant/Post-Partum Mothers, School-Based IOP/PHP
Interests: AACAP Council, AACAP Clinical Essentials Committee, AACAP Annual Review Course Co-Chair, 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, Immigrant/Migrant/Refugee Mental Health, Native American Mental Health, Substance Use Disorders, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives, Social Justice, 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: Inpatient
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: Federally Qualified Health Centers, Non-Profit Community Mental Health Organizations
Interests: Research (NIH T32 Award Recipient in PsychoNeuroImmunology), Community Psychiatry, Training and Education, Advocacy
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.
Assistant Professor
Associate Program Director for the University of California San Diego Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowhsip Program
Previous Institutional Affiliations: University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, Northwestern University
Clinical Service: Inpatient
Interests: Training and Education, Course Director for the Psychopharmacology Didactic Series, Liaison to the San Diego Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (SDACAP)