Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program Faculty

Ellen Lee, M.D., AB. 
Fellowship Program Director

Dr. Lee is a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist who specializes in treating patients who have dementia with behavioral disturbances and older adults with mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders.

She values the opportunity to care for patients in a patient-centered, holistic, and empathetic setting. She considers it an honor to work alongside patients and their families to maintain their quality of life and functioning.

As an assistant professor and division chief in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine, she is involved in the education and mentoring of medical students, residents, and fellows. She finds it incredibly rewarding to train the next generation of clinicians and researchers. Her research interests include aging, sleep disturbances, and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, as well as well-being in older adults. Her research has been published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, Schizophrenia Research, and the Journal of Psychiatric Research, among others.

Dr. Lee is a UC San Diego geriatric psychiatry fellow alumna. She completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Maryland, Sheppard Pratt Hospital. Dr. Lee earned her medical degree from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

Raisa Yagudayeva, D.O.
Associate Program Director

Senior Behavioral Health Site Director, UC San Diego

Dr. Raisa Yagudayeva completed her doctorate in osteopathic medicine at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her psychiatry residency at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston, followed by a geriatric psychiatry fellowship at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

A board-certified psychiatrist specializing in geriatric psychiatry, she focuses on treating mental health conditions in older adults, including major neurocognitive disorder, depression, and anxiety. She has a special interest in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and is a member of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry and the American Psychiatric Association. She also speaks conversational Russian.

Kyle Hendrie, M.D.
Faculty, UC San Diego

Dr. Kyle Hendrie completed his medical training at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, where he also earned a master's degree in clinical and translational sciences. Dr. Hendrie completed a fellowship in geriatric psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and is now an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry there. He is board-certified in both adult and geriatric psychiatry and has clinical expertise in outpatient geriatric psychiatry, electroconvulsive therapy, and managing psychiatric manifestations of movement disorders. His research interests include delirium and the effects of social determinants of health on neurocognitive disorders.

Roopali Gupta, M.D. 
UCSD Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program Director

Dr. Roopali Gupta completed her medical school training at the University of Michigan Medical School. She completed her residency and fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Gupta is a board-certified geriatric medicine doctor and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She provides primary care for older adults with an emphasis on health maintenance, disease prevention, and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses. She also has a passion for medical education.

Dr. Abesh Bhattacharjee is a geriatric psychiatrist with over 30 years of experience. He graduated from Dhaka University / Bangladesh Medical College in 1992. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UC San Diego and is on the faculty of the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program. He is also currently a geriatric psychiatrist at the San Diego VA Hospital.

Kanchan Kohli, M.D.
Faculty, UC San Diego

Dr. Kanchan Kohli completed her medical degree, psychiatry residency, and a fellowship in geriatric psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. She is now an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine, where she is involved in training medical students, residents, and fellows. A board-certified psychiatrist, she specializes in treating patients ages 65 and older who have a range of conditions, including depression, psychosis, and anxiety disorders. She is dedicated to working with both patients and their families to develop personalized treatment plans that support overall well-being.

Jorge Porras, M.D.
Faculty, UC San Diego

Dr. Jorge Porras is a board-certified psychiatrist with over 30 years of experience. He is a faculty member at UC San Diego and specializes in both psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry. He is affiliated with UC San Diego Health Hillcrest Medical Center and has an office at the Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Diego.

Wendy Tayer, Ph.D.
Faculty, UC San Diego

Dr. Wendy Tayer is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UC San Diego. She specializes in behavioral medicine and geropsychology, helping people cope with mental health problems, chronic illness and pain, anxiety, depression, and age-related disorders. She also works with women's health issues and is trained in disaster psychology. Dr. Tayer earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. She trains graduate psychology students and gives presentations on topics related to health psychology, healthy aging, and stress.

Hoang Nguyen, M.D.
Faculty, VA San Diego

Omar Ghosn, M.D.
Attending, UC San Diego

PGY-2 Outpatient Rotation Lead

Dr. Omar Ghosn is a geriatric and consultation-liaison psychiatrist. He completed his medical training and residency in Lebanon and the United Kingdom before completing a geriatric psychiatry fellowship and consultation-liaison training at UC San Diego. He is experienced in various psychotherapies and speaks French and Arabic.