Yale University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry

Commencement June 10, 2011

Graduating PGY4 Residents

Neil Krishan Aggarwal, MD, MBA, MA

Muhammad Rais Baig, MD

Jessica Jasjit Kaur Chaudhary, MD

Eric D.A. Hermes, MD

Gretchen L. Hermes, MD, PhD

Rebecca Marie Hicks, MD

Rebecca Eve Hommer, MD

Pilar Laborde-Lahoz, MD

Qi Ling, MD, PhD

Carla Beth Marienfeld, MD

Suzanne Mary Meehan, MD, MPH, MA

Navin Reddy, MD

Sally Dunne Romano, MD, PhD

Kalyani G. Subramanyam, MD

Toral Shailesh Surti, MD, PhD

Mai Uchida, MD

Tamara Lyn Vanderwal, MD

Christopher Michael Vaughn, MD

Amelia Kharman Villagomez, MD

Wendol A. Williams, MD

Ke Xu, MD, PhD

Neil Krishan Aggarwal, MD, MBA, MA

Neil received an MD and MBA from Case Western Reserve University in 2004 and an MA from Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations in 2007. He has been a fellow in and grant recipient of the APA/SAMHSA Minority Fellowships Program, a fellow in the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, an invitee to the NIMH Research Careers in Global Mental Health and developed an elective course on Culture and Mental Health. In addition, Neil has consulted to the UN to evaluate mental health treatment of Iraqi refugees in Jordan and has been a consultant to the DSM V Gender and Cross Cultural Study Group. Since joining the residency, Neil has

published 16 articles and has another five in process. Dr. Eric Berger noted: “Supposing it's true that multilingualism lessens the eventual risk of Alzheimer's, Neil started the residency with a better chance than most to remain lucid at 100, for not many of us speak 9 languages. While sustaining his interests in religion, anthropology and linguistics, and somehow finding time to be the Hindu Fellow for the entire University, he's maintained his steep trajectory. I've had the privilege of working with him as he's experienced the ambiguities and challenges of spending time with patients and shared the joy of discovering new abilities. May we all remain lucid long enough to witness the inevitable contributions he will make to our field.” Next year, Neil will be a post-doctoral fellow in clinical research on mood and anxiety disorders at Columbia University.

Muhammad Rais Baig, MD

Rais received his medical degree from Baqai Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan in 2000 and a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2006. He completed the first three years of his residency at San Antonio and came to Yale as a PGY4 resident in July 2010. Rais has received four travel awards, the APA-Janssen Resident Research Scholar Award, first prize of the Resident Paper Competition of the Journal of Psychiatric Practice and the 2010 National Institute of Mental Health Outstanding Resident Award.

Dr. Zoran Zimolo told us:

“A real gentleman with broad views, Rais came to Yale from Texas. As a trainee, he published papers, presented at meetings and gave seminars about biological treatments and even philosophy and psychoanalysis. No wonder he was in this past year awarded the prestigious NIMH outstanding resident award. Rais is equipped with a calm, pleasant demeanor, warm and therapeutically disarming smile and a commitment to clinical work. With all these attributes, he has been very successful in helping many severely ill patients. Due to a combination of his lack of fondness for snow storms and love and dedication to patient care, he and his family plan to move gradually further south where he will continue his terrific psychiatric career. He plans to focus on severely ill patients whose lives will undoubtedly be touched by his impressive talents and devotion.” Next year, Rais will be a fellow in the Psychosomatic Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City.

Jessica Jasjit Kaur Chaudhary, MD

Jessica earned her medical degree at University of Washington School of Medicine in 2007 and joined the residency program in July of that year. During her time in the residency, she was elected by her class as a member of the Graduate Education Committee and has been selected to teach psychiatric forensics to law students. In addition she has enrolled in a Masters of Public Policy at Harvard and expects to receive her degree in 2012.

Dr. Robert Rohrbaugh noted:

“Jessica has unique interests and abilities to work creatively at the boundaries of psychiatry

and other fields of endeavor. Each area she has explored during residency has been at an interface with another system or school of thought. She explored psychiatry at its interface with medicine through her work in Consultation Liaison psychiatry; psychiatry at its interface with the legal system through her work in Forensics; and psychiatry at its interface with public health through her study of Public Policy. This ability to not only tolerate but even enjoy the challenges involved in cross-disciplinary work exemplifies the intellectual rigor and advocacy that she has brought to her work in the residency, whether as a clinician or a member of our Graduate Education Committee. Eventually, public policy won the battle for Jessica’s affection and I look forward to hearing about her accomplishments in that field.” Next year, Jessica will be a health policy fellow at the United States Department of State in Washington, DC, focusing on global and mental health issues.

Eric D.A. Hermes, MD

Eric received his MD from the University of South Florida College of Medicine in 2000. Following medical school, he completed an internship and spent the following seven years as a physician in the United States Air Force. He entered the residency program in 2008. In his PGY4 year, he began a research fellowship, supported by an R25 Training Grant. He also received the Joseph L. Haley Award from the U.S. Army Aviation Medical Association for the best 2010 publication for an article that stemmed from research he conducted while in the Air Force.

As Dr. Robert Rosenheck stated:

“Having served in a large healthcare organization prior to coming to Yale, Eric came primed to study the role of scientific data in improving the quality of care. As a Research Fellow, he has initiated a series of studies of data guided treatment to see if objective measurement can help improve clinical outcomes. His study finding a weak relationship between weight gain with second generation antipsychotics and clinical improvement led him to wonder how much change on standard measures is clinically meaningful and to what degree does measured change in symptoms or side effects drive drug dose increases. He has mapped an array of intellectual projects that should keep him busy for many years to come.” Next year, Eric will remain in the residency program to complete the second year of his research fellowship.

Gretchen L. Hermes, MD, PhD

Gretchen received Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School in 1994 and an MA, PhD and MD from University of Chicago in 2001, 2003 and 2007, respectively. She joined the residency program as a PGY1 in the Neuroscience Research Training Program in 2007 and served as Chief Resident of the Clinical Neurosciences Research Unit in her PGY4 year. During the course of the residency, Gretchen has received many awards, including the APA/Pfizer MD, PhD Research Fellowship Award, the APA-Janssen Resident Research Scholar Award, the Daniel X. and Mary Freedman Fellowship in Academic Psychiatry, and most recently, the Yale School of Medicine

Power Day Award for Psychiatry. Her work on the relationship of early childhood trauma to the development of career later in life has resulted in several publications and numerous national presentations since entering the residency. Dr. Robert Malison told us: “Gretchen has an understated, methodical and outwardly gentle (albeit inwardly ferocious) tenacity in all that she pursues. Perhaps among the lesser known of her considerable accomplishments occurred this past April, when this self-professed non-athlete completed her first triathlon. Gretchen pursued her psychiatric training in the same fiercely quiet way, not only facing, but excelling in the clinical, educational, and investigational arenas. Thus, as she crosses the finish line of her residency, we look forward to following the future course of her already bright professional career!” Next year, Gretchen will continue doing research here at Yale in the Section on Comparative Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry.

Rebecca Marie Hicks, MD

Rebecca graduated from The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 2007. During residency, she was awarded the Integrated Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Training (IMPORT) stipend, which allowed her to pursue research with Dr. Linda Mayes on the intersection between maternal mental health and child development. Rebecca has also been a recipient of the International Association for the Study of Attachment Research Scholarship. In addition, Rebecca has had important leadership roles in the residency including serving as a member of the Graduate Education Committee and as Program Wide Co-Chief Resident.

Dr. Andrew Balter noted: “Having supervised Rebecca, essentially throughout her residency, I have had the pleasure of watching her truly blossom professionally. Clinically, she has become a talented and sophisticated psychotherapist capable of appreciating the subtleties of the psychotherapeutic process, recognizing the complexities of the psychotherapeutic relationship and attending to her own internal responses as valuable tools in her work. Just as impressive, however, is Rebecca’s thoughtfulness as she has carefully worked toward integrating her varied interests in the areas of clinical research, medical ethics, women’s and children’s psychiatric health. Rebecca will surely bring all these interests and skills together to make a unique contribution to our field. It has been a privilege to watch her develop professionally and to welcome her as a colleague.” Next year, Rebecca will be a fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Yale Child Study Center.

Rebecca Eve Hommer, MD

Rebecca joined the Solnit Integrated Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Program after receiving her MD from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 2006. During the course of her residency, she has received a number of honors and awards, including the APA/Shire Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, the AACAP Pilot Research Award, the AACAP Systems of Care Special Program Scholarship, the 2010 Research Colloquium Award for Junior Investigators and the 2010 Donald J. Cohen Fellowship.

Dr. Mohini Ranganathan had this to say:

“Rebecca is such a warm, easygoing and wonderful person that you might, just for a moment, forget that she is an immensely smart, motivated and talented physician and scientist! She juggles her many clinical and research roles in the Integrated Program with aplomb, all the time maintaining her cheerful and calm demeanor. With her engaging personality, she instills confidence, builds a wonderful rapport, and opens avenues of communication even in the most difficult of situations. Rebecca is a wonderful clinician with an impressive research profile. Her research interests during her training here have focused on understanding how early life stress influences brain development, decision making, and risk for substance abuse as well as mood and anxiety disorders.” Next year, Rebecca will continue her work at Yale in the Solnit Integrated Program to complete her child psychiatry and research training, splitting her time between the Child Study Center and the Section on Bipolar Spectrum Disorders at NIMH.

Pilar Laborde-Lahoz, MD

Pilar received her MD from University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 2005. She completed her PGY1 year in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and come to Yale as a PGY2 resident. This year, Pilar was elected by her class to serve as a member of the Graduate Education Committee and has been Chief Resident on the 4th floor inpatient unit at Connecticut Mental Health Center. She has also been involved in research involving neuroimaging mood disorders in the geriatric population. In 2011, she was named an American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry Scholar.

Paul Kirwin noted: “Pilar is a gifted physician. She is beloved by colleagues who have consistently elected her to leadership positions in the residency. She is one of those anchor residents that every program hopes for: steady, committed to excellence in all she does, creative with strong leadership capabilities, and an avid teacher—all the makings of a fine physician. She is graceful and kind with patients and staff, and sought out by her residency colleagues for her wise ear. Pilar had a special way with our elderly patients. She has insight and empathy born from her natural sensibilities and life experiences and approaches each day with raw courage and an ironic sense of humor.” Next year, Pilar will be a fellow in the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship here at Yale.

Qi Ling, MD, PhD

Qi received her MD in 1984 from National Training Center of Clinical Pharmacology (NTCCP) in Changsha, China. She earned an MS in 1989 and a PhD from Central South University, Xiang Ya School of Medicine, also in Changsha. Qi came to the US working first as a Postdoctoral Associate, then a Research Associate and ultimately as an Assistant Research Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College. She spent her PGY1 through PGY3 years at University of Connecticut and came to Yale as a PGY4 resident to pursue research interests. During her residency training, she received the APA-Janssen Resident Research Scholar Award and authored five publications.

Dr. Dolores Vojvoda noted: “An accomplished researcher, Qi decided to leave a promising research career in New York City and start residency training in psychiatry. Based on my work with her this year, I think she made the right choice. She is smart, talented, enthusiastic and passionate about learning everything she can to improve her clinical skills, understand her patients and, ultimately, improve their lives. She goes beyond what is expected and eagerly takes on new challenges. On a personal level, she is kind, caring and generous. It has been a pleasure watching Qi develop into a great psychiatrist and I am looking forward to her future accomplishments.” Next year, Qi will be an attending in the Department of Psychiatry at Elmhurst Hospital Center and an Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Carla Beth Marienfeld, MD

Carla came to the residency program after receiving her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in 2007. As a trainee, she has received a number of awards and honors including the Association for Academic Psychiatry Fellowship and Travel Award, a travel award to attend the Research Careers in Global Mental Health Meeting at NIMH, and the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training (AADPRT) George Ginsberg Fellowship, the highest national honor for residents involved in teaching. In addition, she served on the Graduate Education Committee, was a Program Wide Co-Chief Resident and served as a

representative on the National Residency Review Committee for Psychiatry. Tonight, Carla also received the Laughlin Award for clinical and scholarly excellence. Dr. Robert Rohrbaugh told us: “Carla arrived with a passion for global mental health and has pursued this passion in a unique and generative manner. As a PGY2, she was one of the first residents to participate in a sponsored international elective and used the time to travel to China and write a poignant reflection on access to mental health care in that country. As a PGY4, she returned to China to improve treatment for patients with addictions. Most significantly, Carla has worked tirelessly to create the department’s Global Mental Health Program. In doing so, she has created a lasting structure that will benefit residents for years to come.” Next year, Carla will be a Fellow in the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship here at Yale and will continue her work in the Global Mental Health Program.

Suzanne Mary Meehan, MD, MPH, MA

Suzanne earned an MA in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and an MPH from Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health before receiving her MD in 2006 from the Medical School for International Health in Israel. She completed her PGY1 year as a psychiatry resident at University of Massachusetts Medical Center and joined the residency here in 2008. While in our program, she was a fellow of the American Psychoanalytic Association, a participant in the Scholars’ Program at the Western New England Psychoanalytic Society and, in her PGY4 year, served as the Chief Resident on the inpatient unit at the VA.

Her long-term psychotherapy supervisor, Dr. Daniel Bendor, noted: “Suzanne is incredibly bright, thoughtful, sensitive, determined, empathic, and remarkably aware of her part in the psychotherapeutic process. She is strong in arguing her beliefs but is simultaneously open to considering other perspectives. She is the first trainee I’ve ever worked with who at one point had two patients in the long-term therapy program, each of whom she was seeing twice a week. On the personal front, she is also rather courageous. That is the only way I can describe someone who, while still a resident, adopts a young boy from the war-torn Congo. I am certain that she will use her humane and scientific mind for the benefit of the many people who will be her patients.” Next year, Suzanne will be an Attending Psychiatrist at the Brattleboro Retreat in Brattleboro, VT.

Navin Reddy, MD

Navin received his MD from University of the West Indies in 2003 and entered the North General psychiatry residency program at Mount Sinai Hospital in 2007. After spending his first three years there, he transferred to Yale for his PGY4 year. While at Mt. Sinai, he was the elected union delegate for the North General Hospital residents and appointed the class representative for educational and competency reviews. In his year at Yale, he worked at the VA on a team serving homeless veterans.

Dr. David Ross had this to say:

“Navin came to our program with an interest in

public psychiatry and became the first PGY4 resident to rotate on the Critical Time Intervention team, a program dedicated to treating homeless veterans with psychiatric illness. The CTI team functions in a complex, idiosyncratic, and at times frustrating system. Navin immediately shone. He is thoughtful, hard working, and extraordinarily bright. He is fully committed to and engaged in the care of his patients. Above all, what makes him such a pleasure to work with is his relentlessly good temperament. In the most challenging of situations, Navin seemed impervious to anger and never lost his ability to laugh at the inevitable absurdities of the system. It was a delight having the opportunity to work with him—my only regret was that we didn’t have more time with him in the program!” Next year, Navin is likely to be working at the VA in West Haven.

Sally Dunne Romano, MD, PhD

Sally has four degrees from Yale. In 2005, she received an MA and a Master of Philosophy in the History of Science and Medicine; in 2006 she received a PhD in History; and in 2007 she earned her MD. During her residency, Sally has been a Reviewer for the American Journal of Public Health and a member of the American Association for the History of Medicine. She is under contract and in the process to turn her thesis into a book. Within our program, she was elected by her peers to serve on the Graduate Education Committee and was Chief Resident on the Consult Service at the VA.

Dr. Catherine Chiles had this to say:

“Sally has been a phenomenal Chief Resident. Within a short time, she was the go-to person for the service and widely sought by consulting services of medicine, surgery and rehabilitation. She is a true diplomat, working to provide seamless care for the Veterans she served. She is extremely efficient, yet detailed and trustworthy in her clinical work. She is the doctor’s doctor. Sally also has been a fantastic teacher to countless medical students. In exit interviews, residents and students frequently mentioned that Sally had transformed their learning as a developing physician and psychiatrist. These individuals learned from Sally the true meaning of professionalism, genuine care for patients, and dedication to duty par excellence. She is a deeply humanitarian physician, scholar and educator.” Next year, Sally will be a Lecturer in the History of Medicine Department at Yale.

Kalyani G. Subramanyam, MD

Kalyani received her medical degree from Bangalore Medical College in India. She completed a psychiatry residency in India at the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences before coming to Yale. She spent her PGY4 year studying microglial activation in patients with Hepatitis C being treated with interferon. She received the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training (AADPRT) International Medical Graduate award for 2011. Within the department, Kalyani received the 2009 Ira Levine Award for clinical excellence, breadth of learning and devotion to the care of patients with severe psychiatric illness and was the

recipient of Honorable Mention for the 2011 Seymour Lustman Resident Research Award. Tonight, Kalyani also received the Laughlin Award for clinical and scholarly excellence.

Dr. Jonas Hannestad told us:

“As her current supervisors have noted, ‘Kalyani possesses an innate psychological-mindedness and tact which she applies in difficult moments during treatment. She performs at the level of an attending and is thorough and thoughtful in her evaluations.’ In addition to being an outstanding clinician, Kalyani is also becoming an outstanding researcher. Over the past year, she has worked with me on a PET imaging research project in which we measured changes in regional brain glucose metabolism in response to endotoxin-induced systemic inflammation in human subjects. Not surprisingly, she approached this project with the same thoughtfulness and care as she does with patients.”

Next year, Kalyani will be an outpatient psychiatrist at a behavioral health network in Springfield, MA and will be supervising psychiatry residents in the Baystate program.

Toral Shailesh Surti, MD, PhD

Toral received her MD and a PhD in Biophysics from the University of California, San Francisco. She came to Yale as a resident in the Neuroscience Research Training Program. While in the residency, she was the recipient of the Society for Biological Society Travel Fellowship Award and the 2009 Benjamin Bunney Award. In her PGY4 year she served as Chief Resident for the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit at the Connecticut Mental Health Center and was a co-leader of the PGY1 Roundtable, a monthly discussion group for psychiatry interns. Her research in schizophrenia has resulted in a publication and national and international presentations.

Dr. Bruce Wexler noted: “Toral came to the residency with a strong neuroscience background, having done animal work in neuroplasticity with international leaders in the field. During the course of the residency, Toral has shown herself to be a deeply interested and highly capable clinician. Putting these newer experiences and skills together with those she brought with her to Yale, Toral developed her own research initiative in the application of the neuroscience of neuroplasticity to the creation of new treatments for people with serious mental illnesses. It is hard to imagine a more ideal development and trajectory for a career in translational research. Translational research is in her constitution and many will benefit as a result.” Next year, Toral will do a Post-Doctoral Fellowship with Dr. Wexler to continue her study of cognitive remediation and neuroplasticity in schizophrenia.

Mai Uchida, MD

Mai earned her MD from Hokkaido University School of Medicine in Japan and returned to New Haven – where she had spent time during her childhood – to join our residency program. While here, she has been an active researcher, writer, lecturer and presenter, with a focus on child mental health issues in Japan. In 2008, she received the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists Fellowship Award, which recognized her as a young psychiatrist with a promising career.

Dr. Robert Ostroff noted:

“‘How can we know the dancer from the dance?’ It’s a hard question to answer when one gets to

know Mai, whose name means dance in Japanese, and who makes it hard to separate her passionate activities from who she is … an accomplished flamenco dancer, a designer of her own clothes, a passionate advocate for children, a prolific contributor to Japanese medical literature, a rare Japanese medical school graduate training in the US, simultaneously assimilating American medical training and American culture. It is hard to appreciate how rare Mai is in our world where individualism is celebrated. In Japan, when one behaves in a manner called ‘jikoryu’ or expresses personal style, one is frequently subject to severe peer criticism. Mai has embraced an irrepressible personal style despite its negative connotations in Japan. Fortunately, Japan’s loss of this creative spirit has been America’s gain.” Next year, Mai will be a fellow in Harvard’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Tamara Lyn Vanderwal, MD

Tammy has an MA in Religion from Yale Divinity School and an MD from Yale School of Medicine. After receiving her medical degree, she joined the Solnit Integrated Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Program and served as its Program Wide Chief Resident for 2010–2011. During her residency, she served as a member of the Graduate Education Committee and received the 2009 PRA Resident Teaching Award for her work as an outstanding teacher and role model. In addition to her clinical work, she has actively pursued research using fMRI to study reflective social processing for which she received the Elaine Schlosser Lewis Pilot Research Award in 2008.

Dr. Susan Lewis had this to say: “Tammy has moved gracefully through the child/adult program, negotiating the complexities of training at different sites with different schedules and still managing to engage with the staff and patients in a fulsome and devoted manner. She is noted for her combination of creativity, playfulness and strong sense of responsibility and at the same time has developed her ‘third ear’, listening with sensitivity and understanding. To quote her attendings: ‘Tammy is a very special resident who made herself invaluable on the unit. She managed to excel at her clinical commitments while juggling a productive research career. Most importantly, she is a person who thinks about those around her and listens to her friends and colleagues.’” Next year, Tammy will continue her work at Yale in the Solnit Integrated Program to complete her child psychiatry and research training.

Christopher Michael Vaughn, MD

Chris completed medical school at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 2007. He completed his first three years of residency at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Center in New York and transferred to Yale for his PGY4 year. During his time here, he provided outstanding clinical care to patients at the VA and has been a highly valued tutor to Yale medical students.

Dr. Paul Kirwin told us:

“Arriving for his fourth year of training, Chris soon showed himself to be an extremely capable physician. He has cared for a large and complex set of patients this year with unflappable

aplomb. As one supervisor noted, ‘He has an excellent ability to connect with very difficult patients and engages closely with other treaters to maintain continuity of care.’ He is organized with the vagaries of his clinical work, and has taken the time to know his patients well. At any time he was able to give me a range of details about any of his patients: from medications to the context of his patient’s lives on the spot without the use of notes. He is cheerful and brings this sense of optimism to all he does. It has been a delight to supervise him this year. We will miss his sunny disposition as he travels back to his home in California.” Next year, Chris will be an outpatient psychiatrist for Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles.

Amelia Kharman Villagomez, MD

Amelia received her medical degree from Texas A&M University College of Medicine in 2007. As a resident, she was a recipient of the Chung Fellowship, which allowed her to travel to Changsha, China to investigate how PTSD is conceptualized and treated in China; a recipient of the Zigler Fellowship, which supported her interest in children and families; and a recipient of the APA/SAMHSA Minority Fellowship, which supported her work in the areas of mindfulness and spirituality. In addition, Amelia has been a member of the APA Corresponding Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster, a Review Editor for Frontiers in Child and Neurodevelopment and

the author of a book chapter. Amelia also presented on the topic of Psychiatry and Spirituality at the 2011 APA meeting. Dr. Susan Kruger told us: “Amelia is a star! She is an exceptional individual, whose dedication to her patients and to underserved populations is unparalleled. Her optimism is infectious, as is her love of learning. She is highly accomplished, both in the use of mainstream treatments and in alternative treatments. Her superb clinical skills, dedication to understanding the subtleties of medication use, and strong work ethic are complemented by her warmth, compassion and empathy. Furthermore, she has a rare gift for teaching, which she has used generously to the benefit of fellow residents and patients. It has been my privilege to work with her and know her as a person.” Next year, Amelia will be a fellow in Harvard’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program at Boston Children's Hospital.

Wendol A. Williams, MD

Wendol received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He was an intern at UVA in Internal Medicine and continued his residency training there in Neurology and Psychiatry. Wendol was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at National Institutes of Health, an Attending Psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and an Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry Department here at Yale. He joined our residency program as a PGY4 in order to become board eligible in Psychiatry. While working part time in the residency, Wendol has continued his research work at the Yale PET Center, where he is the Associate Medical Director. Throughout his career,

Wendol has specialized in the study and treatment of alcohol dependent patients. Dr. Roberto Gil told us: “For the last few months I have had the opportunity to supervise the excellent work of Dr. Williams at the VA. I have been impressed by many aspects of Wendol's work, including his comprehensive approach to the patients’ problems, the thoroughness of his assessments, his solid base of knowledge and how he has selected the appropriate treatment interventions for a diverse group of patients and situations. Wendol's superb clinical manners and demeanor approaching and interviewing patients make him a very effective clinician. In addition, he has been a pleasure to work with and always a great team member. I wish him the best in his career.” Wendol will remain in the residency program until December 2011 and continue his role at the Yale PET Center.

Ke Xu, MD, PhD

 Ke received a medical degree, a Master of  Science and a PhD, all from West China University of Medical Sciences in Sichuan, China. She completed a residency and was an attending psychiatrist in Guangdong, China. In 1997, Ke came to the US to be a Post-Doctoral and Research Fellow at NIH. Since coming to Yale, Ke has been the recipient of the 2010 Research Colloquium Award for Junior Investigators, the 2011 APA/Merck & Co Early Academic Career Research Award and the department’s 2011 Seymour Lustman Resident Research Award. She has authored 11 publications on topics related to the genetic underpinning of psychiatric disorders. Most

recently, Ke hosted a delegation of colleagues from Guangzhou Psychiatry Hospital who are interested in establishing research and education collaborations with our department. Dr. Ismene Petrakis noted: “Ke exemplifies the best of all worlds; excellent clinical care, high academic potential, and outstanding personal attributes. She is a dedicated and compassionate clinician and she is a talented and ambitious (in the best sense) geneticist and scientist. However, what comes to mind first when I think of Ke is her warmth, sincerity, politeness and pleasant demeanor. Her smile puts you immediately at ease and makes working with her a pleasure. Her insightful questions and honesty make supervising her a highlight of my week. She will no doubt contribute great things to this department and we are lucky to have her continue with us as a colleague.” Next year, Ke will be a member of the Yale Psychiatry Department Faculty.