Residents, Addiction Medicine Fellows, Doctoral Clinical Psychology Interns, Postdoctoral Psychology Fellows
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Travis Alsky, DOField of Psychiatry General Adult Psychiatry Reflections on Your Residency To me, residency has been a slow transformation by which change and growth is not always appreciable from day to day. However, looking back from the beginning until now gives a sense of contrast by which the often intangible things I have learned take on accentuated meaning. Overall, I am grateful for our program instilling a strong foundation of integrative medicine and psychodynamic therapy, which have proven time and again to be useful lenses to facilitate healing. Thank you to... Thank you to my outpatient supervisors and therapy supervisors for the awesome experience! Thank you to all I have encountered who take the role of teaching as something rewarding in itself. Where is your career taking you? I plan to stay in Tucson. |
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Kaley Canova-Gaitros, DO - Chief ResidentField of Psychiatry Geriatric Psychiatry Awards 2025: Arizona Psychiatric Society Outstanding Resident Award Presentations American Delirium Society 2025 Annual Meeting: "Teaching Delirium: A Review of Interdisciplinary Education Practices" Reflections on Your Residency Biggest takeaway: life is all about balance. Work hard, play hard! Thank you to... My parents, Chris and Mary; sisters, Kendall, Kassidy, Kamryn, my life partner Anthony, my co-residents and especially co-chiefs, all of the faculty who guided me along the way, and my best friend Bryan. Where is your career taking you? Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship, COM-T Psychiatry |
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Sean Costello, MD - Chief ResidentField of Psychiatry Outpatient General Psychiatry Awards 2023: National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative Scholar Reflections on Your Residency I’ve been fortunate in this pathway to encounter incredible people, unforgettable stories and forged friendships and professional affiliations with individuals who inspire me every day. I’ve also come to realize that the more I learn, the less it seems that I truly know. After 4 years, the quote I put forth in the slide for the new resident mixer rings as true now as it did then: Thank you to... Thank you to my supervisors for their wisdom and guidance. Kudos to my wife Lisa for meandering through the culinary world, med school and residency with me. Thank you to my parents for all the support. And thank you to yerba matte for the high octane caffeination fueling me through residency. Where is your career taking you? Outpatient Psychiatry in Soldotna, Alaska |
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Katelyn Fellows, MD - Chief ResidentField of Psychiatry Consult/Liaison Psychiatry Awards 2023: The George Ginsberg Fellowship Award Presentations 2024: Medical Student Perception of Risk related to Specialty Disclosure, WGEA Conference Reflections on Your Residency Psychiatry training changes you in ways I never expected. I have made incredible friendships during my time here, connected with amazing mentors, built new skill sets through the investment and opportunities of this program, explored a great city and the surrounding nature, and came away with a whole new understanding of the human condition and way of looking at the world. I am so grateful to have had the experiences here at U of A in Tucson. Thank you to... My husband, Spencer, who kept our life running smoothly and being the best companion and partner all through medical school and residency. My parents for their unrivaled enthusiasm and support of my passions all my life. My daughter, Hannah, for coming into this world and showing me what it's all for. Where is your career taking you? Academic Psychiatry as a consult/liaison psychiatrist and clerkship director in Reno, NV |
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Alicia Halbert, DOField of Psychiatry Reproductive and Adult Psychiatry Thank you to... Dr. Saira Kalia, Dr. Amy Hu, Dr. Barbara Pritchard Where is your career taking you? A mix of private practice/residential. |
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Christina Rios, MDField of Psychiatry Sleep medicine/psychiatry; I hope to practice both with a focus on hypersomnia, narcolepsy/IH, as well as insomnia, including CBTi. Awards May 2024: WR Martin Research Award Presentations & Publications June 2024: Rios, C., McLouth, C., Meadows, A. “The relationship between parental sleep disturbances, childhood medication adherence and parental major depressive disorder.” American Academy of Sleep Medicine Annual Meeting, Houston, TX. [Poster session] Reflections on Your Residency Looking back on my residency, my path has been anything but linear – and that’s exactly what made it so meaningful. Transferring from Kentucky to Arizona was a leap of faith, but one that brought clarity and growth. The transition wasn’t just geographical – it was emotional, professional, and taught me adaptability in a way that few clinical experiences could. Starting over in a new environment and navigating new systems sharpened my resilience and strengthened my clinical knowledge in psychiatry and behavioral sleep medicine. I look forward to continuing my journey with my upcoming sleep medicine fellowship and so grateful to all the faculty and staff, who have supported me along the way. This journey hasn’t been straightforward, but it’s been deeply rewarding and I’m walking into the next chapter with a clearer sense of who I am, what I love, and how I want to practice. Thank you to... My husband, parents, and brother who have supported me throughout my medical education. I'd also like to thank all of the hard-working faculty and staff who made it possible for my transfer, including Dr. Curry, Dr. Paul, Jenna, Yesenia, Sharon and the rest of the staff - thank you! Where is your career taking you? Mayo Clinic Sleep Medicine Fellowship |
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Taha Sahrapour, MD - Chief ResidentField of Psychiatry General Adult Psychiatry Presentations 2025: QI Project: Creating a Buprenorphine Induction Protocol for Patients with OUD Reflections on Your Residency One of my medical school mentors told me that "medical school makes you a doctor, but residency is what turns you into a physician," which I found to be very true! My time at the U of A not only gave me the experience to navigate through the challenges of being a physician in general, but also the soft skills to deal with the intangibles of psychiatry. I'm grateful for everyone involved in making my residency so gratifying! Thank you to... My fiancée, family, friends, and the mentors I made throughout my time here. Where is your career taking you? Inpatient psychiatry at Rock Springs mental health hospital, Georgetown, TX |
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Giuliano Scaini, DOField of Psychiatry Addiction Psychiatry Awards 2022-2023: Medical Student Teaching Award Presentations 2025: Grand Rounds Presentation: "GLP-1 Agonists in Addiction Medicine: A Novel Approach to Treatment of Substance Use Disorders" Reflections on Your Residency More important than helping me become a better psychiatrist, this program helped me become a better human. For that, I will be eternally grateful to the faculty and colleagues I had the opportunity to work with. Thank you to... My amazingly supportive family especially my wife Fabi, my mentors Dr. Gumm and Dr. Roberts, my supervisors Drs. Morenz, Suhr, Singh, and Weiss, and our Program Directors Drs. Curry, Kalia and Paul. Honorable mention to my cat, Kiwi, and dog, Toby, for the emotional support. Where is your career taking you? Addiction Medicine Fellowship, COM-T Psychiatry |
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Kyle Schmitz, DOField of Psychiatry General Adult and Neurotherapeutics Reflections on Your Residency Few experiences bond people together the way shared months running consults and living through night float can. I have never been particularly fond of the term colleague, but residency gave me a newfound appreciation for the meaning of comrade, and I feel this properly encapsulates what it’s like to spend 4 years in the trenches together. May we all look forward to our many years ahead without fear of being woken up by the south campus ringtone at 2 AM ever again! Thank you to... I would like to thank all the great faculty and friends I’ve worked with during residency. In particular, thank you Dr. Lam and Dr. Katsanis for all of your shared wisdom during our many supervision sessions. My partner, Olivia, and parents also can't be thanked enough for all their support. Where is your career taking you? Inpatient Psychiatry and ECT at the Tucson VA |
Addiction Medicine Fellowship
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Sarthak Garg, MDField of Psychiatry Addiction Psychiatry Reflections on the Fellowship Completing my addiction medicine fellowship has been a better experience than I could have hoped for. I’ve gained not only clinical skills but also a greater appreciation for the complexity, resilience, and humanity of people living with substance use disorders. This year has reinforced the importance of compassion, harm reduction, and evidence-based care in addressing one of the most stigmatized areas of society. I’m grateful for the mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities to grow as both a physician and advocate for my patients. Thank you to... My mom, my sisters, my brothers-in-law, and my friends who have kept me sane through school and my medical training. Where is your career taking you? SAVAHCS Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program |
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Tianzhu (Kimi) Ge, MDField of Psychiatry General Psychiatry Where is your career taking you? TBD |
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Daniel Murphy, MDField of Medicine Family Medicine, Addiction Medicine Thank you to... My wife, Sarah-Grace and my family. Where is your career taking you? Continuing Addiction Medicine practice in Tucson, AZ |
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Emily Walker, MDField of Psychiatry Addiction Medicine Reflections on the Fellowship I am full of gratitude for the mentorship I've received, and the bright, energetic community shared in the Addiction Medicine program. The grit, ingenuity, and faith in the capacity for human growth set our faculty apart, and I have been privileged to learn from my co-fellows and attendings. I am indebted to the patients who have shared their lives with me this year and taught me so much. Thank you to... Dr. Gumm and Dr. Roberts for years of mentorship - I am better for knowing you. To my partner and family for daily support - on to the next chapter! Where is your career taking you? Outpatient addiction psychiatry |
Clinical Psychology Interns
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Anita Adams, PhDField of Psychology Clinical Psychology Awards Feb. 2025 – Present: I2EyE Scholar Award Presentations March 2025: Invited speaker, Dialectical Behavior Therapy Lecture Series. University of Arizona Psychiatry Department, Tucson, AZ. Reflections on Your Internship Internship has really reinvigorated my love for clinical work and academic scholarship. I am grateful to my amazing cohortmates who made internship fun and exploring various events around Tucson so memorable. I have grown in ways as a clinician that I never imagined, and I am ecstatic to continue working with the underserved populations here in Tucson who have shown such resiliency and willingness to engage in therapeutic work to build lives worth living for themselves. Thank you to... I would like to acknowledge my academic mentors and clinical supervisors throughout graduate school and while on internship who gave such important mentorship. I'd also like to acknowledge my amazing husband, Zachary Dickinson, my parents, and my closest friends for their ongoing and invaluable support throughout this entire academic journey. Where is your career taking you? Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow at Banner University Medicine Whole Health Clinic |
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Aaron Aguilar-Bonnette, PhDField of Psychology Addiction/Harm Reduction Where is your career taking you? Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, tenure-track assistant professor |
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Cori Manning, PhDField of Psychology Pediatric Psychology Where is your career taking you? Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital |
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Amanda Preston, PhDField of Psychology Clinical Psychology, Child and Adolescent focused Publications Baker, J. K., Fenning, R. M., Preston, A. E., McGregor, H. A., Sanner, C. M., & Neece, C. L. (2024) Parental distress and parenting behavior in families of preschool children with and without ASD: Spillover and buffering, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 54(12), 4661-4673. Symposia Presentations Preston, A. E., Safer-Lichtenstein, J., Morales, N., Miranda, M., McIntyre, L. L., & Neece, C. L. Comparing the Acceptability of an Adapted, Virtual BPT Intervention between Spanish- and English-speaking Parents of Children with DD. In Safer-Lichtenstein (Chair), Transdiagnostic Interventions for Spanish-speaking Families of Neurodivergent Children. Symposia presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC. Reflections on Your Internship I am honored to have had the privilege of completing my internship at the University of Arizona School of Medicine, Tucson. Although I moved away from my support system in California to live in Tucson for the year, I have come to really appreciate the community here and relationships I’ve formed with other interns, supervisors, and staff. We had a great cohort of interns who are kind, silly, and so skilled in each of their areas of expertise. I enjoyed getting to know them over meals, community festivals, and awkward family photos at JCPenney. One thing that stands out to me about my training here was my time at the EPI Center working with individuals experiencing early-onset psychosis. The work in this clinic has reminded me about the importance of fighting mental health stigma, advocacy for our patients, the power of connection, and practicing kindness in all areas of life. Thank you to... I am incredibly thankful for my support system. My parents have been a constant source of love and support. Thank you to my sister and my friends for all the laughs, venting phone calls, and joy. I am also deeply appreciative of the supervisors who helped me grow as a clinician, researcher, and person. Where is your career taking you? I will be completing my Post Doctoral Fellowship at Children's Hospital of Orange County. Specifically, I will be participating in the Acute Mental Health Services track working with adolescents in an intensive outpatient program for self-harm behaviors, medical inpatient unit for stabilization of eating disorders, and conducting consultations in the pediatric emergency department. In the future, I hope to continue serving children and families from underserved communities through clinical work and clinical supervision of psychology trainees. |
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Janelle Wee, PhDField of Psychology Clinical Psychology Where is your career taking you? I am hoping to gain postdoctoral clinical experience in behavioral sleep medicine and conducting neurodevelopmental assessments in a university clinic. |
Postdoctoral Psychology Fellows
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Yahaira Garcia, PhDField of Psychology Counseling Psychology, Spanish Language Psychological Services and Research Specialization Thank you to... My immense gratitude goes out to my supervisors and colleagues who contributed to my growth, development, and success this past year. Where is your career taking you? I am excited for the opportunity to continue to pursue my passion for inpatient work as a psychologist at Western State Hospital in Washington State this upcoming fall. |