Faculty Profiles

Dr. McCall has been the Case Distinguished University Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) at Augusta University since 2012.  He also serves as Executive Vice Dean of MCG.  He completed his medical degree and post-graduate psychiatric training at Duke University. He completed a Masters degree in Epidemiology from Wake Forest University. He is board certified in general psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and sleep medicine. His research interests include depression, electroconvulsive therapy, quality of life, insomnia, and suicide.   He received 22 years of research support from the National Institute of Mental Health, and he has more than 500 published items, including more than 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, with a Google Scholar H-index of 61. His papers in the American Journal of Psychiatry were twice picked by the Editors as among 7 “most interesting and important papers” published in that journal for the years 2017 and 2019.

In 2021 he was ranked #43 in the world for scholarship on the topic of suicide (top 0.15 %), and among the top 14 psychiatrists in the world, and the top 5 psychiatrists in the USA. He is Editor of the Journal of ECT, Past Associate Editor for the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, and presently on the Editorial Board of Sleep and the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. He has been the Past President of the Association for Convulsive Therapy, and a prior Director of the Board of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He previously was the Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine from 2001-2012.

Dr. Peter B. Rosenquist is professor and executive vice chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.  He was named as the Leon Henri Charbonnier Endowed Chair in Psychiatry and Health Behavior in 2020. Dr. Rosenquist, is also director of the department’s Therapeutic Neurostimulation Program, came to MCG from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 2012. He is an expert in electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation, techniques that apply various types of electromagnetic energy to the brain as an alternative to traditional pharmacologic therapies for psychiatric disorders.

He has participated as an investigator in multiple National Institutes of Health and industry funded trials over the past 25 years which have helped to define best practices in the field. His research efforts are primarily focused on finding alternatives for treatment resistant major depressive disorders.

He also is a coinvestigator on a $1.6 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration aimed at training psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and psychologists to work collaboratively with primary care practitioners to address rural behavioral health disparities.

An honored educator, Rosenquist is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a past recipient of the association’s Nancy C.A. Roeske Certification of Excellence in Medical Education award. He has twice been named Didactic Teacher of the Year by MCG and AU Health psychiatry residents.

Rosenquist is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of ECT and is a past examiner for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is a member of the International Society for ECT and Neurostimulation, the American Psychiatric Association and the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association.

He is a graduate of Dartmouth College, the University of Nebraska Medical School, and completed his psychiatry residency at the Chicago Medical School.

Dr. Athanasiadi is a clinical assistant professor at the Augusta University Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Psychiatry, currently working at the division of the Consultation and Liaison Psychiatry. She provides c/l services at the AU Medical Center and also outpatient care at the Ryan White Clinic for HIV patients. At the time, she is working on establishing a Women’s Mental Health clinic with the Ob/ Gyn department and collaboratively working with the IBD clinic of the Digestive Health Center.

Dr. Sameera Azeem is an assistant professor in the Division of Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychiatry at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. She grew up in Augusta, Georgia, spent her entire childhood in the area, and is proud to still call Augusta her home. She completed her undergraduate studies at Augusta University, after which she worked as an assistant in research labs at the Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine as well as in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Following this, she left Augusta for two years to obtain her Masters of Public Health at Rollins School of Public Health in Emory University. She then returned to Augusta to complete medical school, internship, General Psychiatry residency, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at Augusta University. She served as Chief Resident during her Child and Adolescent fellowship. Upon completing her fellowship, she remained with the department to join as faculty and also began serving as Director for the Psychiatry Clerkship program for medical students. Her current clinical duties include providing inpatient care on both the acute and residential units at the Lighthouse Care Center of Augusta. She also provides outpatient care to children and adolescents at Transitional Family Services and at the Department of Behavioral Health at Augusta University. Her interests include mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and the influence of culture and spirituality in psychiatry.  

Dr. Marshall Bedder is an Associate Professor and Director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship program. He is a Canadian born and trained physician, now a naturalized US citizen. He is an ABA boarded anesthesiologist with added qualifications in pain medicine and certification in Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM).  Dr. Bedder is the former head of the Pain Management Center at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) where he established an Anesthesia Pain Fellowship training program.  He also helped to establish the hands-on workshops for implantable therapies, which are now the industry standard.  Dr. Bedder continues to present extensively on pain management topics world-wide.  He has published over 40 original journal articles, reviews and textbook chapters.

Dr. Bedder is a founding member, past Board member, Treasurer and was President-Elect for the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS). He has served on the Editorial Board for the Journal Neuromodulation and is a current reviewer for the journals Neuromodulation and Pain Medicine.  He served as the pain medicine and anesthesia member for the Alaska and Washington Medicare carrier advisory committee (CAC). Dr. Bedder served as Director of Anesthesia Services and Pain Fellowship Director for the Alaska Spine Institute in Anchorage, Alaska.

Dr. Bedder relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 2009 and was Director of Interventional Pain for Pacific Medical Centers (PacMed) in Seattle, WA. PacMed is a multispecialty medical group comprising over 150 primary care providers and specialty physicians. As a Direct Commission Officer Commander Bedder served in the United States Navy from 2011 until 2017. He was deployed as a combat anesthesiologist to the Role 3 NATO Hospital in Kandahar Afghanistan in 2014.

Dr. Bedder is a Board member Emeritus for the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience, and continues to serve on the Medical Advisory Board for Boston Scientific Neuromodulation since 2006. Dr. Bedder joined the Augusta Pain Center in 2019 to provide advanced technology solutions for chronic pain patients who have not had success in their individual therapies.

Dr. Lauren Bigham is an assistant professor at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, with appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior and the Georgia Cancer Center. Dr. Bigham serves the Director of Psycho-social Oncology and Associate Director of the Psycho-oncology Fellowship Training Program. She earned her PhD in counseling psychology with an emphasis in health psychology from the University of Georgia. Dr. Bigham’s graduate education also includes a master’s degree in kinesiology-sport psychology from Georgia Southern University and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Mercer University. She completed an APA-accredited predoctoral internship in clinical health psychology at the Medical College of Georgia – Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In addition to teaching and completing research at the University of Georgia, she completed additional fellowship training at the Georgia Cancer Center in health psychology/psycho-oncology. As a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia, Dr. Bigham provides consultation, evaluation, and psychotherapy in both the inpatient and outpatient settings to patients diagnosed with acute and/or chronic medical concerns, with emphasis on oncologic and hematological diagnoses. Her professional interests include health psychology, psycho-oncology, health behavior change, integrated interdisciplinary team-based care, and program development/quality improvement.

Dr. Nana Bonsu is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Augusta University. He completed his medical degree with the International American University - College of Medicine.  Following this, he completed his residency training in adult psychiatry at Harlem Hospital in New York City (affiliated with Columbia University).  Dr. Bonsu moved on to Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia, and completed his fellowship in geriatric psychiatry. 

Presently, Dr. Bonsu is working at East Central Regional Hospital where he serves as a supervisor to residents and medical students.  His research interests include ECT and  geriatric psychiatry.  

Dr. Lelan Byrd comes to the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior as an assistant professor in Addiction Medicine. Dr. Byrd is a Diplomat of the American Board of Urology.

Dr. Byrd had decades of experience in several medical disciplines.  He competed his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia where he also completed his residency and surgical training. He worked in the renal transplant service at MCG. Later, he went into private practice in Hendersonville, NC at Western Carolina Urological.  He retired from surgery and after seeing the devastation of addiction in friends and family, he decided to return to medicine to complete a fellowship in addiction at the University Of Florida School Of Medicine.  Since completing the fellowship he has served as the Medical Director of Caron Recovery’s Regional office in Atlanta, GA.  He has also served as the Medical Director of Good Landing Recovery, one of the nation’s largest intensive outpatient addiction programs. Dr. Byrd was elected Alpha Omega Alpha at MCG in 1986 and coauthored papers in renal transplant surgery and surgical techniques in urology.

Dr. Richard F. Camino-Gaztambide

is Professor of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, training director of the General Psychiatry Residency program, and associate training director of the Addiction Fellowship Program at the Medical College of Georgia. Previously, Dr. Camino served as clerkship director and Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at Mercer University. After finishing his Bachelor in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico, he graduated from the Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. He completed his general psychiatry and child fellowship at the University Of Puerto Rico School Of Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Camino obtained a Master of Arts in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He holds board certification in General Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine. He has been active in the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as co-chair Religion and Spirituality Committee since 2015. Dr. Camino practiced for 17 years in Puerto Rico and was recognized by his peers for ten consecutive years in the "Doctor Choice Awards" given annually by Buena Vida Health magazine. As an educator, he has given presentations at national meetings at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Society of Addiction Medicine, and international meetings, including venues like Jerusalem, Aberdeen (Scotland), Buenos Aires, Medellin, Havana, Caracas, Santo Domingo. He has published book chapters and review articles on cultural psychiatry, family therapy, and spirituality in clinical practice in English and Spanish. His interests have been in education, cultural psychiatry, religion and spirituality in clinical practice, evolutionary psychopathology, ADHD and Autism, and addiction disorders.

Dr. Asa Cheesman is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Augusta University Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior. She received her medical degree from St George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada. Then completed general psychiatry residency Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in affiliation with Weil Cornell Medical College, New York and Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York. Currently, Dr Cheesman is a psychiatrist at East Central Regional Hospital acute mental health unit where she is passionate about supervising psychiatric residents and medical students in helping individuals with severe mental illness. Her academic and research interests involve geriatric neuropsychiatry, and she has presented at multiple American Psychiatric Association and American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry conferences.  

Robert Dollinger, M.D. is a clinical assistant professor at the Augusta University Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior who is currently mentoring and teaching clinical skills and professionalism for MCG students.  Dr. Dollinger initially arrived at Augusta University in August 2017 to become the Director and Chief Medical Officer for Student Health Services and Adjunct Clinical Professor at MCG, having retired from this full-time position in December 2022. Prior to arriving in Augusta, he served in two capacities at Florida Atlantic University (FAU): Chief Medical Officer at the Student Health Services and Affiliate Professor of Clinical Biomedical Sciences at the FAU Charles Schmidt College of Medicine. Prior, he served 18 years as Executive Director of Student Health Services at Florida International University (FIU) and then became the Founding Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the new FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in 2008. His research at that medical school involved a longitudinal investigation of medical student burnout and empathy of the inaugural four years of medical students at FIU.

Recognized as a leader in the field of college health, Dr. Dollinger was President of the Southern College Health Association (SCHA) twice (1996-97 and 2006-07) and served a two-year term as an active member of the American College Health Association (ACHA) Board of Directors. He is a Fellow of the ACHA and serves as an ACHA consultant and member of the ACHA Awards Committee. Dr. Dollinger earned his M.D. from the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed residency training in general internal medicine at the Mount Sinai Medical Center and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. His interests are college student mental health, empathy and burnout prevention of professional health students, evidence-based primary care medicine, health education, mindfulness, and developing wellness programs for higher education and workplaces.

Dr. Christopher F. Drescher is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior and Training Director for the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University/Charlie Norwood VAMC Psychology Internship. He completed his doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship through the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Augusta University. He received his PhD and MA in clinical psychology from the University of Mississippi and his BA in psychology from West Virginia University. Clinically, Dr. Drescher specializes in psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and young adults. Additionally, he directs the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Adolescent Skills Group, and frequently implements DBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Drescher serves as a mental health consultant for the Augusta University Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center and serves on the Education Committee for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He is the Director for the Holistic Patient Care component and Assistant Director for the Brain and Behavior module of the pre-clerkship medical school curriculum. Dr. Drescher is also a supervisor for the Child Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship. His scholarship spans a range of topics including positive youth development, LGBTQ mental health, DBT, and ACT. He is volunteer for and former President of the Equality Clinic of Augusta.

Dr. Jessica Fritts is an assistant professor and clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Dr. Fritts is also a Licensed Psychologist on one of the inpatient forensic wards at East Central Regional Hospital (ECRH) where she conducts competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and violence risk evaluations. She received her BS in Psychology from Appalachian State University, her MEd in Human Development Counseling from Vanderbilt University, and her PsyD in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Fritts completed a predoctoral internship at Central Regional Hospital in Butner, NC, where she conducted forensic evaluations at the only state facility providing pretrial forensic evaluations for the state of NC. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Forensic Psychology through the partnership between Augusta University and East Central Regional Hospital. Dr. Fritts’ clinical interests include women-specific issues in forensic populations, malingering testing, and violence risk evaluations.

Dr. Jeremy Gay is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) at Augusta University. Dr. Gay has practiced as a Licensed Psychologist in the states of Georgia and South Carolina. He currently serves as a Licensed Psychologist on one of the Adult Mental Health Units at East Central Regional Hospital (ECRH). He received a BA degree in Psychology and a MS Degree in Clinical Psychology from Augusta University and a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology (with an emphasis in Rural Psychology and Serving Underserved Populations) from Georgia Southern University, located in Statesboro, Georgia. Dr. Gay completed a predoctoral internship at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and was the first MCG Psychology Intern assigned to the Forensic Emphasis Track. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Forensic Psychology through the partnership between Augusta University and East Central State Hospital.

Dr. Gay has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at a number of professional conferences on a variety of topics including factors predicting both initial opinions of incompetency to stand trial and ultimate prediction of competency restoration outcomes; psychopathy; moral decision making; and mental illness stigma. Dr. Gay’s clinical interests include the treatment and assessment of individuals diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness, particularly psychotic-spectrum disorders; third-wave behavioral therapies, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); Personality Assessment; and interdisciplinary consultation, particularly relating to the assessment and treatment of complex cases. Dr. Gay’s forensic clinical interests include the assessment of competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and malingering, as well as fitness for duty evaluations, particularly for police officers. Although Dr. Gay’s areas of specialization are forensic in nature, he also has a wide variety of clinical experiences and knowledge, particularly in the domains of psychological assessment, psychotherapy, and behavioral assessment. He is a member of Division 41 (American Psychology-Law Society) of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.

Dr. Krystle Graham is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.  She received her undergraduate degree from Ohio University and medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Dr. Graham completed her psychiatry residency at Medical College of Georgia in 2013 and has been involved in student and resident teaching since serving as Chief Resident.  

Dr. Graham currently resides in Savannah and serves as the Director of Residency Training at Gateway Behavioral Health.  Prior to moving to Savannah, Dr. Graham served as the founding Program Director at Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC where she worked to develop and implement a new psychiatry residency program. She has been heavily involved in both graduate and undergraduate medical education, serving in previous Associate Program Director and Clerkship Director roles at Medical College of Georgia. She also holds positions as Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Psychiatry at Mercer University School of Medicine.

Dr. Graham presents nationally on educational topics such as the roadmap to developing a psychiatry residency program and innovative funding resources. She is the founder of the New Residency Program Caucus through the American Association of Psychiatry Residency Training Directors (AADPRT) and serves as AADPRT’s Council of Faculty and Academic Societies representative to the AAMC.  She was inducted into the University of North Carolina School of Medicine’s Academy of Educators and received the Academy’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019. Dr. Graham is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and co-chairs the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians’ Association’s Distinguished Fellowship Committee.  Dr. Graham provides clinical care for underserved individuals in the community and supervises residents and medical students in general psychiatry.

Dr. Cassandra Groth is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Augusta University. She is a psychologist on one of the inpatient forensic wards at East Central Regional Hospital (ECRH). She provides treatment services, conducts forensic evaluations, and supervises trainees. Dr. Groth received her BS in Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Human Services from Elmira College, and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with a concentration in forensic psychology, from Nova Southeastern University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner North Carolina with rotations focused on forensic evaluations and the treatment of chronically ill and forensic populations. Before joining the staff at ECRH, Dr. Groth completed her post-doctoral fellowship in forensics and worked as a licensed psychologist at Larned State Hospital in Kansas. She has published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at professional conferences. Her research interests include intimate partner violence and trauma in incarcerated populations, the death penalty, and false confessions.

Dr. Jason Henle is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.  He came to Augusta in 2011 as the Forensic Program Director at East Central Regional Hospital (ECRH) through its partnership with Augusta University. In 2021, Dr. Henle moved his location of practice to the Stoney Building at Augusta University as an Administrator and community psychologist. Dr. Henle received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Psychology from Concordia University, a PsyD from Nova Southeastern University, and Post Doctoral Master’s in Psycho-pharmacology from Nova Southeastern University. Prior to coming to Augusta, he was working at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Ga. in their maximum-security mental health hospital.

Dr. Amy House completed her PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Georgia in 1996. She completed internship and postdoctoral fellowship training at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and has been on the faculty since that time. Dr. House's clinical and teaching interests are in the contextual behavioral psychotherapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior therapy, and specifically in the treatment of borderline personality disorder and PTSD. Dr. House heads the CBT training program for psychology and psychiatry residents in the department. Dr. House's research interests have focused on the impact of trauma on mental and physical health outcomes. More recently, her research interests have focused on psychological flexibility processes as they relate to issues of stigma in patients with chronic illness, and to burnout and well-being in health care trainees. 

Dr. Rebecca Jump is an associate professor and licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Dr. Jump serves as the Director of Behavioral Health for the Ryan White HIV Clinic. She is also actively involved with education and clinical supervision for psychology and health profession trainees.

Dr. Jump earned a doctoral degree in Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Florida’s Clinical & Health Psychology Program; a Master’s degree in General Experimental Psychology from the University of Hartford and Bachelor’s degree in Biopsychology from Juniata College. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Medical College of Georgia – Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center consortium and post-doctoral fellowship emphasizing chronic pain and trauma-related disorders at the University of Florida – Shands Hospital. Dr. Jump previously worked for 13 years for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Augusta specializing in the treatment of posttraumatic stress and military sexual trauma. Clinical interests include coping with chronic illness, the intersection of trauma and health, the treatment of complex trauma and trauma-related disorders, intimate partner violence, and women’s health.

Dr. Matthew Kridel is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior and a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia. He received his BA in Psychology from Gannon University, and his MS in Applied Psychology and PhD in Clinical/Counseling Psychology from the University of South Alabama. He completed his predoctoral internship at the University of California, Irvine Counseling Center, and his postdoctoral fellowship in HIV/LGBTQ Health Psychology at Augusta University. His professional interests include LGBTQ identity and health, sexual health and functioning, integrated care, hypnosis, effective clinical communication, and clinical education and training. In addition to providing outpatient psychotherapy, he provides psychological services in the Department of Neurology, is a facilitator for case-based learning in the Medical College of Georgia, and serves on the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior DEI Committee. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, trying new restaurants, and participating in the performing arts.

Dr. Christian Lemmon received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Mississippi after receiving his MA in Experimental Psychology from the University of Texas–El Paso and his BA in Psychology from Washington College. Currently, he is a professor and director of the Psychology Residency Program in the Department of Psychiatry & Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. He serves on the Psychology Residency Selection Committee, Psychiatry Residency Selection Committee, Psychology Residency Core Committee, Psychiatry Resident Education Committee, and the departmental Medical Students' Education Committee. Dr. Lemmon has served the Medical College of Georgia on the Medical Students' Admission Committee and is Chair of the Faculty Senate Student Promotions Committee. He serves as the Health Behavior Program Leader for the outpatient psychiatry clinic. Dr. Lemmon’s areas of teaching include eating disorders, obesity, the Psychotherapy Process Seminar and Essentials of Clinical Medicine I and II (ECM-I Small Group and ECM II-Problem-Based Learning). His publications include articles and book chapters in the areas of eating disorders, the psychological implications of bariatric surgery and the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. He has made numerous presentations at national and international professional meetings on the aforementioned topics and he has been a reviewer for several professional journals. As the director of the Augusta University Eating Disorders Program, Dr. Lemmon’s clinical interests include the assessment, and individual, group and family treatment for patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa bulimia nervosa binge eating disorder, and other feeding disturbances. He is also involved in the assessment and treatment of bariatric surgery candidates.

Dr. Eric Lewkowiez is an associate professor in the Division of Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatry at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. He received his MD degree from the University of South Carolina and an MS in Microbiology and Immunology from the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed a General Psychiatry Residency and Child and Adolescent Fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Lewkowiez came to MCG in 2003, after 3 years of private practice in Columbia, S.C. He is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc., in both adult and child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Lewkowiez was recently appointed Associate Dean in the Office of Student and Multicultural Affairs. He functions primarily as the rotation director of the Community Psychiatry Rotation in the second year. His teaching areas include Basic Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Advanced Pediatric Psychopathology, Development, and ADHD. Dr. Lewkowiez's clinical areas of interest include ADHD, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, and Mood Disorders. He is also very interested in medical student and resident education and advocating for children. Dr. Lewkowiez is currently president of the Georgia Council for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and serves on the Committee on Residents and Students for the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association.

Dr. P. Alex Mabe received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Dr. Mabe is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior.

His publications include over 60 articles in the areas of clinical child and pediatric psychology as well as other mental health care issues. He is a member of the American Psychological Association and a Fellow of the Georgia Psychological Association. He has been a reviewer for 13 professional journals and has made numerous presentations at national and international professional meetings on topics related to children's mental health, family and parent management training, and the recovery model of mental health services. Dr. Mabe is licensed as a psychologist in Georgia and South Carolina and has been providing clinical psychology services to children and their families in the Central Savannah River Area for 30 years including extensive work with military families on assignment at Fort Gordon, Georgia. His current research interests include parenting and child treatment services. In addition, he is the team leader of Project GREAT (Georgia Recovery-Based Educational Approach to Treatment) that has been developing innovative approaches to transforming an academic psychiatry department to a Recovery model of care. Project GREAT was the recipient of the American College of Psychiatrists' annual award for Creativity in Psychiatric Education in 2012.

Joseph P McEvoy, MD, came to the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University in July of 2013 after his retirement from Duke University Medical Center as professor emeritus.  He is a tenured professor of Psychiatry and Health Behaviors and the I. Clark Case Chair in Psychotic Disorders at Augusta University, and also serves as the Director of Public Psychiatry in the Augusta University partnership with DBHDD His clinical work is currently at East Central Regional Hospital. Dr. McEvoy’s research has focused on severe and persistent mental disorders (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder). Dr. McEvoy edited the Expert Consensus Guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia in 1996 and 1999. He served as Co-Principal Investigator and Project Medical Officer for the CATIE Schizophrenia Trials and for several subsequent trials funded through the NIMH funded Schizophrenia Trials Network, as well as for the industry-funded Comparison of Atypicals for First Episode (CAFÉ) trial. He is currently the principal investigator for the NIMH funded ACLAIMS (A Comparison of Long-Acting Injected Medications for Schizophrenia) trial. He is an author on more than 175 refereed publications and numerous invited publications, including books and book chapters. 

Dr. Brian Miller is a professor with tenure in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Augusta University. He earned a BS in mathematics from Vanderbilt University, a combined MD/MPH degree from The Ohio State University, and a PhD in psychiatric epidemiology from the University of Oulu (Finland). He completed his general psychiatry residency and fellowship in psychotic disorders at Augusta University, where he served as chief resident, and joined the faculty in 2010. 

Dr. Miller's current research focuses on insomnia and suicide in schizophrenia, and has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Stanley Medical Research Foundation, and the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. He has over 100 peer-reviewed publications. He has been recognized with several awards, including the 2011 Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the 2015 Augusta University Outstanding Young Clinical Science Faculty Award, the 2017 OSU College of Medicine Early Career Achievement Alumni Award, and a 2020 Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He has been an editorial board member of Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry, BMC Psychiatry, Current Psychiatry, Schizophrenia Bulletin, and Psychiatric Times. In addition to his research, Dr. Miller provides clinical care for patients with schizophrenia, serves as the Associate Director for the Psychiatry Clerkship, and supervises and teaches residents and medical students in general psychiatry. 

Dr. Joe Morgan is an associate professor of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.  He received his undergraduate degree from Valdosta State College in Valdosta, Georgia and his master’s degree in Veterinary Physiology from the University of Georgia.  He is a graduate of the Medical College of Georgia where he also completed a medicine internship and residency in psychiatry.   After serving as chief resident in psychiatry, he was a full-time faculty member and attending physician at the VA Medical Center in Augusta for five years. He has maintained a faculty appointment from the Medical College of Georgia since 1991and has a private practice in Valdosta, Ga. He is currently the Southwest Campus clerkship director for psychiatry. Dr. Morgan is chief of psychiatry service at South Georgia Medical Center, Medical Director for Parkwood Development Center, Unit Director of the Dogwood Senior Healthcare Center in Nashville, Ga., an honorary commander at Moody Air Force Base and past President of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians’ Association (GPPA. He is one of the three Georgia representatives on the American Psychiatric Association Assembly and is co-chairman of the GPPA legislative committee and chairman of the GPPAPAC. He is a 2008 recipient of the Georgia Psychiatrist of the year award and he is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. 

Dr. Baris Olten is an adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist and assistant professor of Psychiatry at Wellstar Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Olten is a full time faculty at the outpatient department. He has an expertise in combining both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy to treat psychiatric disorders. He received trainings at various institutes for psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy.

Dr. Olten has special interest in scholarly activities and he has participated as a co-investigator in multiple industry funded trials. His clinical research efforts are primarily focused on psychopharmacology. He has published multiple peer reviewed articles and wrote bipolar disorder chapter in the newest edition of Clinical Manual of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. He made oral presentations at the national and regional conferences. During his training in child and adolescent psychiatry, Dr. Olten was nominated for chief moment officer due to excellence in patient care. Dr. Olten is currently a member of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 

He is a graduate of Baskent University School of Medicine in Ankara/Turkey. He completed his adult psychiatry training at Brookdale University Hospital at One Brooklyn Health and child psychiatry training at Children`s Hospital of Akron/NEOMED.

After completing medical school at USC in Columbia, South Carolina, Dr. Dale Peeples continued his training at MCG in the Department of Psychiatry. He completed his internship, residency, and fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at MCG. Since staying on as faculty, Dr. Peeples continues to work in both inpatient and outpatient services in the child and adolescent division. He primarily works with a child and adolescent population but does see some adults with ADHD. Further, he continues to work in the field of telepsychiatry and provides services to Georgians in under-served areas in this manner. Dr. Peeples also has an interest in juvenile corrections and currently provides services to the Regional Youth Detention Center of Augusta and the Augusta Youth Development Campus. Additionally, he does occasional work in child custody evaluations. Other areas of clinical involvement include residential care at Lighthouse Care Center of Augusta and student health at the university. In terms of serving the school’s educational mission, most of his work focuses on training the child & adolescent psychiatry fellows as the assistant program director for the fellowship program, & the outpatient director as well. Nationally, he’s a member of the AACAP media committee, & has served as a board examiner for the ABPN child & adolescent boards.

Dr. Porter Staats is an assistant professor and clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. She also works as an inpatient unit psychologist at East Central Regional Hospital (ECRH). She specializes in forensic psychology, and conducts competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and violence risk evaluations. Dr. Porter Staats received her PsyD in clinical psychology from the University of Indianapolis. She completed an internship with the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University/Charlie Norwood VAMC psychology internship, and stayed on with Augusta University to complete her fellowship year focused on forensic evaluations and training at ECRH. Dr. Porter Staats has published papers focused on predictors of competency restoration, domestic homicide risk factors, and the limitations of neuroimaging as it relates to psychopathy.

Dr. Michael Rollock is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Georgia. Originally from Barbados, Dr. Rollock graduated with honors from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA with his BSc in psychology and received his MA and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2010. He completed an APA-accredited doctoral internship at the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology (CMTP) at Boston Medical Center and a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship in health psychology at Augusta University. Clinically, Dr. Rollock provides outpatient psychotherapy for adults with a wide range of presenting problems (e.g., anxiety, depression, trauma, health-related stress, and adjustment to major life transitions). However, he specializes in evidenced-based psychotherapy and educational approaches focused on enhancing the quality of life, functioning, and overall well-being of adults with chronic pain and comorbid behavioral health concerns. He is a certified Empowered Relief™ instructor, an evidence-based, single-session pain class that rapidly equips patients with pain management skills. In addition to providing outpatient psychotherapy, he conducts presurgical psychological evaluations for patients seeking certain medical interventions in the Pain Clinic, through the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine at Augusta University Health. He provides supervision to doctoral psychology interns, facilitates courses in the Medical College of Georgia, and serves on multiple committees at the departmental and health system level. Dr. Rollock is a Past-President of the Augusta-Area Psychological Association and is a member of the American Association of Pain Psychologists and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists (credential # 53659).

Dr. Susan Sato is an assistant professor and clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. She is the Director of the Augusta University Employee-Faculty Assistance Program. Dr. Sato received her PhD in clinical psychology from Washington State University and completed an internship at the Long Beach VA Medical Center in health psychology. She subsequently completed a fellowship in geriatric psychology at the Palo Alto VAMC and an additional fellowship in health psychology at Augusta University. Her professional interests are in employee psychological wellness, severe mental illnesses, geriatric/caregiver issues, and clinical training of residents.

Dr. Sandra Sexson is a professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, as well as Chief and Training Director of the Division of Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychiatry within the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.  Dr. Sexson graduated from the University of Mississippi, College of Medicine and completed postgraduate training in Child Development and Pediatrics (University of Mississippi), General Psychiatry (University of Texas at San Antonio) and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Washington University in St. Louis). Prior to her present appointment, she has served as Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Training Director at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio and for 20 years at Emory University.  She is board certified in Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  Her primary professional focus has been in psychiatric education with a clinical and research focus in education and clinical areas of interest.  Dr. Sexson’s focused clinical interests have been in the areas of infant psychiatry and emotional issues of children and adolescents with chronic medical illnesses, although her practice runs the full gamut of child and adolescent psychiatry.

Dr. Sexson has published over 50 articles, 12 chapters and one book.  She has been awarded many regional and national awards.  Some include Atlanta’s Black Psychiatrist of the Year (for her efforts in expanding the number of African American child and adolescent psychiatrists in Georgia), as well as numerous local and regional teaching awards. As an educator, she has trained well over 100 child and adolescent psychiatrists just here in Georgia, many of whom still practice here, including one who is presently the first African American woman to be president of the American Medical Association.  Her goal always has been to expand access to excellent mental health care to children and their families wherever they may live. 

Dr. Sarita B. Sharma is an associate professor in the department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. She received her medical degree at Lady Hardinge Medical School in New Delhi India. She completed her General Residency and Psychopharmacology fellowship at Augusta University and joined East Central Regional hospital (ECRH) as a psychiatrist and Assistant Clinical Professor at AU teaching students and residents.  She served in various roles at ECRH including being a psychiatrist on the short- and long-term inpatient unit, forensics unit and the admissions area. She rose to the position of the Interim Clinical Director 5 years ago until her retirement. She is now affiliated with DBHDD as the Clinical Director of ECRH through the partnership of AU with DBHDD.

Dr. Sharma’s career has been focused on the treatment of patients with severe and persistent mental illness both inpatient and outpatient. She currently also provides care to patients at the VA, American Works, ACT team, CSU and has worked with Substance abuse and Geriatrics in the past.

Dr. Reddy Shashank is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and East Central Regional Hospital. Dr. Shashank before joining here finished his General Psychiatry residency at St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO. While at St. Louis University got special training in caring for the geriatric population with mental health needs and received extensive training in EECT He went to medical school in Simferopol, Crimea, Russia. Dr. Shashank before joining residency had extensive experience working with the geriatric population with mental health needs in long term care facilities. He also completed extensive reach in neuroradiology at the University of Pennsylvania as part of his interest in Neuroscience. His clinical and research interests include working with the geriatric population, EECT PTSD, Bipolar disorders in the elderly, and Dissociative disorders. His passion includes working closely with residents and medical students and training them to become successful future Physicians.

Dr. Ryan Shuler is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychiatry at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.  He completed undergraduate studies at Baylor University and medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine.  Dr. Shuler continued his training as a resident in psychiatry with Palm Beach Consortium for Graduate Medical Education at University Hospital in Tamarac, FL. He completed his fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University where he served as the Chief Fellow. Dr. Shuler remains with the Department as faculty and serves as Associate Clerkship Director for the psychiatry clerkship. His clinical interests include ADHD and mood disorders.  

Dr. Amy Singleton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. She received a BA in Biology from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina and then completed her medical school training at East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine in Greenville, North Carolina where she was an Alpha Omega Alpha honor graduate. She is double boarded in Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry. She completed her internship and residency training in Emergency Medicine at Pitt County Memorial, Brody School of Medicine and was a practicing emergency physician before returning to complete her second residency in Psychiatry at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Before joining the faculty in Augusta, she previously worked as an adult psychiatrist in both academic medicine and at various community hospitals across the piedmont of North Carolina.

Dr. Erin Vanessa Spearman-McCarthy is an Associate Professor at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University who holds dual appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Health Behavior and Internal Medicine. A native of Augusta, she was educated in the Richmond County Public School System, graduating with honors from John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. Upon completion of her secondary education, she attended Spelman College (Atlanta, GA), where she earned a BS in Biology with Latin and College-wide Honors. Dr. Spearman then attended medical school at Augusta University. Upon completion of medical school, she trained in the Combined Internal Medicine and Psychiatry Program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) (Charleston, S.C.), where she served as Chief Resident during her last year of training. In 2010, she was named MUSC Department of Geriatrics and Internal Medicine Outpatient Resident of the Year and the MUSC Reynolds Aging Q3 Project Resident of the Year.

Dr. Spearman's areas of interest and clinical expertise are that of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Outpatient Internal Medicine, and Medical Student Education. Her research interests include the effects of depression on diabetes and hypertension management as well as the effects of undiagnosed anxiety and depression on the academic performance of medical and other health professional students. 

When not involved in patient care, Dr. Spearman enjoys spending time with family, mentoring, volunteering at her church, creative writing, public speaking, and performing music with local concert bands and choirs.

Dr. Venkatesh Sreeram is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Augusta University and East Central Regional Hospital. He was born and raised in India. He finished his medical degree from the country of China. Later he moved back to India in 2011, where he worked in Psychiatry for more than a year before he decided to get his training from the United States. 

He finished residency in Psychiatry from Harlem Hospital Center affiliated with Columbia University, New York in 2022. Subsequently, he also finished fellowship training in Geriatric Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston in 2023. 

He is currently board certified in Psychiatry. He is passionate about teaching, psychopharmacology, reinventing himself, providing quality care to his patients, and being involved in cutting-edge research. 

Additionally, he also has approximately three years of research experience as a research scholar at Yale University in 2015 where he worked on dopamine receptor biomarkers in cocaine dependents from PET imaging, and at Zucker Hillside Hospital in between 2016-18 where he worked on clinical trials involving adolescents with prodromal bipolar disorder symptoms evaluating risk. 

Dr. Lara Stepleman, Ph.D. is a professor of Psychiatry & Health Behavior, licensed psychologist, Chief of Psychology and Director of the MCG Office for Faculty Success. She graduated with a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During this time, she became proficient in career guidance and coaching and has continued to develop and apply this expertise with MCG faculty, fellows, residents, and students. Within the Psychology internship program, she is the Chielf of the Psychology section, director for the HIV & LGBT Health Disparities Track. Her clinically-focused research and training interests are related to sexual health and functioning, LGBT health disparities, gender-affirming care, and the intersection of chronic physical and mental illness.  

Dr. Sandarsh Surya is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.  His clinical and research interests include geriatric neuropsychiatry and therapeutic brain stimulation in psychiatry. He completed medical school training in Bangalore, India and post-graduate training in Psychiatry at Wake Forest University and Augusta University. He served as Chief Resident during his training at Augusta University. He then completed Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship training from Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, Penn. He currently provides and supervises outpatient services in geriatric psychiatry, schizophrenia, mood disorders and treatment-resistant depression clinic at Stoney building.

Dr. Holly Tabernik is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Dr. Tabernik is also a Licensed Psychologist on one of the inpatient forensic wards at East Central Regional Hospital (ECRH). She received her BA in Psychology from the Westminster College in New Wilmington, Penn., her MA in Clinical Psychology from Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio, and her PhD in Clinical Psychology (with a concentration in Forensic Psychology) from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Dr. Tabernik completed a predoctoral internship at Fulton State Hospital in Fulton, Mo., during which she completed major rotations in Forensic Evaluations/Competency Restoration and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Forensic Psychology through the partnership between Augusta University and East Central State Hospital. Dr. Tabernik has published in several peer-reviewed journals and presented at a number of professional conferences. Dr. Tabernik’s research interests include Malingering; Borderline Personality Disorder; Dialectical Behavioral Therapy; and The Assessment of Competency to Stand Trial. 

Dr. Linda Vitacco is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. She is the Mental Health Program Director at East Central Regional Hospital (ECRH) through its partnership with Augusta University. Dr. Vitacco received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from George Mason University and a Doctorate of Psychology from Argosy University. Dr. Vitacco completed her clinical internship working for the United States Department of Justice at Butner Correctional Complex. She worked in treatment facilities in both Massachusetts and Wisconsin providing intensive treatment to sexual offenders before joining the staff at ECRH.

Dr. Lori Welch is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Augusta University. She completed a Bachelors of Science in Psychology at Florida State University; a Masters of Science in Applied Psychology at Augusta State University (now Augusta University); a Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology at Fielding Graduate University; and her PhD in Clinical Psychology, with specialization in Health Psychology, at Fielding Graduate University in 2004. She has been licensed as a psychologist since 2005, and she provides clinical supervision of staff, predoctoral psychology students, and Clinical Psychology Residents on the campus of East Central Regional Hospital.

Dr. Welch also has held faculty positions at Liberty University, Ball State University, and Indiana/Purdue University (IIUPUI. She has provided clinical and administrative services in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings, including private and public inpatient psychiatric facilities, university hospitals, and private practice. She has earned post-doctoral certifications in Executive and Management Coaching from the College of Executive Coaching in Pismo Beach, Calif., and Coles Business School at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, Ga. She is currently engaged in the Augusta University Educational Innovation Institute (EII) Teaching Scholars Fellowship, a program designed to optimize faculty effectiveness in health science education.

Dr. Lindsey West is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. West graduated from Brown University with an AB in Psychology and received her MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Dr. West completed her predoctoral internship training at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Augusta University. Dr. West’s clinical interests include evidence-based practices with underserved populations, including the application of mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies with diverse individuals and groups, and multicultural therapy. West’s research has focused primarily on enhancing the mental health and quality of life of individuals from diverse backgrounds. In the department, Dr. West provides supervision and lectures on psychotherapy and multicultural issues for psychiatry residents and psychology interns. In her educator role, Dr. West teaches case-based learning to the medical students and provides faculty development and instructional coaching for faculty within the college. In addition to being licensed in the state of Georgia, West is a licensed psychologist in South Carolina. Dr. West is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and is a member of APA’s Division 35 (Psychology of Women) and Division 45 (Society for Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues).  

Dr. David Williams is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Associate Director of Resident Education and Training, and Medical Director for Outpatient Services at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. He obtained his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and a BA in Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University. He completed his internship and General Psychiatry Residency Training at Augusta University and joined the faculty in 2014. His areas of clinical involvement include adult outpatient care and resident supervision in the Health Behavior and Women’s Health Clinics. Dr. Williams’ interests include mood and anxiety disorders, resident wellness, and pharmacogenetics.

Dr. Bancroft is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior. She is a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Child Clinical and Pediatric Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, where she also completed her doctoral internship in Child & Family Psychology. She holds a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and she earned a Master's degree in Community Counseling from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Clinically, Dr. Bancroft specializes in integrated pediatric primary care, psychological assessment, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental and mood disorders. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, including the divisions of Health and Pediatric Psychology. Her research interests include scale development, conflict management, and integrated behavioral healthcare.

Dr. Jessica Britt-Thomas is an Associate professor with dual appointments with the Departments of Family and Community Medicine and Psychiatry and Health Behavior. Dr. Britt-Thomas is the Director of Integrated Behavioral Health in the Family and Community Medicine Outpatient Clinic. She is also the Associate Training Director for the AU/MCG Doctoral Psychology Internship Program. She received her BA in Psychology from Auburn University and her MS and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (with an emphasis in Forensic Psychology) from Palo Alto University. Dr. Britt-Thomas completed a predoctoral internship at Napa State Hospital, during which she completed major rotations in neuropsych forensic evaluations, Competency Restoration & NGRI evaluations, violence risk assessment and treatment, and comprehensive Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI) psychology through the partnership between Augusta University and East Central State Hospital with an expanded focus on neuropsychological and forensic assessment with acute populations. Her publications span in LGBTQ+, forensics, substance abuse, and neuropsychology. Current clinical focuses are integrated behavioral medicine in primary care and underserved populations with comorbid mental health and chronic medical conditions.

Dr. Erin Dexter is a Forensic Psychiatrist who joined the faculty at Medical College of Georgia in 2020. Dr. Dexter was initially appointed in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, caring for patients committed to one of the state hospital's forensic psychiatry units.  In February 2022, Dr. Dexter transitioned to the Department of Emergency Medicine where she currently serves as the director of the Emergency Psychiatric Service.  In this position, she enjoys the balance of patient care with clinical teaching, and joint faculty appointment with the Department of Psychiatry. She works closely with learners of all training levels and varying disciplines to provide care to those presenting with acute behavioral healthcare needs.  Dr. Dexter earned her medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, completed her residency in General Psychiatry at the Medical College of Georgia, followed by a Forensic Fellowship at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine at Columbia.  Dr. Dexter serves as an expert witness in her field through the Augusta University Forensic institute, offering opinions and testimony on a variety of legal issues concerned with behavioral health. 

Dr. Harrell completed a residency in Psychiatry at Tulane University and a fellowship in Geriatrics Medicine at MCG.  His Augusta University practice consists of inpatient and outpatient geriatrics.  He has been Director of the inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Unit for 8-years.  His main interests include diagnosing and treating dementing illness in the elderly, and helping families to understand and cope as their loved ones decline. Dr. Harrell also focuses on cardiovascular diseases in the elderly, and he as written a textbook chapter on this subject.

After many years of practicing medicine, Dr. Harrell says that his passion for teaching medical students and residents remains strong and he has a desire to provide excellent patient care for the elderly and their families.

Dr. Lakovics holds an appointment as Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine with a dual appointment in Psychiatry and Health Behavior.  Dr. Lakovics received his M.D. degree at the State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center where he also completed his residency in Psychiatry.  His interests and work have been in the management of psychiatric inpatient services as well as serving as a hospitalist in those services.  His academic interests and publications have involved elaborating principles of psychotherapy and allied therapies in inpatient settings. He has served as a residency training director in his training program in Syracuse and implemented a psychiatric clerkship program through his academic appointment at Oregon Health Sciences University at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon.  He and his wife enjoy golf, boating and involvement in the equestrian community. 

Dr. Paul Seale is a professor of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University with an appointment in the Institute of Public and Preventive Health and the Department of Family Medicine.  A graduate of the University of Texas (Austin) and Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Seale is board certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine. Since completing an NIAAA-NIDA sponsored faculty development fellowship in 1987-1988, he has been involved in practice, teaching and research related to substance use screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment (SBIRT) for over 30 years. Working with faculty at Johns Hopkins University, Mercer University, Augusta University and U. of Georgia, he has helped provide SBIRT training to over 1,500 primary care providers. With over 14 years’ experience in office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) practice, training, dissemination and mentoring, he has a special interest in bridges and barriers to treatment of opioid use disorder and is conducting a pilot study of opioid use disorder in older adults. His involvement in full-time global health in Asia and the Americas led to the development of resilience and recovery training programs taught through storytelling which are now helping indigenous and other vulnerable populations across Latin America and Africa. He is author/co-author of more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles.

Dr. Seale’s research has been funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the Betty Ford Foundation, the Conrad Hilton Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation.

His research interests include improving and disseminating the use of storytelling approaches for resilience and recovery training, recognition and treatment of opioid use disorder in older adults, substance use screening, and improving delivery of SBIRT and Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) in rural and underserved areas.

Michael Vitacco, PhD, ABPP is a board-certified forensic psychologist who serves as Professor in the Institute of Public and Preventive Health with his home department in Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. He earned his BS in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Texas. Dr. Vitacco completed a predoctoral internship at a program dually sponsored by the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the United States Department of Justice. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine. Dr. Vitacco has published on topics related to mental health and the law, with emphases on psychopathy, risk assessment, forensic assessment, and malingering. He is licensed to practice psychology in Georgia, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. 

Dr. Vitacco is involved in research collaborations with faculty from Iowa State University, University of North Texas, Medical University of South Carolina, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, and the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Current research projects involve biological mechanisms associated with psychopathy, correlates of psychopathy, improving quality of forensic examinations, and how intellectual disabilities may influence forensic examinations.     

Dr. Melanie Wilcox is a licensed psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Public and Preventive Health, and Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Augusta University. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University at Albany in 2015 after completing her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Florida’s Counseling and Wellness Center. She has previously served as the director of doctoral training in the APA-Accredited Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Oklahoma State University, and as the director of the doctoral training community clinic at Louisiana Tech University. She currently serves on the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs, of which she served as Chair in 2020. Her research is comprised of three primary pillars, woven together with the threads of racial and economic justice: (1) Culturally responsive psychotherapy and psychotherapy training; (2) Racial and economic inequity in higher education; and (3) Whiteness, racism, and antiracism. Her clinical specialties include substance abuse and addiction, trauma, racism-related and other sociocultural issues, working with LGBTQIA+ clients, and psychological assessment.