Who We Are
Isheeta Zalpuri, MD
Program Director
Growing up, I always dreamed of becoming an educator one day. This desire was only strengthened during residency training when I learned about a program director’s impact on their trainees. As the Program Director of the Stanford CAP Fellowship program, my scholarly work focuses on physician leadership skills development, professionalism, well-being, and faculty development. I believe that adhering to the principles of professionalism, along with access to mentorship, sponsorship and professional development opportunities, is a key driver of one’s well-being. I am particularly interested in developing a better understanding of the association of trainee and faculty well-being with professional development and crafting creative ideas to enhance belonging and professional fulfillment within the program. This is consistent with the values of our program, which emphasizes compassion, collegiality and respect for one’s personal and professional needs, and where Faculty understand the importance of providing supervision and support while promoting autonomy as Fellows progress during their training.
As the Director of the Fellowship’s Ethics and Professionalism Course, and Co-Director of the Leadership and Professional Development course, I have the privilege of engaging with both classes during didactics. While I’m passionate about serving children and families presenting with various presentations, as the Co-Director of the Pediatric Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Clinic, I am able to work directly with two CAP2 Fellows each year to help them develop expertise in anxiety disorders, trauma and stress related disorders, as well as OCD within the context of providing excellent, patient-centered care for the children and youth seen in our clinic.
From our engaging didactic seminars, enriching, immersive clinical experiences and unique research and scholarly opportunities, our program takes pride in supporting Fellows to develop a sense of professional identity as a psychotherapist, psychopharmacologist, family psychiatrist, advocate and consultant - with the aim of producing inquisitive lifelong learners who become experts and leaders in the field of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Janani Venugopalakrishnan, MD, MPH,
Assistant Program Director, CAP2
I am constantly amazed at the unwavering commitment of the Stanford community towards a culture of excellence which continues to inspire me to this day. I am currently a clinical associate professor with additional leadership roles as Co-Director of Neuropsychopharmacology clinic, Director of INSPIRE Early Psychosis Program, while also being one of the primary supervising faculty members in the Autism clinic. In my role as assistant program director, I am closely involved with overseeing the second year training opportunities and sites.
Strengths of our child and adolescent training program include an exemplary academic setting with multiple highly specialized clinical training sites, comprehensive didactics and opportunities for translational cutting-edge research. We take pride in supporting not only the academic and professional needs of our trainees but also their personal well-being and growth. It is a robust, vibrant and a well-rounded program known to be family friendly while nurturing a sense of wellness, and community. The program has a track record of producing clinical leaders and physician scientists.
My passion is working with children with developmental disorders and neurodiversity and providing quality multidisciplinary care. As the co-director of the pediatric Neuropsychopharmacology clinic, an interdepartmental collaborative effort between the Stanford pediatric neurology and child psychiatry, I focus on caring for children and young adults with complex neuropsychiatric issues. In my other role as Director of the INPIRE early psychosis program, I work very closely with prodromal patients who are clinically high risk for first onset psychosis. I enjoy teaching and am actively involved in graduate education, teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows in various clinical and formal lecture settings while also guiding them in career opportunities. Being an academician, teacher, and clinician is a lifelong goal and I've greatly enjoyed working with the fellows with an opportunity for great bidirectional learning.
John Leikauf, MD
Assistant Program Director, Curriculum Development
I am thrilled to be a part of the training program leadership team here at the Stanford CAP Fellowship. Every day I feel lucky to be able learn new things from my trainees, colleagues, and patients in this rich intellectual environment. As a graduate of the program myself, I know the program well and it is an honor to now continue to be involved in teaching and curriculum development.
My research interests center on improving personalized diagnosis and treatment for attention and disruptive behavior disorders using transdiagnostic phenotypes and digital tools, as well as integrating multiple perspectives in clinical encounters. My clinical work and supervision have focused on parent management/behavioral approaches to disruptive behaviors and anxiety as well as mind-mindful psychotherapies including our young child psychotherapy program and evidence-based psychodynamic approaches such as mentalization-based therapy.
I have also supervised fellows in our general clinic and will be supervising in our upcoming assessment clinic.
I find a great deal of meaning and joy in my work supporting the mental and emotional health of children and families. It is a privilege to be involved in the curriculum and scholarly projects of the training program here. My goal is to facilitate each Fellow’s personal, academic, and clinical growth into a future leader in our field.
Ola Golovinsky, MS
Manager, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Training Programs
ola.golovinsky@stanford.edu
Maryam Mossadeghian
Coordinator, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Training Programs
mary282@stanford.edu
Charles Larson
Coordinator, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Training Programs
celarson@stanford.edu
Kathryn Brown, MD
Residency: Kaiser Permanente Oakland
Medical School: UC Irvine
Jinit Desai, MD
Residency: UCLA/Semel Institute
Medical School: University of Illinois Rockford
Ideen Kiafar, DO
Residency: Mount Sinai Medical Center
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University
Scott Lee, MD
Residency: Harvard South Shore
Medical School: Baylor
Aaron Lulla, MD
Residency: UCLA/VA Greater Los Angeles
Medical School: Rutgers
Shreya Sharma, MD
Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Medical School: Boston University
Anna Sheen, MD
Residency: UC Riverside
Medical School: Rutgers
Paige Staudenmaier, MD
Residency: Mount Sinai Beth Israel
Medical School: Quinnipiac University
Komal Trivedi, DO
Residency: Ocean University Medical Center
Medical School: Rowen University
Kathrine Casillas, MD
Residency: Stanford University
Medical School: Stanford University
Sadiya Dhanani, MD
Residency: Stanford University
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Luis Fernandez, MD
Residency: Stanford University
Medical School: UC Davis
Anna Madrigal, MD
Residency: San Mateo Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Medical School: USC
Miriam Muscarella, MD
Residency: Stanford University
Medical School: UCSF
Nahzaneen Sedehi, MD
Residency: University of Washington
Medical School: UC Irvine
Ashley Shatola, MD
Residency: San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services
Medical School: UC Davis
Selma Tanovic, MD
Residency: Stanford University
Medical School: University of Sarajevo, Bosnia
Alexander Zha, MD
Residency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Medical School: Ohio State University
Caridad Benavides Martinez, MD
Residency: HCA Florida Aventura Hospital
Medical School: Universidad Compultense de Madrid Facultad de Medicine, Spain
Roya Bina, MD
Residency: Temple University
Medical School: Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Miriam Goldblum, MD
Residency: Weill Cornell Medicine
Medical School: UCLA
Ilang Guiroy, MD
Residency: Los Angeles County + USC
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Tarina Quraishi, MD
Residency: UC San Diego
Medical School: University of Cincinnati
Alissa Rogol, MD
Residency: Stanford University
Medical School: Columbia University
Jonathan Updike, MD
Residency: Stanford University
Medical School: Columbia University
Emily Whisler, DO
Residency: Medical University of South Carolina
Medical School: Des Moines University
Jordan Wong, MD
Residency: Columbia University
Medical School: Dartmouth
Janet Baek, MD
Residency: San Mateo County
Medical School: Wake Forest School of Medicine
I studied education and social policy in college and became interested in child psychiatry when I discovered the importance of children’s mental health in their ability to learn. I am interested in school mental health, parent/teacher support, psychotherapy, and trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness practices. I have been involved in research on the benefits of a school yoga program and advocacy efforts through the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Children, Adolescents, and Their Families.
Choosing Stanford for fellowship training was an easy decision for me. Stanford offers incredible mentors and training opportunities in my areas of interest and has an environment that fosters collegiality and innovation. In addition, I am thrilled to stay in the Bay Area and enjoy the beautiful outdoors, diversity, and vibrant food scene!
Melissa Beattie, MD
Residency: Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Medical School: Thomas Jefferson University
My passion for psychiatry originated in the homeless shelters of Philadelphia. As a medical student, I volunteered as an advocate at one of the largest emergency homeless shelters in the city, where I first began observing the impact of macro-systemic factors on the genesis, maintenance, and treatment of psychiatric illness. Psychiatry residency training in New York increased my appreciation of the impact systemic factors have on rates of recovery, medication adherence, quality of life, disease relapse, and even gene expression. Motivated to become skillful at systemic formulation and intervention, I pursued additional coursework at The Ackerman Institute for the Family in NYC, where I trained in family therapy and learned about the impact of culture, intersectionality, power, and oppression on disease genesis and maintenance.
My hope as a child and adolescent psychiatrist is to effectively influence systemic dynamics at their earliest stages, in order to improve life trajectories for both patients and their families. I chose Stanford’s fellowship program with the strong belief it would enable me to learn how to empower not only individuals, but also their families and the communities in which they reside. Stanford’s program encourages active pursuit of intellectual curiosity and provides the innovative environment, faculty expertise, mentorship, and resources needed to transform ideas into systemic change. I have been impressed by the quality of our didactics, clinical experiences, and psychotherapy training, and am looking forward to my scholarly block later this year. I am loving the amazing food, outdoors, and climate of the SF Bay Area as well!
Sara Chowdhury, MD
Residency: West Virginia University
Medical School: West Virginia University
I grew up in Bangladesh and got my higher education on the East coast until coming to Stanford. Stanford is the perfect place to cultivate my growth as a physician. The culture here fosters medical innovation, empathy, humility, and the highest quality care. The program has unmatched didactics, supervision, and mentorship. There is great diversity amongst both patient populations and providers. Our program leadership is committed to CAP Fellow wellbeing. Moving to the West coast has also been great. I love travelling, and even though limited by COVID, in California I have discovered so much beauty without leaving the state! My cohort has been very welcoming and supportive, and is definitely one of my favorite things about the fellowship!
Kathryn Kinasz, MD
Residency: UCSF
Medical School: Univeristy of Chicago
I am originally from the Chicagoland area and attended University of Notre Dame for undergrad. While working for a consulting firm in Chicago after college, I decided to make a career change and attended a post-baccalaureate pre-medical program at Bryn Mawr College. I then returned to Chicago for medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
For residency, I made my first move westward and trained at the University of California San Francisco. I fell in love with the SF Bay Area, and thus Stanford was an obvious choice for CAP Fellowship. Additionally, Stanford’s program offered an excellent variety of clinical opportunities, advanced training and research in eating disorders, multiple modalities of psychotherapy supervision, and I felt a sense of community within the CAP Fellowship program even before Day 1. I feel so glad I made this choice!
Professionally, I am interested in psychodynamic psychotherapy, eating disorders, women’s mental health, and medical education. While I have not quite figured out how I am going to fit all those interests into one career path, I am looking forward to receiving mentorship at Stanford in order to figure that out. Outside of work I enjoy the amazing weather of the Bay Area, exploring new hiking trails, and watching my dog run on the beach.
Casey Lester, MD
Residency: UC Riverside
Medical School: UC San Diego
I grew up in the rural north part of the SF Bay Area. Later I worked as a veterinary technician and became fascinated by animal behavior. Pursuing this interest, I studied Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior at UC-Davis. I grew increasingly interested in the field of psychiatry. Prior to attending medical school I spent time in rural South Korea, where I taught English to underserved youth. Returning to the US, I attended UC-San Diego School of Medicine and UC-Riverside for residency.
I chose Stanford for CAP Fellowship due to the warm and welcoming attitude of the program leadership and fellows, and the strong support for pursuing specialty areas. My professional interests include trauma-related disorders, Animal Assisted Therapy, cultural psychiatry, and applications of technology to psychiatry. Outside of work I enjoy a variety of dog-related activities.
Karen Li, MD
Residency: Stanford
Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
After leaving the West coast to spend 8 years in Houston, TX, arriving to the SF Bay Area for residency has felt like finally finding my home. The culture here, including at Stanford, manages to strike the perfect balance of ambition and well-being. There have been endless opportunities for me to grow - both professionally (exploring my interests in neurodiversity, Asian-American cultural psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry) and personally. Outside of work, I am often found trying restaurants with my friends, going on local weekend trips with my husband and dog, and soaking up the sun with my niece and nephews.
Omar Sahak, MD
Residency: Stanford
Medical School: UC Davis
Hi, I'm Omar. A bit about me:
Undergraduate: BS, UC Santa Cruz
Graduate: MPH, San Jose State University
Medical School: UC Davis
General (Adult) Residency: Stanford University
Interests: psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapy, cultural psychiatry, medical education
Hobbies: photography, creative writing, baseball
I've been able to explore and cultivate so many aspects of myself here at Stanford, and look forward to chatting with you more about it!
Kristoffer Strauss, MD
Residency: San Mateo County
Medical School: Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
My path to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry began while volunteering on an inpatient psychiatric unit 10 years ago. At the time I was working as a management consultant and had no inkling that I was about to begin a career in medicine. I was struck by the suffering experienced not only by patients but by their families as well. That understanding continues to inform the care I seek to provide to patients today. I have an abiding interest in psychotherapy and completed the psychoanalytic psychotherapy training program at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. As a graduate of the San Mateo County Psychiatry Residency Program, I am experienced in public psychiatry and am committed to working with historically marginalized populations. I was attracted to Stanford for so many reasons, but to highlight just one, would be the incredible caliber of the CAP Fellows who have trained in this program, each of whom is working to advance the field of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. It is my honor to work with such outstanding colleagues. While at Stanford I look forward to deepening my skills across multiple psychotherapeutic modalities, working with families in moments of crisis, and helping parents navigate the challenges of caring for children with mental illness.
What do our graduates do?
- Academic Psychiatry (includes primary academic position or academic affiliation)
- Public Psychiatry (City, County or Community- based Practice)
- Agency-based
- Private Practice
More than 70% of our graduates are in leadership positions
(Academic Leaders, Medical Directors, Rotation Site Directors, Clinical Practice Leaders, Agency Directors)
2022
Sara Ali, MD, MPH
Residency: University of New Mexico
Medical School: Cairo University
Earth Hasassri, MD
Residency: UCSF
Medical School: Mayo Clinic
Katie Hsih, MD, MPhil
Residency: MGH
Medical School:Johns Hopkins University
Jillian Larsen, MD
Residency: University of Texas at San Antonio
Medical School: University of Texas at San Antonio
Juan Lopez, MD
Residency: San Mateo County
Medical School: Florida State University
Kevin Luo, MD
Residency: UC San Diego
Medical School: UC San Diego
Gabriela Marranzini, MD
Residency: University of Virginia
Medical School: University of Florida
Tram Nguyen, MD
Residency: San Mateo County
Medical School: UC Davis
Jack Turban, MD, MHS
Residency: MGH
Medical School: Yale
2021
Sabrina Ali Leger, M.D.
Residency: SUNY Downstate
Medical School: St. George's University
David Braitman, M.D.
Residency: University of New Mexico
Medical School: Indiana University
Philip Cawkwell, M.D.
Residency: MGH
Medical School: NYU
Bayan Jalalizadeh, M.D.
Residency: UT Southwestern
Medical School: Washington Univ. in St Louis
Eric McDonald, M.D.
Residency: Loma Linda
Medical School: Loma Linda
Tatiana Mefford, M.D.
Residency: San Mateo County
Medical School: UC Irvine
Brooke Rosen, M.D.
Residency: UCSF
Medical School: Mayo Clinic
Cheri Wu, M.D.
Residency: Stanford
Medical School: UT San Antonio
Chelsea Young, M.D.
Residency: UCSF
Medical School: UCSF
2020
Andrew Connor, D.O.
Medical School: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University
Residency: Mayo Clinic
Melissa Garzón, M.D.
Medical School: Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga Facultad de Medicina
Residency: University of New Mexico
Mandeep Kapur, M.D.
Medical School: American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Residency: Tulane University
Milena Kaufman, D.O.
Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine at Zucker Hillside Hospital
Nithya Mani, M.D.
Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Residency: Harvard Longwood
Katherine Ort, M.D.
Medical School: New York University School of Medicine
Residency: University of California, San Francisco
Michael Politis, D.O.
Medical School: Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: State University of New (SUNY) Downstate (Health Science Center)
Evan Trager, M.D.
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Residency: University of California Riverside
Janice Kang, M.D.
Medical School: Georgetown University
Residency: George Washington University
2019
Jorien Campbell, M.D.
Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Residency: UCSF
Cosmina Ciobanu, M.D.
Medical School: UC San Diego
Residency: UCSD
Lisa Jacobs, M.D.
Medical School: Brown University
Residency: UPenn
Haoyu Lee, M.D.
Medical School: Texas A&M
Residency: UCSD
Quyen Nguyen, M.D.
Medical School: UCSF
Residency: Harvard Longwood
Natalie Ramirez, M.D.
Medical School: University of Iowa
Residency: UT Southwestern
Michelle Reiderer, M.D.
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Residency: NYU
Sarah Rosenbaum, M.D.
Medical School: NYU
Residency: UPenn
Ariel Schonfeld, M.D.
Medical School: University of Maryland
Residency: University of Maryland
2018
Aparna Atluru, M.D.
Medical School: Texas Tech University School of Medicine
Residency: University of Texas Southwestern
Emily Fu, M.D.
Medical School: Ross University
Residency: Temple University
David Seth Grunwald, M.D.
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Residency: Yale University School of Medicine
Mary-Katherine (MK) McGovern, M.D.
Medical School: University of Texas, Southwestern
Residency: University of California, San Diego
Natalie Caryn Pon, M.D.
Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern
Residency: Baylor College of Medicine
Gillian W Reierson, M.D., Ph.D.
Medical School: University of Miami
Residency: Stanford University
Shelly Tran, M.D.
Medical School: Howard University College of Medicine
Residency: University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston
2017
Megan Baker, M.D.
Medical School: UCSF
Residency: Stanford University
Jena Lee, M.D.
Medical School: University of Washington
Residency: Stanford University
Marina Post, M.D.
Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
Residency: Stanford University
Claire Selinger, M.D.
Medical School: University of Texas at San Antonio
Residency: Stanford University
Melissa Silverman, M.D.
Medical School: Michigan State University
Residency: Mayo Clinic
Paula Tran, M.D.
Medical School: UC San Diego
Residency: UCSF