Sandra S. Pimentel, PhD

Chief, Child and Adolescent Psychology, Associate Director of Psychology Training, and Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Dr. Sandra Pimentel launched and is Director of the Anxiety and Mood Program (AMP), a specialty training program in the Child Outpatient Psychiatry Department, and co-Director of the Becoming an Emerging Adult at Montefiore (BEAM) Program. From 2007 through 2015, Dr. Pimentel held the position of Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center, where she served as Senior Psychologist and Associate Director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders. Dr. Pimentel specializes in cognitive behavioral treatments (CBT) for children, adolescents, and young adults with anxiety, mood, and behavioral difficulties. She is committed to teaching and advanced training, education, and mentorship are at the core of Dr. Pimentel's professional interests. Her research interests have focused on the dissemination of evidenced-based interventions for child and adolescent disorders and the evaluation of the most effective strategies for training and transporting treatments to school and community settings. Dr. Pimentel served as a CBT consultant for community- and school-based clinicians throughout New York State and for the New York State Office of Mental Health's statewide clinician training initiative. She was named a New York State Office of Mental Health Policy Scholar. Dr. Pimentel is actively involved in professional organizations, including the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies where she currently serves on the Board as Secretary-Treasurer and is President-Elect. She also volunteers for community-based programs and is involved in multiple community engagement initiatives in the Bronx.

William Buerger, PsyD

Clinical Director of the Adolescent DBT Program, Attending Psychologist, Montefiore Medical Center, Child Outpatient Psychiatry Division

Will Buerger, PsyD is the Clinical Director of Montefiore’s Adolescent Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT-A) Program and an Attending Psychologist within the Child Outpatient Psychiatry Department.

Prior to arriving at Montefiore, Dr. Buerger worked at Cognitive & Behavioral Consultants (CBC) as the Director of Trauma and Continuing Education Programs where he oversaw the management and supervision of CBC’s trauma team and coordinated community provider training. Dr. Buerger co-chaired and was also involved in the creation of CBC’s antiracism committee and facilitated their collaboration and partnership with the Access Psychology Foundation (APF).

Dr. Buerger specializes in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and empirically supported trauma treatments. He has extensive experience working with patients across the lifespan, applying empirically supported treatments within a variety of clinical settings, including private and Veterans Affairs hospitals, specialized outpatient clinics, and community mental health clinics. He is a board-certified provider of DBT, cognitive processing therapy (CPT), and prolonged exposure (PE). Dr. Buerger has trained psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and school personnel in these therapies and related principles.

Dr. Buerger’s research focuses on the active mechanisms, dissemination and adaptation of empirically supported treatments, particularly targeting trauma and suicidality. He has published articles and book chapters and presented at national psychology conferences on this topic.

Maria C. Alba, PsyD

Attending Psychologist, Assistant Clinical Director of the Adolescent DBT Program, Montefiore Medical Center, Child Outpatient Psychiatry Division

Dr. Maria Alba is an Attending Psychologist and Assistant Clinical Director of the Adolescent Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program at the Montefiore Moses Child Outpatient Psychiatry Division. She completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at Rutgers University. Dr. Alba completed her pre-doctoral internship in the Child and Adolescent Specialization at Montefiore Medical Center and her postdoctoral fellowship at the Eating Disorders Program at Montefiore and the Adolescent DBT Program. Her research interests include the dissemination and implementation of dialectical behavior therapy and creative psychosocial interventions for medically ill youth.

Lauren B. Yadlosky, PhD

Lauren Yadlosky, PhD is the clinical director of the Eating Disorders Program at Montefiore (EDPM) and attending psychologist within the Child/Adolescent Outpatient Department

She completed her PhD in clinical psychology at Marquette University and her predoctoral internship at Montefiore Medical Center in the child/adolescent specialization. Dr. Yadlosky completed her clinical / research postdoctoral fellowship at McLean Hospital / Harvard Medical School specializing in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. She has experience working at outpatient, partial hospital, residential, and inpatient medical levels of care.

Dr. Yadlosky specializes in work with high-risk, multi-problem youth, young adults, and families, specializing in working with those struggling with co-morbid eating disorders. She is trained in comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) as well as other behavioral and cognitive-behavioral psychological interventions, including Family Based Treatment for Anorexia (FBT).

Lauren's clinical and research interests seek to address health equity and provide high-quality, evidence-based services to the community. Her research program includes clinical outcomes and psychological measurement and emphasizes synthesizing intersectionality with psychological science and practice. Lauren has also completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training certification.

Lisa Teh, PhD

Lead Psychologist, Montefiore Einstein Center for Transplantation, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Montefiore Medical Center/ Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Dr. Teh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine and works within the Montefiore Einstein Center for Transplantation as the Lead Psychologist. She completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Hawai'i, internship in adult/health psychology at Geisinger Medical Center, and post-doctoral fellowship at Indiana University School of Medicine specializing in transplant psychology. Her research interests include increasing the accuracy of psychosocial evaluations for solid-organ transplant candidacy, mitigating risks for relapse to alcohol following liver transplantation, and decreasing health disparities in access to solid-organ transplantation and outcomes. She is the co-director of the Montefiore Einstein Transplant Recovery Integrated Care clinic, providing multidisciplinary evaluation and bridge treatment for patients with alcohol-related liver disease. Dr. Teh is very involved with the American Society of Transplantation, where she previously served as a Member at Large on the Executive Committee of the American Society of Transplantation’s Psychosocial and Ethics Community of Practice.

Peter Spyrou, MD

Attending Psychiatrist, Center for Transplantation, and Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Services at Montefiore Einstein

Peter Spyrou, MD, is an attending psychiatrist, Center for Transplantation, and Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Services at Montefiore Einstein. His clinical focus centers on medically complex patient care, polypharmacy, consult-liaison (CL) psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, horticultural therapy, addiction psychiatry and tobacco use. Dr. Spyrou completed his undergraduate degree in Geography and Middle Eastern History at Middlebury College, then a post-baccalaureate program at University of Virginia, before earning his Doctor of Medicine at New York Medical College. He then completed his psychiatry residency at Montefiore Einstein, where he was Chief Resident of CL and the forensic unit at Bronx Psychiatric Center in his final year. He remained here to complete a geriatric psychiatry fellowship. In 2022, he received the Leo M. Davidoff Society Award for excellence in medical student teaching. He is committed to, and enjoys, interdisciplinary training and postdoc teaching.

Rachel Held, PhD

Director, THRIVE, Lead Psychologist, Moses Adult Outpatient Division (AOPD); Associate Director of Psychology Training; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Rachel Held, PhD, is the director of THRIVE. She also directs the adult track of the psychology internship program. As lead psychologist of the AOPD, she is involved in administration, planning and training within the clinic, which has a census of over 1700 patients who largely come from communities, with a high proportion of the patients experiencing trauma. Dr. Held is passionate about teaching and clinical supervision, and about finding creative ways to best serve AOPD patients and maximize their access to quality, trauma-informed care. She has expertise in CBT including Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy. She also has expertise in other treatment modalities that are often helpful for patients who have experienced trauma, including DBT and treatments for comorbid chronic pain or insomnia. Dr. Held has previously worked in other community mental health settings, as well as at multiple VA medical centers. She received her BA at Columbia University and her PhD at Rutgers University. She completed her predoctoral psychology internship at Brown University and her postdoctoral experience at the VA Medical Center in East Orange, NJ.

Regina Musicaro, PhD

Research Director, THRIVE, Assistant Professor, Psychiatric Research Institute of Montefiore Einstein (PRIME)

Dr. Musicaro is the Research Director of THRIVE and an Assistant Professor at the Psychiatric Research Institute for Montefiore Einstein (PRIME) in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Musicaro completed her undergraduate degree at SUNY New Paltz and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Suffolk University. During her doctorate she trained at several teaching hospitals of Harvard Medical School, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, McLean Hospital, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. She also gained specialty trauma training at the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute and the Boston VA Medical Center. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Central Western MA VA and her postdoctoral fellowship at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Musicaro specializes in conducting Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and mindfulness-based interventions for adults presenting with post-traumatic stress reactions, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance use and depression. She has also helped to disseminate trauma-sensitive yoga and biofeedback. Dr. Musicaro is the recipient of several awards for clinical excellence, positive community impact, outstanding academic achievement, career advancements, and research excellence. She was awarded the SUNY New Paltz 40 under Forty recognition for achieving a commendable level of success in her chosen field and being active in her community.

Sara Ghassemzadeh, PsyD

Attending Psychologist, Moses AOPD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Dr. Ghassemzadeh is an Attending Psychologist at the Moses AOPD and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is a graduate of Montefiore-Einstein's Psychology postdoctoral fellowship program with a focus on the THRIVE specialization. Dr. Ghassemzadeh completed her pre-doctoral internship at the James J. Peters Bronx VA and earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University. She has expertise in treating diverse adults with complex trauma and its associated challenges, including substance use disorders, personality disorders, and suicidality. She has extensive training in a wide range of trauma treatments, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Skills Training in Affect and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), and relational psychodynamic psychotherapy. Passionate about providing therapy services in both English and Spanish. Both Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and attachment theory highly influence her clinical work, as she views an attuned, safe therapeutic relationship not just as the prerequisite, but the vessel inside which new learning can take place.

Allison Glasgow, MD (she/her)

Attending Psychiatrist, Ambulatory Consults Urgent Treatment & Evaluations (ACUTE) Psychiatry and Montefiore-Einstein Psychiatry Associates (MEPA)

Allison Glasgow, MD, is an Attending Psychiatrist at ACUTE Psychiatry and MEPA. Dr. Glasgow earned her MD from New York Medical College. She completed her Psychiatry residency and fellowships in Community Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine. At ACUTE Psychiatry, Dr. Glasgow conducts outpatient geriatric psychiatry consultations and co-facilitates a nursing home teaching conference. At MEPA, she provides psychopharmacological treatment and psychotherapy with an interest in psychodynamic therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Dr. Glasgow provides clinical supervision as part of her involvement with the Trauma Healing and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE) program and is involved in the structural competency curriculum for psychiatry residents. She co-authored a publication on the use of a community mapping tool as a structural intervention in the outpatient setting and engages with community partners in the Bronx. She is passionate about providing trauma-informed, structurally competent and sensitive care and incorporates a person-centered and strengths-based approach in her teaching and clinical work.

Melissa E. Platt, PsyD (she/her)

Attending Psychologist, Montefiore Einstein Psychiatry Associates (MEPA) Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Melissa E. Platt, Psy.D. (she/her) is an Attending Psychologist at Montefiore Einstein Psychiatry Associates (MEPA) and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Platt earned a Master of Arts followed by a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA. She completed her doctoral internship at Indiana University’s Counseling and Psychological Services with a concentration in sexual assault counseling services. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Iona University’s Counseling Center focused on working with neurodivergent young adults including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Dr. Platt's clinical interests include neurodivergence (i.e., ASD, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), mindfulness, trauma, the therapy relationship and psychotherapy integration. She is passionate about quality supervision. Dr. Platt provides clinical supervision to trainees in the Trauma Healing and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE) program.

Rubiahna Vaughn, MD, MPH

Rubiahna Vaughn, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is the Director of Psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center – Einstein Division and the Director of the Division of Women’s Mental Health. Dr. Vaughn also serves as the program director for the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship at Montefiore. She completed undergraduate studies in Human Biology with a minor in African and African American Studies at Stanford University, graduating with interdisciplinary honors. Dr. Vaughn completed a master’s in public health at Columbia University and received her medical doctorate from the University of Washington. She subsequently completed psychiatry residency training and a chief resident year at New York University Medical Center. She completed fellowship training in Psychosomatic Medicine at The Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Dr. Vaughn was named a 2020-2021 Harvard Macy Institute Scholar in the Program for Educators in Health Professions which has supported her commitment to innovation in education and curriculum development. Her interests include global mental health, reproductive psychiatry and neuropsychiatry.

Kahlil DuPerry, PhD

Kahlil C. DuPerry, Ph.D. is an Attending Psychologist in the Ambulatory Consults, Urgent Treatment, and Evaluatioins (ACUTE) clinic, where the WMH Fellow will see outpatients. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, an Attending in the Psychiatric Observation Suite (POS) in the Emergency Department, and the Associate Director for the Psychology Fellowship program. Dr. DuPerry is a graduate of Boston College with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and completed his Pre-doctoral Internship here at the Montefiore Medical Center on the Adult Track as well as his Fellowship in the inaugrual class of Health Service Psychology Fellows. He has worked in a variety of settings including with college students, veterans, those with co-occurring major mental illness and problematic sexual behaviors, and in various services and clinics within the Montefiore system. His practice is largely integrative of Psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioral theories, along with a critically conscious systems and patient-centered focus.

Matthew R. Schneider, MD

Matthew Schneider MD is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and is Vice Chair of Clinical Services for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services at Montefiore Medical Center and is Medical Director for ACUTE Psychiatry. Dr. Schneider completed undergraduate studies at Cornell University, attended medical school at SUNY – Downstate in Brooklyn, New York and completed his psychiatry residency at Montefiore.

LaTrice N. Wright, PhD

Dr. Wright is an Attending Psychologist in the Ambulatory Consults, Urgent Treatment, and Evaluations (ACUTE) clinic, focused on the perinatal treatment track. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). Trained as a scientist-practitioner-advocate, her primary clinical interests center on delivering strengths-based and interventions to individuals, couples, and families. She also has an evolving passion for the area of perinatal and reproductive mental health. Dr. Wright's theoretical orientation integrates cognitive behavioral (CBT), dialectical behavioral (DBT), and family systems therapies.

Candace Hatten-Powell, MD

Candace Hatten-Powell is a Consultation-Liaison psychiatrist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Jack D. Weiler Hospital at Montefiore-Einstein. She is a life-long New Yorker, completing her B.S. at Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology in Human Biology, Health, and Society with a minor in Policy Analysis and Management. She completed her Doctor of Medicine degree at SUNY Upstate Medical University and completed residency at Montefiore Medical Center in General Psychiatry, where she served as chief resident in the Psychiatric Observation Suite in the subspecialty of emergency psychiatry. She completed an Administrative Fellowship in Psychiatry as the senior chief resident, where she served in teaching role, providing individual psychotherapy supervisions, served as a mentor for junior trainees and helped with the general administration of the residency training program, including recruitment and curriculum planning. She completed her Consultation & Liaison psychiatry fellowship training at NYP- Columbia Irving Medical Center. She has special interests in cultural psychiatry, trauma informed care, bariatric psychiatry and disorders of gut-brain interaction.

Andrea Kondracke, MD

In her role, Dr. Kondracke oversees and integrates psychiatric consultation services for people admitted to medical and surgical services at Montefiore’s Moses campus, as well as oversees Montefiore’s specialized psychiatric consultation services for transplant surgery and for addiction medicine. After earning her BA in Philosophy at Boston College and MD at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Kondracke completed residencies in both Internal Medicine and Psychiatry at New York Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center. After training, she joined the faculty at NYU, where she forged uniquely collaborative bridges between Psychiatry and Medicine at Bellevue, serving as Division Chief for Medical Psychiatry, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, and the Addiction Consultative (CATCH) Service, which she developed. She also served as a hospitalist in Medicine on a regular basis each year and during the COVID-19 pandemic. An Associate Clinical Professor at NYU with joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Medicine, Dr. Kondracke has been a formative teacher and mentor for many outstanding psychiatry leaders, including faculty whom we have been so fortunate to welcome in recent times.

Meghana Medavaram, MD

Meghana R. Medavaram, MD, is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Site Director for the Psychiatry Clerkship at Weiler Hospital, where she also serves as an attending psychiatrist. Dr. Medavaram received her Doctor of Medicine from JSS Medical College in Mysore, Karnataka, India, and subsequently completed her one-year medical internship at JSS Medical College Hospital. Dr. Medavaram completed her residency in psychiatry at the University of Toledo Medical Center, where she served as Chief of the Consultation-Liaison Service in her final year, during which time she built the curriculum for medical students and residents. While there, she received the William J. Lenz Award for Excellence in Medical Education as a PGY3 and the Ali Mamun Award for Excellence in Geriatric and Community Psychiatry as a PGY4. Following her residency training, Dr. Medavaram completed her fellowship in psycho-oncology/ consultation-liaison psychiatry at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. During her tenure at Montefiore, she has also received teaching award from the AECOM. She also serves as a mentor to medical students and residents.

Kavita Vani, MD

Kavita Vani, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health at Montefiore Medical Center. She received her undergraduate and Doctor of Medicine degree from Columbia University and completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She recently completed her fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center/ Albert Einstein College of Medicine and stayed on to formally join the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division as the Director of Fourth Trimester/Postpartum Services. Her interests include health care delivery research, particularly as it pertains to providing postpartum care and support for women with high-risk pregnancies. She recently implemented a pilot “Fourth Trimester” Clinic at Montefiore that utilizes care coordination to provide comprehensive postpartum care for those with high-risk pregnancies and allow for smooth transition to lifelong primary and subspecialty care. She is currently completing a Master’s in Clinical Research Methods to develop the skills to effectively study the implementation of this clinic and other efforts to improve postpartum care.

Julia Vileisis, MD

Julia Vileisis, MD is the Director of Reproductive Psychiatry for Montefiore Einstein Psychiatry Associates and an Assistant Professor. She sees outpatients for ongoing psychiatric care during pregnancy and postpartum as well as for specialty consultations when patients are already connected to care. Dr. Vileisis attended medical school at Virginia Commonwealth School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia and completed her psychiatry residency at Montefiore in 2021. During medical school and residency, her interest in perinatal and reproductive psychiatry grew as she recognized that this time period is both complex and critical for maintaining and establishing good mental health in both the parent and infant. She has completed a Women's Mental Health Fellowship at Women and Infants Hospital/Brown University.

Marlee Madora, MD

Marlee Madora, MD is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry along with Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health at Montefiore Medical Center where she practices outpatient Reproductive Psychiatry at the Eastchester Professional Center. She focuses on promoting wellness during reproductive changes and life transitions with psychotherapy and psychopharmacology with an integrative and comprehensive approach. She completed the Women’s Mental Health Fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and received her residency training at Montefiore Medical Center, where she served as Chief Resident in Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, Reproductive Psychiatry and Medical Education. During her training, she was involved in various research projects focused on perinatal mental health, honed her skills in CBT, DBT, ACT and IPT in perinatal patient populations, developed a Wellness Course for medical students, and completed a clinical elective at The Motherhood Center.