About Me
I am dual board certified in general and forensic psychiatry. My work includes emergency psychiatric evaluations, community capacity restoration program evaluation and treatment, behavioral threat assessment and management, and civil and criminal forensic psychiatry examinations. I also provide medical student, resident and fellow education.
I am a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Additionally, I am the assistant program director for the Atrium Health Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program.
After graduating summa cum laude at Michigan State University, I received my medical degree with high distinction at Wayne State University and completed my psychiatry residency at the University of Michigan. I then completed a forensic psychiatry fellowship at Case Western Reserve University.
I won several awards for academic distinction while in college and medical school. I served as chief resident and received the Patient Advocate Award from the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry. I was awarded the Forensic Psychiatry Faculty Excellence Award from Case Western Reserve University to recognize my dedication to teaching forensic psychiatry fellows.
I have published several articles on forensic psychiatry topics, including psychiatric malpractice, competence to stand trial, disability evaluation and violence risk and medico-legal issues surrounding cannabis. I have presented at national conferences for the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law and the National Update on Behavioral Emergencies. I am an active member of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, where I serve on the Judicial Action, Government Affairs, Criminal Behavior and Peer Review of Psychiatric Testimony committees.
I was drawn to forensic psychiatry because of my interest in issues at the intersection of mental health and the law. I previously worked in a state psychiatric hospital on a competence to stand trial unit for several years and did examinations for a court psychiatric clinic. I performed disability evaluations for the School Employees’ and State Teachers’ Retirement Systems in Ohio.
I have testified in court hearings and depositions as an expert over 40 times. I take pride in writing detailed, evidence-based reports to answer questions posed by the court. My areas of expertise include competence to proceed, criminal responsibility, mitigation, psychiatric malpractice, fitness for duty and risk assessment.