Faculty Profiles

James B. McLoone, M.D. is Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Residency Program. He attended George Washington University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. Dr. McLoone is board-certified in both General and Geriatric Psychiatry. He is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Chair for Academic and Clinical Affairs for the University of Arizona College of Medicine's Phoenix Campus.

Eric Reiman, MD is the Director of the Banner Alzheimer's Institute. Dr. Reiman attended Duke University School of Medicine and completed his residency at both Duke University and Washington University. He is board-certified in General Psychiatry and is a tenured Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Head for Research and Development for the University of Arizona College of Medicine's Phoenix Campus.

Andrea Waxman, M.D. is Associate Director of the Psychiatry Education Programs. She attended The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed her residency at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. Dr. Waxman is board-certified in General Psychiatry. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Her academic interests include women's health, teaching psychotherapy and medical ethics.

Dennis Friedman, D.O. is the Medical Director for the Adult Inpatient Psychiatry Service. He attended Nova-Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. Dr. Friedman is board-certified in General Psychiatry and a Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry for the University of Arizona College of Medicine. His clinical interests include the seriously mentally ill and ECT.

Christian Cornelius, M.D.  attended the University of Arizona College of Medicine and completed his residency at Banner Good Samaritan. He is board-certified in General Psychiatry and a Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Arizona College of Medicine. His scholarly interests include mood and anxiety disorders and psychopharmacology and he serves as the Psychiatric consultant to the Medical Center's Transplant Program.

Sandra MacDonald, M.D. is the Associate Medical Director for the Adult Inpatient Service and is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Medicine.  She completed her residency at Banner Good Samaritan and is board certified in General Psychiatry. Dr. MacDonald has recently returned to join our full-time faculty after working at a hospital in Idaho.

Pierre Tariot, M.D. is the Associate Director of the Banner Alzheimer's Institute at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center and Director of the Memory Disorders Program. Dr. Tariot is a graduate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and completed his residency in Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. He is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Psychiatry and is a Research Professor for the U of A COM.

Roy Yaari, M.D., M.A.S. is a faculty neurologist at the Banner Alzheimer's Institute specializing in dementia. Dr. Yaari completed residencies in both Neurology and Geriatric Neurology as well as a Master of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research from the University of California at San Diego. 

Kristina Cooper, Ph.D.  obtained her doctorate from Arizona State University and completed her Psychology residency at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. Dr. Cooper is an Assistant Professor for the University of Arizona College of Medicine and the Arizona State University Psychology Department. Her scholarly interests include behavioral medicine, oncology patients and the psychosocial aspects of morbid obesity and bariatric surgery.

George Joumas, M.A. is a member of our full-time faculty and a graduate of Wayne State University. His clinical and teaching interests include couple and family therapy.

Tracey Oppenheim, M.D. completed her residency in both Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and General Psychiatry for which she is board certified in both areas. Dr. Oppenheim does consultation-liaison for adolescents at Banner Desert Samaritan Medical Center as well as doing lectures for our residents.

Thomas Gazda, M.D. attended the University of Illinois College of Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Vermont/Fletcher Allen Healthcare.  Dr. Gazda is a staff psychiatrist at our Banner Scottsdale Behavioral Health Center.

Eric Benjamin, M.D. is Section Chief for the Division of Behavior and Development at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Dr. Benjamin is a graduate of Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and board certified in both Adult and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. His professional interests include ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome and psychopharmacology. Dr. Benjamin is a Clinical Professor for both the College of Medicine and ASU School of Nursing.

Randall K. Ricardi, D.O. completed his Adult and Child Psychiatry training at the Lafayette Clinic and is board-certified in both specialties. He is a member of the full-time faculty at Phoenix Children's Hospital.  Dr. Ricardi is a Clinical Assistant Professor and his clinical and research interests include mood and anxiety disorders in younger age patients.

Karen Kando, M.D.  joined the full time faculty at Phoenix Children's Hospital after graduating from the Maricopa Integrated Health System Program in their Child and Adolescent Fellowship.  Dr. Kando specializes in culturally diverse patients and dual diagnoses.

Ray Bunch, M.D.  is a full-time faculty member at Phoenix Children's Hospital. He completed both his General Adult Residency and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He also has completed a fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry.

Urszula Kotlow, M.D. is a full-time faculty member at Phoenix Children's Hospital. She completed her training at  Yale University  and is board certified in both Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as well as General Psychiatry.

John Barton, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Dr. Barton received his Ph.D. from Arizona State University where he remains a senior lecturer. His clinical and academic interests include evaluation of children with ADHD and learning disorders and psychotherapy with younger patients.

Carlos Carrera, M.D. is the Chief of the Psychiatry Service at the VAMC. He is a graduate of Ponce School of Medicine and completed his Psychiatry residency at Boston University Affiliated Hospitals. Dr. Carrera is a Fellow of the APA, board certified in General Psychiatry and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry for the University of Arizona College of Medicine's Phoenix Campus.

Lori Highberger, M.D. is a full-time clinical and teaching faculty at the VAMC serving as Director of Psychiatric Clinical Services and Director of the Substance Abuse Treatment Program. She graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed her residency at Banner Good Samaritan in the Combined Internal Medicine/Psychiatry Residency Program and is board-certified in both specialties.

Clint Anthony, M.D. is the Residency faculty liaison at the VAMC. He is a graduate of the Temple University School of Medicine and completed his Psychiatry training at Tripler Army Medical Center. He is board certified in both Geriatric and General Psychiatry and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry for the University of Arizona College of Medicine's Phoenix Campus.

Elizabeth Munshi, M.D. joined the full-time clinical and teaching faculty at the VAMC after graduating from our Psychiatry Residency program at Banner Good Samaritan. She graduated from the Medical College of Ohio and supervises residents in the Outpatient Clinic.

David Rowlett, M.D. is a full-time clinical and teaching faculty at the VAMC. He graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Washington and Veterans Administration Combined Program. Dr. Rowlett oversees the Outpatient Psychotherapy Program at the VAMC.

Thomas Buenker, M.D. is part of the full-time faculty at the VAMC. He graduated from the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed his residency at Banner Good Samaritan. Dr. Buenker is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Arizona College of Medicine and primarily supervises residents in the Outpatient Clinic.

Amy Frazier, M.D. is a full-time member of the clinical faculty at the VAMC. She graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed her residency at Montefiore Medical Center including a fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry. She is board certified in adult and geropsychiatry.

Zoe Forester, M.D. is a member of the clinical faculty at the VAMC after completing her residency in the Combined Internal Medicine/Psychiatry Residency Program at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center as well as a fellowship in Geriatrics. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Jillian McManus, MSW is Director at the Employee Assistance Office at Arizona State University providing crisis intervention and therapy to faculty, staff and dependents. She achieved her Master's in Social Work at ASU and is credentialed in Life Coaching.

Marcelle Leet, M.D. is the Medical Director at the Arizona State Hospital and a Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatry for the University of Arizona COM-Phoenix Campus. She attended Eastern Virginia Medical School and completed her residency at Banner Good Samaritan. She is board certified in General and Geriatric Psychiatry.

Brad Johnson, M.D. is the Chief of Psychiatry at the Arizona Community Protection and Treatment Center at the Arizona State Hospital. Dr. Johnson attended the University of Arizona where he graduated from both their general psychiatry residency and their child and adolescent fellowship.

Tariq Ghafoor, M.D. is Chief of Forensic Services at the Arizona State Hospital. Dr. Ghafoor is board-certified in adult, child, addiction and forensic psychiatry and is the faculty liaison for our resident forensic psychiatry experience at ASH.

Dawood Mulla, M.D. is a supervising clinical faculty at the ASH Forensic Service and is board certified in adult, forensic and administrative psychiatry.

Jack Potts, M.D. is a consulting psychiatrist for the County Correctional Health Department. Dr. Potts is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and the Banner Good Samaritan Psychiatry Residency Program. He is board-certified in adult and forensic psychiatry.

Mariam Cohen, M.D., Ph.D. is a graduate of Hahnemann Medical College, Banner Good Samaritan Psychiatry Residency and the Los Angeles Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies. She teaches our residents the Advanced Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Seminar and provides clinical supervision. Her current scholarly and academic interests include psychodynamic theory and religious studies.

Shelley Uram, M.D. is a graduate of Medical College of Pennsylvania and did her Psychiatry residency at Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School. She is involved in both our residency training and the medical student clerkships where her lectures cover the areas of psychological trauma and forensic psychiatry. Dr. Uram is board certified in adult, child and adolescent and forensic psychiatry.

Michael Ogden, M.D., M.P.H. is a graduate of the Psychiatry Residency at Banner Good Samaritan and The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He is a community based clinical supervisor with interests in adolescents, dissociative disorders and Native American healthcare.

Roberto Sebastian, Jr. M.D. is one of the full-time faculty members for our community psychiatry experience. He completed his General Psychiatry Residency at Harvard with an additional fellowship in forensic psychiatry from the University of Rochester.

Joao Esteves, M.D. is a full-time faculty member for our community psychiatry experience. He graduated from the University of Sao Paulo and completed his residency at Brown University/Butler Hospital in Providence, RI.

Robert G. Williamson, M.D. completed medical school at the University of Texas at San Antonio and his residency at John Peter Smith Hospital. He is one of the full-time faculty members for our community psychiatry experience and is board certified.

Ann Negri, M.D. is director of a community psychiatry clinic serving chemically addicted, pregnant young women. She is a graduate from the University of Pittsburgh Psychiatry Residency Program. Dr. Negri is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry of the University of Arizona College of Medicine's Phoenix Campus.

Andrew Mebane, M.D. is the Chief Medical Officer for our community psychiatry clinic serving the seriously mentally ill population. Dr. Mebane is a graduate of UCLA Neuro Psychiatric Hospital.

Gillian Hamilton, M.D., Ph.D. is the Medical Director at Hospice of the Valley which is the second largest hospice in the United States. Dr. Hamilton did her residency at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center and her Ph.D. from the University of Florida. She is the faculty liaison for our residents' community oriented geropsychiatry experience.

Carla Denham, M.D. is the psychiatrist at Hospice of the Valley. Dr. Denham is a graduate from the University of Arizona COM and completed her residency at Maricopa Integrated Systems and specializes in geropsychiatry and palliative care.

Gary Martin, Ph.D. is a geriatric psychologist and received his Ph.D. from The Ohio University. Dr. Martin participates in our residents geropsychiatry experiences.

Gary Grove, M.D. is a community based clinical supervisor. Dr. Grove completed his Psychiatry residency at Banner Good Samaritan and is board certified in adult and geriatric psychiatry as well as clinical psychopharmacology.

Tom Best, M.D. is a graduate of University of Tennessee College of Medicine and our residency program at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. He is Medical Director at The Meadows substance abuse facility in nearby Wickenburg and provides lectures to our residents.

Laura Nelson, M.D. is the Medical Director for the Arizona Department of Health Services, Division of Behavioral Health Services. She attended the Medical University of South Carolina and completed her residency at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center.

Rodgers Wilson, M.D.  is the Medical Director for Adult Services for the Arizona Department of Health Services. Dr. Wilson attended Meharry Medical College School of Medicine and completed his residency in Psychiatry at State University of New York at Buffalo.

Psychiatry Residents 2008 - 2009