Psychiatry near Teaneck, NJ

Care Philosophy: Sarah Merza is a Licensed Associate Counselor and Nationally Certified Counselor with an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University and a B.A. in psychology from Ohio State University. She has extensive experience working with teens, young adults, and older adults dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, and psychotic disorders. Sarah empowers individuals by recognizing their strengths and utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. As a 4x NCAA All-American and 2x U.S. National Team member, she understands the challenges of balancing school and athletics. In her free time, she enjoys exercising, Netflix, and reading mystery novels.

Care Philosophy: Michelle is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with experience treating children, adolescents, families, and adults in various settings, including inpatient, intensive outpatient, and outpatient care. With years of nursing experience, Michelle uses a humanistic approach to support patients' mental, physical, and emotional well-being. She focuses on building therapeutic relationships through medication management and therapy, helping patients enhance their strengths, regulate emotions, and achieve their goals. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys making homemade pasta, bread, and pizza.

Biography: RosaMaria Verdadeiro, APRN-FNP-C is an experienced adult and pediatric nurse practitioner. She is bilingual in Spanish and Portuguese. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, PTSD, and childhood disorders, including ADHD, behavioral dysregulation, and autism. She's been a school nurse for over a decade, and is she is fully versed in the day-to-day complex issues regarding children and teens. Rosa also has expertise in the subtleties of anxiety and depression amongst college students and young adults, a population that is often misunderstood.

Biography: J John Mann MD, is The Paul Janssen Professor of Translational Neuroscience (in Psychiatry and in Radiology) and a former Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University. He is Director of Research and Director of Molecular Imaging and the Neuropathology Division at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Mann is trained in Psychiatry and Internal Medicine and has a Doctorate in Neurochemistry. His research employs functional brain imaging, neurochemistry and molecular genetics to probe the causes of depression and suicide. Dr. Mann is the Director of the NIMH Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Mental Disorders, and Past President of the International Academy of Suicide Research. Dr. Mann has published 458 papers and edited 10 books on the subjects of the biology and treatment of mood disorders, suicidal behavior and other psychiatric disorders. In private practice he specializes in the treatment of mood disorders.

Biography: Dr. Attia received her A.B. from Princeton University in 1982 and her MD from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons in 1986. Formerly the director of the inpatient eating disorders program at The New York State Psychiatric Institute, Dr. Attia has more recently focused on research involving the psychobiology and treatment of anorexia nervosa. Since 1999, she has received uninterrupted funding for her research from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Dr. Attia has received a Young Investigator Award from The National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD), a Pfizer/Society for Women's Health Research Faculty Development Award in Women's Health, and a Career Development Award from NIMH. Dr. Attia is a member of the eating disorders work-group for DSM-5. She is also a member of The Eating Disorders Research Society and has been elected Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders.

Biography: Frances Rudnick Levin, MD is the Kennedy-Leavy Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and the Chief of the Division on Substance Use Disorders at NYSPI/Columbia University. For over twenty years, she served as the Director of the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and for the past sixteen years, she has been the PI of a T32 NIDA funded Substance Abuse Research Fellowship which has been continuously funded since 1994. Dr. Levin graduated from Cornell University Medical College and completed her psychiatric residency at the New York Hospital-Payne Whitney Clinic. Subsequently, she graduated from a 2-year combined clinical and research fellowship at the University of Maryland and the Addiction Research Center, the intramural branch of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Currently, she serves as the Medical Director of the Providers' Clinical Support System (PCSS), a SAMHSA-supported national training and mentoring initiative focused on addressing the opioid use disorder crisis. Also, she is the Medical Director of a SAMHSA-supported State Targeted Response technical assistance grant (the Opioid Response Network) to address the national opioid epidemic. Dr. Levin, working with other senior faculty, inaugurated the university-wide Center for Healing of Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders: Enhancing Intervention Development and Implementation (CHOSEN) in 2020 and serves as one of the senior Directors. Moreover, she is the principal investigator of several federal grants, including a K24 Mid-Career Investigator Award as well as a Co-Investigator on numerous other grants. Her current research interests include pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatment interventions for opioid, cocaine and marijuana use disorders, and treatment approaches for adults with substance use disorders and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder along with other psychiatric illnesses. Dr. Levin has over two-hundred and fifty articles and book chapters on a wide range of topics including treatments of substance use disorders, assessment, and treatment of co-occurring psychiatric illnesses and vulnerabilities associated with substance use disorders. She has served on several advisory panels and ad-hoc federal grant review groups and was a member of the NIDA Initial Review Group: Training and Career Development Subcommittee for eight years and served as a member to the NIDA Interventions to Prevent and Treat Addiction (IPTA). She is currently on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), the College on Drug Dependence (CPDD), and the American Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD). She is an editorial board member of three journals, past President of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, and past Chair of the APA Council on Addiction Psychiatry.

Biography: Laurel Mayer, M.D. is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She received a BA at Yale University and her MD degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Mayer's research interest currently focuses on using sophisticated eating behavior paradigms to evaluate eating behavior across the eating and weight disordered spectrum. Building on successful studies of eating behavior in anorexia nervosa, Dr. Mayer is currently exploring (1) the potential influence of the FTO gene on eating behavior and fronto-striatal brain circuits in healthy, normal weight kids, in order to potentially identify risk factors for later weight gain. (2) the potential biological correlates of weight suppression (the difference between one's lifetime and current weight) in women with bulimia nervosa in order to test the hypothesis that higher levels of weight suppression and currently being on a diet to lose weight, will be independently associated with lower resting metabolic rate and lower levels of metabolic (e.g. thyroid), reproductive (e.g., estrogen) and appetitive (e.g., leptin) hormone levels among women with bulimia nervosa. (3) the utility of short-term residential laboratory-based measures in predicting the longer-term effects of pharmacologic agents in promoting weight loss. (4) measuring the influence of dietary macronutrients distributions (e.g. low carb compared to standard American) on intake and energy expenditure and (5) evaluating the weight gain and related metabolic side effects of second-generation antipsychotics.

Biography: Lisa Dixon, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center and the director of the Division of Behavioral Health Services and Policy Research within the Department of Psychiatry. She also directs the Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Dixon is an internationally recognized health services researcher with over 25 years of continuous funding from the National Institute of Mental Health and the VA. As CPI director, she oversees activities for the New York State Office of Mental Health in implementing evidenced based practices for persons diagnosed with serious mental illness. She is leading the innovative program, OnTrackNY, a statewide initiative designed to improve outcomes and reduce disability for the population of individuals experiencing their first episode of psychosis. Dr. Dixon's grants have focused on improving the quality of care for individuals with serious mental disorders with a particular emphasis on services that include families, reducing the negative impact of co-occurring addictions and medical problems, and improving treatment engagement and adherence. Dr. Dixon's work has joined individuals engaged in self-help, outpatient psychiatric care, as well as clinicians and policy makers in collaborative research endeavors. Dr. Dixon assumed the role of editor in chief of the journal, Psychiatric Services in January, 2017. She has published more than 350 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has received numerous awards including the 2009 American Psychiatric Association Health Services Senior Scholar Award and the Wayne Fenton Award for Exceptional Clinical Care. In 2014, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Metro NYC recognized her with the Adele Anshien Volunteer of the Year Award, and NAMI national recognized her with its annual Scientific Research Award. In 2022, the American College of Psychiatrists recognized her work with the Stanley Dean Award.

Biography: T. Scott Stroup, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Stroup's research focuses on the effectiveness of interventions and services for people diagnosed with schizophrenia and related illnesses. He was co-principal investigator of the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) study and director of the Schizophrenia Trials Network. He conducts research examining treatment strategies for schizophrenia. He is principal investigator of the OPAL Center, a National Institute of Mental Health supported center that focuses on examining interventions for schizophrenia that have real-world applications. His other interests include global mental health and the dissemination of evidence-based practices.

Biography: Dr. Elmira Raeifar is an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). She is also located at the ColumbiaDoctors Psychiatry Midtown office at CUIMC. Dr. Raeifar completed her doctoral training at Long Island University, Brooklyn, including an internship at Jacobi Medical Center. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia Health, Columbia University. Dr. Raeifar has experience working in a wide range of settings, from inpatient psychiatric units and intensive hospital-based outpatient programs, chemical dependency treatment facilities, to university counseling centers and outpatient mental health clinics. Dr. Raeifar's interests include helping those who feel stuck: in work, relationships, other aspects of life; those who struggle with anxiety, depression and with people who face issues related to life transitions, identity concerns, and sexuality.

Biography: Katelyn Selver is an Instructor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a licensed clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist at the ColumbiaDoctors Neuropsychological Evaluation Service. Dr. Selver specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of preschool aged children through young adulthood with neurodevelopmental disorders, language difficulties, academic struggles, difficulties with attention and executive functioning, and complex medical conditions. She conducts evaluations using a developmental framework and strengths-based approach in order to effectively identify areas of growth. Dr. Selver's work includes providing targeted recommendations to help address areas of weakness as well as providing ongoing consultation to family members and relevant providers to ensure that interventions are implemented effectively. Dr. Selver earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP). During her training, Dr. Selver focused on neurodevelopmental disorders and pediatric neuropsychology. She gained specific expertise within the areas of assessment and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder along with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, learning disabilities, language disorders, anxiety, and disruptive behavior disorders. Dr. Selver completed her pre-doctoral internship in child and adolescent psychology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC)/NewYork Presbyterian Hospital and post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology within the Promise Program at CUIMC.

Biography: Vinus Mahmoodi, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) within the Women's Program. Her clinical care focuses on the reproductive lifespan of women, starting from menarche (first menstrual period) to post-menopause. She primarily works with women experiencing distress during pregnancy and postpartum, traumatic birth experiences, perinatal loss, and fertility struggles. Dr. Mahmoodi is also on the adjunct faculty at Teachers College, Columbia University where she teaches courses on women's mental health and psychotherapy in the Clinical and Counseling Psychology department. Dr. Mahmoodi engages in research focused on the perinatal experiences of Muslim women. And she mentors students completing graduate studies in Clinical Psychology.

Biography: Dr. Devlin is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Associate Director of the Eating Disorders Research Unit at New York State Psychiatric Institute. He attended medical school at Columbia and completed his psychiatry residency at New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia-Presbyterian. Following his residency, he joined the Eating Disorders Research Unit at NYSPI under the direction of Dr.Tim Walsh, and he has worked with patients with eating disorders and conducted clinical research there since that time. His major academic interest is in the treatment of patients with eating disorders, and he recently completed work on an NIMH-funded study of psychotherapy and medication treatment for overweight patients with binge eating disorder. An additional area of interest is in the relationship between eating disorders and the outcome of surgery for obesity. In addition to research, he is active in medical student education and in training and supervision of psychiatry residents, particularly in cognitive behavioral therapy. He served on the American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline Work Group on Eating Disorders. He is an active member of the Academy for Eating Disorders and is a past President of that organization.