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Faculty

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Eleonore Beurel, Ph.D.

Eleonore Beurel, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: I earned my Ph.D. in 2005 from the University Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, France, studying the role of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) in regulating apoptosis associated with the use of chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of liver cancer. I then joined the laboratory of Dr. Richard Jope, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a postdoctoral fellow. In Dr....
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Judite Blanc, Ph.D.

Judite Blanc, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor
Publications
Biography: Dr. Judite Blanc is a multilingual assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Head of Community Outreach at the Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and the founding director of the Holistic Families Lab (H.F.L.) at the same university. She is a member of the State University of Haiti...
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Shirley Gazabon, Ph.D.

Shirley Gazabon, Ph.D.

Licensed Psychologist/Assistant Professor
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Gazabon earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Florida in 1998. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Rhode Island and as part of her doctorate actively participated in research at the Cancer Prevention Research Center under the guidance of James Prochaska, Ph.D, leader in development of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change. She completed...
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Rene Hernandez-Cardenache, PsyD

Rene Hernandez-Cardenache, Psy.D.

Clinical Neuropsychologist

Biography: I am both a Clinical Neuropsychologist, and an early-stage investigator in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Florida. My research initially aimed at investigating important aspects of prospective memory in amnestic and nonamnestic individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). In particular,...
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Emily M. Cherenack, Ph.D.

Research Asst. Professor
Publications
Biography: Emily M. Cherenack, MA, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, as well as a clinical psychologist with a background in behavioral medicine and health psychology. Dr. Cherenack came to the University of Miami in 2021 after completing her doctoral studies at Duke University and an internship in behavioral medicine...
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Rosie Curiel, PsyD

Rosie Curiel Cid, Psy.D.

Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Rosie Curiel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and faculty member of the Center on Aging. As a geriatric neuropsychologist, she has an expertise in the assessment of neurodegenerative conditions among elders. Dr. Curiel is Principal Investigator of a study entitled:...
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Barbara J Coffey, M.D.

Barbara J. Coffey, M.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Profile
Biography: Barbara J. Coffey, M.D., M.S. is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She has held the position of Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry since October 1, 2017 and Director of the University of Miami Tourette Association of America (TAA) Center of Excellence...
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Elizabeth Crocco, M.D.

Elizabeth Crocco, M.D.

Professor, Clinical Psychiatry
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: I received my Medical Degree at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1993. I then completed my Psychiatry Residency Training at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York where I served as the administrative Chief Resident prior to my graduation in 1997. After completing my Fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry at UM/Jackson Memorial Hospital...
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Firdaus S. Dhabhar, Ph.D.

Firdaus S. Dhabhar, Ph.D.

Tenured Professor
Publications
Biography: Dr. Dhabhar is a tenured professor at the University of Miami. He is the Director of the Laboratory of Stress and Resilience in Health and Healing, and a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Professor Dhabhar’s interests extend...
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Elisa Diaz, Psy.D.

Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychiatry
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Elisa Diaz is an Assistant Professor and licensed psychologist. She is living out her dream of being an educator to future psychologists and psychiatrists, while also providing psychotherapy to her community. She began working in the mental health field as a case manager to adults facing court dependency issues due to addiction. Through these experiences, her clinical...
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Dante Durand, M.D., MBA

Dante Durand, M.D., M.B.A.

Professor, Clinical Psychiatry
Clinical Profile
Biography: I was born and raised in Lima, Peru. I am the oldest of three of an intact family. After finishing Catholic School education, completed 8 years of Medical School at Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University. Came to the US to do my residency training in Psychiatry at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY where I was appointed Chief Resident. After that, I relocated to Arkansas...
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Maria Isabel (Marisa) Echenique, PsyD

Maria Isabel (Marisa) Echenique, Psy.D.

Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychiatry
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Echenique completed her undergraduate studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA and earned her master’s degree from Columbia University. While completing her clinical studies at Columbia, she grew interested in research and accepted a position as research coordinator at the University of Miami in 2005. While working full time in HIV behavioral health research,...
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Spencer Eth, M.D.

Spencer Eth, M.D.

Professor of Clinical
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: SPENCER ETH, M.D.
seth@miami.edu
Dr. Spencer Eth serves as the Chief of Mental Health at the Miami VA Healthcare System and as Professor and Director of the Forensic Psychiatry and Interim Director of the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Programs at the University of Miami. From 1996 to 2010 Dr. Eth was Senior Vice President for Behavioral...
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David Martinez Garza

David M. Martinez Garza


Biography: David Martinez Garza, M.D. grew up in Monterrey, Mexico where he completed Medical School training. Pursuing his Academic Career, Dr. Martinez Garza completed Psychiatric Residency training at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami in 2022. Dr. Martinez Garza completed his Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at Mass General Brigham/Harvard Medical School in 2023.

Upon...
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Philip Harvey, Ph.D.

Philip Harvey, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Philip D. Harvey, PhD is Leonard M. Miller Professor of Psychiatry and director of the Division of Psychology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, as well as a senior Research health Scientist at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He started work at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in July, 2010.
He has served...
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Sari Izenwasser, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: Sari Izenwasser, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She received her B.A. in Psychology in 1980 from Florida International University and M.A. and Ph.D. (1987) in Psychology from Boston University. Dr. Izenwasser did a postdoctoral fellowship at Louisiana State University Medical...
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Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D.

Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology
Publications
Biography: Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami. He is the Director of the Center on Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences and the PRIDE Institute on Behavioral Medicine and Sleep Disorders Research. He has served on the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board, the Cancer, Heart, and Sleep...
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Daniel Enrique Jimenez, Ph.D.,

Daniel Enrique Jimenez, Ph.D.,

Associate Professor
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Jimenez has dedicated his career to identifying health disparities affecting the nation’s racial/ethnic minority older adults and developing innovative strategies to reduce, and ultimately eliminate these disparities. Dr. Jimenez's research interests include geriatric mental health services research, health promotion, multicultural mental health, and mental illness...
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Carmen Jimenez, Psy.D.

Carmen R. Jimenez, Psy.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Carmen R. Jimenez is a Clinical Psychologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami (UM) Miller School of Medicine. She holds Doctoral and Master's degrees in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and is a bi-lingual, licensed clinical psychologist...
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Maria Rueda-Lara, M.D.

Maria Rueda-Lara, M.D.

Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Maria Rueda-Lara is the Medical Director of Psycho-Oncology at University of Miami/Sylvester, South Florida’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. She specializes in the co-morbidity and psychiatric manifestations of cancer. At UM, she leads the training of medical students, residents, fellows, as well as psychology practicum students in the field of psycho-oncology....
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David Loewenstein, Ph.D.

David Loewenstein, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Neurology
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Loewenstein Loewenstein has had continuous NIH grant funding for over 30 years. He is Principal Investigator on several large NIH and state funded grants and has a number of ongoing longitudinal investigations nationally and internationally with new cognitive instruments developed in his laboratory. The Direct Assessment of Functional status Scale (DAFS) was one of...
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Olga Maria Villar-Loubet, PsyD

Olga Maria Villar-Loubet, Psy.D.

Research Assistant Professor
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Villar-Loubet has provided mental health services at UM for over 20 years. Her area of specialization is Clinical Health Psychology, and her areas of expertise are: cognitive and behavioral psychology, and her clinical interests include psychological treatment of adolescents and adults with anxiety and mood disorders, adjustment to medical illness and/or injury, adjustment...
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Dominique Musselman, M.D.

Dominique Musselman, M.D.

Associate Professor, Clinical Psychiatry
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Musselman received a BS degree in physics and chemistry from Stetson University in 1984, and her MD degree from Oral Roberts University School of Medicine in 1989. After completing her psychiatry residency at Emory University in 1993, she was subsequently awarded a 3-year research fellowship in Neuroendocrinology sponsored by the NIDDK. In 1997 she received a Mentored...
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Vanessa Padilla, M.D.

Vanessa Padilla, M.D.

Assistant Professor
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Vanessa Padilla trained as a psychiatrist at the University of Puerto Rico and completed a Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of Miami (UM). She completed an Electroconvulsive Therapy Visiting Fellowship Certification at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Padilla serves as an Assistant Professor...
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Luca Pani, M.D.

Luca Pani, M.D.

Professor, Clinical Psychiatry
Publications
Biography: After graduating in medicine and surgery and specializing in psychiatry, he completed his training overseas with a postdoctoral fellowship in neurobiology and neuropharmacology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (from 1990 to 1992), and then took a position as an associate professor at Georgetown University in Washington (from 1993 to 1994). He then returned to Italy...
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Dolores M. Perdomo, M.S.W., Ph.D.

Dolores M. Perdomo, M.S.W., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychiatry
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Dolores Perdomo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry with over 25 years of experience in geriatrics, and dementia care research. She is the Director of the Caregiver Resource Services at the University of Miami Memory Disorder Clinic (MDC) and faculty at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging (CNSA), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral...
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Radu Saveanu, M.D.

Radu Saveanu, M.D.

Professor, Clinical Psychiatry
Clinical Profile
Biography: Radu V. Saveanu, MD is Professor and Executive Vice-Chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School Of Medicine.
Prior to moving to Miami, he was Chairman of The Ohio State University Department of Psychiatry and Executive Director of OSU Harding Psychiatric Hospital for 10 years.

Dr. Saveanu...
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Azizi Seixas, Ph.D.

Azizi A. Seixas, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Biography: Azizi Seixas, Ph.D., is Interim Inaugural Chair of the Department of Informatics and Health Data Science at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is also Founding Director of The Media and Innovation Lab (The MIL), Associate Director of the Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences (TSCS) and Director of Population Health Informatics in the...
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Luis M. Tuesta, Ph.D.

Luis M. Tuesta, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: By way of my training, my career started at the University of Miami Miller School of medicine (2006-2008) where I worked on leveraging the neuroregenerative properties of Schwann cells to achieve functional recovery following spinal cord injury. Then, at The Scripps Research Institute (2008-2013), I worked on mechanisms of addiction and pharmacology and identified the...
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Claude Henry Volmar, Ph.D.

Claude-Henry Volmar, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: Claude-Henry Volmar is currently Director of Research Laboratory at the Center for Therapeutic Innovation and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He works in Neuroscience and Cancer Research therapeutic areas. Current research projects include epigenetic regulation of druggable targets...
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Claes Wahlestedt, M.D., Ph.D.

Claes Wahlestedt, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: Claes Wahlestedt is Leonard M. Miller Professor and Director of the Center for Therapeutic Innovation at the University of Miami where he also serves as Associate Dean for Therapeutic Innovation. A native of Sweden, Dr. Wahlestedt obtained his MD and PhD degrees from Lund University. Prior to joining the University of Miami, Dr. Wahlestedt was a founding Professor and...
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Deborah Jones, Ph.D.

Deborah L Jones, Ph.D.

Professor
Publications
Biography: I am a Clinical Psychologist and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (UM), co-Director of the Center for HIV Research on Mental Health (CHARM), co-Director of the HIV & Women Program of the UM Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), and PI/MPI of the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS)....
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Zane Zeier, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: Dr. Zeier’s research efforts concern neurological diseases caused by repeat expansion mutations including Fragile X syndrome and C90rf72-related Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).Dr. Zeier’s cancer-related interests include both epigenetic mechanisms and therapeutic development.
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Diane Zheng, Ph.D.

Diane Zheng, Ph.D., M.S.

Research Asst. Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: Dr. Zheng is an Epidemiologist whose research seeks to understand the links between visual impairment and cognitive decline among aging adults. Her background is in Biostatistics, she uses advanced statistical modeling techniques to address research questions in related to cognitive function, visual impairment, chronic conditions, and aging.
She is a recipient...
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