Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Undergraduate Institution & Major: Loyola University Chicago, Biology

Medical School: Loyola University Chicago

About: Ricky has always been fascinated by the brain and the frontiers yet to cross in medicine’s understanding of it. He loves that in psychiatry, there is still so much to be discovered. Even more, he enjoys learning about sleep and its blend of psychiatry, neurology, and internal medicine. Some of his hobbies include baseball, (he is big Chicago Cubs fan), fitness, snow skiing, golfing, fishing, the beach, and traveling.

Hometown: Palm Harbor, Florida

Undergraduate Institution & Major: University of Florida, Spanish Literature

Medical School: University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, SELECT Program Additional Degrees: MPH

About: Aleks(andra) was born in Poland and raised in a Polish-American community outside of Tampa, FL. She went on to study Spanish Literature and completed a Master of Public Health before attending medical school in Tampa FL, with clinical rotations in Allentown PA. Aleks is planning to fast track into Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is interested in Palliative Medicine/Ethics, Psychosomatic Medicine, and complementary strategies for healing including nutrition and therapy in the wilderness. In her free time, she bikes long distances, enjoys running and swimming, as well as exploring the great outdoors with friends and family.

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Undergraduate Institution & Major: Vanderbilt University

Medical School: New York Medical College Additional Degrees: MPH, New York Medical College

About: Wes is a Tampa native who got lost in Nashville and New York along the way. It's been a joy for him to return to Tampa and explore the tremendous growth it has experienced! When he is not at work, he enjoys hanging with the fam, being outside, employing his green thumb in his garden (only things that can be eaten are worth growing, in his opinion), and snuggling with his mini golden retriever (shout out to Heidibear). Wes is considering addiction psychiatry, forensics, and good-ole fashioned inpatient psychiatry moving forward.

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Undergraduate Institution & Major: University of Florida, Biology

Medical School: University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine

About: Shailaja found her way to medical school after obtaining a major in Biology, a minor in Religious Studies, and Certificate in Spirituality and Health at the University of Florida. While in medical school she eventually fell in love with psychiatry, fascinated by the overlap of presenting behavior and underlying neurochemical changes/patterns as well as the frequent integration of alternative treatments such as psychotherapy within the field. Through residency, her interests have grown within child & adolescent psychiatry, public health, psychotherapy and integrative medicine. In her spare time she enjoys yoga, meditation, cooking, being outdoors, and traveling (most recently Spain, Ireland, Portugal, and Costa Rica)!

Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Undergraduate Institution & Major: Duke University, Chemistry Additional degrees: MS in Chemistry & Physiology, Georgetown University

Medical School: University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine Additional Degrees: MS Physiology, Georgetown University

About: Although William is a rising child and adolescent psychiatry fellow, his research interests have focused on the elderly, delirium, and sleep-week cycle disturbances. Specifically, he is interested in the efficacy of ramelteon in the treatment and prevention of delirium in the hospital setting.

Hometown: Gainesville, Florida

Undergraduate Institution & Major: University of Florida, Biology

Medical School: University of Central Florida

About: Max's scholarly pursuits within psychiatry include neuroimaging of psychiatric disorders, delirium pathophysiology and detection, and brain stimulation techniques. His subspecialty interests are in consultation-liaison psychiatry and neuropsychiatry. His hobbies include tennis, fiction novels, and traveling.

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Undergraduate Institution & Major: University of South Florida, Biology

Medical School: University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine

About: Manjari enjoys reading fiction, art & crafts, anything nature related, traveling, dancing, writing terrible poetry, and mentoring. She hopes to expand her training further by pursuing a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Hometown: Irvine, California

Undergraduate Institution & Major: University of California, Irvine, Biology

Medical School: University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine Additional degree: Master of Physical Therapy, University of Central Florida

About: Prior to medical school, Vicky worked as a physical therapist for several years in a spinal cord injury unit. Her favorite pastime is going on yoga and meditation retreats, especially when it involves hiking and camping. On the weekends she enjoys shopping, eating out, occasional indoor rock-climbing, kayaking, biking, or yoga classes. Vicky is currently interested in addiction psychiatry.

Hometown: Apopka, Florida

Undergraduate Institution & Major: University of South Florida, Biomedical Sciences

Medical School: University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine

About: Ben is a Florida native that moved to Tampa with his wife nearly a decade ago. He has had the privilege of studying medicine at USF and now psychiatry at the same institution. Academically, he is interested in the fields of neurostimulation and addiction psychiatry. In his free time, he likes to attempt new recipes, play with his cats, and exercise.