Ask The Expert With Dr. Kim

Dr. Kim interviews experts in the field of addiction, eating disorders, and behavioral health
R_Hajela

How does the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model of addiction provide a more holistic perspective compared to traditional approaches?

An Interview with Dr. Raju Hajela

What are the specific challenges psychiatrists face when determining a patient's competence to make end-of-life decisions, particularly in the context of psychiatric disorders?

An Interview with Joel Yager, MD

  • Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry

  • University of Colorado School of Medicine

Joel Yager
Barbara Coffey, MD, MS

What are the current guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of pediatric onset psychiatric disorders, and how have they evolved over the past decade?

An Interview with Barbara Coffey, MD, MS

  • Professor & Chairman
  • Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
  • Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Bridging Treatment Gaps:The Imperative of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Eating and Substance Abuse Disorder Treatment

An Interview with Carolyn Coker Ross, MD, MPH, CEDS

  • Physician, International Speaker, & Consultant

Why Don’t You Just Eat?Understanding the Role of Brain Reward Circuits in Eating Disorders

An Interview with Guido Frank, MD

  • Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
  • Board-Certified Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
  • Expert Consultant to Local & National Law Firms
  • Clinician-Researcher in Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders

Obesity Is Not the Problem: De-Stigmatizing Higher Weights in the Care of Children and Adolescents

An Interview with Rebekah Fenton MD, MPH, FAAP

  • Pediatrician & Adolescent Medicine Specialist, Alivio Medical Center
  • Fellowship & Master of Public Health, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago & Northwestern University
  • BA in Human Biology, Stanford University
  • MD, University of Pennsylvania; Residency in Pediatrics, Seattle Children’s Hospital
  • Featured Author, The Washington Post, Forbes, Newsweek, & More

Can Food Be Addictive?Relevance and Risks in Eating Disorder Treatment

An Interview with Ashley Gearhardt, PhD

  • Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan
  • PhD in Clinical Psychology at Yale University
  • Investigator of Reward Dysfunction to Eating-Related Problems
  • Creator of Yale Food Addiction Scale (Cited 1,000+ Times & Translated in 10+ Languages)
  • Author of More Than 150 Peer-Reviewed Articles
  • Featured Expert in the New York Times, ABC News, the Today Show, & Time Magazine

Food Addiction:Is It a Thing? Implications for Treating Eating Disorders

An interview with Nicole Avena, PhD

  • Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
  • Visiting Professor of Health Psychology at Princeton University
  • Research neuroscientist and expert in nutrition, diet, and addiction
  • Research achievements have been honored by awards from groups including New York Academy of Sciences, the American Psychological Association, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse
  • Her TED-Ed talk has been viewed almost 17 million times

The Facts About 2023’s Deadly Speedball:Fentanyl plus Methamphetamine

An interview with Jean Lud Cadet, MD

  • Chief, Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH, NIDA
  • Research Fellow and Assistant Professor of Neurology & Psychiatry Research Fellow and Assistant Professor of Neurology & Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center
  • Has co-authored more than 500 papers, reviews, and book chapters
  • His work is very highly cited, with 29,691 citations and an H-index of 92

From Complexity to Clarity:Expert Perspective and Integrated Treatment of PTSD, Eating Disorders and Comorbidity

An interview with Timothy Brewerton, MD, DLFAPA, FAED, DFAACAP, CEDS-S

  • Affiliate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
  • Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Academy of Eating Disorders
  • Founding member and former president of the Eating Disorders Research Society
  • Authored >185 articles/book chapters, edited two books, and presented over 250 scientific presentations at national and international conferences

Psychedelics:Hope or Hype?

An interview with Joshua Siegel, MD, PhD

  • Psychiatrist at Washington University School of Medicine
  • Neuroscientist and Neuropsychopharmacologist
  • More than 13 years experience in neuroscience and published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles
  • Was selected to be among 12 US recipients of the NIMH Outstanding Resident Award in 2020

Empowering Parents and Providers:Tackling the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis Amid Cannabis Use

An interview with Kevin A. Sabet, PhD

  • Fellow, ISPS, Yale University
  • President and CEO, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)
  • President and CEO, Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS)
  • Author, Smokescreen: What the Marijuana Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

Acute, Chronic and IntergenerationalHistorical Trauma and the Development of Eating Disorders and Substance Use Disorders

An interview with Carolyn Coker Ross, MD, MPH, CEDS

  • Intergenerational Trauma Expert
  • Eating Disorder Treatment Specialist
  • CEO of The Anchor Program
  • Internationally know speaker and author of three books, the most recent of which is The Food Addiction Recovery Workbook
-Our Research Team-
Timothy D. Brewerton, MD, DLFAPA, FAED, DFAACAP, CEDS-S
Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Christopher Womack
Medical Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Dr. Christopher Womack joins SunCloud as our Medical Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Womack is board certified in Adult as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, attending the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Adult psychiatry residency and child fellowship training were completed at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Dr. Womack’s treatment  philosophy hinges on strength based, evidence informed care, where collaboration is central to guiding individualized treatment.  He has experience caring for children and teens from varied backgrounds, appreciating the importance of how identity can inform treatment.

Favorite pastimes are cooking new recipes and exploring Chicago’s rich cultural diversity through its neighborhood and fine dining experiences.

Elizabeth E. Sita, MD
Medical Director of Adult Services

Dr. Elizabeth E. Sita, MD, is a Board Certified psychiatrist specializing in the care of patients with eating disorders. She completed her undergraduate training at the University of Chicago and graduated with Highest Honors. She then earned her medical degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and was recognized with the Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Psychiatry. She subsequently completed residency with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, where she was elected Chief Resident and received the Resident Psychiatrist Leadership & Service Award.
Upon completing her training, Dr. Sita came to Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, where she served as Assistant Medical Director of the Center for Eating Disorders and Director of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Services before transitioning to lead the new inpatient eating disorder unit as Medical Director of Eating Disorder Services at Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital – Chicago. In these roles, she has cared for a multitude of adolescents and adults struggling with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other eating disorders as well as severe, cooccurring mood, trauma, personality, and substance use disorders.
Dr. Sita has been recognized throughout her training and practice for a commitment to excellence in patient care and for her ability to engage patients in their most challenging moments. Her passions include the care of treatment-resistant eating and mood disorders as well as questions of medical capacity and end-of-life decision making.
She believes that, first and foremost, human connection is key to mental health and well-being and strives to share this philosophy in each and every patient encounter. She is excited to bring her expertise to SunCloud Health as the Medical Director of Adult Services!
 
VIDEO: Meet Elizabeth E. Sita, MD, Medical Director of Adult Services


 https://youtu.be/JbmELh2UGXE

Lacey Lemke, PsyD
Assistant Vice President of Clinical Services

Dr. Lacey Lemke (she/her) is a licensed clinical health psychologist with specialized expertise in the treatment of eating disorders and the practice of medical and health psychology. She completed her doctoral training in clinical psychology with a Primary Care emphasis at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Lemke went on to complete both her predoctoral clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship through Ascension Health, where she gained advanced training working with individuals experiencing eating disorders and self-injurious behaviors, as well as within pediatric subspecialty settings including endocrinology, neurology, and adolescent medicine.

Dr. Lemke is deeply committed to providing evidence-based, compassionate care and collaborates closely with interdisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive treatment. Her professional mission is to support patients in achieving their fullest potential by guiding them to the most appropriate level of care and empowering them to make meaningful, sustainable progress toward improved health and well-being.

VIDEO: 2. Meet Lacey Lemke, PsyD.

https://youtu.be/iKQeU9s5U2k?rel=o