Javier Ballester Gonzalez

Javier Ballester Gonzalez, MD

Languages spoken: Spanish, English

Academic Information

Departments Adjunct - Psychiatry

Divisions: Adult Psychiatry

Board Certification

  • National Board of Medical Examiners
  • American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology (Sub: Addiction Psychiatry)
  • American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology (Psychiatry)
  • Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality of Spain (General Psychiatry)
  • American Board of Preventive Medicine (Addiction Medicine)

Javier Ballester Gonzalez, MD, Assistant Professor (Clinical), earned his medical degree at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in Spain. He completed his first residency in Psychiatry at Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre de Madrid, where he also concluded a one year research fellowship. Upon being awarded a 2-year Koplowitz Fellowship to study Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, he moved to the USA (Pittsburgh, PA). He completed his second Psychiatry Residency at Yale University, where he recently also finished an Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship. Dr. Ballester is board certified in Psychiatry and in Addiction Psychiatry by the ABPN and in Addiction Medicine by the ABPM. His current interests include research in neurobiological mechanisms of substance use disorders, mood disorders, education, and psychiatry services to minority populations (Hispanic/Latino and LGBT populations). Dr. Ballester is very excited to join the outstanding team of residents, fellows, and faculty within both the clinical and research divisions of the University of Utah Department of Psychiatry.

Education History

Professional Medical Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
 MD
Post Graduate Training Universidad Complutense
 Diploma of Advanced Studies
Other Training Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
Residency Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre
 Resident
Research Fellow Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre
 Research Fellow
Fellowship University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Western Psychiatric Institute
 Fellow
Residency Maimonides Medical Center
 Resident
Residency Yale School of Medicine
 Resident
Fellowship Yale School of Medicine
 Fellow

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Ballester J, Baker AK, Martikainen IK, Koppelmans V, Zubieta JK, Love T (2022). Risk for opioid misuse in chronic pain patients is associated with endogenous opioid system dysregulation. Translational psychiatry, 12(1), 20. (Read full article)
  2. Ballester J, Marchand WR, Philip N (2024). Transcranial magnetic stimulation for methamphetamine use disorder: A scoping review within the neurocircuitry model of addiction. Psychiatry research, 338, 115995. (Read full article)
  3. Reddy IA, Ballester (2025). Case Report: Dust Remover Inhalant Use Disorder in an Individual in Early Remission from Alcohol Use Disorder Treated with Naltrexone. Substance use & addiction journal, 46(3), 718-721. (Read full article)