Expert Faculty Roster
Faculty Roster
We are incredibly grateful to the following experts who have generously invested their time and expertise to this professional education program focused on science, policy, and treatment of addictions.
Keynote Speakers
Mehdi Farokhnia, MD, MPH
Clinical Staff Scientist, NIDA and NIAAA
Addictions Update 2024 is pleased to welcome Dr. Mehdi Farokhnia. As a physician-scientist at the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), his research has been focused on understanding the neurobiology of addictive behaviors and identifying novel therapeutic targets for alcohol and other substance use disorders, with a particular focus on neuroendocrine pathways. He uses a combination of behavioral, pharmacological, genetic, and neuroimaging methods and is interested in investigating innovative human laboratory approaches, as well as large-scale epidemiological methods, that may facilitate the crosstalk between preclinical, clinical, and population-based research, especially in the field of behavioral pharmacology and substance use. Another line of research that Mehdi is pursuing includes utilizing big data to characterize biobehavioral substrates of health disparity (e.g., racial differences) in risk/resilience to addiction and other mental health disorders.
Dr. Farokhnia received his Medical Degree from Tehran University and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Dr. Leggio’s lab at the NIH Clinical Center when he was also a Fellow at the NIH Center on Compulsive Behaviors (CCB). Recently, he earned a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, along with two Graduate Certificates - Public Mental Health Research, and Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. View profile.
R. Corey Waller, MD, DFASAM
Chief Medical Officer, BrightView Health
Corey Waller, MD, MS, FACEP, DFASAM is board-certified in emergency and addiction medicine with extensive experience at the local, state, and national levels. He works with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and related organizations to advance the evidence-based practice of treatment and recovery for individuals affected by addiction. A nationally recognized expert in substance use disorder (SUD), he is editor in chief of The ASAM Criteria and as such, will be able to provide ADDICTIONS UPDATE’s audience great insight to the changes hitting their practices.
As BrightView’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Waller oversees medical team education, practice standards, and care delivery. By actively engaging and leading BrightView’s physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, he drives service quality, care integration, and the delivery of consistent patient outcomes. Prior to joining BrightView, Dr. Waller was managing director of the HMA Institute on Addiction, where he was responsible for consultation and development of addiction treatment systems for hospitals, primary care practices, justice involved populations, and addiction treatment providers. His experience also includes serving as senior medical director for education and policy at the National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs (National Center), medical staff chief of pain medicine at Spectrum Health System in Grand Rapids, MI. Additionally, he oversaw the development of core competencies for addiction treatment in the labor and delivery unit and the neonatal abstinence syndrome treatment algorithm for the Level 1 neonatal intensive care unit.
Dr. Waller earned his master’s degree in biology, with a neuro-molecular focus at Southwest Texas State University and his medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He completed his emergency medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and is board-certified in emergency medicine and addiction medicine. View profile.
Complete Faculty Roster
*Contact emails are provided for faculty members who authorized release of this information.
Erica N. Baiden, MD
Physician, University of Utah Intensive Outpatient Clinic
Michael J. Baron, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Tennessee Medical Foundation Physicians’ Health Program
Kimberlee Bayless, DNP, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner & Director of Transitional Pain Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Salt Lake Medical Center
RD Boardman, PhD
Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Nat-Su Healthcare
Kevin Byrne, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry - University of Utah
Outpatient Psychiatrist - Huntsman Mental Health Institute & Huntsman Cancer Institute
Darin Carver, LCSW
Associate Clinical Director, Weber Human Services
Jeff Clark, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor and Addiction Psychiatrist, University of Utah
Amy de la Garza, MD, FASAM, IFMCP
Physician/Owner, Heron Wellness
Adjunct Faculty, University of Utah Department of Psychiatry
Thom Dunford, BSW, MBA
Administrator II, Utah Office of Substance Use & Mental Health
Luz Escamilla, MPA
Senator, Utah State
Mehdi Farokhnia, MD, MPH
Clinical Staff Scientist, NIDA and NIAAA
Jess Farrar, PhD
Associate Clinical Professor, University of Utah Rehabilitation Psychology Clinic
Spencer Hansen, MD
Addiction Psychiatrist, Intermountain Health
Missy Henke, MD
Medical Director, Heartview Foundation
Elizabeth F. Howell, MD, MS, DLFAPA, DFASAM
Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, University of Utah Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine
Addiction Psychiatrist, Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Lucy Izard, LCSW
Clinician, Huntsman Mental Health Institute Recovery Works Intensive Outpatient Program
Rachael Jasperson, LCSW, PhD, MBA
Zero Suicide Program Manager, Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Wendy A. Johnson, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Intermountain Health
Jenny Jones-Medina, PhD
Rehabilitation Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Utah Healthcare
Jordan Kwamanakweenda, PsyD
Psychology Fellow, University of Utah Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Denise Lash, PhD
Director of Therapy, Intermountain Health
Mario Lintz, MD
Evelyn Loose, MD
Associate Professor & Director of the Transitional Pain Service, University of Utah School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology
Larry Marx, MPA
Bureau Manager, Utah Division of Professional Licensing
Anthony May, PharmD, MBA, BCPS
Pharmacy Director, Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Erin McGlade, PhD
Associate Professor, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab
Robert J. Mendenhall, DO
Medical Director for Addiction, Intermountain Health
Eric Piacenza, MD
Assistant Professor
Director of Regional Anesthesia & Acute Pain Medicine Service
Co-Director of Transitional Pain Service
University of Utah School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology
Frank J. Powers, MD
Family Medicine Physician, Community Health Centers, Inc.
Steve Sugden, MD, MPH
Associate Professor, University of Utah
B. Todd Thatcher, DO
Vice President of Medical Services, Valley Behavioral Health
Mason Turner, MD
Associate Chief Medical Officer, Intermountain Health Behavioral Health Clinical Program
Craig J. Uthe, MD, FAAFP, ASAM
Sanford Family Physician, Chronic Pain & Addiction
USD SSOM Chief Wellbeing Officer
Gil Van Attenhoven
President, G. Van & Associates
Retired Senior Special Agent in Charge, Department of Justice Counterdrug Consultant & Trainer, Department of Defense
Catherine Van Tassell, LCSW, MSPAS, PA-C, CPT
Director of Mental Health, GBS
R. Corey Waller, MD, DFASAM
Chief Medical Officer, BrightView Health
Jonathan Watson, MD
Interim Medical Director, Orange County Jail
Mindy Vincent, MSW, LCSW, MPA
Executive Director, Utah Harm Reduction Coalition
Zachary Hill, PharmD, BCPP, MA
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner, Mental Health Services for Outpatient Addiction Recovery, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System.
Each of these individuals were asked to sign a disclosure noting any potential conflicts of interests related to financial relationships with any ineligible companies – defined as any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. No such disclosures, within the last 24 months, have been reported by any of the listed faculty. (Providers of clinical services direct to patients are not considered ineligible companies unless the provider is owned or controlled by an ineligible company.)
Call ESI Management Group at 801-501-9446 or
CONFERENCE HOST
Department of Psychiatry and Huntsman Mental Health Institute
CONFERENCE PARTNER
Utah Office of Substance Use and Mental Health (SUMH)
CONFERENCE PARTNER
Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)
CME PROVIDER
ESI Management Group