Meet the Residents!
Chief Residents
Otema Adade, M.D.
oadade@lifespan.org
Dr. Adade completed her general psychiatry training at the University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt, General Psychiatry Training Program. Dr. Adade received her MD in May of 2008 from Duke University School of Medicine, where she created a dual-degree track and simultaneously obtained a Masters in Clinical Psychology. She completed her undergraduate studies at Brown University. Dr. Adade received a scholarship to pursue advanced training in Cognitive Therapy at The Beck Institute in Philadelphia. She was also awarded an American Psychiatric Association/Center for Mental Health Services fellowship in July of 2010.
Diana Deister, M.D.
ddeister@lifespan.org
Dr. Deister completed her general psychiatry residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where she was also an Assistant Chief Resident. She received her MD in 2007 from University of Texas Health Science Center and a Masters from the University of Houston. She completed her undergraduate studies at the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Deister has shown a commitment to education throughout her career. She has served as a tutor for Kaplan test prep and as a tutor/advisor for both grad school and medical school classes while participating actively in medical student teaching throughout her residency. Dr. Deister’s long-term goal is to pursue a career that combines research with the clinical instruction of medical students and residents.
Ruby Lee, M.D.
rlee4@lifespan.org
Dr. Lee completed her General Psychiatry residency at the University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Psychiatry Residency Program. Dr. Lee received her MD in May of 2007 from Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. She also completed her undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University. Because of her administrative and leadership skills along with her impressive clinical skills, Dr. Lee was chosen to be Executive Chief Resident for the first half of her PGY 4 year and Chief Resident for the second six months. Dr. Lee was a National Merit Scholar and Medical Science Scholar at Texas A&M College of Medicine. She had published an article related to the effects of nicotine exposure on brain development in rats. Additionally she is studying the relationship of ethnicity and treatment with ECT in adults.
Second Year Child Psychiatry Fellows
Benjamin Lederer, M.D.
Dr. Lederer recently completed five years as an adult attending psychiatrist in the US Air Force, serving in Italy and South Korea. He completed his general psychiatry residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX, in 2006, where he held leadership positions in the Grand Rounds Committee, Journal Club, and Film Club and received an award for psychotherapy. He earned his MD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. While in medical school, he was involved in research regarding infants born at high altitude in Bolivia. Prior to medical school, he spent a year teaching English to children and adults in Spain. He completed his undergraduate studies at Columbia University. His career interests include individual and group psychotherapy, ethical/boundary issues, and immigrant/international mental health.
Tanya Thomas, M.D.
Dr. Thomas completed her general psychiatry training at the Brown University General Psychiatry Residency. She also earned her MD from the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Thomas’ undergraduate studies were completed at Florida State University. Dr. Thomas was the recipient of the E.J. McCrane Award for Excellence in Psychiatry while at the Medical College of Georgia and the Program for Minority Research Training in Psychiatry Fellowship through the American Psychiatry Association. Dr. Thomas was Chief Resident at Brown and also served on multiple committees such as the GME Policy Committee, Curriculum Committee, Psychiatric Assessment Service Committee, Residency Continuity Clinic and Founder of the Peer Supervisory Group, Psychiatry Residency. Dr. Thomas was the Director of Medical Student Education 2009-2010 and was a Course Lecturer for third year medical students and PGY-1 residents.
First Year Child Psychiatry Fellows
We are very pleased to announce the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellows who joined us July 2012.
Ivan Aldea, M.D.
Dr. Aldea completed his general psychiatry residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, General Psychiatry Training Program. Dr. Aldea received his MD in May of 2008 from Ponce School of Medicine, Puerto Rico. He completed his undergraduate studies at Tufts while also minoring in Military Science at MIT/ROTC. Dr. Aldea also served as a Field Artillery Officer in the US Army for over four years between college and medical school, and was the recipient of the Bronze Star Medal in addition to other prestigious awards.
Joshua Blum, M.D.
Dr. Blum completed his general psychiatry residency at the UMass Memorial Medical Center, where he was chief resident. Dr. Blum received his MD from Penn State College of Medicine and completed his undergraduate studies at Princeton University. He authored three chapters in “How to Succeed in Psychiatry:A Guide to Training and Practice”. He has presented at seminars at UMass Memorial Medical Center and at the 56th Annual AACAP meeting in Hawaii on “An enriched environment protects against cocaine abuse in adult male rats”.
Michael Carpenter, M.D.
Dr. Carpenter completed his general psychiatry residency at New York Medical College, Metropolitan Hospital Center Program. He was elected chief resident for academic affairs during his PGY-3 year. He received his MD and MPH from St. George’s University School of Medicine. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of North Dakota. Dr. Carpenter is enrolled in the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry (AAPDP) and APA affiliate organization. He was appointed to the AAPDP Task Force of Future Leaders in Psychodynamic Psychiatry.
Anish Dube, M.D.
Dr. Dube completed his General Psychiatry residency at the University of Connecticut Health Center. He earned his MD from Ross University and a MPH from Brown University in 2009. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has given two Department Grand Rounds presentations, “PTSD-an evolutionary perspective” and “Stultifera Navis to the asylum - Locating the ‘Lunatic’ in Western Civilization”. He has been among the leaders in the residency program as a resident representative on their Training Committee and in the larger graduate medical education resident council.
Amy Funkenstein, M.D.
Dr. Funkenstein completed her General Psychiatry residency at the Cambridge Health Alliance. She earned her MD from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA. Amy completed her undergraduate studies at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. She was awarded the Outstanding Resident Teaching Award presented by Harvard Medical Students class of 2011. Dr. Funkenstein volunteers at the Asylum Clinic in Cambridge and is a member of the Physicians for Human Rights committed to working with diverse children and families in the community setting.
Marianna Kessimian, M.D.
Dr. Kessimian completed her general psychiatry residency at the Brown University General Psychiatry program. Dr. Kessimian received her MD from Boston University School of Medicine and completed her undergraduate training at George Washington University in DC. She was the medical student elective course coordinator for the psychiatry clerkship at Brown. Dr. Kessimian also reintroduced and helped organize morbidity and mortality conferences for the adult psychiatry program.