Current Fellows

Second year fellows

 Keerthi Akkineni

Hometown:Nashville, TN
Undergraduate: Vanderbilt University, B.A. Philosophy
MD/DO:East Tennessee State University-Quillen College of Medicine
Residency:Washington University-St. Louis/Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Outside Interests:Traveling, trying new restaurants, spending time with friends, hiking, music
Professional Interests:I like a diversity of clinical cases. From a career standpoint, I’m interested in collaborative care.
What I like most about Washington University Child Psych:I have the opportunity to train with some of the most well-known and accomplished child psychiatrists in the field and to learn in an incredibly supportive environment.

Alba Pergjika

Hometown: Chicago, IL
Undergraduate: Bachelor degree in Psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
MD/DO: St. George’s University School of Medicine where I also received my Public Health Master’s degree
Outside Interests:Traveling, the arts, learning about new cultures, a good movie and live performance, jazz and blues – it’s hard to not be a fan as a Chicagoan who lives in St. Louis.
Professional Interests:Telepsychiatry, collaborative medicine, transitional age youth, medical education. I am looking forward to expanding upon them as the fellowship progresses.
What I like most about Washington University Child Psych:: I am new to WashU and Saint Louis, but so far, it’s the professional and learning atmosphere, the breadth of experience (and just in the first couple of months), the welcoming attitude of the department, and the inspiration and support for expanding professional interests.

Vilash Reddy

Hometown: La Palma (Southern California)
Undergraduate: University of California, Irvine
MD/DO: St. Matthews University SOM (Grand Cayman Islands)
Outside Interests:Exploring life, like trying new things. Enjoy modifying cars, painting (acrylic medium), music (EDM, Hip-Hop) dancing (salsa/bachata/hip-hop), traveling to different countries/learning new cultures.
Professional Interests:Interested in outpatient psychiatry, based on continuity of care, in underserved areas of the community
What I like most about Washington University Child Psych:: It is amazing how each and every attending/staff treats you. They respect your autonomy and thoughts about each patient, encourage your desire to learn, provide their own wisdom/insight about prior experiences. They seem genuinely interested in helping you tailor your career based on your interests and long-term goals.

Joshua Wilson

Hometown:I spent most of my childhood on a farm near Alvord, Texas
Undergraduate: University of North Texas
MD/DO:UT Houston Medical School in Texas
Outside Interests:In my free time I enjoy dining, night-life, computer building, video games, outdoors, biking, and game nights.
Professional Interests:Child psychiatry in general. More specifically, I am interested in autism spectrum disorder, substance use disorders and personality disorders.
What I like most about Washington University Child Psych: I like that WashU Child Psychiatry has a good balance between letting the fellows work independently and at the same time there is always an attending around to help or consult. WashU Child Psychiatry is a supportive and nurturing program with knowledgeable faculty, all of whom are very interested in teaching. The program provides a good balance between work, learning, and free time to pursue our own interests and development.

First year fellows

Hamid R. Amanatkar

Hometown: Kashan, Iran
Undergraduate: 
MD/DO: Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) School of Medicine, Isfahan, Iran
Outside Interests: I had the opportunity of living in different cities, so by default, I came to love learning about new cultures, their foods, music, arts and literature. I enjoy traveling, hiking, doing photography, dining out and going to live performances. St. Louis is a great metropolitan area with four beautiful seasons, gorgeous parks and nature full of outdoor opportunities, wonderful museums and great ethnic restaurants.
Professional Interests: I am interested in academia and I love all elements of practicing, educating, and research in the field of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. My special interest is research on psychopathology and treatment of early-onset Schizophrenia, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder and Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I strongly believe early intervention can have a huge impact on the quality of lives of children and adolescents who suffer from mental illnesses.
What I like most about Washington University Child Psych: I chose Wash U since Wash U Child Psych is a unique program providing a wide range of training including inpatient, outpatient, consultation-liaison, addiction, residential treatment for eating disorders, child neurology, psychotherapy, school consultation, community and emergency psychiatry. The rotations and didactics are very well-organized and the warm and welcoming atmosphere is impressive. It is an honor to work with attending physicians who are at the top of this field.

Ali Anwar

Hometown: St. Charles, IL (Chicago Suburb)
Undergraduate: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MD/DO: Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
Outside Interests: Spending time with family and friends, traveling, eating good food, playing sports, watching the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Cubs!
Professional Interests: Psychiatry in general but specifically consult-liaison psychiatry, childhood anxiety disorders, and adolescent substance use disorders.
What I like most about Washington University Child Psych: The best thing about training at Wash U is having the opportunity to work with the leaders in the field of child psychiatry. The faculty are accomplished and respected clinicians and teachers who are very supportive. Another great thing about Wash U is the location. I did my residency at Wash U and can say that St. Louis is a great city with amazing people.

Andrea Giedinghagen

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
Undergraduate: Cornell University
MD/DO: Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
Outside Interests: Running, Writing poetry and essays, Cooking vegetarian feasts
Professional Interests: LGBTQ mental health disparities and advocacy, Resilience and complex trauma
What I like most about Washington University Child Psych: This program offers a chance to work closely with leaders in the field in an environment that nurtures curiosity, creativity and leadership.

Whitney Nall

Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK
Undergraduate: University of Oklahoma
MD/DO: University of Oklahoma
Outside Interests: Cooking, camping, hiking, music
Professional Interests: So far I have really enjoyed infant and toddler evaluations
What I like most about Washington University Child Psych: The variety of clinical rotations is better than what I saw at other institutions. The faculty are really supportive, approachable, and encouraging.

Alecia Vogel-Hammen

Hometown: Freeburg, IL
Undergraduate: Saint Louis University, BS in Biology and BA in Psychology
MD/DO: Washington University School of Medicine MD and PhD in Neuroscience
Outside Interests: spending time with family, being outside-hiking, jogging and eating (it’s all better outside), ice cream, music
Professional Interests: the development of emotional regulation, autism, the neural basis of psychopathology and psychiatric treatment
What I like most about Washington University Child Psych: I love Wash U so much I just can’t seem to leave- I’ve stayed here through the MD/PhD program, adult psychiatry residency, and now CAP fellowship.  It’s the people that have really kept me here.  The training opportunities here are great primarily because the faculty are so approachable and supportive.  I’ve learned so much clinically at Wash U, there are many research opportunities, and the mentor-ship, both personal and professional, has been invaluable.