Alexander Hayek

Hometown: Novi, MI

Undergraduate: University of Michigan

MD/DO: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Residency: St. Mary Mercy Hospital-Livonia, Michigan

Outside Interests: Piano improvisation and music composition, world travel/exploration, binge-watching TV shows, existential philosophy, and making memories with my wife, my cat “Pumpkin”, and nine younger siblings.

Professional Interests: Integration of philosophical concepts into psychotherapy (Logotherapy/Existential-Humanistic Psychotherapy/Mindfulness Meditation), changing drug abuse patterns in adolescents and young adults in the information era (designer drugs/ “legal” highs/dark web), neural network correlates in anxiety and depressive disorders (default mode network/salience network), novel treatments for mental illness (NMDA antagonists/psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy/neurosteroids/VGCC blockers), and inflammatory markers and models for mental illness (COVID-19 psychosis/BDNF)

One of the things I have come to appreciate in my personal and professional life is the importance of the Winnicottian ‘holding environment’ to facilitate personal growth and development. WashU provides such an environment for trainees; an environment that fosters creative independent thought; confidence and competence, along with compassion and empathy, to be leaders in the field of child psychiatry.