Current Psychiatry Residents
PGY1 Residents (Class of 2026)
Katherine Ammon, MD
Medical School: University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
About me: I’m a military brat from the Florida Panhandle, with an equal love for science and art. During my undergraduate years, I studied Biochemistry, Creative Writing, and Improvisational Theatre at Rollins College in Central Florida. I’m excited to continue sharpening this interdisciplinary lens at Memorial.
Hobbies: Improv comedy, writing, cooking, gaming, and traveling.
What got you interested in psychiatry?I love that psychiatry is a medicine driven by humanity: No diagnosis can be made without hearing the patient’s story first. Because of this, each case feels different. And, each case provides a unique opportunity for the psychiatrist to be an advocate and confidante for a person in need.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: Psychiatry of medically complex patients, Psychotherapy
Conner Lipin, DO
Medical School: Western University
About me: I was born and raised in Florida and the youngest of three boys. I attended Lehigh University followed by graduate school at the University of San Francisco.
Hobbies: Beach, boating, biking, fishing, fitness, and friends.
What got you interested in psychiatry? I rotated through a state hospital during medical school and was fascinated by the pathology I was exposed to. Also realized that it was a great fit for my personality.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: Addiction or Forensics
Daniel Pearlman, MD
Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine
About me: I grew up and went to high school in Montclair, NJ. I moved to Washington, DC to attend Georgetown University, where I majored in Philosophy while pursuing a pre-med track. After graduating, I attended Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth to earn a Masters in Public Health. Then I got married, went to medical school, adopted two dogs, had my first child, became a doctor, and now I'm a first year resident in Psychiatry at Memorial.
Hobbies: When I'm not working, I like to spend my time hanging out my wife, our daughter, and our two dogs. We try to do things outdoors as much as possible.
What got you interested in psychiatry? In college I became involved in research with a group of neurologists investigating the role of neuroinflammatory, oxidative, and autoimmune mechanism in neurological disorders that often present with predominantly psychiatric features. That research later shifted into clarifying the role of similar and related mechanisms in the etiology of a subset of patients with primary psychiatric disorders. In medical school, I solidified my choice to pursue psychiatry based on the gratifying clinical experiences and mentorship during my clinical rotation and sub-internships in the field. I saw in psychiatry the extent to which severe illness deprives those affected of their ability to experience life the way most of us take for granted, and the unique way in which psychiatric illness affects the quality of life of entire families. Having the opportunity to alleviate some of that suffering through applications of the uniquely fascinating and rapidly expanding field of neuroscience is essentially why I decided to become a psychiatrist.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: My area of interest is neuroinflammation and psychiatric illness.
Diego Prentice-Webb, MD
Medical School: University of Illinois Chicago - College of Medicine
About me: I grew up in the USA, Dubai, and Lima, Peru. After graduating from college, I spent the majority of my adult life in Chicago. Having grown up by the beach I'm so happy to be living my best life back by the sea (sorry Lake Michigan, it's not personal). I love playing and watching sports and also enjoy spending my off time with friends and family. I have a cat called Gallego.
Hobbies: Futbol ("soccer"), rugby, basketball, fantasy football, wordle, eating Peruvian food, video games.
What got you interested in psychiatry? Right before medical school I had been volunteering as a Spanish medical interpreter at a free clinic. I was particularly moved by how the profound mental health was affecting some of the patients and wanted to be someone who could help them with that. When I got to medical school I realized that psychiatry was the final frontier of medicine and have never looked back since. I am particularly interested in working with severe psychiatric disorders in the inpatient setting.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: Consult liaison, addictions
PGY2 Residents (Class of 2025)
Madeline Bruman, MD
Medical School: American University of the Caribbean
About me: My name is Maddie and I was born and raised in Houston, TX. I went to Texas A&M for undergrad and AUC for medical school. My medical school basic sciences was located on the island of St. Martin. It was an incredible experience to be able to live in the Caribbean. I did my clinical rotations in New York, and I am happy to be back living in warmer weather in south Florida.
Hobbies: Dogs, scuba diving, tennis, traveling and exploring new cultures, trying new foods, and anything on the beach.
What got you interested in psychiatry? I’ve always had a passion for mental health. I feel that psychiatry is a highly stigmatized field, and I want to help alleviate that stigma. I attended medical school with hopes that I would become a psychiatrist. Although I tried to keep an open mind in clinical rotations, I was always drawn to the mental aspects of each patient. I love the interdisciplinary collaboration between, patients, families, social workers, nurses, therapists, and psychiatrists.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Sabina Goldstein, MD
Medical School: American University of the Caribbean
About me: I was born and raised in New York and went to Columbia University for undergrad where I majored in Political Science. After a brief stint working in politics, I had a change of heart and (fortunately) decided to pursue a career in medicine.
Hobbies: Trivia, fitness, hiking, traveling, Harry Potter, Hockey (Let’s go devils!), eating, finding new restaurants, all things Greg Daniels and Michael Schur.
What got you interested in psychiatry? I never considered psychiatry until my Psych rotation in my third year. I loved that treating psychiatric patients requires a collaborative approach and incorporates so many aspects of patients’ lives.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: So far I’m really interested in CL, but I’m willing to be swayed.
Diana Llompart, MD
Medical School: Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
About me: I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. I grew up in a Cuban household and was a first generation student. I'm a triple Panther from FIU where I studied Psychology as an undergraduate student, obtained a Masters of Public Health with a focus on Epidemiology and completed medical school.
Hobbies: Painting (oil, acrylic), photography, ping pong/table tennis, and salsa dancing.
What got you interested in psychiatry? I have always been intrigued by the dynamic of the human mind and behavior within the context of the biopsychosocial model, which encompasses social determinants of health. I liked the integrative approach and teamwork involved in patient care as well as the positive impact on quality of life for patients seen within the field of psychiatry. I'm also passionate about addressing mental health disparities and destigmatizing mental illness.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: As of now consultation liaison, Forensic and Inpatient Psychiatry. I am open to other psychiatric specialties.
Pilar Zaldivar Alonso, MD
Medical School: Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
About me: I was born in Cuba and moved to Miami at the age of 14. It was challenging at the beginning to adapt to a new culture due to the language barrier, but once I learned English, I was able to fit right in. But don’t get me wrong, I’m still as Cuban as they come!
Hobbies: Going out with friends, playing video games, kayaking, watching movies (as long as they are comedies), salsa dancing, traveling.
What got you interested in psychiatry? Early on in my medical school years I explored different specialties, but my Psychiatry rotation exceeded my expectations. I wanted to train in a specialty that is intellectually challenging, builds long-lasting patient interactions, and provides care to underrepresented and vulnerable populations, and I found all that in Psychiatry.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: Forensic Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry
PGY3 Residents (Class of 2024)
Trisha Cardillo, MD
Medical School: Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University
About me: I came to medicine via a very non-traditional path. I obtained my BA in Environmental Analysis from the University of California at Irvine, then worked in the world of Social Security disability for almost 25 years, running my own law practice for 17 years and actively involved in advocacy and continuing legal education for representatives through involvement in a national professional association. I became discontent with the politics over time, but always enjoyed medicine. Several Administrative Law Judges I knew encouraged me to consider medical school. I was excited by the idea (and I'll admit, a bit scared). I had to go back for the prerequisite courses, then obtained my MS in Biology with an emphasis in Virology and Immunology from Georgia State University. I was privileged to be accepted by FAU and graduated from medical school at the age of 52. I'm married, with three grown sons and a very old cat.
Hobbies: Scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, reading, cooking/baking, backgammon, poker, and anything related to animals (but have a passion for sharks and stingrays).
What got you interested in psychiatry? In my disability practice, I was fascinated by my clients with mental disorders, especially schizophrenia. Interviewing and eliciting stories from patients feels very natural to me. I then had the great privilege of rotating with Dr. Sotelo in psychiatry at Memorial during my fourth year of medical school - and I was hooked!
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: I am most interested in consult-liaison, forensic and emergency psychiatry. I enjoy academics as well, and love working with students.
Jacqueline Hong, MD
Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine
About me: I was born in NY, and have lived in OR, PA, TX, and FL. I was homeschooled starting in 6th grade, where I picked up juggling, unicycling, and Capoeira. I love being creative. I also love reptiles and I have a pet gecko!
Hobbies: Powerlifting, drawing, video games, and movies.
What got you interested in psychiatry? I became interested in psychology starting in middle school. I wasn't thinking of doing psychiatry when I entered medical school but the rotation eventually won me over.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: Emergency Department Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry
Cory Horowitz, MD
Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Tulsa
About me: I grew up in Connecticut and found myself transplanted to Oklahoma after college to serve with Teach For America where I taught some of the most amazing young people I had ever met. While there I found my passion for psychiatry and my drive to continue to work with underserved communities in my career as a physician.
Hobbies: Board game aficionado, puppy playdates, and aspiring Pokémon master.
What got you interested in psychiatry? What drew me to psychiatry is the person-focused approach that is central to the field. Being able to spend time with our patients and working to understand the biopsychosocial situation each person experiences makes each visit feel unique and interesting.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: I am planning to pursue a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry on completing residency.
Vidhya Meyyappa, MD
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix
About me: I was born and raised in Mesa, AZ, attended college in St. Louis, and returned to Arizona for medical school.
Hobbies: Reading, hiking, and sleeping.
What got you interested in psychiatry? I enjoy spending time with individual patients, getting to know their stories. I also appreciate the opportunity to work with an often underserved or stigmatized population.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: Unsure for now, possibly child and adolescent psychiatry.
PGY4 Residents (Class of 2023)
Alejandro Enrique Rodulfo, MD
Medical School: Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado Decanato de Ciencias De la Salud
About me: I was born and raised in Venezuela, and moved to South Florida after finishing medical school and working as an intern in a pediatric emergency department. I enjoy living in this area a lot, as I am close to my family and friends, the weather is great, and there are so many fun activities to do around here. Hanging out with my co-residents outside of the hospital is part of what I enjoy the most about training at Memorial.
Hobbies: Running, traveling, exploring new restaurants, hiking, cooking, water activities, and learning to play bass guitar.
What got you interested in psychiatry? Since medical school I have been interested in the neurosciences aspect of medicine, and I found psychiatry as the most fascinating and intellectually challenging of all specialties. A fulfilling experience while rotating in the psychiatric emergency department of a large hospital in Miami, prior to starting residence, was an important factor for me to decide this is wanted to do as a career. There is this complexity from the interconnection with medicine and neurology, social sciences and many other factors that makes it such a unique field. Also, working with an underserved, and many times poorly understood patient population is very rewarding, and a motivation to try to make a difference every day; I believe psychiatrists can play an important role as educators, for both the general population, as well as for other medical providers.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: Consultation-liaison psychiatry, Emergency Psychiatry, Inpatient Psychiatry, and Electroconvulsive Therapy.
Amruta Baburao-Shanbhag, MD
Medical School: Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College
About me: I’m originally from India and was raised in Toronto, Canada. After medical school, I pursued a two-year research fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Married to an Oregonian and we are now enjoying what Florida has to offer – Disney, sunshine, beaches, and great food.
Hobbies: Playing ping-pong, singing, collecting shells/conchs, biking (outdoor/peloton), avid Indian movie and food buff, exploring new places, and going on short hikes with my husband.
What got you interested in psychiatry? Experiences in medical school and research fellowship made me realize how patients with mental illness are often stigmatized. Lack of access to psychiatrists makes it even harder for patients to get the help they need. Being a compassionate and empathetic person, I want to work with this vulnerable patient population to improve their mental health and quality of life and make a difference in their lives.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: Adult Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, Neuromodulation (trained in delivering transcranial direct current stimulation / tDCS), Telepsychiatry, and research in treating neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia.
Daniel Isaac Silverman, MD
Medical School: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
About me: I am from Detroit, Michigan and I lived there until I moved to Puerto Rico for medical school. While in PR I met the woman of my dreams. She taught me how to speak Spanish and dance salsa. We’re going to get married.
Hobbies: Music - I play guitar and piano. I also love cooking spicy foods and watching movies.
What got you interested in psychiatry? Difficult to pinpoint. I discovered psychiatry when I volunteered as a music therapist at a psychiatric hospital while I was in college. I think it was my fascination with stigmatization that drew me towards the field. By the time I completed my third year psych rotation in med school, psychiatry had chosen me.
Fellowship/Specialty of Interest: First-episode psychosis, Addiction, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
