Physicians

Alexis Link, MD is one of the Co-Directors of Grand & Quincy. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Pomona College and her Medical Degree from the University of Southern California. She completed her Psychiatry Residency and a Fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, where she was Chief Resident and later Chief Fellow. She is board certified in both General Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. She has clinical expertise in general adult psychiatry and women’s mental health, as well as advanced training in child & adolescent psychiatry and intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy.

Patrick Link, MD, MPH is one of the Co-Directors of Grand & Quincy. He received his Bachelor’s Degrees in Chemistry and Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his Medical Degree from the UNC School of Medicine, and his Master’s in Public Health from the UNC School of Public Health. He completed his Psychiatry Residency and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at the UCLA Medical Center, where he was Chief Resident. He is board certified in General Psychiatry.

He served on the faculty at UCLA as part of the Nathanson Family Resilience Center prior to co-founding Grand & Quincy. He has clinical expertise in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cognitive behavioral therapy, and intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy.

Amanda Pham, DO, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology at UCLA and her Medical Degree at Touro University Nevada. She completed her Psychiatry Residency at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She went on to complete her Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she served as Chief Fellow.

Dr. Pham is board-certified in both General Psychiatry as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She enjoys working with children, teens, and adults of all ages. Dr. Pham maintains a compassionate and holistic approach in patient care.

Amy Appleby, MD is a board certified psychiatrist and San Diego native. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Biology from Point Loma Nazarene University and her Medical Degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in psychiatry at Kaiser Permanente Fontana.

Dr. Appleby has practiced in community, academic, and correctional settings, which has provided her with experience in a wide array of patient populations and treatment modalities. She is especially passionate about incorporating whole-person care into all of her patient interactions.

Ann Davis, MD, received her Bachelor’s Degree from Yale University and her Medical Degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her Psychiatry Residency at the UCLA Medical Center, where she was Chief Resident. She is board certified in Psychiatry and is the founder and CEO of Ann Davis Psychiatry, Inc.

Artha Gillis, MD, PhD earned her Bachelor’s Degree and Doctor of Philosophy from Texas A&M University and her Medical Degree from the University of California Davis School of Medicine. She completed her Psychiatry Residency at the University of California Davis Medical Center and her fellowships in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry at the UCLA Medical Center. She is board certified in General Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychiatry. She has clinical expertise in trauma and developmental psychopathology.

Bennett Kissel, M.D. earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. Prior to medical school, he earned his Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University, then completed a post-baccalaureate pre-medical program at Scripps College. He began his psychiatry residency training at the University of Hawaii and continued his training at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Kissel has clinical experience in high-acuity settings, including serving as a psychiatrist at the intake reception center at the Twin Towers correctional facility in Los Angeles. His work reflects experience with complex patient populations and acute psychiatric presentations.

In addition to his clinical training, Dr. Kissel has been involved in global and community health efforts, including work with humanitarian medical organizations in Colombia and Panama, where he supported care delivery to underserved and indigenous populations. He has also held a prior role in education, teaching environmental science at the high school level. Dr. Kissel has contributed to academic medicine through authorship on a publication in The Lancet Planetary Health focused on advancing planetary health education in medical schools.

Dr. Hui earned her M.D at the University of Southern California School of Medicine (LAC-USC). She completed Psychiatry residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Neuropsychiatric Institute. She is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) in both Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry.

Edward Spencer, MD received his Bachelor’s Degree (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Oklahoma and his Medical Degree from the Baylor College of Medicine. He completed his Psychiatry Residency at the UCLA Medical Center, where he was Senior Resident in Geriatric Psychiatry and Chief Resident in the Borderline Personality Disorders Initiative Clinic.

Dr. Spencer is currently an attending psychiatrist at the UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, where he provides evaluation and treatment services for hospitalized medical and psychiatric patients. He is actively involved in teaching residents and medical students at UCLA and maintains a private practice in Beverly Hills, where he sees adults with disorders of mood, anxiety, personality, psychosis, and substance use.

Dr. Spencer has served as a volunteer psychiatric examiner for refugees seeking asylum in the United States, an expert evaluator for individuals seeking state and federal disability benefits, and an expert witness in personal injury, family law, and conservatorship cases. Dr. Spencer has specific clinical interest and expertise in the assessment and psychotherapeutic treatment of personality disorders.

Eugenia Y. Chen, MD, is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist with expertise in developmental, trauma-informed, and reproductive psychiatry. Dr. Chen earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Baylor College of Medicine, where she also completed a Global Health Pathway Certification. She finished her general psychiatry training at Kaiser Permanente San Jose and her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she was part of the Parent and Infant Mental Health Area of Distinction.

Dr. Chen currently serves as a psychiatrist with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR), where she evaluates and treats individuals with serious mental illness. Her research interests have focused on youth and young adults with complex psychiatric presentations, including trauma-related disorders, mood disorders, and neurodevelopmental conditions. In addition to her clinical and research work, Dr. Chen has developed and delivered resident didactics, led curriculum development initiatives, and spearheaded wellness programming for trainees. She is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and holds prior certification as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), reflective of her longstanding commitment to working with children and individuals with developmental differences.

Dr. Chen is bilingual in English and Mandarin. She brings a culturally responsive, developmentally sensitive, and evidence-based approach to psychiatric Qualified Medical Evaluations.

Felicia Boakye-Dankwah, MD earned her Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University and her Medical Degree from the University of Toledo. She completed her Psychiatry Residency at the UCLA-Greater Los Angeles VA Program, where she served as Chief Resident, and her Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the USC-LA County program. She is a former American Psychiatric Association Foundation Fellow and is board certified in both General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Her clinical expertise spans general adult psychiatry, reproductive psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry, delivered through a holistic, culturally informed approach.

Jasmin Scott-Hawkins, MD MPH received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and her Medical Degree from the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She completed her Psychiatry Residency at the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California (LAC+USC) Medical Center, and she completed her Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. She is board certified in both General Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Scott-Hawkins has special interests in collaborating with patients and their families to provide holistic, whole-person care and in working toward diversifying the face of medicine.

Private practice locations:

• Comprehensive Psychiatric Services: www.psych-doctor.com/encino

• Sarah Sicher MD and Associates: www.sarahsichermd.com

Dr. Julia Erin Girdler is a psychiatrist practicing in Orange County through both her private practice and with OC CREW, Orange County’s early psychosis program. She specializes in child, adolescent, and young adult mental health and is passionate about evidence-based care that supports both children and families.

Dr. Girdler graduated summa cum laude from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Studies. She completed an honors thesis on emotion detection and social group membership and was inducted in the Phi Beta Kappa and Psi Chi Honor Societies. She went on to earn her Doctor of Medicine from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She completed her adult psychiatry residency at NYU where she received the Psychiatry Residency Teaching Award and served in multiple leadership roles focused on trainee wellbeing and program development.

Dr. Girdler completed fellowship training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UCLA, where she served as Chief Fellow. She has held numerous leadership positions throughout her career, reflecting her commitment to mentorship, education, and advancing high-quality mental health care for youth and families.

Dr. Kelly Jones was born and raised in Orange County and is happy to be making her return to care for patients in this area! After attending the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!), she attended the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She went on to complete her residency in psychiatry at LAC+USC hospital. She was chief resident of the inpatient hospital during her fourth year and completed research in consult psychiatry. Dr. Jones has a particular interest in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders and works to always provide compassionate care to her patients.

Linslee Egan, MD, received her Bachelor’s Degree (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Texas at Austin and her Medical Degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She completed her Psychiatry Residency  and her Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the UCLA Medical Center. She is board certified in both General Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and has published in peer-reviewed journals, including Synapse. She is the founder and CEO of Egan, MD, Inc.

Matt Brockwell, M.D. is a general adult outpatient psychiatrist with Psychiatric Alternatives and Wellness Center in Berkeley, CA. He earned dual Bachelor’s degrees in English and Cognitive Neuroscience from Stanford University and his Medical Degree from the UCSD School of Medicine. He completed his Psychiatry Residency at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. He is board certified in General Psychiatry and has more than ten years of clinical expertise treating a full range of adult psychiatric conditions including mood, anxiety, and thought disorders. Dr. Brockwell also completed two years of post-residency training in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis.

Meredith A. Hannan, MD, PhD, is board certified in both Adult Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Case Western Reserve University, graduating magna cum laude. She completed her MD/PhD training at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, where she obtained her PhD in Genetics.

Dr. Hannan then completed both her Adult Psychiatry Residency and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. She was selected for the program’s competitive research track, reflecting her longstanding commitment to integrating neuroscience and genetics into clinical psychiatric practice.

Dr. Hannan also completed an Advanced Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Hospital, where she conducted research focused on the biological underpinnings of serious mental illness. She has received multiple research awards and federal training grants throughout her career.

Dr. Hannan has served as a staff psychiatrist for Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and as an attending psychiatrist at the West Los Angeles VA, where she taught and supervised psychiatry residents. She has additional experience providing telepsychiatry services in rural settings and working in trauma-focused and community mental health programs.

Dr. Michael Garcia is a double board-certified psychiatrist in adult and child & adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Garcia earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, where he was a Mission Scholar. He completed his psychiatry residency at UC Riverside, where he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He went on to complete fellowship training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UC Riverside and was certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Dr. Garcia is the founder and CEO of a physician-owned psychiatric practice where he provides interventional care, including ketamine IV therapy, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) consultations, and integrated metabolic and weight management services. He also co-founded and serves as Co-Medical Director of a multidisciplinary disability evaluation clinic and he has experience conducting evaluations for personal injury and forensic cases. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Garcia remains actively involved in teaching, mentorship, and community psychiatry.

Salvador Echeverria, MD is originally from Los Angeles, California. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Physiological Science, a minor in Spanish Literature, and his Medical Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to medical school, he worked for a year as a substitute teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District. He completed his Psychiatry Residency and a Fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. He has received multiple NIH grants and has conducted neuroscience research, both domestically at the New York State Department of Health and internationally at prominent academic institutions in Querétaro, Mexico and Madrid, Spain. He has traveled throughout Mexico and the Iberian Peninsula, speaks Spanish natively, and is culturally sensitive to the experiences of Spanish-speaking patients from both the Americas and Europe.

Dr. Echeverria applies the bio-psycho-social model of medicine to evaluate each person as a unique individual and to incorporate all facets of the patient’s personal life when formulating a treatment plan. He is board certified in both General Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Serena Puga is a board-certified psychiatrist with broad clinical experience across diverse settings, including private practice, emergency psychiatry, mood disorders, psychotherapeutic modalities, and geriatric psychiatry. She earned her medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She completed the psychiatry residency program at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, followed by the Mood Disorders Fellowship at the UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital and Semel Institute. Dr. Puga has pursued advanced psychoanalytic training throughout her career. She is a Program Candidate in Transference-Focused Psychotherapy at the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. Her prior training includes the Psychoanalytic Center of California, as well as a Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the New Center for Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles. She pursued advanced training in neurobehavior at the UCLA/West Los Angeles Veterans Administration, and she holds a certification in Interpersonal Therapy through UCLA. Dr. Puga is fluent in Spanish. She maintains an active private practice in Beverly Hills (www.serenapugamd.com).

Sheela Masifi MD, MS earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, followed by a Master of Science in Physiology and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She trained in psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. Dr. Masifi has held a wide range of clinical roles across inpatient, outpatient, and consult-liaison psychiatry. Her experience includes work in correctional settings, community health systems, crisis stabilization units, adult inpatient units, outpatient clinics, and restrictive housing environments. She completed a two-year psychoanalytic psychotherapy program through the prestigious New Center for Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles. Her work has been recognized with awards in psychotherapy training, including a Scholarship in Psychotherapy from UC Irvine, and an American Psychoanalytic Association Travel Scholarship. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Masifi has been actively involved in teaching and mentorship at the University of California, Irvine. She has also contributed to psychiatric research by authoring peer-reviewed publications on the subject of antidepressant use.

Dr. Sonal H. Rana is board-certified in both general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry, with extensive experience across outpatient, residential, and higher levels of care. She earned her undergraduate degree in Human Biology and Feminist Studies from Stanford University and received her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. She trained in psychiatry at the UCLA Medical Center, where she was actively involved in teaching, curriculum development, and leadership, followed by fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry at Stanford University. Dr. Rana has held a variety of clinical and leadership roles, including serving as Medical Director of an Intensive Outpatient Program and as an attending physician in partial hospitalization and residential treatment settings. Her training also includes a strong foundation in evidence-based psychotherapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mentalization-based treatment (MBT), and family therapies. Dr. Rana’s approach emphasizes thoughtful and developmentally informed analysis across both clinical and forensic settings.

Soo Yeon Kelly Kang, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist with extensive experience providing comprehensive outpatient psychiatric care across diverse clinical settings. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from Chicago Medical School, then completed psychiatry residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from Brown University.

Dr. Kang has been recognized with The Southern California Psychiatric Society’s Psychiatric Education and Research Award for excellence in teaching. Fluent in Korean, she has contributed to cross-cultural psychiatry initiatives, including developing and translating educational materials and co-facilitating support groups for patients and families.

Dr. Kang currently serves as Lead Psychiatrist at UCLA Behavioral Health Associates, where she practices within a collaborative care model alongside therapists and primary care providers to treat individuals with psychotic disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, and complex comorbid conditions. In addition to her clinical work with UCLA, Dr. Kang serves as a driver of policy development and coordination between medical and administrative teams.

She also practices with Traditions Behavioral Health at the East County Adult Mental Health Outpatient Clinic, where she works closely with multidisciplinary teams to support patients with severe and persistent mental illness. She previously served as Lead Psychiatrist at SSG Alliance Mental Health for eight years, overseeing care across outpatient, stepdown, FSP, and forensic programs, with a focus on psychosis, mood disorders, and co-occurring substance use disorders.

Her professional interests include collaborative care models, community psychiatry, and serving culturally diverse populations. She brings a thoughtful and integrative approach to her medical-legal work.

Dr. Kang is available for Qualified Medical Evaluations in Walnut Park, Alhambra, Koreatown, Gardena, La Mirada, Downtown Los Angeles, Burbank, Pasadena, Palmdale, and Claremont.

Yvonne S. Yang, MD, PhD earned her Bachelor’s Degree, Medical Degree, and Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience from Yale University. She completed her Psychiatry Residency in the research track at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, where she served as Program Chief in her final year. She then completed a Research and Clinical Fellowship at the VA VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System.

Dr. Yang is board certified in General Psychiatry. She has clinical expertise in general adult psychiatry, psychotic disorders, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress, as well as extensive experience mentoring students, residents, and early-career investigators.