Meet Our Faculty

Lauren Kaczka-Weiss, D.O.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Fellowship Training Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, JSUMC
Residency/Fellowship: Triple Board Program (Pediatrics/Adult Psychiatry/Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) at Tulane University School of Medicine
Research/Clinical Interests: Perinatal & women’s psychiatry, graduate medical education, infant and early childhood mental health, psychiatric care of medically ill children

Eric C. Alcera, M.D., FHELA, DAACAP, DABPN
Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Hackensack Meridian Carrier Behavioral Health
Vice Chair and Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Residency: Psychiatry, Cooper University Hospital – UMDNJ/Rutgers
Fellowship(s): Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University
Research/Clinical interests: Psychedelics, Treatment-Resistant, Neuromodulation, AI/Televirtual Psychiatry, PTSD, Stellate Ganglion Blockade, ADHD

Naomi Ambalu, D.O.
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry Clerkship Director, and Neuroscience & Behavior Course Co-Director, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative, Hackensack Meridian Hub @ Hackensack University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Residency: Psychiatry, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Fellowship(s): Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Research/Clinical Interests: Pediatric mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, undergraduate medical education

Tazeen Azfar, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Hackensack Meridian Medical Group and Pediatric Psychiatric Collaborative Hackensack Meridian Hub @ Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Residency: Psychiatry, Nassau University Medical Center
Fellowship(s): Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Nassau University Medical Center
Research/Clinical interests: Early developmental disorder and Neurosciences. Graduate/ undergraduate medical education; psychiatric care of Child and Adolescent patients.

Stacy Doumas, M.D., MBA
Interim Chair, Residency Program Director & Chief of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Interim Regional Chair of Psychiatry, Southern Region, HMH Vice Chair & Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Residency: Psychiatry, Cooper University Hospital – UMDNJ/Rutgers
Fellowship(s): Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University
Research/Clinical interests: Psychedelics, Treatment-Resistant, Neuromodulation, AI/Televirtual Psychiatry, PTSD, Stellate Ganglion Blockade, ADHD

Nanditha Krishnamsetty, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Director, Bay Behavioral Health, Old Bridge Medical Center
Residency: Psychiatry, Bronx-Lebanon Medical Center, NY
Fellowship(s): Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UMDNJ-UBHC Rutgers NJ
Clinical Interests: OCD, Anxiety and Depressive Disorders

Ahmad Hassan, M.D.
Medical Director, Division of Emergency Psychiatric & Child and Adolescent Consult Liaison Services, Department of Psychiatry, JSUMC Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Residency: Psychiatry, Maimonides Medical Center
Fellowship(s): Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Research/Clinical Interests: Eating Disorders, anhedonia and irritability in severely depressed and suicidal adolescents

Percy LeBlanc, D.O.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative, Hackensack Meridian Hub @ Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Residency: Psychiatry, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Fellowship(s): Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Research/Clinical Interests: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Adolescent Substance Use

Kenan Osmanovic, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Medical Director, Child Day Program, PHP/IOP at JSUMC
Residency: Psychiatry, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Fellowship(s): Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Research/Clinical Interests: ADHD, ODD, OCD, Anxiety Disorders, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Thomas Ricart, M.D., PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Chief of Adolescent Services, Carrier Clinic
Residency/Fellowship: Triple Board Program (Pediatrics/Adult Psychiatry/Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Research/Clinical Interests: Trauma including Complex Trauma, Systemic Trauma and Intergenerational Trauma, Personality Disorders, Mood Disorders, Graduate Medical Education

Philip Vincent, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Staff Psychiatrist, Adult Inpatient Unit, Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Residency: Psychiatry, University of Florida, Shands Hospital
Fellowship(s): Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Florida, Shands Hospital and Administrative Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York
Research/Clinical Interests: Tourettes and Child Development

Meera Wells, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Statewide Medical Director, Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative
Residency: Psychiatry, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital
Fellowship(s): Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Albert Einstein School of Medicine
Research/Clinical Interests: Mood disorders, PTSD, Autism, Cross cultural psychiatry, psychodynamic psychotherapy

Benjamin Steinberg, Psy.D., ABPP
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Supervising Child and Adolescent Psychologist at JSUMC
Research/Clinical Interests: Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, Trauma

Monica Nakhla-O'Donovan, D.O.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Hackensack Meridian Medical Group
Residency: Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital
Fellowship(s): Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital
Research/Clinical Interests: Infant and early childhood mental health, ADHD, Anxiety disorders

Nazli E. Gulab, M.D.
Faculty, Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry Rotation
Residency: Psychiatry, Cooper University Health Care
Fellowship(s): Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Hahnemann University Hospital