I was born and raised in the greater Kansas City area, just southeast of downtown. I completed my undergraduate degree in St. Louis and then moved back to Kansas City. I worked as a medical scribe for a couple of years before eventually going on to complete my medical degree at the University of Kansas Medical Center. My academic interests are constantly evolving, but primarily center around primary psychotic disorders, suicide prevention and risk mitigation, addiction, and interventional treatment modalities. I hope to eventually work at an academic center as an inpatient attending, while still maintaining an outpatient panel. I am thankful to be at KU with excellent faculty who are always looking for ways to improve and support a diverse array of interests throughout the program. My free time has been busy planning my upcoming wedding (special shoutout to my beautiful fiancée, Beste), but I like to spend time with family and friends, root on KC sports, golf, and travel. Some of my favorite areas in Kansas City include the West Bottoms, River Market, Crossroads, and Brookside!

Hey, I’m Logan Clay! I was born and raised in central Arkansas and started my academic journey at ouachita baptist university in Arkansas where I graduated with a bachelors degree in biology and psychology. I earned my medical degree from the University of Arkansas for medical sciences in Little Rock, and decided that psychiatry was the specialty for me. My wife and I couples matched to family medicine and psychiatry, respectively, at KU and started our intern year in 2023. I am particularly interested in inpatient psychiatry and acute severe mental illness such as acute mania and psychosis. Furthermore, I’m interested in continuing in academic medicine following my time in residency. In my personal life, I am interested in duck hunting, fishing, leatherwork, golf, and, of course, chiefs football. One of the perks of psychiatry residency at KU, and my personal favorite aspect, is the feeling of support and friendship from my co-residents. Everyone here has been very approachable and understanding which has made residency even better.

Hello everyone, I'm from Tulsa, OK, and I completed medical school at UAMS in Arkansas. I have always been interested in human nature and the things that make us "tick." I received my B.S. in Anthropology, and while I kept an open mind in medical school, I always knew I would find myself in psychiatry. As I complete my training at KU, I hope to further foster my interests in psychiatry and, ideally, continue to work in inpatient psychiatry after residency. I have a keen curiosity and passion for severe mental illness. In my free time, I enjoy visiting museums, attending sporting events, and watching movies. Go Chiefs!

Hi! I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and completed my medical training there, so I’ve enjoyed the tropical life all my life. Although I’ve visited the U.S. multiple times, Kansas City is the first place outside of PR I’ve truly called home. What really drew me to KU was the fantastic program leadership, whom I feel have a genuine commitment to residents' professional growth within a warm and supportive environment. KC has been a hidden gem for my wife and me; it’s a family-friendly city with plenty of parks, festivals, and interactive museums for our kids, plus, its central location has made it easy to travel to other destinations within the U.S. (even by car). In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife, family, and friends. I love to travel and anything that keeps me active, like strength training, and playing sports with my co-residents — so far we’ve played basketball, volleyball, tennis, golf, disc golf, and of course, pickleball. Academically, my interests in psychiatry are quite varied, ranging from addiction and interventional approaches to integrative medicine. I currently see myself working in an outpatient setting, practicing general psychiatry with a holistic approach that incorporates diet, exercise, and overall wellness. Additionally, I’m passionate about integrating psychotherapy into my practice, as I find it both deeply meaningful and an incredibly valuable tool that can help patients heal while empowering them in a lasting way.

Hey! I’m from a small town called Maysville, MO about an hour or so north of KC. I actually grew up on a cattle farm about 7 miles from Maysville, but it’s the closest town so we’ll count it. I went to medical school out in Utah at Rocky Vista University – Southern Utah after attending college at Northwest Missouri State University. My academic interests revolve around access to mental health care in rural areas as it has historically been severely lacking. KU is a great place to train as they provide a great education in an urban environment helping provide care for the urban underserved population, but also with being one of the only psychiatry programs in Kansas, it offers the opportunity to help bridge the gap to help treat a rural population as well. My hobbies include disc golf, card/video games, exercise, cars/motorcycles, and anything involving food! My favorite thing about KC is that there are a ton of parks if you enjoy nature and there are several great restaurants/breweries/bars if you’re wanting to enjoy some good food and drinks. We also have the Chiefs, Royals, Sporting KC, and the KC Current if you’re into sports!

I grew up in a large family with 9 siblings. I went to Missouri State University and got a bachelors degree in cell and molecular biology. I went to medical school at Mizzou. I am interested in doing outpatient psychiatry long-term. My personal interests include houseplants, dogs, chess and hang outs with quality people.

I completed my undergraduate degree in Cell and Molecular Biology at Missouri State University before returning to my hometown of Kansas City for medical school, where I graduated from Kansas City University. I enjoy treating a wide range of psychiatric complaints, but have special interests in psychosis, treatment resistant conditions, and women's mental health. My favorite parts about being a KU resident are the comradery and support from my co-residents and our outstanding faculty members. Outside of training I enjoy reading, cooking, spending time outdoors, and exploring new restaurants in the Kansas City area.

I was born in Fort Carson, Colorado and grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City. After getting my degree in biology at Truman State University, I started a family and briefly worked another career. A few years later, I decided to go to medical school and I received my degree from Kansas City University here in Kansas City. My academic interests include pain medicine, neuromodulation, and psychedelic psychiatry. In my free time, I love playing with my kids, sports, and lifting weights. My favorite thing about Kansas City is the sports scene.

Hi guys! Im Chidera Okafor, born and raised in St. Louis, MO. I completed both undergrad and medical school at UMKC School of Medicine and was blessed to stay in Kansas City for residency at KU. I will be pursuing a child and adolescent fellowship, hoping to branch into public policy to advocate for improved mental health resources and early childhood education. The best part of my experience here has been seeing my co-residents turn into some of my best friends! The people here are exceptional and have inspired me to be the best version of myself - academically, personally, and spiritually. Outside of the hospital, I love to explore Kansas City’s restaurants with friends, travel, watch documentaries and cheer on the city’s sports teams

I’m originally from Saratoga Springs, NY, and moved to Kansas City several years ago to attend Kansas City University for medical school. After living here for four years, I gained a real appreciation for the city and was very grateful to be able to stay for residency. My interests in psychiatry include pharmacology, psychotherapy, and addiction. Right now, I’m working toward the goal of serving veteran populations. In my free time, I enjoy playing guitar, exploring new restaurants around Kansas City, and hanging out with my dog, Dobby. What I love most about KU is the mentors and residents who are always ready to discuss patients, share different approaches, and offer guidance in any situation.

I was born and grew up in Belarus. This is a small, but very beautiful country in Eastern Europe. I completed medical school in Grodno State Medical University. Throughout medical school, I have enjoyed neuroscience and courses that examine psychopathology and psychopharmacology, biological basis of addictions and other diseases that impact on mental health and behavioral issues. Since I graduated from medical school, I have been working in different hospitals and clinical centers, including hospitals of republican and regional levels of care in my home country. My vision of my future as psychiatrist dramatically changed after I learned about USMLE. After realizing that I have a chance to get a grasp of the most advanced medicine, I started to look for the way to get an American Clinical Experience in Psychiatry. After several years I got a position in Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at University of Kansas School of Medicine Program and then continued my training as a resident at KU. One of the multiply things I love about residency in KU is that this is program with a systematic and balanced approach to Psychiatry with rotational opportunities across various subspecialties that can build up a specialist who can deal with wide range of psychiatric disorders. But probably the most important thing is the opportunity to be heard and supported! My academic interests focused on treatment of patients with substances abuse and comorbid psychiatric disorders. In my free time I enjoy travelling, gardening and reading. I love to spend time with my family exploring interesting places around Kansas City.

I was born in India and grew up across five different cities before moving to the southern part of the country to complete medical school at Kasturba Medical College,Manipal . My academic interests center around first break psychosis and suicide prevention. I am thrilled to be a resident at KU and feel incredibly supported by faculty in exploring diverse interests , including interventional psychiatry.

In my free time , I like to salsa dance, do embroidery , listen to true crime podcasts and try new restaurants in the KC area.

My name is Shane Thomas. A native of Des Moines, IA, I had a long and winding road to psychiatry at KUMC. In undergrad I initially pursued veterinary medicine by majoring in Animal Science at Iowa State University. Toward the end of my time there I pivoted to human medicine, though continued my original major. After graduation, I attended med school at Des Moines University for with the intention of pursuing cardiothoracic surgery. There I also commissioned with the US Navy and after graduation reported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD for general surgery residency. There I had the honor of caring for some of the Wounded Warriors that had returned from Afghanistan via MEDEVAC. I worked extensively with the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery service on limb salvage and reconstruction, and I realized that I wanted to specialize in plastic surgery. However, following internship I was selected to "join the fleet" for Operational Medicine and received orders to Naval Air Station Pensacola for flight school. My journey then took me to San Diego, followed by Pearl Harbor, where I was attached to various US Marine and Naval flight squadrons. After completing my Naval service, I moved to Seattle for fulfill my wife's military orders and transitioned to primary care, working at a Community Health Center that served a predominantly low income and Hispanic population. After several years, I seized an opportunity to work at the Boeing factory north of Seattle before my growing interest in psychiatry led me to a primary care role at Larned State Hospital in Kansas.

I landed at KUMC in psychiatry, drawn by the chance to spend time at the KCVA. As a Navy Veteran, I plan on working at KCVA after graduation. In my free time, I enjoy oil painting, listening to '70s music, savoring wine and whiskey, gardening, and spending quality time with my wife, our dogs, and my children who are scattered across the country. I love Kansas City because it offers all the characteristics of a much larger city - arts, culture, music, sports, and wonderful educational opportunities - with affordability and a small-town warmth and kindness.

My name is Reshma Khanna. I went to Mizzou for my undergraduate degree, and then went to medical school at ATSU - KCOM. My background is a fusion of my Indian heritage and my upbringing in the Midwest. One of the reasons I am drawn to psychiatry is its impactful presence across so many specialties. This informs my specific interests in consults and perinatal psychiatry now, as I find it very rewarding to work in intersections between psychiatry and other specialties such as medicine and OBGYN. I love the people at KU and the supportive training environment it provides. My favorite things about KC are great food and concerts. I enjoy spending time with family and friends and love to travel!

Hello! I was born in São Paulo, Brasil, and moved to the US during my last year of high school. I completed a bachelor's degree in physics with a minor in mathematics from Johns Hopkins University, followed by a master's in biotechnology with a focus on biodefense. Afterwards, I attended KU School of Medicine and subsequently stayed at KU for my psychiatry residency. I am very passionate about patient care and working as a part of multidisciplinary teams to provide the best possible care! Some of my professional interests include treatment resistant psychiatric disorders and their management, neurobiology and psychopharmacology, as well as holistic medicine. Being a resident at KU has allowed me excellent exposure to these interests. One of my favorite aspects of residency here is the sheer diversity of situations we are exposed to in the course of our training. Additionally, living in the Kansas/Missouri area has been an enjoyable experience! There are tons of things to do (outdoors and indoors), restaurants to try (and return to), as well as a very large yet easy to navigate airport nearby; you are always a short flight away from any place when you are close to the US's geographic center.

Hi! I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. I later left Alabama for Minnesota for St. Olaf College, where I majored in psychology. While at St. Olaf, I had some incredible opportunities to study abroad in Japan and the United Kingdom. During college, I planned to become a clinical psychologist; however, this all changed after I spent a gap year working in a research lab with psychiatrists on impulse control disorders. I completed my med school prerequisites at the University of Minnesota and returned to Alabama to attend medical school at UAB. After residency, I'll be attending UC Davis for a forensic psychiatry fellowship. I was sold on KU after I saw how collegial the residents and faculty are. Working in a major academic center gives you experience with a wide range of presentations and the opportunity to work in a variety of clinical contexts. Kansas City is really affordable for how many amenities it offers as a city. Our new airport is beautiful, and it's not too far away if you live downtown or in NKC. I grew up playing tennis, and I recently transitioned to and became obsessed with pickleball. There is a massive pickleball community in KC. If I'm not doing that, I'll be trying new restaurants or planning my next trip.

I’m a Kansas City native. I completed my bachelor’s degree at Rockhurst University in biochemistry with minors in physics of medicine and theology/religious studies. I graduated from Kansas City University with a doctorate in osteopathic medicine while simultaneously completing a master’s in business administration in healthcare leadership at Rockhurst University. I’m in my final year of residency and interested in all things women’s mental health including menarche, the perinatal period, menopause, and infertility. In my free time, I love to travel both domestically and internationally, read, and spend time with my family.