Staff Member Category: Providers

Vincent Kennedy, D.O., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, joined the Department on August 1, 2022.  He is Clozapine REMS certified and has attained a Buprenorphine Waiver. Dr. Kennedy completed a Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of California-Davis in 2021-2022, and his Psychiatry residency at University Hospital and Medical Center, Tamarac, Florida, from 2017-2021, where he was Chief Resident. He attained his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA, from 2013-2017, his Master of Public Health with an emphasis in Epidemiology in 2012 from the University of California – Irvine, and his Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University in 2010.

Dr. Sam Al-Saadi graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada in 2005. In 2012, Dr. Al-Saadi completed his residency in Psychiatry at Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center in New Jersey. Following his residency, in 2013 he completed his fellowship in Sleep Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

Dr. Andrew Francis achieved his Ph.D. at SUNY Stony Brook. His postdoctoral research was done at Cornell University Medical College. He received his medical degree from SUNY Buffalo. His psychiatry residency was at John Hopkins Hospital.

He is board certified in Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Bellon graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico. He received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at the same University. Dr. Bellon completed his Adult General Psychiatry Residency Training in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Dr. Bellon completed his post-doctoral fellowship (schizophrenia & stem cells) at the Center of Psychiatry & Neurosciences Team 2 Phatophysiology of Psychiatric Illnesses at Saint Anne Hospital, Paris, France.

Specialities
Family Medicine

Professional Education
Fellowship, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Obstetrics and Gynecology
Internship, PinnacleHealth Hospitals
Medical Residency, PinnacleHealth Hospitals
Wake Forest University

Dr. Erika Saunders is Chair for the Department of Psychiatry; Director of the Mood Disorder Program and Gerald B. Shively and Robert Y. Tan Professor at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine.

Dr. Saunders completed her residency in adult psychiatry, as well as a research fellowship in mood disorders at the University of Michigan Medical Center. She earned her medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. Board-certified in psychiatry, Dr. Saunders’ clinical and research interests include bipolar disorder and mood disorders. Dr. Saunders’ work has been recognized nationally, and she is active in the Society for Biological Psychiatry, the American Society Clinical Psychopharmacology, the International Society for Bipolar Disorders, and the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Saunders is a fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists and is a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Saunders has been awarded a Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and a PSU Resident Teaching Award.

Dr Lidija Petrovic-Dovat graduated in 1992 from MD, Medical School of Novi Sad, Yugoslavia and completed her Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2006 at UW, Madison and Psychiatry Residency, 2001-2004, at UCLA/SFV Psychiatry Training Program, Los Angeles, CA She is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology/ Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and General Psychiatry.

In 2009, Dr Petrovic-Dovat received the Best Doctors in America award and has been published in the American Journal of Physiology and BBA (Biochemica et Biophysica Acta)

Her areas of interest are Childhood Anxiety Disorders, Depression and Bipolar Disorders

Dr Petrovic-Dovat is Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute Department of Psychiatry.

Dr. Petersen graduated from the Medical College of Georgia, School of Medicine. He completed his residency and fellowship at the University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers.

Dr. Petersen is board certified in psychiatry and adolescent and child psychiatry.

Dr. Mahr graduated from Allama Iqbal Medical College. She completed her residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston and the Milton S Hershey Medical Center.

Dr. Mahr’s specialty is adolescent and child psychiatry.

Dr. Hillwig-Garcia graduated from Penn State University College of Medicine, where she also completed her Adult Psychiatry Residency and a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship.