Faculty

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Faculty

Rodney Eiger MD

  • Chief, Addiction Programs Section, Jesse Brown VAMC
  • Clinical Lead, Substance Use Disorders, Veterans Integrated Services Network 12
  • Director, Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Program, UIC/COM Department of Psychiatry
  • Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry , UIC/COM Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Eiger received his Medical Degree from the University of Illinois and did his residency in Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. Dr. Eiger has worked in the field of addiction since 1974 in a variety of public and private settings. He’s currently the Chief, Addiction Programs, at Jesse Brown VAMC and the clinical lead for Substance Use Disorders for a network of 8 VA medical centers in the Midwest.

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Rodney Eiger

J. Wesley Cook DO

  • CMO, Thresholds Health

Dr. Cook Supervises Fellows in their rotation at Thresholds. He is both a Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine specialist. He’s a strong advocate for service to diverse populations and this Includes the LGBTQIA+ communities.

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J. Wesley Cook

Natania Crane PhD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Associate Director of the UIC Recovery Clinic
  • Department of Psychiatry, UIC
Dr. Crane is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and the Associate Director of the UIC Recovery Clinic. She is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Her research utilizes multiple methods (i.e., fMRI, EEG, cognitive, clinical, and self-report measures) to examine the brain and behavioral risk factors and consequences of Substance Use Disorders, especially Cannabis Use Disorder. An important aspect of her research is studying the relationship between clinical mental health factors and substance use, particularly between depression and cannabis use. Dr. Crane received her PhD in Clinical Psychology, completed her Clinical Internship and T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at UIC, with an emphasis in Neuropsychology. She has received Early Career Travel Awards from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the Society of Biological Psychiatry, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the American Psychological Foundation, as well as a K23 Early Career Development Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Natania Craine

Nicole Gastala MD

  • Associate Program Director, Addiction Medicine Fellowship

Dr. Nicole Gastala practices in the Department of Family Medicine at UI Health. Dr. Gastala focuses on preventative healthcare and chronic disease management for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and OB/GYN patients. She has an interest in addiction medicine, including medication-assisted treatment for opioid-use disorder.

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Nicole Gastala

Paul W. Harris MD

  • Psychiatrist and Medical Director, Drug Dependence Treatment Center (an opiate replacement program)
  • Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
  • UIC Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Dr. Harris supervises Fellows in their rotation in DDTC at the VA. He has a background in Anesthesiology, Consult/Liaison Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, and Addiction Psychiatry.

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Paul Harris

Jonathan Henry MD, PhD

  • Medical Director, Addictions Treatment Program
  • Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
  • Chicago, IL

Christopher Holden MD

  • Program Director, Addiction Medicine Fellowship
  • Director of Addiction Psychiatry
  • Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
  • Department of Psychiatry – University of Illinois College of Medicine
  • UI Health
Dr. Holden is the Director of Addiction Psychiatry. He treats a variety of psychiatric conditions, and he specializes in the treatment of patients with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders. He works with patients in the outpatient mental health clinic as well as the hospital’s inpatient medical, surgical, and psychiatric units.

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Christopher Holden

Fazeelah Ibrahim MD

  • Physician, Drug Dependency Treatment Center, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
"During my medical training, I witnessed the pervasive stigma surrounding people with substance use disorders (SUDs). These experiences deeply motivated me to be part of a cultural shift in how we approach addiction care. Through education, advocacy, and modeling kindness in my own practice, I aim to challenge stereotypes, reduce stigma, and provide the empathetic care that every patient deserves. It has been a truly rewarding experience to provide low-barrier addiction treatment, implement harm reduction practices, and witness patients’ unique paths in recovery. These moments reinforce my commitment to this field and remind me of the profound impact that compassionate, patient-centered care can have on individuals and communities."

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Fazeelah Ibrahim

Anish John MD

  • Associate Medical Director
  • Positive Sobriety Institute
Dr. Anish John, MD is the Associate Medical Director for the Positive Sobriety Institute, where he oversees care for patients in the partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. Double board-certified in psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, Dr. John conducts patient evaluations, develops treatment plans based on bio-psycho-social clinical formulations, co-leads a multidisciplinary team and develops new programs to continue to enhance patient care.

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Anish John

Stockton Mayer DO

  • Assistant Professor
  • College of Medicine, University of Illinois

Dr. Stockton Mayer practices in the Division of Infectious Diseases at UI Health. Dr. Mayer specializes in treating patients infected with HIV and infectious agents acquired in tropical regions. He also treats patients who experience infections in the setting of other immunocompromising conditions.

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Stockton Mayer

Sarah Messmer MD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Clinical Medicine & Pediatrics
  • University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Sarah Messmer specializes in both pediatrics and internal medicine and provides primary care to both adults and children. Dr. Messmer cares for patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings at UI Health. Her clinical interests include immigrant and refugee health, LGBTQ+ health, and gender-affirming care, global health, and opioid use disorder.

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Sarah Messmer

Elisabeth Poorman MD

  • Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine and Addictions
  • Assistant Program Director, Addiction Medicine Fellowship
  • Director, Addiction Consult Service at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
  • University of Illinois Chicago
I've wanted to be a doctor since I was a kid. I remember going to the Field Museum in Chicago, standing in a giant replica of heart and listen to a recording of its beating. It felt like being let in on a secret, a secret that I could use to stop heart attacks one day. Like a real super hero. But along the way felt less sure. I worried about the ways that doctors change during their training, from the cut-throat competition in college to the hierarchical nature of training, which distances us from our patients and each other. - Dr. Poorman

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Elisabeth Poorman

Rollin (Ron) Socha PsyD

  • Program Manager, Drug Dependence Treatment Center (Opioid Treatment Program)
  • Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Dr. Socha is a senior psychologist who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of our SAMHSA-certified Jesse Brown VAMC Opioid Treatment Program.  He brings years of experience and a special passion and caring approach to his role, which involves managing a setting where patients with pressing and complex needs receive state-of-the-art treatment. He also facilitates the forensic rotation for Fellows in the Veterans Justice Outreach program. 

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Rollin Socha

Liza M. Suarez PhD

  • Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
  • Director, Pediatric Stress and Anxiety Disorders Clinic
  • Co-Director, Urban Youth Trauma Center
Dr. Suarez’ interests focus on adolescent traumatic stress and substance abuse, treatment for anxiety disorders among urban youth, and empowering communities to address community violence and its impact on youth and families. Dr. Suarez has developed and is currently evaluating and disseminating an integrated intervention targeting traumatic stress and substance abuse problems in adolescents.

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Liza Suarez

Noah Yulish PhD

  • Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology/Clinical Psychologist
  • University of Illinois Chicago
Dr. Noah Yulish is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology. He completed his doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Counseling Psychology focusing on what contributes to positive outcomes in therapy. He completed his internship at the Hines VA and his postdoctoral fellowship at the Jesse Brown VA focusing on trauma, substance abuse, and pain. Throughout the therapeutic process, Dr. Yulish collaborates with clients to empower them to lead personally fulfilling lives. Using an integrative approach rooted in evidence-based practice, he helps clients examine their lives, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to jointly decide if they want to create a context for change.

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Noah Yulish