Psychopharmacology Program Administration and Faculty

Program Administration

Program Director, Steven Tulkin, Ph.D., M.S.
Dr. Tulkin received his PhD at Harvard University, and taught in the graduate program in clinical/community psychology at State University of New York at Buffalo. In 1978 he was appointed Program Director of Behavioral Medicine at Kaiser Permanente, where he worked extensively on the integration of psychology and primary care. His work included developing programs to teach physicians about psychology, and to teach psychologists about psychopharmacology and primary care health psychology. Dr. Tulkin was awarded two Senior Fulbright Fellowships to teach in Ghana and in Thailand. He has over 50 professional publications. Dr. Tulkin has been Director of the Postdoctoral Master of Science Program at Alliant International University since 1999, and received his Postdoctoral Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology in 2002.

"We strive to exemplify the Psychological Model of Pharmacotherapy that recognizes the unique importance of the therapeutic alliance, and in which medication is integrated into a comprehensive treatment plan that places it within the context of personal, relational, systemic and social change."

Program Faculty

Faculty members are drawn from institutions of higher learning representing schools of medicine, pharmacy, nursing, psychology and related disciplines.

John Bolter, PhD, MP
Dr. Bolter received his PhD in clinical/neuropsychology from the University of Memphis. He is Director of the Department of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Neuromedical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at Louisiana State University. Dr. Bolter's research interests include neuropsychological dysfunction in adults and children, neuropsychological assessment procedures, and the consequences of head trauma. Dr. Bolter was a prime mover for psychologists in Louisiana winning prescriptive authority, and is the first psychologist to write a prescription based on this legislation.

Thomas Brady, MD
Dr. Brady is a Board Certified Physician in adult, child and adolescent, and forensic psychiatry, and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He also has special certification in addictionology with the American Society of Addiction Medicine as well as a Masters in Business Administration. Dr. Brady conducted a 19-year private practice in psychiatry in San Francisco until 2004 when he became Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for CRC Health Corp., the largest addiction and related behavioral health disorder treatment provider in the U.S. For seven years prior to that, he was a Regional Medical Director with MHN, Inc., the behavioral health/substance abuse division of Health Net, Inc. Dr. Brady graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1982. He has held numerous medical director positions in inpatient hospital, residential treatment, and day treatment settings. Dr. Brady is past president of the Northern California Regional Organization of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, past Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco, and currently serves on the Professional Relations and Ethics Committee of the San Francisco Medical Society. Dr. Brady teaches courses in ethical and legal aspects of mental health medications, and child and adolescent psychopharmacology.

Mary A. Gutierrez, PharmD, BCPP
Dr. Gutierrez is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy in Los Angeles, California. She received her PharmD from USC in 1987, followed by a psychiatric pharmacy practice residency and clinical fellowship at the same institution. She is certified by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties in Psychiatric Pharmacy Practice. She has been named Professor of the Year by USC graduating classes four times. In the School of Pharmacy, her areas of coursework include pharmacogenetics, drug-drug interactions, clinical psychopharmacology, and sexual function/dysfunction. Dr. Gutierrez has written several textbook chapters and journal articles on topics including mood disorders, antidepressants, and sexual function/dysfunction. In 1999, she was elected into membership of the World Association for Sexology. Dr. Gutierrez performs her clinical teaching and patient care at the Veteran Affairs Dual Diagnosis Outpatient Clinic in West Los Angeles.

Elaine Orabona-Foster, PhD
Dr. Orabona-Foster received her PhD in clinical psychology from Nova University in Florida. She is a Department of Defense psychopharmacology fellow and completed this training through the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Air Force, where she served as a prescribing psychologist and primary care consultant. Her areas of research and clinical expertise include gender and ethnic issues in psychopharmacology and the impact of psychopharmacological training on psychological practice.

David Presti, PhD
Dr. Presti holds doctoral degrees in both clinical psychology (University of Oregon) and molecular biology and biophysics (California Institute of Technology), along with a master's degree in physics (CIT). He is currently Professor of Neurobiology at University of California, Berkeley, teaching courses on the biochemical mechanisms underlying nervous system function, with emphasis on molecular psychopharmacology and the actions of psychoactive drugs on the human nervous system. Dr. Presti is known as a superb instructor, and recently was selected from a pool of 84 Berkeley faculty members to receive the only student-conferred teaching award on campus, created to honor those professors “who teach with energy – inspiring, demonstrating passion, and showing care in the classroom.” Dr. Presti has an extensive clinical background, having also served as a Clinical Psychologist at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, specializing in treatment of severe drug and alcohol dependence problems, often co-occurring with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition to his other accomplishments, Dr. Presti has developed innovative worldwide websites used in classroom instruction. Dr. Presti teaches courses in biochemistry, neurochemistry and chemical dependence.

John Preston, PsyD
Dr. Preston is a board certified neuropsychologist, and ABPP in counseling psychology. Dr. Preston is a Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in Sacramento. He has also taught on the faculty of UC Davis, School of Medicine. Dr. Preston is the author of fourteen books on various topics including psychopharmacology, psychological assessment, neurobiology, psychotherapy, spirituality, and emotional healing. His books have been translated into 14 languages. He has been in clinical practice for 23 years and a workshop presenter for the past 20 years. Dr. Preston is the recipient of the Mental Health Association's President's Award and the California Psychological Association's Distinguished Contributions to Psychology Award. He has lectured in the United States, Europe and Russia.

Morgan T. Sammons, PhD, ABPP
Dr. Sammons received his PhD from Arizona State University, and is one of the original group of psychologists trained in a three-year postdoctoral Psychopharmacology Fellowship program offered by the Department of Defense at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Sammons is a retired Captain of the United States Navy, where he served as a prescribing psychologist, and is currently Dean of the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University. He is a frequent lecturer in psychopharmacology, and has over 20 publications on psychological and psychopharmacological treatments. He exemplifies the newly developing field of pharmacotherapeutics, and models an integrative approach of the practicing psychologist who is trained and licensed to include pharmacotherapy among existing psychotherapeutic interventions. Dr. Sammons teaches courses in psychopharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics.

Randall Tackett, PharmD
Dr. Tackett received his PhD in pharmacology from the University of Georgia in 1979, and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Pharmacology at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1981. He has been on the faculty of the College of Pharmacy at University of Georgia since 1981, and has served as Professor and Department Head in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, as well as Professor in the Department of Clinical and Administrative Services. Dr. Tackett has over 80 publications in refereed journals. His major research interest focuses on pathophysiological changes that occur in the development of cardiovascular diseases and the impact of drug therapy. He teaches courses on clinical medicine/pathophysiology, physical assessment and special populations.