Robert M. Anthenelli, M.D. • Director
Robert M. Anthenelli, MD is Professor and Executive Vice Chair in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine where he directs the Pacific Treatment and Research Center. He previously served as the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and Vice Chair for Veterans Affairs. He was formerly a Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine and Cincinnati VA Medical Center where he founded and directed the Center for Treatment, Research & Education in Addictive Disorders, Addiction Sciences Division, and nationally acclaimed Cincinnati VA Substance Dependence Program.
Dr. Anthenelli earned his baccalaureate degree from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA and his MD degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. After graduating medical school, he completed his internship in internal medicine at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore. Dr. Anthenelli did residency training in psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. Additional post-doctoral training included a 2-year fellowship in addiction psychiatry research that was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The overarching theme of Dr. Anthenelli’s research is to develop improved treatments for tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, and comorbid psychiatric disorders by better understanding the neurobiology of these disorders. He has authored or co-authored over 200 published research articles, book chapters, and abstracts published in major journals including The Lancet, JAMA Internal Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, and The American Journal of Psychiatry. Funding for his research is provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and various industry sponsors. He has lectured widely across the globe and is the Principal Investigator and Steering Committee Chair for the EAGLES trial – the largest placebo-controlled smoking cessation pharmacotherapy trial conducted to date.
Dr. Anthenelli earned his baccalaureate degree from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA and his MD degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. After graduating medical school, he completed his internship in internal medicine at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore. Dr. Anthenelli did residency training in psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. Additional post-doctoral training included a 2-year fellowship in addiction psychiatry research that was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The overarching theme of Dr. Anthenelli’s research is to develop improved treatments for tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, and comorbid psychiatric disorders by better understanding the neurobiology of these disorders. He has authored or co-authored over 200 published research articles, book chapters, and abstracts published in major journals including The Lancet, JAMA Internal Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, and The American Journal of Psychiatry. Funding for his research is provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and various industry sponsors. He has lectured widely across the globe and is the Principal Investigator and Steering Committee Chair for the EAGLES trial – the largest placebo-controlled smoking cessation pharmacotherapy trial conducted to date.
Benjamin McKenna, Ph.D. • Clinical Psychologist
Dr. McKenna received his B.S. in psychology from the University of Arizona. In 2011, he earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology from the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology and completed a predoctoral internship at the University of Arizona University Medical Center. Following his Ph.D. Dr. McKenna completed a Veteran’s Affairs Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment before joining the Translational Methamphetamine and AIDS Research Center on a NIDA-funded T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship for Training in Research on Addictions in Interdisciplinary NeuroAIDS. Dr. McKenna’s primary research interests aim to better understand neurobiological changes in mental illnesses and addictions. Within PAC-TARC, he is interested in examining treatments for patients who have co-morbid mental illness and addiction. 
Belinda Daniel, M.D. • Study Coordinator
Belinda Daniel is currently a third year Psychiatry resident at the University of California, San Diego. She received her B.A. in Biology at Northwestern University, with a minor in Global Health, and her M.D. at University of Illinois in Rockford, IL. We welcome Belinda back to the lab, after previously serving as Study Coordinator on a study funded by the INIA stress consortium, examining the relationship between alcohol use, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and stress responses. She continues to have an interest in Addiction Psychiatry and PTSD, and is currently involved in respective clinical electives at both UCSD and the VA. 
Shivika Goel • Student Intern
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Esther Wong, B.A. • Clinical Research Coordinator
Esther Wong earned her baccalaureate degree in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine. Upon graduation, she joined Dr. Robert Anthenelli’s research team at the University of California, San Diego, working with patients diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and alcohol and drug dependence. More recently, she has been involved with philanthropic organizations such as Children’s Hospital Auxiliary, various groups supporting autism research and treatment, and Grace Home Orphanage in India. She is excited to rejoin Dr. Anthenelli and the Pac-TARC team.
Nicole Tieu • Student Intern
Nicole is a UCSD 3rd year double majoring in Clinical Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Business. She plans to apply to graduate programs after completing her bachelor's degree and eventually pursue a clinical career in mental health.
Jeanine Chan • Operations Manager
Jeanine Chan earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She joined the Pac-TARC team in August of 2015. She is a mother of two teenage girls and enjoys golfing, cooking and baking in her spare time. |
Shanni Tal, M.A. • Psychology Intern
Shanni Tal received her B.A. in psychology with a minor in applied psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). During her undergraduate work at the UCSB she working in the Alcohol and Drug Program as a Tobacco Cessation Educator where she utilized behavioral interventions and Nicotine Replacement Therapy to help students quit smoking. Shanni is currently a 3rd year predoctoral clinical psychology student at Alliant International University in San Diego. Over the summer of 2019 she earned her M.A. in Clinical Psychology. She has completed clinical rotations at a crisis center and a residential substance use treatment facility for veterans. She will begin her new clinical rotation at Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital’s outpatient substance use program, this year. Shanni’s passion for helping treat co-occurring disorders and desire to better serve her patients has fostered her interest in continuously pursuing clinical, research and leadership experiences. |
Katie McEnroe • Psychology Intern
Katherine McEnroe received her M.S. in Clinical Psychology from California Lutheran University (CLU). During her graduate work at CLU she assisted in research using Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) with patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Additionally, Katherine was employed with the County of Ventura as an In-Home Support Services Social Worker, assisting disabled and elderly individuals in receiving the care taking they require. Katherine is currently a 3rd year predoctoral clinical psychology student at Alliant International University in San Diego. She has completed clinical rotations at a substance use rehabilitation center as well as a treatment facility that provided services to federal prisoners and sexual offenders on probation. She recently began her new clinical rotation at Veteran’s Village of San Diego, working with veterans who suffer from substance abuse. Katherine has a passion for treating and advocating for mental health services for underserved populations with a range of psychiatric disorder. This passion has led her to pursue clinical, research, and volunteer experiences in a multitude of at-risk populations. |