Meet the Law & Psychiatry Clinical Team

Leadership

Natalie Anumba, PhD, DFP, ABPP, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Co-Director of Law & Psychiatry Program

Clinical and Training Expertise: Criminal forensic mental health assessment, forensic psychology education and supervision, criminal responsibility, violence risk assessment, integration of identity context into forensic mental health assessment, forensic telehealth  

Brian Daly, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Vice Chair of Public Sector Psychiatry

Clinical Expertise: Acute mental illness, substance use disorders, psychosis, restoration to competency, de-prescribing, supervision of mid-level providers, delirium, and decisional capacity (especially relating to consent to treatment).

Research Interests: Behavioral Health systems of care, mental health courts, public sector psychiatry, public health, addiction psychiatry, neuromodulation, paraphilias, education of mid-level providers, malingering, stalking, violence in treatment settings.

Margarita Abi Zeid Daou, MD, DFP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Acting Director, Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship

Clinical Expertise: Board Certified in Adult Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry. Associate Medical Director of Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital. Associate Training Director for the UMASS Chan Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship.

Research Interests: Psychosis, malingering, pregnancy denial and neonaticide, expert witness testimony

Andrea Dinsmore, PsyD, DFP, ABPP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Director Mobile Forensic Evaluation Service

Clinical Expertise: Board Certified Forensic Psychologist specializing in both civil and criminal forensic evaluation, including competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, risk assessment, need for psychiatric hospitalization, psychodiagnostic formulation, competency to waive Miranda, juvenile forensic evaluation, and consultation.

Ashley Murray, PhD, DFP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Director, Forensic Psychology Fellowship

Clinical Expertise: Conducting court evaluations for criminal defendants, for violence risk assessment (including specialized violence risk assessments), competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility (insanity defense), and aid-in-sentencing, among others. Provides trainings and workshops on these topics.

Research Interests: Violence risk assessment, psychopathic and borderline personality disorder, evidence-based treatment, stalking, and interpersonal violence

Danielle Rynczak, JD, PsyD, ABPP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Director, Legal Education & Training

Clinical Experience: Board Certified Forensic Psychologist conducting adult and juvenile civil, criminal, and immigration evaluations, including criminal responsibility, diminished capacity, mitigation and aid-in-sentencing, competency to stand trial, Miranda waiver, violence risk assessments, civil commitment, asylum evaluations, parenting evaluations, termination of parental rights evaluations, special education and disability assessments; and consultation. 

Training & Related Research Interests:  Assessing and determining the relevance of identity factors, including race, ethnicity and culture in forensic evaluations (e.g., Miranda, competency, criminal responsibility, mitigation, and violence risk); pro/low bono work in forensic psychology; teaching, mentoring, and supervising through a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging lens; inclusive teaching practices; white supremacy impacts on teaching, learning, and representation in the field of forensic psychology; serious and persistent mental illness at the crossroads of forensic psychology; changing laws' impacts on forensic practice.

Christine Rainvile, Administrative Assistant

Christine supports the Law & Psychiatry Department, particularly with the Mobile Forensic Psychology Department and Residency Program as well as the Comprehensive Psychology Training Program at UMass Chan Medical School and Worcester Recovery Center Hospital. She enjoys supporting and assisting the postdocs, interns, and practicum students as they develop their educational and career pathways. 

Faculty

Shannon Brown, PsyD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Clinical Expertise: Treatment of adults with serious and persistent mental illness; psychological and forensic assessment of adults; forensic mental health evaluations in Massachusetts’ public sector; providing expert testimony for competence to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and civil commitment cases.

Research Interests: Utilization of language interpreters in adult forensic mental health assessment; identification of barriers and factors that promote the use of language interpreters in forensic psychology.

Maxwell Christensen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Clinical Expertise: I have specialized training in forensic psychology and conduct forensic mental health evaluations for adults, including competence to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and assessment of violence risk; I also have clinical interests in the assessment and treatment of substance use disorders and serious mental illness.

Research Interests: Risk assessment, Substance use disorders, Measurement-based care, and treatment outcome monitoring, Teaching and training of students in psychology.

Vera Klinoff, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Vera Klinoff is a forensic evaluator with the UMMS Mobile Forensic Service and a clinical neuropsychologist for UMass Memorial’s outpatient psychiatry neuropsychology service. She obtained her BS in psychology and PhD. in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University. She completed a predoctoral internship in psychology at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, N.C. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology through the Law and Psychiatry Program at UMMS and completed a two-year fellowship in clinical neuropsychology through UMMS. She is bilingual and bicultural and provides services in both English and Spanish. Her clinical and research interests include cross-cultural evaluation and the integration of forensic and neuropsychology.

Emily Padilla, PsyD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Clinical Expertise: Forensic mental health evaluations, risk assessment, psychological assessment, treatment and evaluation of adults with serious mental illness, working with psychology training programs.

Research Interests: Social justice advocacy within psychology and psychology training programs, cultural humility in professional practice, autism within the criminal justice system.

Heidi Putney, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Clinical Expertise: CBT-trained clinical psychologist with an emphasis on anger management and treating problematic sexual behaviors. Dr. Putney specializes in forensic evaluation (competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility) for individuals with serious mental illness. 

Research Interests: Public policy reform, program development and evaluation, professional development in psychologists, training in social justice advocacy, and issues related to forensic psychology.

Affiliated Professionals for Training

Andrew Bourke, PhD, Western MA Court Clinics, MA Department of Mental Health

Terrie Burda, PsyD, Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, MA Department of Mental Health

Dan Comiskey, MD, Bridgewater State Hospital

James Feldman, MD, Massachusetts Mental Health Center

Nathan Frommer, JD, LLM, Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, MA Department of Mental Health

Laura Grant, PsyD, US Department of Veterans Affairs

Darina Griffin, JD, Board of Registration in Medicine

Jessica Griffin, PsyD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Lifeline for Kids

Melissa Henry, PsyD, Assistant Professor Court Clinician, Boston Municipal Court  

Bryan Hughes, PsyD, Boston Juvenile Court Clinic, MA Department of Mental Health

Heather Jackson, PsyD, Boston Municipal Court, Department of Mental Health

Bruce Loding, PhD, MIPSB, MA Department of Mental Health

Lauren Lussier, PsyD, Bridgewater State Hospital

Adeliza Olivero, MD, Boston Municipal Court, Roxbury Division, Court Clinic MA Department of Mental Health

Eden Prendergast, JD, Executive Office of the Trial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Sean Ryan, PhD, Director of Forensic Services, Bridgewater State Hospital

Renee Sorrentino, MD, Associate Professor, Massachusetts General Hospital

Kyle Walker, MD, Bridgewater State Hospital

John Young Jr., PsyD, Bridgewater State Hospital