UH professor appointed speaker of American Psychiatric Association assembly

Education
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Renu Khator President | University of Houston

Dr. Steven Starks, a geriatric psychiatrist and clinical assistant professor at the University of Houston’s Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, has assumed the role of speaker for the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Assembly of District Branches. This position is considered to be the most prestigious within the organization.

Starks commenced his one-year term following the APA's recent annual meeting in New York City. "I am sincerely honored by the opportunity to represent the APA Assembly as speaker," Starks said. "As the voice of our district branches and state associations, special interest committees, subspecialty societies and sections, the Assembly is a crucial tool in the pursuit of equitable access to mental health care in the U.S."

A University of Houston alumnus, Starks joined the Fertitta Family College of Medicine in 2019 as part of its founding faculty. He is an ardent advocate for expanding mental health services, especially within minority communities. His research primarily explores how cultural and social factors influence mental health conditions among patients and their families.

"In my role as a learning community mentor to our students, I always urge them to join medical societies as they are tremendous vehicles for professional development," Starks said. "While our curriculum equips students with the knowledge and skills of medical practice, medical specialty societies provide insights into local and national advocacy efforts and their unique professional identities."

Previously, Starks was a Pozen-Commonwealth Fund Fellow in Health Equity Leadership while pursuing his MBA at Yale University. He also served as a Health and Aging Policy Fellow and American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the Office of the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"I congratulate Dr. Starks on his speakership with the APA Assembly,” said Dr. Stephen Spann, founding dean of the Fertitta Family College of Medicine. “His leadership embodies a commitment to not only improving mental health treatments but raising awareness and expanding access to care in places where it’s needed most."