News

The Department of Psychiatry extends a warm welcome to the physicians below, who join our clinician-educator faculty at the rank of assistant professor.

Alex Israel, MD
Dr. Israel received his MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and following a residency in general psychiatry at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) in the Academic-Administrator, Clinician-Educator Track, he completed a fellowship in consultation-liaison psychiatry. Dr. Israel served as Chief Resident, Inpatient Services (2018–2019) and Chief Resident, Non-Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowships (2019–2020). In 2019, he received the Outstanding Adult Resident Teaching Award. Dr. Israel’s clinical service is in consultation-liaison psychiatry.

Elizabeth Kistler, MD
Dr. Kistler earned her MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and completed her residency in psychiatry in the Academic-Administrator, Clinician-Educator Track at WPH. She next undertook a fellowship in Public Service Psychiatry and also completed the Visiting Fellowship in Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). From 2019–2020, Dr. Kistler was Chief Resident, Inpatient Services and was named the WPH 2020 Outstanding Graduating Resident. At WPH, Dr. Kistler works in inpatient and outpatient Comprehensive Recovery Services. 

Christopher Plescia, MD
Dr. Plescia received his MD from Florida International University Herbert College of Medicine. He completed residency training in psychiatry at the Zucker Hillside Hospital at Hofstra/Northwell School of Medicine, as well as a certification course in ECT, before joining WPH to undertake a fellowship in consultation-liaison psychiatry. Dr. Plescia’s clinical focus at WPH is consultation-liaison psychiatry.

Sarah Schmidhofer, MD
Dr. Schmidhofer earned her MD from the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She completed an internship in family medicine at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, and her psychiatry residency in the Leadership in Education and Administration Program track at Butler Hospital, where she was chief resident from 2016 to 2017. At WPH, Dr. Schmidhofer is Associate Medical Director, UPMC Center for Integrative Medicine, which combines natural healing practices with conventional medicine.

Elyse Watson, MD
Dr. Watson earned her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and completed residency training in psychiatry at WPH in the Academic-Administrator, Clinician-Educator Track. In 2018, she received a trainee travel award from the Association of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Dr. Watson’s clinical responsibilities at WPH include addictions, eating disorders and adult outpatient services.