Association of Women Psychiatrists 2024 Award Winners
In our efforts to support mental health initiatives and highlight the psychiatric programs and scholarships offered by our partners, PRMS is pleased to feature the winners of the Association of Women Psychiatrists’ (AWP) 2024 Alexandra Symonds Foundation Fellowship, Drs. Taylor Davis and Shanon Astley. AWP awards two fellowships annually to outstanding women residents and/or fellows interested in advancing women’s mental health in the fields of research, education, and clinical services. PRMS is delighted to support AWP’s awards and provide opportunities for members to further their education and research efforts.
The Alexandra Symonds Foundation Fellowship is designed with the Association of Women Psychiatrist’s goals in mind – to develop leadership in women psychiatrists and to contribute to the organization’s mission to improve the future personal and professional roles of women. PRMS is pleased to highlight the 2024 award winners, Taylor Davis, MD, and Shanon Astley, MD.
Taylor Davis, MD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
While applying for one of the 2024 Alexandra Symonds Foundation Fellowships, Dr. Taylor Davis was a fourth-year psychiatry chief resident at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. At the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Dr. Davis completed the Doctor of Medicine program and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Dr. Davis received the resident champion of Women’s Mental Health Certificate and served as the Diversity and Inclusion Co-Chair on the program’s recruitment committee while working as a resident in Philadelphia.
Dr. Davis stated that throughout her training she “realized that there are a sizable number of providers who still do not feel comfortable addressing the intersections between birthing people and psychiatric medications. Thus, my goal is to become a reproductive psychiatrist who could help close this gap.” One way she plans to do this is through raising awareness about how these disparities uniquely affect women and aiming to provide modules that increase provider cultural sensitivity.
Shanon Astley, MD, University of California Davis Health
Dr. Astley received a Doctor of Allopathic Medicine degree at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. In residency at the University of California Davis Health training program, Dr. Astley was selected for the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program and is one of the chief residents for the Psychiatry and Family Medicine program. She’s also a candidate for certification in Perinatal Mental Health with Postpartum International Support, pending exam completion.
Interwoven in her interest in perinatal psychiatry are Dr. Astley’s other passions, providing care to those with substance use disorders and facilitating support groups and psychodynamic therapy. Working with pregnant patients with opioid use disorder on medication assisted treatment (MAT) has been an enriching part of her residency training and she plans to continue it as an attending. Dr. Astley finds that, the potential to impact two individuals' mental wellbeing is a motivating component in why I find the work with peripartum people so compelling and I plan to continue a small private practice of psychodynamic therapy with peripartum people.”
PRMS is proud to be a Partner of AWP. Visit www.associationofwomenpsychiatrists.com to learn more about the organization and check out the rest of the awards AWP offers under the Awards tab.
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