Meet our Faculty
Cory Daniel Jaques, MD - Program Director
Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School
Residency: University of California, Los Angeles, Semel Institute
Fellowship: University of California, Los Angeles, Semel Institute
Why did you go in Child Psych? There was never any choice for me. I have a passion for treating children, and in particular teenagers. My teenage years were... rough, and it gives me life to be able to help others get through these tough times. I particularly like that in the world of Child Psychiatry, we are not strictly psychopharmacologists, and there are opportunities to help a child by simply changing their environment. Plus, I am kind of a weirdo, and child psychiatry allows me to let down my guard and be a little weird. Oh, and I get to have Pokemon in my office.
Area of interests: I am particular interested in working with the LGBTQI+ population, and volunteer regularly with our local LGBTQI+ resource center, The Source. Academically, I am interested in education regarding this population, and all underserved populations in medicine. I am a strong advocate for the practice of ethical medicine, and promoting the principals of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. I also serve on the GME Wellbeing committee and strive to improve the wellbeing of residents and faculty. Personally, I am kind of a nerd. I like to play video games and watch Anime. I love my animals. I am a homebody, but I do love to travel with my husband, our favorite destinations being Japan and Scotland.
Why train in the Central Valley? The Central Valley is an exciting place to train because the access to care for children here is significantly lacking, and it is a place where you can make a profound difference as a Child Psychiatrist. The diversity of the patient population; socially, culturally, and psychopathology, is like nowhere else in the state of California.
Sukhjit Brar, MD - Faculty
Medical School: Christian Medical College, Ldh, India
Residency: Meharry Medical College, Nashville Tennessee
Fellowship: UCLA-Kern Medical Center
Area of interests: Anxiety disorders, Mood disorders, ADHD, suicide prevention.
Why train in the Central Valley? The Central Valley offers a good work life balance, which helps reduce stress and prevent burnout in the workplace. There are a lot of outdoor recreational activities, wonderful national parks, good restaurants, wonderful school districts, good housing options, to name a few. Along with that, you will get an all round mental health experience during residency/fellowship.
"I appreciate you taking time to read about this program and people. Good Wishes!"
Reza Emami, MD - Faculty
Medical School: Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Residency: Kaweah Health Medical Center
Fellowship: Kaweah Health Medical Center
Why did you go in Child Psych? Working with Children and Adolescent are rewarding and meaningful for me. Treating children and youths with mental health disorders could decrease severity of illness during adulthood. As a child psychiatrist I can help families and children to prevent psychiatric disorder as much as possible.
Area of interests: Teaching, wellness, leadership, science, sports, dance, hiking, traveling, game and movie nights, and healthy food
Where is your home town? Visalia and Bakersfield
Why did you stay in the Central Valley? I believe in working in underserved area where there are limited accesses to mental health services.
Why train in the Central Valley? Train in the Central Valley will improve knowledge, skills and abilities to help underserved populations with minimal resources.
Aubreé Pereyra, MD - Associate Program Director
Dr. Pereyra is joining us from Southern California where she spent her childhood and early years. She attended medical school at Ross University, and completed her residency at Kaweah Health. Her child fellowship training was completed at the University of Southern California. Child Psychiatry has been a passion from early career for her. She has interests in human development and special populations like children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum related disorders. Her personal interests include crafting, spending time with family, discovering local gems, and live music. Professionally, she is particularly interested in creating a readily available and evidence based practice for the treatment of children and adolescents in the Central Valley where this resource has been difficult to obtain. She believes that to be able to have the privilege to serve rural and low resource populations makes the work of psychiatry in mental health meaningful and one of the best ways to serve the community.
Training in the Central Valley is a unique experience to be able to serve a high need population in rural areas of California and other low resource areas of California. It is a unique opportunity to be able to provide services to California migrant worker populations, farming communities, and others that have been part of small town life over their lifetime. It allows trainees to develop their skills in practicing in areas of low resource where they may be one of the few people helping to provide effective and evidence based treatments to people in need.
Kristine Hwang, MD - Faculty
Medical School: University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Philippines
Residency: Kaweah Health Medical Center
Fellowship: Kaweah Health Medical Center
Area of interests: I became a child and adolescent psychiatrist because I believe every young person deserves the chance to thrive, especially here in California's Central Valley where access to care can be limited. Supporting children, teens, and their families during some of their most important years is both my passion and purpose. I also have a strong interest in women's health, knowing how deeply a woman's well-being impacts her family and community. My work is further shaped by my personal life. I am the parent of a deaf child, which has given me a deep understanding of the challenges and strengths within the deaf and hard of hearing community. This experience continues to inspire me to make mental health services more inclusive and accessible. Outside of work, I enjoy the things that keep me grounded and bring joy: watching anime, traveling to experience different cultures, and spending time in the kitchen trying out new recipes. I'm also a big fan of Disneyland parks around the world. They are a place where imagination, adventure, and family come together. At the heart of my work and my life is a commitment to connection, compassion, and helping others feel understood and supported.
Why train in the Central Valley? I chose Kaweah Health for my Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship because of its strong commitment to serving the Central Valley's diverse and underserved communities. Training here allows me to stay connected to my family while gaining invaluable experience caring for children, adolescents, and families who often face barriers to mental health services. The supportive faculty, community-centered approach, and opportunity to make a direct impact in the region made Kaweah Health a perfect fit for me.
Steven Siragusa, DO
Medical School: Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Kaweah Health Medical Center
Fellowship: University of Southern California - Los Angeles County
Area of interests: Child and adolescent psychiatry, neurodevelopment, trauma and attachment, psychopharmacology, and medical education
Why did you stay in the Central Valley? I believe in working in underserved area where there are limited accesses to mental health services.
Why train in the Central Valley? Train in the Central Valley will improve knowledge, skills and abilities to help underserved populations with minimal resources.