Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship

Dr. Tolani Ajagbe, MD, FASAM
Program Director, Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship, and Interim Division Chief of Addiction Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He also serves as the Chief of Psychiatry and Medical Director, Addiction Treatment Services at Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, New York.

Dr. Ajagbe earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He completed his residency training in General Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University, followed by a clinical fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry at the same institution. He is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, board certified in General Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. Dr. Ajagbe is a fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and a member of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry. His major clinical areas of interest include pharmacotherapy of Opioid Use Disorder and Co-occurring Disorders. He serves on the Onondaga County Drug Task Force.

Dr. Kevin Johnson

Addiction Psychiatrist and Transgender Health Specialist at Crouse Health

Kevin Johnson, MD (he/him) is an addiction psychiatrist at Crouse Addiction Treatment Services and a graduate of the fellowship. His clinical work and research focuses on addressing mental health disparities within gender-diverse communities and on increasing access to gender-confirmation surgery.

Dr. Brian Johnson

Clinical Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry. Former Director of Addiction Psychiatry and Pain Medicine.

Brian Johnson M.D. is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University and former Director of Addiction Medicine. He came to Upstate after almost three decades at Harvard Medical School. He has published a book, 51 papers, and 7 book chapters on topics related to addiction. His book on drugs for teenagers is available at Amazon by searching for “Johnson” and “Zombie.” TEDx Talk on Discoveries of Addiction Medicine.

Dr. Abhinav Sharma, MD, DAPBN, FRCPC, DAAAP

Medical Director of the Psychiatry Consultation and Addiction Consult Services at Crouse Hospital

Dr. Abhinav Sharma is a fellowship-trained Addiction Psychiatrist and the current Medical Director of the Psychiatry Consultation and Addiction Consult Services at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, New York.

After attending East Carolina University in North Carolina for his general psychiatry residency, he completed his Addiction Psychiatry fellowship at the University of Miami. He then returned to his hometown of Hamilton, Canada and worked in both academics and private practice for several years before moving to Syracuse.

Dr. Sharma has been heavily involved in both medical student and resident level education throughout his years and was recognized by McMaster University for his Excellence in Teaching. He has an interest in global psychiatry with a focus on maximizing mental health and addiction services in rural, underserved areas.

Dr. Sharma is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Dr. Sunny Aslam

Director of Psychiatric and Addiction Services at Syracuse Community Health

Dr. Sunny Aslam is a triple board-certified community, addiction and general psychiatrist who focuses on providing access to high quality psychiatric and addiction treatment in Syracuse, NY.

Dr. Aslam provides treatment and training to those interested in a public health model for vulnerable populations (with a focus on psychotherapy, but offers all forms of treatment). Dr. Aslam is committed to access to care, providing psychotherapy to get root causes of trauma and dysfunctional relationships and self care. Dr. Aslam has an interest in recovery oriented care, supported employment, homeless/street outreach and training of mental health and addiction treatment therapists and prescribers.

Dr. Zsuzsa Meszaros

Professor of Psychiatry and Residency Program Director at SUNY Upstate

Zsuzsa S. Meszaros, MD PhD is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of MIND Online recovery program at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Norton School of Medicine in Syracuse NY. She graduated from Semmelweis University School of Medicine in Budapest, Hungary with a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and postdoctoral training in Clinical Pharmacology and Addiction Research. She is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. Her research interests include pharmacotherapy of nicotine and alcohol dependence in schizophrenia. Her clinical interests include motivational interviewing and neuropsychiatric lupus. She has over 15 years of experience in conducting controlled clinical trials on patients with co-occurring schizophrenia and alcohol and nicotine dependence. She served as Residency Program Director from 2016-2023.

Dr. Ross Sullivan

Director of Medical Toxicology and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at SUNY Upstate. Executive Medical Director at Helio Health

Ross Sullivan, MD, FASAM completed his medical school education at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. After, he entered and finished a residency in Emergency Medicine at the same hospital. Dr. Sullivan then completed a medical toxicology fellowship at the SUNY Upstate Poison Control Center and SUNY Upstate Emergency Department. Dr. Sullivan is also board certified in Addiction Medicine and is currently the fellowship director of the medical toxicology fellowship. He also is the director of the Upstate Emergency Medicine Opioid Bridge Clinic; the aim of this program is to initiate buprenorphine in the ED with prompt referral to an ED based clinic where patients are treated and referred to community settings. Dr. Sullivan is also the medical director for Helio Health, a community not-for-profit that offers substance use and psychiatric treatment.

Dr. Sullivan has authored several publications related to overdose and addiction, including “Cardiac conduction disturbance after loperamide abuse”, “Synthetic Cannabinoid Withdrawal”, “Baclofen overdose mimicking brain death”, and “A randomized usability assessment of simulated naloxone administration by community members.” Dr. Sullivan currently is a member of the Medical Advisory Panel to NY-OASAS (Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse), the NY-DOH buprenorphine work group, as well as a member of his local drug-task force.

Dr. Kola Alao

Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate

Dr. Alao has been on the faculty, department of Psychiatry at the SUNY Upstate Medical University since 1998 and worked as a Polytrauma and Rehabilitation Psychiatrist for 10 years at the Syracuse VA Medical Center. With over 35 years clinical experience as a physician, he has been named as one of the Best Doctors in United States yearly since 2007. He has more than 100 publications and presentations in scientific journals and he is passionate about mentoring medical students, residents and treating Military Veterans. He is medical student advisor at the Keuka learning community at the SUNY Upstate Medical University. His clinical interests include Consultation Liaison Psychiatry (he was the founding program director of the fellowship in Psychosomatic medicine at SUNY), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury and Addiction Medicine. He is board certified in Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine, Addiction Medicine and Administrative Psychiatry. Dr. Alao believes in Holistic Treatment focusing on healing the mind, body and soul and not only in prescription medications. Dr. Alao is also certified by the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM).