Clinical Staff

Dr. Gualtieri is the Medical Director of the North Carolina Neuropsychiatry Clinics in Chapel Hill and Charlotte. Dr. Gualtieri was born in Brooklyn, New York and educated at Columbia. He graduated from Columbia P&S in 1969, and was an intern at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. His original ambition was to be a surgeon, but after three years in service as a general practitioner in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, he decided to be a psychiatrist. Dr Gualtieri trained in psychiatry and child psychiatry at the University of North Carolina. He was on the faculty at UNC for eleven years, where his research interests were in psychopharmacology and neuropsychiatry. During this time, his research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. His work on tardive dyskinesia has been widely cited.

His first area of concentration was the study of children and adults with ADD and developmental disabilities. Then, his research group developed an interest in the problem of brain injury. For seven years, he was the corporate medical director for Rebound, Inc, a national chain of brain injury rehabilitation centers.

Dr. Gualtieri founded NC Neuropsychiatry in 1988. He continues to have an active clinical practice, seeing children and adults with a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders. An increasing proportion of his patients are middle-aged people with mild cognitive impairment, and older patients with dementia. Dr. Gualtieri and his partners conduct clinical trials for many of the major pharmaceutical manufacturers. They have also developed a computerized neurocognitive testing battery, “CNS Vital Signs.” www.cnsvitalsigns.com.
Dr. Gualtieri is the author of more than 120 peer-reviewed medical publications and three monographs. His latest book, Brain Injury and Mental Retardation, Neuropsychiatry & Psychopharmacology (2002) is available from Lippincott publishers.

Dr. Gualtieri lives in Chapel Hill with his wife, Frances, who used to be a hospital pharmacist at UNC. Now she is the proprietor of Restaurant La Residence, in Chapel Hill. They have three sons, and three little girls, adopted from China.

Dr. Barkenbus grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He obtained his college degree in psychology at Indiana University in Bloomington, and his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. He completed his residency training in Psychiatry at University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC. During his residency, Dr. Barkenbus spent time training in the UNC Neurology Department’s clinics for Memory Disorders, Movement Disorders, and Epilepsy. After residency, Dr. Barkenbus spent a year at Dorothea Dix State Hospital attending to patients with Psychotic Disorders. While there, he worked daily with psychiatry residents and medical students as an adjunct clinical professor. Dr Barkenbus’ clinical interests include cases which fall within the Neurology/Psychiatry interface such as Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke, Tourette, Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment, Parkinson, Epilepsy, and Schizophrenia. Dr. Barkenbus was an invited speaker at the June 2010 Huntington's Disease Annual Conference, and in November 2010 he became certified in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties.
Dr. Barkenbus lives in Charlotte with his wife, Sarah, and their German Shepherd Dog, Zeus.

Denisse Ambler, M.D. graduated from LSUMC School of Medicine in Shreveport, Louisiana. She completed her Psychiatric Residency and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Ambler is board certified in psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. She was an Assistant Professor at UNC Chapel Hill, and worked as an attending psychiatrist at both UNC-CH and Dorothea Dix Hospitals on the Child, Adolescent, and Clinical Research Units. She has been involved in numerous clinical trials studying autism, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders and ADHD in youth and adults.

Dr. Ambler also served as a military psychiatrist and was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She served honorably in the U.S. Army Reserve, achieving the rank of major in the medical corps. Dr. Ambler continued to work to support members of the military and their families as a subject matter specialist for the Citizen Soldier Support Program and the Governor’s Focus Group for returning veterans and their families. She maintains an appointment as an adjunct faculty member of UNC’s Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Ambler has been with NC Neuropsychiatry since June 2007.

Dr. Vaishnavi has done a Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry fellowship at Johns Hopkins University and a general psychiatry residency at Duke University. He was also in the Duke-GlaxoSmithKline Psychopharmacology Fellowship Program. He has an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). His Ph.D. was in Cognitive Science with an emphasis in cognitive neuroscience. He has also spent time in training at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.

Dr. Vaishnavi’s interests and training are in diagnosing and treating the psychiatric aspects of neurological diseases. He sees patients with various brain-based neurological disorders such as dementias, traumatic brain injury, stroke, epilepsy, brain tumor, multiple sclerosis, and movement disorders, among others. He focuses on the treatment of the mood, behavioral, and cognitive aspects of these diseases.

Dr. Vaishnavi comes to us from the Alexian Brothers Neurosciences Institute in suburban Chicago. At the institute, he was Director of Neuropsychiatry and started the Neuropsychiatry Clinic and the Neuropsychiatry Consultation Service.

Dr. Vaishnavi is board-certified in Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialities, and is also board-certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Herndon is originally from North Carolina and has an undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University. She attended UNC School of Medicine and completed psychiatry residency at UNC Hospitals. Previous positions include working for Wake County Crisis and Assessment Services and for CMC Randolph Behavioral Health in the outpatient clinic and with the Assertive Community Treatment Team. Special interests include mood disorders and ADHD.

Dr. Werner was born in New York City and raised in South Florida. She received her degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was in the Honors Program and inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Werner received her medical degree from St. George's University and completed her residency training in psychiatry at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. Werner has a particular interest in adult mood disorders, anxiety disorders and ADHD.

Dr. Tinney Railey, MD is originally from Richmond, Virginia. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and her medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. She completed her General Psychiatry residency and fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC.

During her training, Dr. Tinney Railey was involved in research with Pediatric Bipolar Disorders while also maintaining leadership roles in Graduate Medical Education. She has held positions at Wake County Crisis and Assessment Services and Dorothea Dix State Hospital. Her areas of special interest include ADD/ADHD, Autism, developmental delay disorders, and mood disorders.

Sonya Montgomery is licensed as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She has 20 years of experience as a provider in the psychiatric field. Dually certified as a Psychotherapist and Nurse Practitioner, she provides individual & group psychotherapy, prescribes medications, psychiatric evaluations, and orders/interprets diagnostic tests such as lab & imaging studies. She is also trained as a Clinical Hypnotherapist.

Her background includes 15 years as Assistant Clinical Professor at East Carolina University and the University of N.C, at Chapel Hill. She continues to stay busy as an invited lecturer for local, state and national clinical conferences.

As a clinician with N.C. Neuropsychiatry since 2004, she provides services for children, adolescents, and adults. Areas of special interest include ADD/ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety, PTSD, and pervasive developmental disorders such as Aspergers & Autism.

Carol Rodgers is a certified nurse practitioner who has been with the practice since January 2007. She has previous experience in internal medicine, family practice, and dementia care management. Her undergraduate nursing degree is from Clemson University, and after serving in the US Army as a RN, completed her Masters degree (Primary Care with a Family Practice focus) at University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1998. She is currently working on her doctoral degree with a family psychiatric focus. Ms. Rodgers believes in a holistic approach (mind, body, and spirit) for management of psychiatric conditions for children, adolescents, and adults. Her main interests include mood disorders (such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, and PTSD), ADD/ADHD, and dementia care and management.

Dr. Hervey is board certified as a neuropsychologist by the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology. He is trained in child and adult neuropsychology. He sees patients ages 5 years and older in his clinical practice. This includes many different presentations ranging from learning problems and ADHD to traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and dementia. A regular part of his practice involves Independent Medical Evaluations (IMEs) for Workers' Compensation, and in forensic settings. Dr. Hervey is consulted by plaintiff and defense attorneys in complex cases involving a variety of injuries and issues, including TBI, toxic exposure/oxygen deprivation, as well as accuracy and validity of symptom presentation. Dr. Hervey is a Lecturing Fellow in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University, and serves as a practicum supervisor for the graduate program in clinical psychology.

Dr. Hervey received his undergraduate training in psychology from the University of Virginia. He spent two years in clinical research in the area of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), before earning his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Duke University, with additional specialty training in pediatric and adult neuropsychology, and a continued research focus on ADHD. He was a clinical intern in adult and pediatric neuropsychology at the University of Arizona Medical Center, and subsequently served as a Clinical Fellow in Neuropsychology for two years at Harvard Medical School in Boston. His fellowship included rotations at Brigham Behavioral Neurology Group with an emphasis on adult evaluations, and the Psychological Assessment Center at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where he saw a variety of pediatric cases. He spent time at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the University of California at San Diego, and maintained a private practice in San Diego and Orange County until joining North Carolina Neuropsychiatry.

Lyana Nechyba, Ph.D. completed her undergraduate education at Washington University in St. Louis. In 1999, she received her doctorate at the University of Florida's Clinical Psychology program in Gainesville, FL with a major in neuropsychology. After a one-year internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD, she was employed in their Department of Neuropsychology conducting psychological testing and intervention planning for individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities, brain injuries, attentional problems or learning disabilities.

Since 2004, Dr. Nechyba has worked in North Carolina assessing children and adults for attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and learning disabilities such as dyslexia. She currently consults with two Wake County charter schools and participates in Individualized Educational Planning (I.E.P.) meetings alongside special educators. In addition, she contracts with Wake County Mental Health Crisis and Assessment Services. In 2008, Dr. Nechyba joined NC Neuropsychiatry's Raleigh office where she conducts comprehensive testing of children and adults including IQ testing, academic testing and tests of attention, memory, adaptive, behavioral and emotional functioning for diagnostic purposes and treatment recommendations.

Dr. Zukerman, a Charlotte native, is thrilled to be back in North Carolina. She completed her undergraduate training in psychology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. After serving as project coordinator for the Children’s Memory Study, she moved to Chicago and earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Loyola University Chicago, with clinical training in pediatric psychology, as well as pediatric and adult neuropsychology. Her graduate research focused on the cognitive and psychosocial effects of chronic illness across adolescence and young adulthood. She then completed a one-year clinical internship at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine, where she also received a certificate of specialty training in developmental disabilities. After her internship, Dr. Zukerman returned to Chicago to complete a 2-year ABPCN approved fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Rush University Medical Center where she saw pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients.

Dr. Zukerman specializes in the neuropsychological assessment of patients across the lifespan who are managing a variety of developmental, medical, and psychiatric problems (e.g., learning disabilities, psychiatric/somatic complaints, cerebrovascular accidents, head injury, cancer, epilepsy, memory disorders). Having spent much of her training working in medical settings, Dr. Zukerman has experience working with a number of different providers (e.g., physicians, physical/occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists), as well as parents and teachers. Therefore, she believes the goal of neuropsychological evaluations should be to provide clear diagnostic information and recommendations to patients and families, as well as to their referring/treating providers.

Sue Merrill is a physician assistant with twenty-five years of experience in medicine, currently seeing adults and children with mood and behavioral disorders. She has been with NC Neuropsychiatry since August 2005 and previously worked in Charlotte at the Behavioral Health Center. In addition to her experience in psychiatry, she has worked in women's health, internal medicine, family medicine, endocrinology and geriatrics. She received her Physicians Assistants degree from Trevecca Nazarene College in Nashville, TN in 1986.

Katherine Myers is originally from Chapel Hill, NC. She attended the University of North Carolina Charlotte and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Biology. She attended the Physician Assistant program at Cornell University in New York, NY. She has been employed by NCNP since April 2000 where she provides psychiatric services for children, adolescents, and adults. Areas of special interest include ADD/ADHD, Developmental Disabilities, TBI, anxiety, depression, and mood disorders.

Courtney Dallas is originally from Somers, NY. She attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a minor in Psychology. She worked for two years as a physical therapy aide in Mount Kisco, NY. Courtney then came to North Carolina to attend Duke University where she earned her Masters Degree through the Physician Assistant program. She started working at NC Neuropsychiatry in April of 2004.

Leslie Jade Wright, PA-C, is a board certified and state licensed Physician Assistant who joined North Carolina Neuropsychiatry in December of 2008. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science with a minor in Psychology at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Virginia. She obtained her Physician Assistant degree from Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke, Virginia and completed many of her clinicals locally. She is currently treating children and adults with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, mood disorders, schizophrenia, and developmental disabilities. She lives in Huntersville with her husband, Justin, and their boxer dog, Juno.

Stacey McDonald received her undergraduate degree from Colorado College, a master’s from Duke University and her physician assistant degree from the George Washington University Medical Center. She has been working for NC Neuropsychiatry since September 2008. She has a special interest in holistic healthcare, and is currently seeing children and adults with mood disorders, ADD/ADHD, anxiety and traumatic brain injuries.

Samantha is a physician assistant who joined us in Fall 2010. She graduated with a M.S. from Duke University’s Physician Assistant program. Prior to PA school, she worked at Duke University as a Clinical Trials Coordinator in the Gastroenterology Division. Samantha also acquired a B.S. in Animal Science with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine at University of Delaware. She became interested in human biology and went on to earn her M.S. in Physiology at University of California, Davis studying protein channels after cerebral ischemic events. Samantha is especially interested in working with children and adults with ADD/ADHD, mood disorders, TBI, and Autism.

Jennifer Boos is originally from Raleigh, NC. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. She received her Physician Assistant degree from Duke University. She has been working for NCNP since January of 2011. She provides psychiatric services for children, adolescents and adults. Her areas of special interest include ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety. She especially enjoys working with the pediatric and adolescent populations.