Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., named APA president‐elect

Abstract

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) announced Feb. 15 the election of Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., as the medical society's next president‐elect. Dr. Levounis is the first openly gay psychiatrist elected to the presidency of the APA. He is a professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and associate dean for professional development at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He is also the chief of service at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. He currently serves on the Psychiatric News Editorial Advisory Board, and he has also served as vice chairperson of the APA Publishing Editorial Board and member and vice chairperson of the Council on Addiction. Among Dr. Levounis' priorities as APA president is to expand the workforce through building more residencies and developing innovative career pathways for young psychiatrists, fight for parity in reimbursement of clinical services on par with other medical specialties and amplify the psychiatrist's voice on critical social issues, such as systemic racism, homophobia and climate change. Dr. Levounis' term as president‐elect of the APA will begin this May at the conclusion of the APA annual meeting, when current President‐Elect Rebecca Brendel, M.D., J.D., begins her one‐year term as president.