Who We Are

Leadership

Kristina Sowar, MD

Associate Professor

Program Director, General Psychiatry Residency

Director, Resident and Fellow Wellness, Office of Professional Well-being

Medical Director, Eating Disorder Clinic - UNM

I am excited and grateful to serve as Program Director for the General Psychiatry Residency Program!  I am from Colorado, but completed my training here at UNM - both General and Child/Adolescent Psychiatry.  My clinical work spans multiple realms - inpatient Child Psychiatry, ECT, Emergency Psychiatry, and clinical care for individuals with eating disorders.  I am quite passionate about education, and so much enjoy working with our great faculty and residents here!  Prior to stepping into this role, I was the Program Director for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship.  We are proud of this program, and eager to continue in growth and evolution in the time to come!

Caitlin Armijo, MD

Assistant Professor

Associate Program Director, Mental Health Center Outpatient Clinics, focus on PGY 3 & 4 

Medical Director, COPE Clinic Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR), and Comprehensive Community Support Services (CCSS)

President of the Psychiatric Medical Association of New Mexico

I am the medical director of the UNM COPE clinic, an adult outpatient clinic focused on primary psychotic disorders. I am also the medical director of PSR (Psychosocial Rehabilitation) and CCSS (Comprehensive Community Support Services) at UNM. I am very passionate about medical education and have several roles teaching medical students at the school of medicine. I completed all my training at UNM and am a proud graduate of the UNM psychiatry residency program (class of 2020). I am very excited about my new role as an associate program director and the opportunity to work with our third-and fourth-year psychiatry residents.

Jose A Canaca, MD

Assistant Professor

Associate Program Director, Rural and Community Psychiatry

Medical Director, Telebehavioral Health and ECHO Latin American

I currently serve as the associate program director for the general psychiatry residency program, and as the medical director for telebehavioral health. I am highly involved with rural communities across the state and enjoy developing rural/community experiences for the residents. I am grateful to have completed my training at the University of New Mexico because it gave me the necessary tools to serve people who suffer from mental illnesses.

Katherine Kilgore, MD

Assistant Professor

Associate Program Director, focus on PGY 2

Lead Psychiatrist for Residents/Fellows, Office of Professional Well-being

Attending Psychiatrist, START and Psychotherapy clinics

I recently joined the residency leadership team as an associate program director (APD) with an emphasis on mentorship of trainees and expanding the psychotherapy and didactics curriculum. I joined the faculty at UNM in 2021 after completing my residency training in Adult Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital in Boston, MA. In addition to my role as an APD, I work with residents in the outpatient clinics, have my own clinic in START seeing patients with mood, anxiety, trauma and personality disorders and am in the Office of Professional Well-Being where I serve as the psychiatrist caring for residents and fellows throughout UNM (excluding our psychiatry trainees). I enjoy teaching and mentorship and also derive much pleasure from my clinical work with patients.

Amanda Valone, DO

Clinical Assistant Professor

Associate Program Director, VA, focus on PGY 1

Psychiatrist, VA Albuquerque Medical Center, focus on outpatient care and coordination

I recently started as an associate training director at the VA. I am board certified in General Psychiatry and was primarily working in outpatient mental health at the VA prior to starting this role. I also was chief resident at the VA my 4th year at UNM for the General Psychiatry Residency. I am looking forward to working with residents again and hope to continue to improve the program and ensure that residents have a great experience while working at the VA. I also look forward to teaching again; working that the VA, will give me helpful experience with PTSD and the geriatric population