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As we wrap up the year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the entire Mailman Center community, including families, staff, partners, trainees, and supporters. Thank you for the dedication, compassion, and collaboration you bring to our mission every day. We wish you a joyful, restful, and meaningful holiday season and look forward to continuing our work together in the new year.
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Mailman Center New Member Spotlight
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Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Felicia Gallucci is a board-certified psychiatrist and child and adolescent psychiatrist, and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She completed her general psychiatry residency at the Carilion Clinic–Virginia Tech School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Jackson Health/University of Miami. Dr. Gallucci’s clinical and research interests center on expanding access to care for underserved populations, including individuals with eating disorders, perinatal women, youth in school-based settings, and children with special health care needs.
Click here to read more
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Research Associate Professor of Psychology
Dr. Yanerys León is a Research Associate Professor in the University of Miami Department of Psychology. She serves as Assistant Chair of Academic Affairs for the department and Director of Applied Research and Professional Learning at UM’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. She is also the Director of the Learning and Behavior, Research and Training lab. In the context of these roles, she oversees two clinical research programs that provide focused behavioral intervention to individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
Click here to read more
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The Best Day for Dave
Members of the Mailman Center joined hundreds of community leaders, child advocates, and colleagues to celebrate “The Best Day for Dave” on December 3, 2025 to honor David Lawrence, Jr. Mr. Lawrence, an advisor to the Mailman Center’s Emerging Transformational Leadership Program (ETLP) since its beginning, retired as publisher of the Miami Herald and a distinguished career in journalism and publishing to become the most impactful advocate for early childhood education in Florida. In retirement, he led the effort to pass a Florida constitutional amendment making voluntary preschool education universal in the state, led the establishment and subsequent reauthorization of The Children’s Trust in Miami-Dade County, and then established and leads The Children’s Movement of Florida. The Mailman Center is proud to be able to share in this celebration of someone who embodies our vision of improving lives through innovation, impact, and connection. Thanks, Dave!
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Abaco Youth Voices for Mental Health and Wellbeing Mini Conference
Dr. Delamater and Dr. Pulgaron were invited by the UM Global Institute to present at the “Abaco Youth Voices for Mental Health and Wellbeing” Mini-Conference on November 14, 2025. This was a full day event with over 200 youth present and engaged in learning about mental health. It was a wonderful experience and opportunity to share their expertise in psychology and learn from youth in the Bahamas on what their needs and perspectives are regarding mental health.
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National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference
Dr. Austin Garilli, along with Dr. Anabel Espinosa from the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, presented "From Insight to Impact: Leveraging Assistive Technology Professional Development for Preschool Excellence in Inclusive Practice" at the 2025 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference. The session highlighted how the Step Up AT program and ELCMDM partnered to strengthen inclusion through accessible, evidence-based professional development on assistive technology. Their presentation connected federal inclusion policy, practical coaching models, and the state’s potential new professional development requirements for early learning centers around inclusion. Step Up AT is directed by Dr. Michelle Schladant.
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Pediatric Sickle Cell Program
Sharayne Douglas is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with experience in child, adolescent, and family mental health across school, private-practice, and community settings. She specializes in anxiety, trauma, emotional regulation, and parent–child communication. Sharayne brings a warm, evidence-based, and culturally responsive approach to her work. A proud graduate of Florida A&M University, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology before completing her master’s degree at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading and all things beauty.
Sharayne is joining the Department of Pediatrics, where she will provide high-quality mental health services and collaborative care to pediatric patients through the University of Miami Lifespan Sickle Cell Program.
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A new multidisciplinary outpatient Eating Disorders (ED) program has launched to address a critical gap in care in South Florida, where no such outpatient services currently exist. Given the high medical risks associated with EDs, this program aims to increase access to timely, coordinated, and high-quality treatment. The clinic integrates Medicine-Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine, Pediatric GI, Psychiatry, and Psychology, supported by monthly multidisciplinary meetings to ensure seamless care coordination. Standardized intake packets and screening measures will guide evaluation and prioritization of patient needs. Through this collaborative care model, we aim to improve patient outcomes while increasing access to high-quality coordinated care for individuals with eating disorders.
If you or someone you know is seeking eating disorder-related resources, please call 305-243-0214 (option 4) to request an intake appointment with the clinic.
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Dr. Pulgaron was elected as the School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) chair for Miami-Dade County the 2025-2026 school year. Dr. Sukkar was elected as co-chair for this year and together they will lead the committee that advises the school district on student health issues.
Pictured is Dr. Pulgaron with School Health Advisory Committee Chair predecessors Dr. Hernandez and Megan Hartman Diaz.
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Complex Care Journal Club Podcast
Simran Prakash, MS4 (MD/MPH), led a national study examining medical students’ perceptions of disability healthcare needs and preparedness to care for patients with disabilities. The project surveys DO, MD, and dual-degree students across the United States to evaluate gaps in disability educational attitudes towards providing care, and confidence in adapting the physical exam and history. The study aims to identify actionable areas for curricular reform and to inform the development of disability-inclusive training interventions. Simran recently discussed the motivation, preliminary findings, and broader implications of this work on the Complex Care Journal Club podcast episode, "Practice-Changing Research in Complex Care at the AACPDM Annual Meeting 2025".
Click here to watch the Complex Care Journal Club podcast
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Speaker: Magdalena Romanowicz, MD
In this session, Dr. Romanowicz presented an innovative approach to early intervention by integrating Artificial Intelligence into Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The AI tools deliver real-time feedback and predictive insights to strengthen treatment fidelity and enhanced parent engagement. She reviewed findings from a randomized trial showing that AI-augmented PCIT improved adherence and accelerated skill acquisition compared to standard PCIT, without compromising the therapeutic alliance. This model offered promising opportunities to scale evidence-based care and improved outcomes for children at risk of disruptive behavior disorders.
Click here to watch
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Calendar of Upcoming Events
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