2025-26 Program Description
Day 1
Day 1 - Lecture 1:
This eye-opening lecture traces the origins of the opioid epidemic, highlighting how well-intentioned practices, misleading publications, and industry marketing fueled widespread overprescribing. Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University and Director of the Psychiatric Emergency Room at VA Connecticut, explores pivotal moments in opioid policy, clinical culture, and public health messaging that contributed to the current crisis. The talk also emphasizes the importance of risk assessment, patient education, and awareness of red flags in opioid prescribing.
Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD
graduated from the M.D. Ph.D. program at the University of Florida in 2008, adult psychiatry residency program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2012 and addiction psychiatry fellowship at Yale University in 2013. He is currently an Associate Professor and the director of the psychiatric emergency room at the VA Connecticut. Dr. Fuehrlein has a strong interest in medical student and resident education, particularly surrounding addiction psychiatry and serves on multiple local and national committees in this role. In 2017 he was awarded the Irma Bland award for excellency in psychiatry resident education through the APA. In 2018 he was awarded the Clerkship Faculty Teaching Award for Outstanding Medical Student Educator and Role Model. He is also passionate about emergency psychiatry and substance use disorders and has presented and published his work surrounding opioid use disorder in the emergency room setting. In 2019 he was inducted into the American College of Psychiatrists, an organization that recognizes excellence in clinical practice, research, academic leadership, or teaching.
You may contact Dr. Fuehrlein with your comments or questions at brian.fuehrlein@yale.edu.
Day 1 - Lecture 2:
Presented by Rachel Godsil, Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School and Co-Founder of the Perception Institute, this lecture addresses the science behind implicit bias and its impact on clinical care. Drawing on landmark studies and field data, Godsil outlines how unconscious attitudes—often shaped by societal norms—affect decision-making in ways that can perpetuate disparities in pain management, diagnosis, and communication. The session provides evidence-informed strategies for bias recognition, self-awareness, and intervention, including the BREAK and Pause Protocols. Participants will leave with tools to begin aligning their clinical practice with their commitment to treating all patients with equal concern and respect apply in practice.
Rachel Godsil, JD
is Co-Founder and Senior Research Advisor to Perception Institute and a Distinguished Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Scholar at Rutgers Law School. She collaborates with social scientists on empirical research to identify the efficacy of interventions to address implicit bias, racial anxiety, and stereotype threat. She regularly leads workshops and presentations addressing the role of bias and anxiety associated with race, ethnicity, religion, and gender, focusing on education, criminal justice, health care, and the workplace.
Rachel is on the advisory boards for Research, Integration, Strategies, and Evaluation (RISE) for Boys and Men of Color at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education, The Systemic Justice Project at Harvard Law School, and the Poverty and Race Research Action Council. Her teaching and research interests include civil rights, constitutional law, property, land use, environmental justice, and education.
You may contact Ms. Godsil with your questions or comments at rachel@perception.org
Day 1 - Lecture 3:
Adam Marks, MD, MPH, FAAHPM, Clinical Associate Professor and Faculty Ethicist at the University of Michigan, explores core ethical principles in the context of real-world end-of-life cases. This lecture examines autonomy, surrogate decision-making, and the boundaries of medical futility through a case-based lens, emphasizing practical application of ethical reasoning in complex clinical scenarios. The discussion includes legal precedents, cultural considerations, and communication strategies for navigating emotionally and ethically charged moments in patient care.
Adam Marks, MD, MPH, FAAHPM
is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. He obtained his MD and MPH at the University of Wisconsin before coming to the University of Michigan, where he completed a combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency followed by a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. In addition to working with both the adult and pediatric inpatient palliative care consult services at Michigan Medicine, he serves as Section Head of Adult Palliative Medicine. He also is a hospice physician for Elara Hospice, and since 2016 has served as a Faculty Ethicist within the Clinical Ethics Service. His clinical interests include symptom management at the end of life; clinical ethics; and effective communication around goals of care and advance care planning.
You may contact Dr. Marks with your questions or comments at adamarks@umich.edu.
Day 1 - Lecture 4:
Pediatrician R.J. Gillespie, MD, MHPE, FAAP, a national advocate for trauma-informed care and early relational health, presents a compelling, evidence-based look at how early adversity can reshape physiology, behavior, and health trajectories across the lifespan. This lecture explores the neurobiology of toxic stress, the role of supportive relationships, and practical ways providers can promote healing by integrating trauma-informed practices into everyday care.
RJ Gillespie, MD, MHPE, FAAP
is a general pediatrician with The Children’s Clinic in Portland. From 2007 through 2010 he worked as the Medical Director of Quality Improvement for the Children’s Health Alliance, and from 2010-2016 he was the founding medical director for the Oregon Pediatric Improvement Partnership. He is the co-author of The Trauma-Informed Pediatric Practice: A Resilience-Based Roadmap to Foster Early Relational Health from the AAP Press, which received Gold in the 2025 Society for Scholarly Publishing EPIC Awards. He currently conducts clinical research in parental Adverse Childhood Experiences and does training and consultation in screening and referral for trauma in pediatric practices. He has been active in multiple state and national advisory committees, most recently for the American Academy of Pediatrics Addressing Social Health and Early Childhood Wellness (ASHEW) and the Trauma Expert Leadership Team. He attended medical school at Oregon Health Sciences University, graduating in 1997, and completed his residency and chief residency at Rush Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois in 2001. He also earned a Master of Health Professions Education from University of Illinois – Chicago in 2007.
You may contact Dr. Gillespie with your questions or comments at gillespierj@gmail.com.
Day 2
Day 2 - Lecture 1:
This lecture explores the modern landscape of opioid overdose and treatment, with a focus on fentanyl, xylazine, counterfeit pills, and special populations including pregnant patients. Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University and Director of the Psychiatric Emergency Room at VA Connecticut, discusses the unique risks posed by high-potency synthetic opioids, the limitations of traditional treatment protocols, and updated strategies including high-dose or microdose buprenorphine induction. The lecture also highlights harm reduction tools and the role of language in mitigating stigma.
Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD
graduated from the M.D. Ph.D. program at the University of Florida in 2008, adult psychiatry residency program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2012 and addiction psychiatry fellowship at Yale University in 2013. He is currently an Associate Professor and the director of the psychiatric emergency room at the VA Connecticut. Dr. Fuehrlein has a strong interest in medical student and resident education, particularly surrounding addiction psychiatry and serves on multiple local and national committees in this role. In 2017 he was awarded the Irma Bland award for excellency in psychiatry resident education through the APA. In 2018 he was awarded the Clerkship Faculty Teaching Award for Outstanding Medical Student Educator and Role Model. He is also passionate about emergency psychiatry and substance use disorders and has presented and published his work surrounding opioid use disorder in the emergency room setting. In 2019 he was inducted into the American College of Psychiatrists, an organization that recognizes excellence in clinical practice, research, academic leadership, or teaching.
You may contact Dr. Fuehrlein with your comments or questions at brian.fuehrlein@yale.edu.
Day 2 - Lecture 2:
A national leader in infection prevention, Nasia Safdar, MD, PhD, MBA, Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Wisconsin, shares practical strategies to reduce healthcare-associated infections. This lecture explores targeted prevention efforts for CLABSIs, CAUTIs, SSIs, MRSA, and C. difficile, highlighting successful institutional initiatives. It also examines the complexities of implementing antibiotic stewardship, including real-world barriers and behavioral factors influencing prescribing. Attendees will learn systems-based approaches to reducing HAIs and improving patient outcomes.
Nasia Safdar, MD
is the Dr. Dennis G. Maki Endowed Faculty Fellow in the Division of Infectious Disease within the Department of Medicine and the associate dean for clinical trials at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She also holds affiliate appointments in the Department of Medicine's Division of Geriatrics, the Department of Population Health and the UW College of Engineering's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Dr. Safdar leads the department in its mission to reduce healthcare-associated infections by identifying, testing, and implementing novel interventions to reduce and prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Because of her work and research in this area, in 2017 she received a President’s Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. In 2014, she received the John Q. Sherman Award for Excellence in Patient Engagement. Dr. Safdar is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the Society of Internal General Medicine among other professional memberships. In 2019, Dr. Safdar received the Oswald Avery Award for Early Achievement that honors ISDA fellows age 45 or younger for overall outstanding achievements in infectious disease. In 2021, Dr. Safdar became an invited fellow of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and a American Society for Microbiology Distinguished Lecturer in 2023.
You may contact Dr. Safdar with your questions or comments at ns2@medicine.wisc.edu.
Day 2 - Lecture 3:
Rachel Godsil, Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School and Co-Founder of the Perception Institute, explores how cross-cultural clinical encounters can trigger unconscious anxiety that disrupts trust and communication. This lecture explores the science behind intergroup and identity anxiety and offers practical tools—like the RESET framework and positive priming—to improve interactions.
Rachel Godsil, JD
is Co-Founder and Senior Research Advisor to Perception Institute and a Distinguished Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Scholar at Rutgers Law School. She collaborates with social scientists on empirical research to identify the efficacy of interventions to address implicit bias, racial anxiety, and stereotype threat. She regularly leads workshops and presentations addressing the role of bias and anxiety associated with race, ethnicity, religion, and gender, focusing on education, criminal justice, health care, and the workplace.
Rachel is on the advisory boards for Research, Integration, Strategies, and Evaluation (RISE) for Boys and Men of Color at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education, The Systemic Justice Project at Harvard Law School, and the Poverty and Race Research Action Council. Her teaching and research interests include civil rights, constitutional law, property, land use, environmental justice, and education.
You may contact Ms. Godsil with your questions or comments at rachel@perception.org
Day 2 - Lecture 4:
This lecture outlines the core pharmacologic and behavioral treatment strategies for opioid use disorder. With detailed comparisons of full agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists—such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone—Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University and Director of the Psychiatric Emergency Room at VA Connecticut, provides a clinically focused overview of how these therapies are administered and monitored. The session also explores behavioral interventions, including contingency management and peer-support programs, offering practical insights to improve patient engagement and reduce relapse risk.
Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD
graduated from the M.D. Ph.D. program at the University of Florida in 2008, adult psychiatry residency program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2012 and addiction psychiatry fellowship at Yale University in 2013. He is currently an Associate Professor and the director of the psychiatric emergency room at the VA Connecticut. Dr. Fuehrlein has a strong interest in medical student and resident education, particularly surrounding addiction psychiatry and serves on multiple local and national committees in this role. In 2017 he was awarded the Irma Bland award for excellency in psychiatry resident education through the APA. In 2018 he was awarded the Clerkship Faculty Teaching Award for Outstanding Medical Student Educator and Role Model. He is also passionate about emergency psychiatry and substance use disorders and has presented and published his work surrounding opioid use disorder in the emergency room setting. In 2019 he was inducted into the American College of Psychiatrists, an organization that recognizes excellence in clinical practice, research, academic leadership, or teaching.
You may contact Dr. Fuehrlein with your comments or questions at brian.fuehrlein@yale.edu.