Dr Charley Zeanah, MD. is the Mary Peters Sellars-Polchow Chair in Psychiatry and Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine. Trained in pediatrics, general psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Virginia, Duke University, and Stanford University - where he served as Chief Resident - Dr. Zeanah embodies the integrated clinical perspective central to the Triple Board tradition.

He is Director of the Tulane Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and has led pioneering research and clinical innovation in attachment, early adversity, and the developmental consequences of institutional care. A principal investigator on federally funded studies for more than three decades, he continues to provide leadership in the Bucharest Early Intervention Project and related initiatives in Romania examining the long-term impact of early deprivation into adulthood. His service on multiple DSM-IV and DSM-5 Task Forces and Work Groups has helped shape national diagnostic standards for young children.

Recipient of numerous lifetime achievement awards and international honors, Dr. Zeanah’s career reflects the power of integrating pediatrics and psychiatry to advance science, policy, and compassionate care for society’s youngest and most vulnerable children.

Dr. Vininder S. Khunkhun, MD is a board-certified physician in pediatrics, psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. He completed his Triple Board training at the Tulane University School of Medicine, where he developed a strong commitment to integrated, developmentally informed mental health care for children and families.

Dr. Khunkhun earned his undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross and received his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine. Following residency, he worked for two years at Mercy Behavioral Health in Pittsburgh, where he provided comprehensive psychiatric care across diverse clinical settings.

In 2015, Dr. Khunkhun returned to Tulane to develop a Day Treatment Program for children in the New Orleans area, expanding access to intensive outpatient services for youth with significant psychiatric needs. He has also worked as a consulting psychiatrist within a family health center, supporting integrated behavioral health models that bridge primary care and mental health services.

At Tulane, Dr. Khunkhun serves as Faculty Coordinator for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section and is an active member of the School of Medicine’s core Wellness Committee, reflecting his commitment to trainee development and physician well-being.

In addition to his clinical and educational roles, Dr. Khunkhun is actively engaged in research within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Tulane. His scholarly interests include systems-based models of care, integrated pediatric–psychiatric treatment, and program development for children with complex mental health needs. He is particularly interested in advancing collaborative, community-based approaches that improve access to care and clinical outcomes for vulnerable youth populations.

Nationally, Dr. Khunkhun recently joined the Systems of Care Committee within the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). He is passionate about disseminating Systems of Care principles to psychiatrists across the country, promoting coordinated, community-based, and family-centered approaches to child mental health treatment.

Dr. Sonia Malhotra is an internationally recognized physician leader in hospice and palliative medicine, serving as Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine and Director of Palliative Medicine & Supportive Care at University Medical Center New Orleans and East Jefferson Hospital.  She is on faculty at LSU and Adjunct faculty at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in Karnataka, India where she educates Indian residents in Palliative Medicine and collaborates on research.

Board certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Hospice & Palliative Medicine, she provides comprehensive, interdisciplinary supportive care to adults and children living with serious illness.

Dr. Malhotra completed her combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency at Tulane, where she served as Chief Resident, and pursued fellowship training in Adult and Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Medicine at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, earning a Master’s degree in Medical Education. She founded Louisiana’s first Pediatric Palliative Medicine program and has led the expansion of integrated inpatient consult services, outpatient supportive care clinics, inpatient hospice beds, and fellowship training programs across the Gulf South.

Her academic work focuses on improving communication in serious illness, advancing culturally responsive and equitable palliative care delivery, and strengthening medical education in primary palliative care skills. Dr. Malhotra has authored peer-reviewed publications, including scholarship in oncology and serious illness care published in journals such as JAMA Oncology, and has contributed to national and international educational initiatives to expand access to high-quality palliative medicine. Her research and program development efforts emphasize interdisciplinary team-based care, earlier integration of supportive services, and reducing disparities in access for historically underserved communities.

An award-winning educator and international leader, Dr. Malhotra serves on the Louisiana Governor’s Council on Palliative Care and is active within the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Through her clinical leadership, scholarship, and advocacy, she works to reframe palliative care as an essential, life-enhancing component of care at every stage of serious illness.