Sibel Klimstra, MD is the Director of Residency Training in Geriatric Psychiatry, Associate Vice Chair for Graduate Medical Education at Payne Whitney Westchester, and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry. She is also Director of Medical Student Education for the Westchester Division. She is the Associate Director for the Westchester Division?s Specialized Practice for Older Adults and the Associate Director for Weill-Cornell?s Medical Student Psychiatry Clerkship.

Dr. Klimstra graduated summa cum laude from Barnard College, Columbia University with a BA degree, majoring in Biopsychology. She received her MD degree from Yale University School of Medicine in 1988, and stayed at Yale for her adult psychiatry residency, becoming Chief Resident and receiving the Laughlin Fellow Merit Award in 1992. She also completed a PGY-V fellowship year in geriatric psychiatry at Yale University with J. Craig Nelson, MD.

After training, she came to the Westchester Division due to its renowned geriatric psychiatry program, headed by George S. Alexopoulos, MD. She has remained there ever since, establishing clinical research interests in geriatric psychopharmacology, depression, and dementia. Currently, she is an Investigator on several NIMH-funded research grants involving the prevention of geriatric depression and the prevention of suicide in the elderly. She is an author of papers published in the prestigious geriatric psychiatry journals, the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Most recent publications include ?Continuation Treatment of Delusional Depression in Older Adults?(American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry) ?Executive Dysfunction and Disability in Elderly Patients with Major Depression? (American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry).

In the year 2003-2004, Dr. Klimstra served as Acting Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry for Weill-Cornell Medical College and in 2005 was appointed Associate Clerkship Director for the Medical Student Psychiatry Clerkship. She is an oral board examiner for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and teaches oral board examination courses to the residents and fellows. She has received the Faculty Teacher of the Year Award from the psychiatry residents in 2001, an Excellence in Teaching Award from Weill Medical College of Cornell University in 2002 and the Teacher of the Year Award from the geriatric psychiatry residents in 2005.

Office #: (914) 997-5807