Areas of Expertise
Addiction Psychiatry
Mood Disorders
Women’s Mental Health
Academic Psychiatry
Eliminating the Stigma of Mental Illness
Promoting Mental Health
Biography
In addition to overseeing the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Dr. Patricia Junquera provides clinical psychiatric services at the FIU Health Faculty Group Practice on FIU’s main campus.
Dr. Junquera spearheaded the clinic’s use of new and alternate treatments for patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD) who have not responded to two or more prior trials of antidepressant medications. These include repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive, FDA-cleared treatment for TRD using magnetic brain stimulation, and the soon-to-be offered Spravato, a fast-acting nasal spray used in addition to oral medications, also approved for patients suffering from depression with suicidal thoughts.
Dr. Junquera has extensive experience as a clinician. She served as medical director for the Detox Unit and senior psychiatrist in the Emergency Department at Jackson Behavioral Health, and later as medical director for behavioral health for Miami-Dade Correctional facilities.
Her academic credentials include serving as the Founding Program Director for the Citrus Health Network-FIU Psychiatry Residency Program, and academic director of the Miami VA outpatient clinic. She was also part of the consult liaison team that developed the psychiatric rotation for the medical residency program at Mount Sinai Medical Center on Miami Beach.
Research Interests
- 2022-present A Multicenter Phase 3 study on the Assessment of safety and efficacy of Exablate Low intensity Focused Ultrasound to open the Blood Brain Barrier in Alzheimer’s Patients, 2021-2026. Project no. 800015804. PI at FIU/ Baptist Health, Patricia Junquera, MD Co PI Michael McDermott, MD.
- 2021-present Using rTMS for Depression. Adjouadi M (PI), Junquera P, Carcache L, Cabrerizo M, Rojas N, Castellanos D (Co-PI). Miami, Fl. National Science Foundation. Award # 800011212
See research publications and more on FIU Discovery.
Honors & Awards
Outstanding educator of the Year 2021-2022
Top Psychiatrist, Latino’s Who’s Who, 2019
Junior Teaching Award, University of Miami, 2012
Woman Extraordinaire, Business Leader, 2011
Junior Teaching Award, University of Miami, 2010
Special Care Award, Veterans Administration, 2009
Senior Teaching Award, University of Miami, 2009
Education
Fellowship, Geriatric Psychiatry, Jackson Memorial Hospital and Affiliated Hospitals, Miami, FL
Residency Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Jackson Memorial Hospital and Affiliated Hospitals, Miami, FL
M.D., Universidad Autonoma de Ciencias Médicas de Centro America, San José, Costa Rica
BHS, Universidad Autonoma de Ciencias Médicas de Centro America, San José, Costa Rica
B.A. Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida