Medical CV

Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Reef Karim

Medical Physician
Board Certified Psychiatrist
Board Certified Addiction Medicine Physician
Relationship Therapist

BUSINESS ADDRESS:

Reef Karim
P.O. Box 7218
Santa Monica, CA 90406

EDUCATION:

Undergraduate – BS:  University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign; Broadcast-Journalism, Biology
Medical School – DO:  University of Kansas City College of Medicine, Cum Laude
Medical Internship:  Internal Medicine/Neurology/Psychiatry – UCLA Center for Health Science
Residency:  Psychiatry – UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
Fellowship:  Addiction – UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior

LICENSURE:

State of California

BOARD CERTIFICATION:

Psychiatry: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

BOARD CERTIFICATION:

Addiction: American Board of Addiction Medicine

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

06/2003-Present

UCLA SEMEL INSTITUTE FOR NEUROSCIENCE AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR,
ASSISTANT CLINICAL PROFESSOR, SENIOR ATTENDING PHYSICIAN, OUTPATIENT ADDICTION MEDICINE CLINIC ATTENDING PSYCHIATRIST & ADDICTION SPECIALIST (with Privileges)

Treatment provider for patients seen at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience who are plagued with chemical (alcohol, heroin, meth, cocaine, prescriptions) and/or behavioral addictions (sex, gambling, shopping addiction, etc.) as well as mood/anxiety disorders, ADHD, OCD, eating disorders, chronic pain, sleep disorders, physical/mental trauma and mind-body changes. Many patients have a co-morbid mental health disorder. Medication management, psychotherapy, evidence based medicine. Supervise residents, fellows and medical students & lecture staff.

06/2009- Present

THE CONTROL CENTER: BEVERLY HILLS
FOUNDER, DIRECTOR
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA
PRIVATE PRACTICE PHYSICIAN (Since 2003)

Director and Founder of The Lumion Center: Beverly Hills. The center focuses on treating chemical dependency, mental health disorders and behavioral addictions (gambling addiction, sex addiction, food addiction, shopping addiction, videogame addiction, etc.) Additional programs include: Relationship Therapy, Family Therapy & Co-Occurring Disorders. Work with mood (depression, bipolar), anxiety disorders, ADHD and chemical substance use disorders.  Well trained in both psychotherapy and psychopharmacology;

Additionally trained in couples/relationship therapy
Specialty in co-occurring disorders;  Buprenorphine Certified 2003

06/2003 – Present

PRIVATE PRACTICE PSYCHIATRIST
MOOD DISORDERS, ANXIETY DISORDERS, ADHD, RELATIONSHIP THERAPY

Beverly Hills private practice psychiatrist working with patients plagued by overwhelming impulses, anger, stress or mood instability. Worked individually with patients and in a group setting. Utilized techniques to diffuse impulses, anger and stress including: relaxation techniques, work with cognitive distortions, substitution techniques, medication management, etc.

06/2006 – 06/2008

WONDERLAND RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER – LAUREL CANYON
MEDICAL CONSULTANT & ADVISOR

Psychiatrist, Addiction Specialist and Co-Occuring Disorder specialty advisor at the Wonderland Residential Treatment Center in Laurel Canyon / Hollywood.  Duties include: Detoxification, acute crisis stabilization, medication management, psychiatric diagnostic classification, addiction treatment, mental health treatment advisor and lecturing on cutting edge treatments in medicine.

06/2002-06/2004

UCLA NEUROPSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE
COVERING INPATIENT ATTENDING PSYCHIATRIST
PSYCHIATRIC PHYSICIAN TRAINER – DOCTORING PROGRAM
CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR (w/ Privileges)

Part-time covering inpatient physician for A-west, A-south inpatient psychiatric wards.  Managed team, supervised residents, teaching.  Led clinical care team with complicated patients with psychiatric illness.

Providing clinical care as an attending physician to overflow inpatient psychiatric patients and general/addiction psychiatry outpatients (supervising residents) at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. The scope of diagnoses seen in an inpatient and outpatient setting include: impulse control disorders (sexual addiction, gambling addiction, kleptomania, internet addiction) as well as chemical addictions, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, phobias, etc.  Additionally, gave lectures on various topics to physicians (rounds), mental health practitioners and substance abuse practitioners; lecture topics include:  Dual Diagnosis, Spirituality and Addiction; Mood Disorders, Media and Addiction/Mental Illness; Creativity and Mental Health; Club Drugs and The Rave Scene; Behavioral Addictions, New Advances in Addiction Treatment, Alcohol Withdrawal.  Additionally, teach medical students on how to perform a good psychiatric examination.

05/2000-05/2001

LA SHERIFF’S DEPT/ TWIN TOWERS JAIL SYSTEM
FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIC PHYSICIAN

Worked in the ER inmate reception center and the innovative inpatient pilot program at
LA county twin towers jail facility. Became highly skilled in malingering and psychological profiling.  Developed strong interviewing skills in a forensic format and applied skills in a forensic setting. Developed effective crisis intervention techniques in the criminal population.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITES:

  1. Entertainment Industry Council (Mental Health Advocacy) – National Speaker & Consultant
  2. Mental Health America (National Press Club – DC) – Speaker & Host
  3. National Council on Problem Gambling – Member
  4. Depression Is Real Coalition – Medical Consultant & Advisor
  5. “Private Practice” Television Show (ABC) – Primary Medical Consultant
  6. Alkermes & Cephalon Pharmaceuticals – National Healthcare Liaison & Advisor
  7. “Down & Up” National Depression Campaign – Weekly Podcast Host
  8. Reckitt Benkeiser – Speakers Bureau (Buprenorphine)
  9. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals – Speakers Bureau (Chantix)
  10. Feature Films “Thirteen” “Laurel Canyon” “Lords of Dogtown” – Technical Medical Advisor
  11. Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health – Member
  12. American Psychiatric Association – Member
  13. American Society of Addiction Medicine – Member
  14. Indian Health Service (I.H.S) Physician/Trainee – Trained w/ Shaman & Western Medicine
  15. International Medical Training – Central Turkey – Trained w/ Sufi Physician, Rural Medicine

HONORS AND SPECIAL AWARDS:

THOMAS UNGERLEITER ADDICTION MANUSCRIPT AWARD  (2002)
For best manuscript on addiction and public policy

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB NATIONAL RESIDENT AWARD RECIPIENT (1998)
Awarded to 12 top national residents in Public and Community Psychiatry per year

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICIAN BROADCASTERS AWARD RECIPIENT(1996)
Awarded to individuals who excel in the dissemination of medical information in the media

SIGMA SIGMA PHI NATIONAL HONORARY (1996)
Academic/Leadership-top 15% Medical School

LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS:

  1. Master the Madness: Unleashing The Real You
  2. Gender Games: The Science of Connection
  3. American Pain
  4. Spirituality: The Anti-Pill
  5. Advanced Recovery: Beyond Stabilization
  6. Fame Addiction: The New Epidemic
  7. Selfie Syndrome: Is Fame Addiction A Growing Trend?
  8. Neuroscience, Spirituality & Addiction (CSAM Plenary 2010, Sierra Tuscon / Matrix 2004-8)
  9. Drugs, Pop Culture & Partying (Not my Kid Foundation, National Gala, 2010)
  10. The Science of Self-Control – Out of Control Behaviors: Sex, Gambling, Shopping, Food (Cedars Grand Rounds, 2010, CSAM 2009, UCLA, 2009)
  11. The Science of Dating; Dating & The Brain (SASH Conference National Speaker 2009)
  12. The Psychology of Professional Athletes: 2011 OOCAS National Conference
  13. Detoxification: Opiates An Overview (California Association of Toxicologists 2008)
  14. Celebrities & Addiction (Plenary Speaker, California Society of Addiction Medicine, 2010)
  15. Depression in America: A Statewide Breakdown (National Press Club, D.C.) 2008
  16. Club Drugs – The Emerging Subculture (UCLA – 2012)
  17. The Biological Perspectives of Dual Diagnosis (Dept. Mental Health & UCLA) 2002-2005
  18. Psychology Goes To The Movies (UCLA Psychology & Film Depts.) 2002-2006
  19. Beyond Stabilization: The Neuroscience of Personal Development

JOURNAL ARTICLES & RESEARCH:

Reef Karim
UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Los Angeles, CA, USA

  1. Karim R, Chaudhri, P. Behavioral Addictions: An Overview. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs,
    44: 5-17, 2012
  2. Karim, R, Adolescent Behaviors Out of Control: An Introduction to Adolescent Residential Treatment. Clinical Handbook of Adolescent Addiction. Wiley-Blackwell (2013) Chapter 31; p301-306
  3. Reid, R. C., Carpenter, B. N., Gilliland, R., & Karim, R. Problems of self-concept in a patient sample of hypersexual men with ADHD. Journal of Addiction Medicine (2010)
  4. Reid, R. C., Karim, R., McCrory, E., Carpenter, B. N.; Self-reported differences on measures of executive function and hypersexual behavior in a patient and community sample of men.
    International Journal of Neuroscience. (2009)
  5. Karim R, Newton, T, Wells, K. (in preparation). The role of the public service announcement in drug abuse education;  To educate or entertain?  A critical review.
  6. Reid R., Karim R., Li, Lopez, Parhami, Collard, Fong; Exploring Facets of Personality & Escapism in Pathological Gamblers. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions (2010)
  7. Reid, R., Li, D., Gilliland, R., Stein, J., Fong, T., Karim, R. Reliability, Validity, and Psychometric Development of the Pornography Consumption Inventory in a Sample of Hypersexual Men.
    Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 37: 1-27, 2011

EXPERT WITNESS CONSULTATION

  1. New York Superior Court; Yates vs. Yates Alcohol Dependence, Sex Addiction, Impulse Control.
    Wernike Korsakoff Assessment; Research, Document Evaluation, Comprehensive Evaluation,
    Court Expert Witness Testifying, Evaluation of medical and psychological records.
  2. California State Court 95: Mental Health Court Multiple case evaluations, research, reports, testifying.
    Psychotic Disorders, Substance Induced Psychosis, Malingering, Bipolar Disorder,
    Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, ADHD, PTSD, Chemical Dependency,
    Behavioral Addictions (sex, gambling, etc.)
  3. California State Court 95 Addiction Based Forensic Cases – Mental Health Court
    Stimulant, Opiate, Cannabis, Alcohol & Prescription Pill intoxication & withdrawal & cognitive effects expert testimony.

Right click to download Dr. Reef Karim’s Medical CV (pdf)

Close ()