Steven Starks, M.D., M.B.A.

Dr. Starks earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston and his medical degree from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, where he received the Dean’s Award at commencement. He then completed his residency training at Baylor University College of Medicine in Texas. In 2024, Dr. Starks began his one-year term as the Speaker of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Assembly of District Branches, following the APA’s Annual Meeting in Manhattan. Beyond his leadership role with the APA, he is board-certified in geriatric psychiatry and serves as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Houston’s Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine.

Dr. Starks is a dedicated advocate for expanding access to mental health services, particularly among minoritized communities. While completing his MBA at the Yale School of Management, Dr. Starks was named a Pozen-Commonwealth Fund Fellow in Health Equity Leadership. He also completed a fellowship year with the American Political Science Association (APSA), during which he served in the Office of the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. There, he contributed to the design and rollout of the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. Dr. Starks is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, with certifications in both psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry.