The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology recently welcomed Jonathan Reid Black, M.D., as an assistant professor.
Jonathan Reid Black, M.D.
Black attended medical school at the University of Mississippi, where he also completed his undergraduate studies in biochemistry and philosophy. He then came to UAB for his residency, which he completed in July 2025.
Black said he hopes to inspire future psychiatrists while also being an advocate for patients.
Black shares insight into his professional background, what inspired his career in psychiatry, and what excites him most about stepping into the role of assistant professor.
Can you share your professional background and experiences prior to joining our institution?
Black: Before joining UAB as faculty, I completed the General Adult Psychiatry Residency, Research Track at UAB, where I served as both Chief Resident and Chief Research Track Resident. I then completed a fellowship in Consultation-Liaison (CL) Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center.
What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
Black: I was drawn to psychiatry as a philosophy student in college when I was working through my own questions about how meaning shapes a life. Psychiatry seemed to be a fulfilling profession where you could help people to ease their suffering and live with purpose, including existential suffering that can be hard to reach. Consultation-liaison psychiatry was a natural extension of this field, since you work with people who are struggling with illnesses that shape their lives and sense of self. CL also keeps me close to general medicine, which I love.
What is your primary area of expertise within your field, and what sparked your passion for it?
Black: I am very interested in how circadian biology – and circadian dysfunction – shapes illness and experience of illness. Dr. Karen Gamble, a chronobiologist in the Department of Psychiatry, became my research mentor during residency. She has taught me so much about chronobiology, which affects basically every process in the body!
What aspects of your new role here are you most excited about?
Black: I’m excited to work with many different teams – we have so many amazing medical services, physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals at UAB. I’m also looking forward to leading a team of learners and sharing knowledge about general and CL psychiatry. I also look forward to reconnecting with my research mentor, who is a circadian biologist, and working with her to develop new areas of scholarship.
What are your goals for making an impact through both your teaching and patient care in this role?
Black: I hope to inspire medical students and residents to get curious about the interface between the mind and the body and how our patients experience themselves in relation to their bodies over time. I hope to be a positive presence and an advocate for our patients.