Suzanne Sampang Appointed Director, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Post Date: April 22, 2026 | Publish Date:
The board-certified physician and leader has served as interim division director since September 2024 and brings more than two decades of clinical, educational and leadership experience to the role.
Suzanne Sampang, MD, has been appointed the official director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, one of three divisions within the Mental and Behavioral Health Institute. Additionally, she is the inaugural recipient of the Michael Sorter, MD Endowed Chair of Psychiatry, supported by the Convalescent Hospital Fund for Children in memory of his passing.
The position was formerly held by the late Michael Sorter, MD, who stepped down in 2024 and sadly passed in February 2025. The national search for his replacement was led by Laurel K. Leslie, MD, MPH, director of the Mental and Behavioral Health Institute, and Sue Poynter, MD, MEd, associate chair, Academic Affairs, Department of Pediatrics.
Sampang has served as interim division director since September 2024 and brings more than two decades of clinical, educational and leadership experience to this role. She is a professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and holds an affiliate appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center in the Philippines and completed her psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at UC, where she also served as chief resident. She is board certified in both Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
A dedicated physician-leader, Sampang previously served as senior medical director for the division and as medical co-director of adolescent inpatient psychiatry. She served in an integral role on the steering committee for the William K. Schubert, MD Mental Health Center on the College Hill campus, as well as the inpatient care delivery model.
She directed the child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship training program for more than a decade and held the role of vice chair for Education at the University of Cincinnati. She also served nationally with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, shaping current and future training programs and informing national discussions on physician well-being.
Sampang’s clinical and scholarly work spans psychopharmacology, psychotherapy and systems-based care. She has led key initiatives to improve care for patients with depression, psychosis, and aggressive behaviors and contributed to innovative models such as Foundations of Care. Her work has resulted in measurable improvements in effective alternatives to crisis management in the Emergency Department, as well as patient and staff safety within inpatient settings.
Her achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including the 2025 Michael T. Sorter Faculty Leadership Award, multiple “Top Doctors” distinctions from Cincinnati Magazine, and leadership roles in community-based organizations and national medical organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association and the Children’s Hospital Association.
In her new role, Sampang will lead efforts to advance discovery, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and expand the impact of research and care in child and adolescent mental health.
- Learn more about Sampang’s research
- Read Cincinnati Children’s Mental & Behavioral Health Institute 2025 Impact Report
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The Research Horizons blog features news and insights about the latest discoveries and innovations developed by the scientists of Cincinnati Children's. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Email researchnews@cchmc.org with questions or ideas.
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