Owner of Evolve Psychiatry, Dr. Priyadarshan Bajpayi is triple Board Certified in Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. He is extensively trained in Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology. After he completed his Adult Psychiatry Residency training in Brooklyn, NY, he pursued further specialization in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the State University of New York, Brooklyn, and Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia. Dr. Bajpayi has been associated with various hospitals in NY- North Shore LIJ, NY Methodist Hospital, Long Island College Hospital, VA Northport, and South Oaks Hospital. He believes in the brain/body's ability to heal itself with proper psychiatric interventions and understands the limitations and unfortunate repercussions of only using therapy and/or medications. Dr Bajpayi works with his patients to optimize overall personal wellbeing and also uses alternative medicine approaches and has been practicing since 2001.

Iffera Zahid, PA-C has been a psychiatric provider at Evolve Psychiatry since 2021; Iffera works at our Massapequa location. Iffera completed her Bachelor's Degree with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology at SUNY Old Westbury Honors College, graduating with Summa Cum Laude distinction. Iffera then went on to complete her Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Hofstra University-Northwell Physician Assistant Program. She provides care to all ages across the lifespan; and treats a variety of psychiatric conditions such as: Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, Bipolar, other mood disorders, and more. She promotes a calm and judgement free environment to best meet the individual needs of her patients. Iffera believes strongly in patient centered care and strives to work closely with her patients to improve their mental health and overall well-being/quality of life.

Katie Madlen joined Evolve Psychiatry in 2021. She currently sees patients at the Massapequa office. A New York native, Katie is NCCPA board-certified and licensed to prescribe in New York State. She completed her undergraduate education in biological sciences from the University at Buffalo and then went on to attend graduate school for Physician Assistant studies at the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, where she graduated summa cum laude with her master’s degree in Physician Assistant studies in 2020. She has a background practicing in Women’s Health and now specializes full-time in Psychiatry with an emphasis on Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar, PTSD, ADHD, and other related mood disorders.

Alexa de la Torre has been a certified physician assistant since 2019. She received her undergraduate degree at Molloy University in Rockville Centre in 2015 followed by her Master of Science and Physician Assistant studies degree at NYIT in Old Westbury. She started her career practicing general medicine before switching specialties and working in psychiatry. She completed her psychiatry training at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, NY in 2018. Alexa strongly believes in helping people achieve their optimal health both physically and mentally by encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, as well as understanding when medication should be implemented. Alexa strives to achieve quality of life for people with mental health illnesses and is a strong advocate for mental health awareness.

Hello, I'm Eddie Balzer. As a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), I bring five years of invaluable experience in inpatient psychiatry as a registered nurse. Throughout my career, I have dedicated myself to providing compassionate care, specializing in addressing mental health needs across diverse age groups, from adolescents as young as 14 to seniors aged 90 and above. My expertise lies in offering comprehensive psychiatric assessments, developing tailored treatment plans, and delivering evidence-based interventions. I firmly believe in a patient-centered approach, fostering trust and collaboration with individuals to promote their mental well-being. Having navigated complex psychiatric cases in the inpatient setting, I've honed my skills in crisis intervention, medication management, and therapeutic interventions. My commitment to ongoing learning ensures that I stay abreast of the latest advancements in mental health care, allowing me to offer the most effective and compassionate care to my clients.

A native New Yorker and former actor/stand-up comedian, Michael Littner received his Bachelor’s Degree in Drama from Vassar College. After 10 years of braving the stages of off-Broadway and many dimly lit night clubs, he switched gears to medicine as a second career in his fourth decade. He has practiced as a physician assistant in inpatient pediatrics at the Komansky Children’s Hospital within New York Presbyterian’s Weill-Cornell Medical Center as well as the Comprehensive Stroke Center At NYU. Michael is absolutely thrilled to be working at Evolve; a practice that has wholly embraced the precept: mental health care should be accessible health care. He is also a die-hard foodie, medical pun inventor, hip-hop hobbyist, fourth-degree degree black belt in Jin Sei Ryu karate, and avid New York Times Crossword puzzle completer. He has had several narratives published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Hi, I'm Kelly Antmisiaris, a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. I joined the Evolve team with the hope of bringing my unique and personable approach to client centered care. I initially attended Sacred Heart University where I completed my Bachelor's in Psychology. Following this, I attended Molloy University where I obtained both my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing and Master's Degree as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. While obtaining both of these degrees, I worked as an Emergency Medical Technician. During my training to obtain my Nurse Practitioner Degree, I completed clinical rotations in a children's hospital where I encountered psychiatric crises and was able to adequately stabilize clients to aid their treatment in the community. I have extensive experience working with the child and adolescent/young adult population as a Registered Nurse in a Behavioral Health inpatient setting. Throughout my time as a Registered Nurse with this population, I encountered a diverse client population with unique needs. I understand that each client is individual and I bring a positive approach to a comprehensive evaluation and treatment plan. My goal is always the same, to help you feel comfortable and safe as we work to help you feel the best you can. I believe that the best treatment approach is one that is conducive and attainable to the client and those closest to the client. I believe that treatment should be in the least restrictive means while helping to get the client back to their optimal quality of life, and I am confident we can work together to achieve that for you or your loved one.

Alexis Catania is a Hofstra trained Physician Assistant. She completed both her bachelors and masters degrees in Physician Assistant studies at Hofstra University. She is currently furthering her education to obtain her Doctor of Medical Science degree at Rocky Mountain University. Through Rocky Mountain University, she also has obtained her Psychiatry Certificate in their program tailored to teaching psychotherapy and psychopharmacology to PAs. Alexis started her career as a PA in Neurosurgery/Neurocritical care, where she still works per diem. She believes that a well rounded, patient-centered approach is necessary for each individual to obtain treatment goals. Alexis works diligently with her patients to optimize all areas of their life by promoting their general wellness. She offers a judgement free, calming environment where patients are encouraged to express their needs so their treatment plan can be best tailored to them.

Jonathan Melius is a Physician Assistant who has been practicing medicine since 2010. He began his career as a Radiation Therapist treating cancer patients after attending SUNY Upstate Medical University. He later obtained a Master's Degree in Physician Assistant Studies and Clinical Psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He treats both children and adults and has a particular interest in emerging medicine/augmentation strategies. He is from upstate New York and has lived in Buffalo, Syracuse, and Philadelphia before returning to Albany, NY where he currently resides. He is married to his wife, Nicole, and has two boys, Colton and Jackson. In his spare time, he is an avid Buffalo Bills fan and enjoys exercising, being outdoors, and traveling.

Derek is a seasoned mental health professional with a career spanning over 12 years thus far that is marked by a relentless pursuit of knowledge, diverse clinical experiences, and a commitment to enhancing mental health care across the lifespan. His unique combination of degrees, licenses, certifications, and well over a decade of clinical experience specializing in psychotherapy and psychotropic medications, reflects his dedication to providing integrated and comprehensive holistic care. Derek holds dual licensure in New York State in both professional nursing and social work, licensed as a Nurse Practitioner (NP), Registered Nurse (RN), and both a master and clinical social worker (LMSW/LCSW). He also holds two ANCC board certifications in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Lifespan as both an RN (PMH-BC) and NP (PMHNP-BC). Derek spent nearly six years working as an inpatient psychiatric RN at Zucker Hillside Hospital: Northwell Health and Westchester Behavioral Health Center: New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell psychiatry, specializing in child & adolescent psychiatry. His entire career in mental health beginning with social work and then transitioning into nursing, has not only specifically focused on the complexities and extreme high need of mental health care for children & adolescents; he has also been dedicated to providing mental health care for adults, and many other populations including geriatrics, LGBTQIA+, substance use, HIV/AIDS, clinical-forensic, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and serious mental illness (SMI).

Shakaibullah Sharief, also known as Shak, is a physician assistant with competencies in mental health and family medicine. He completed his undergrad in Stony Brook University with a bachelor’s in psychology and went on to his Masters studying at Bethel University in Tennessee. He firmly believes the two pillars of proper mental health are proper medication management and regular therapy appointments. He did his clinical rotations in several places around the US, including Texas, Florida, New York, and Alaska. He was also a certified NYS EMS provider. When he isn’t treating his patients, he enjoys building computers and crafting beautiful origami set pieces.

Roshan Kurien, PA-C is one of Evolve’s newest recruit as of earlier this year. He is now currently working at the Garden City location. Roshan graduated from New York Tech with a Bachelor’s Degree in Life Sciences, and later graduated with with a Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant studies. In his free time, he is with his family and friends, goes to the gym, and eats as much KBBQ as he can. Roshan is extremely passionate about helping those who are struggling with mental illnesses, as well as confronting the stigma surrounding the topic of mental health.

Before becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, James O’Shea worked as an RN in psychiatry for 5 years at Mather Hospital. He spent 2 years working with adults and 3 years working with adolescents. He obtained both his RN and PMHNP degrees from Stony Brook School of Nursing. Prior to nursing, James worked as a special education teacher for over 10 years serving ages birth to 21.