About Dr. Bota

Doctor Bota is a board-certified psychiatrist and a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

tms clinic

As a psychiatrist, he has a broad background in diagnosing and treating mental illness and major depressive disorder. His career has spanned both academic and private psychiatry practices. In his most recent position, he served as the director of the Medical Psychiatry Unit at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Bota has published over 60 articles and book chapters and has given over 100 presentations at national and international psychiatry conferences. In his pursuit of advanced, novel psychiatric treatments, Dr. Bota has studied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at Harvard University and at the University of South Carolina.

He started and led the first TMS program at UC Irvine and is now proud to lead BrainHealth Solutions in Costa Mesa. The focus of his clinical activities and of his patient-oriented research has always been on understanding the interplay between psychiatric illnesses and medical conditions and on developing innovative ways of addressing the whole spectrum of psychosomatic needs in patients with complex presentations. Dr. Bota now offers transcranial magnetic stimulation for his patients. To learn more about the benefits of tms therapy, or how to contact Dr. Bota, give us a call today!

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EMPLOYMENT

  • 2020 – now Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior UC Riverside
  • 2019 – now Researcher- Principal Investigator at CI Trials
  • November 2019 – now Medical Director Brain Health Solutions Inc.
  • October 2018 – 2019 Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior UC Irvine (Step 1 in 2018).
  • October 2014- 2018 Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior UC Irvine (Step 3 in 2015).
  • October 2008 – September 2014 Staff psychiatrist, Kaiser Permanente, Riverside, CA
  • October 2005 – October 2008 Staff Psychiatrist Middle Flint BHC and Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus, GA
  • August 2001- August 2005 Psychiatry Resident, Department of Psychiatry, Chief Resident for Psychiatry (2004–2005), University of Missouri at Kansas City
  • August 1999 – June 2001 Master in Social Gerontology, University of Southern California, Andrus Gerontology Center
  • September 1997 M.D. Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

License and Certification

  • 2009 Diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
  • 2008 License to practice medicine; California

Academic positions

  • ​May 2018 – Present Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior UC Irvine
  • 2016 – Present Distinguished Fellow of American Psychiatric Association
  • 2012 – 2016 Fellow of American Psychiatric Association
  • 2005 – Present Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Missouri at Kansas City

Relevant Research Summary

  • 1
    In the last 5 years Dr. Bota published over 20 papers ranging from case reports to review or clinical research, published in a variety of journals, including the Journal of Psychoncology
  • 2
    A co-onvestigator in a number of cancer trials addressing the psychiatric complications of novel chemotherapy drugs.
  • 3
    A principal investigator conducting over 10 clinical trials
  • 4
    Obtained the first approvals for two innovative studies using TMS for the treatment of depression in patients on chemotherapy and negative and positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • ​2020 – present President Orange County Psychiatric Society
  • 2018 – 2020 President-Elect Orange County Psychiatric Society
  • 2014 – 2019 Psychiatry rotation Director for chronic pain fellowship
  • 2014 – 2019 Ethics Committee Orange County Psychiatric Society
  • 2014 – 2019 Ethics Committee UC Irvine
  • 2011- 2014 Research Chair, Kaiser Permanente, Inland Empire Region
  • 2008 – 2014 Staff psychiatrist, Kaiser Permanente, Riverside, CA
  • 2007 – 2008 Co-medical Director Geriatric Psychiatry Unit (12 beds), Byromville, GA
  • 2007 – 2008 Medical Director Pinehill Nursing Home (101 beds), Byromville, GA
  • 2006 – 2007 Interim Medical Director at Middle Flint BHC and Psychiatry Department, Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus, GA
  • 2005 – 2008 Staff Psychiatrist Middle Flint BHC and Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus, GA
  • 2005 – 2014 University of Missouri at Kansas City, Assistant Professor Department of Psychiatry,
  • 2000 – 2001 University of California, Los Angeles, Staff Research Associate, Department of Psychiatry
  • 2000 – 2001 University of Southern California, Research Assistant, Psycho-Gerontology department

AREAS OF RESEARCH EXPERTISE

  • 1
    Neuromodulation: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Psychiatric Illnesses
  • 2
    Major Depressive Disorder, Anxiety, and OCD
  • 3
    Cognitive Changes and Insight
  • 4

    Interrelations between Psychiatric Illnesses and Medical Conditions

Professional Memberships

  • Member in Clinical TMS Society
  • Member in American Association for Advancement in Science
  • Member in Schizophrenia International Research Society
  • Member in American Psychiatric Association

Honors

  • Distinguished Fellow of American Psychiatric Association (2016)
  • Secretary for Orange County Psychiatric Association (2016)
  • Missouri Delegate at American Medical Association (2004-2005)
  • Edward E. Baumhardt Psychiatry Scholarship Award: Best Submitted Paper by a Senior Psychiatry Resident: “Implications of boarding home placement in patients with schizophrenia ” 2005
  • Chief Resident for Psychiatry Program at UMKC (2004-2005).
  • House Staff Council representative of psychiatry program to UMKC GME committee (2004-05).
  • Resident representative for Education and Policy Committee at WMMHC (2003-2004).
  • Outstanding Teaching Assistant award, Department of Biology, USC (April 2000).
  • University Merit Fellowship 1992-1994 at University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Bucharest, Romania