Dr. Sarpal completed his residency in psychiatry at the Zucker Hillside Hospital – Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine and is board certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Sarpal is medical director of the Services for the Treatment of Early Psychoses (STEP) Clinic at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. STEP is an outpatient clinical program for the recovery-oriented evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of people who are experiencing early symptoms of a primary psychotic illness. STEP is part of the Comprehensive Recovery Services (CRS) division of UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. Rehabilitation and recovery are central to the mission of CRS.

In addition to his work with psychotic disorders, Dr. Sarpal’s research focuses on neuroimaging, clinical biomarkers, and psychopharmacology. The primary goal of his research is to understand the neurobiology of clinical outcomes in psychiatric disorders.  

Dr. Sarpal currently holds an NIH K23 grant examining neural biomarkers of clozapine response. This work aims to examine functional circuitry that underlies successful treatment with clozapine, which may lead to the identification of biomarkers that will allow for more efficient use of clozapine, as well as additional treatment targets for patients with refractory illness. He also receives research support from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and the Pittsburgh Foundation.