Dr. Tanious received his undergraduate degree from The College of William & Mary in Operations and Information Systems Management. He completed his medical degree at Eastern Virginia Medical School and residency in General Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine, where he served as Chief Resident. Upon graduation, he received the William P. Fisher, M.D. Award for excellence in clinical and academic performance during residency. Additionally, he completed a fellowship in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Tanious is double board certified by The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.

Dr. Tanious is actively involved in medical education, and is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at both the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Indiana University School of Medicine. He has presented at several international meetings on neuropsychiatric consequences of vitamin deficiencies, delirium, and other aspects of psychopharmacology in the medical patient. He has experience in a variety of clinical settings, having worked in acute and long-term inpatient units, outpatient therapy and psychopharmacology clinics, forensic settings, eating disorder treatment centers, as well as a psychiatric consultant in the general medical hospital.