Departmental News
COMMUNICATIONS BULLETIN
Capturing weekly announcements about our members, their latest research findings, upcoming events and other departmental news.
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Annual & Biannual Meetings
GFT Meetings
GFT Meetings for all academic faculty members are held on a biannual basis, on the first Thursday of April and the first Thursday of October.
Advisory Meetings
Advisory Meetings for members of the Advisory Committee are held on a biannual basis, on the first Thursday of May and the first Thursday of November.
Events
The UBC Department of Psychiatry organises multiple educational events, including grand rounds, lectures, and the annual departmental research day. Other educational activities relevant to psychiatry are available through the Faculty of Medicine, the Office of Faculty Development, and the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health.
Frames of Mind: A Monthly Mental Health Film Series
A current focus of the Department’s Public Education program is a mental health film series called “Frames of Mind“. Its goal is to promote community education of issues pertaining to mental health and illness. This ongoing series consists of a once-a-month evening screening of a feature length dramatic film or documentary followed by an informal presentation related to the mental health issue depicted in the film. Speakers and panelists range from psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to representatives from mental health community-based and nonprofit organizations, cinema experts and mental health consumers and their family members. A moderated discussion concludes each evening, with full audience participation encouraged.
Other aspects of the series – now in its twenty-first year – include its rotating co-sponsorship by relevant community advocacy organizations and its ongoing evaluation by those who attend. To date, topics ranging from depression to schizophrenia to autism have now been successfully presented to over 20000 attendees. Please see the website.
Screenings are generally held at 7:00pm on the third Wednesday evening of each month at the Pacific Cinematheque Theatre, 1131 Howe Street.
UBC Mood Disorder Rounds
Held the second Wednesday of the month, next rounds will feature the following guest speaker: Dr. Raymond Lam, June 11.
Date(s): Wednesdays, June 11, 2025
Time: 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Title: ‘Update on Light Therapy for Depressive Disorders’
Format: On Zoom
JUNE 11: Dr. Raymond Lam is Professor and BC Leadership Chair in Depression Research in the Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), and the Associate Head for Graduate and Undergraduate Education in the UBC Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Lam is also Co-Director of the Mood Disorders Centre Research, Education, Awareness and Care Hub (MDCreach) at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health in Vancouver. Dr. Lam will present an update of the clinical evidence for bright light therapy in seasonal and nonseasonal depressive disorders and summarize the findings for a biological mechanism(s) of action, including via effects of light on circadian rhythms or on neurotransmitters.
Learning Objectives – At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:
- Summarize the evidence base for light therapy in seasonal and other types of depression.
- Compare the evidence for and against a chronobiological mechanism for light therapy as an antidepressant.
- List the procedure for using light therapy in clinical practice.
Contact: To attend the Rounds and receive the Zoom link, email kaitlin.vandewater@ubc.ca.
Mood Disorders Challenging Case Rounds
Hosted by the Mood and Anxiety Program and held the fourth Wednesday of the month, these rounds offer a collaborative space for clinicians and trainees to seek guidance on complex and challenging mood disorder cases. Participants may present a full case or a focused clinical query, receiving feedback from the core specialists of the UBC Mood Disorders Centre and attending departmental members. Learn more…
Date(s): Wednesdays, February 26, March 26 and April 23, 2025
Time: 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Format: On Zoom
Contact: To attend the Rounds and receive the Zoom link, email kaitlin.vandewater@ubc.ca.
Annual Department Research Day
This meeting highlights research achievements of the UBC community both in basic and clinical neuroscience. Emphasis is placed on findings with direct clinical relevance.
SAVE THE DATE
The Annual Departmental Research Day will take place Thursday June 5, 2025.
Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds and other continuing professional development (CPD) events occur regularly at all the teaching hospitals.