Departmental Sites, Divisions & Programs

Departmental Sites

Map of health authorities in BC

Departmental Divisions

Across sites, the UBC Department of Psychiatry is organized into 6 Divisions, each including specialist research groups and clinical programs:

Division Head: Dr. Roberto Sassi

Roberto Sassi

Programs:

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Co-Heads:

UBC Psychiatry
Dr. Katherine Edwards
UBC Psychiatry
To be confirmed

Neurodevelopmental disorders, including Autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and Intellectual Disability, affect individuals across the spectrum of life. Members of the program focus research and clinical care on managing complex behavioural challenges and co-occurring psychiatric conditions, while working to reduce healthcare barriers through community engagement and advocacy. The team’s recent research has advanced understanding of aggression management and perioperative care strategies for this unique patient population.

Division Head: Dr. Emlene Murphy

Division Head: Dr. Ashok Krishnamoorthy

Programs:

Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

Co-Heads:

Dr. Julius Elefante
Dr. Anyssa Shakeri

Working at the intersection of psychiatry and medicine, the program specializes in managing psychiatric symptoms that emerge during medical and surgical hospitalizations. The team provides expert consultation across affiliated hospitals while developing innovative approaches such as specialized delirium clinics and telepsychiatry services. Recent research initiatives have advanced understanding of crucial areas including ICU delirium, post-intensive care syndrome, and psychiatric care in HIV/AIDS and methamphetamine-associated conditions.

Division Head: Dr. Randall White

Programs:

Social and Cultural Psychiatry

Co-Heads:

Dr. Hiram Mok
Dr. Jaswant Guzder

Addressing the unique mental health needs of British Columbia’s diverse populations, including Indigenous peoples, refugees, and immigrant communities, this program integrates cultural expertise with psychiatric care. The team provides culturally-safe clinical services while developing innovative approaches to reduce barriers, improve access to mental health support and develop collaborative cultural consultation with community stakeholders. Through research and education, the program advances understanding of cultural resilience, wellbeing, and therapeutic adaptations, with particular attention to the needs of BIPOC populations.


Psychotherapy

Co-Heads:

John Ogrodniczuk
Dr. John Ogrodniczuk
Dr. Jaeyun Yoo

The program oversees psychotherapy training for UBC’s psychiatry residents across British Columbia, ensuring excellence in postgraduate education and clinical supervision. Members conduct innovative research exploring the effectiveness of various therapeutic approaches, from psychodynamic to cognitive-behavioural interventions, in different treatment formats. Through continuing education events and specialized resources, the program advances psychotherapy practice across multiple disciplines and healthcare settings.


Reproductive Mental Health

Co-Heads:

Dr. Deirdre Ryan
UBC Psychiatry
Dr. Jasmina Kobiljski

The program provides specialized mental health care for women during pregnancy and the postpartum period, with psychiatrists collaborating across British Columbia’s health authorities. Members advance evidence-based treatments through complex case discussions and are working with BC Women’s Hospital leadership toward establishing the province’s first in-patient Stabilization Unit for women with perinatal mental health and substance use disorders. Research initiatives explore mindfulness interventions for new parents, medication decision-making in pregnancy, and long-term developmental outcomes in children.


Schizophrenia

Co-Heads:

Dr. Mahesh Menon
UBC Psychiatry
Dr. Nicolas Ramperti

Spanning early intervention to tertiary care, the program creates a collaborative network of clinicians and researchers specializing in psychosis and schizophrenia across British Columbia. The team advances evidence-based practices in pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions while maintaining a comprehensive research program in neuroimaging, genetics, and cognitive studies. A key initiative includes developing a participant database to connect individuals with novel treatments and interventions while supporting research advancement.

Division Head: Dr. Christian Schütz

Christian Schütz

Division Head: Dr. Timothy Murphy

Timothy H. Murphy

Programs:

Interventional Brain Medicine

Co-Heads:

Dr. Fidel Vila-Rodriguez
UBC Psychiatry
Dr. Christin Fabriel-Lecler

Interventional Brain Medicine (IBM) is a neuroscience-rooted emerging subspecialty that uses neurotechnologies to therapeutically or diagnostically modulate neural tissue. These therapies include invasive and noninvasive procedures harnessing electrical, electromagnetic, ultrasonic, or photic energy. The IBM program at UBC is pioneering in research, advocacy, and education in Canada and internationally. Its activities include a fellowship program in IBM, an undergraduate course in Neuroscience Foundations of IBM, training of residents and medical students, and continuing medical education. The program hosts bimonthly accredited journal club sessions.


Mood and Anxiety

Co-Heads:

Trisha Chakrabarty
Dr. Trisha Chakrabarty
Dr. Janel Casey

Spanning multiple health authorities across British Columbia, this program brings together expertise in mood and anxiety disorders through specialized clinical care and translational research. Based at the UBC Mood Disorders Centre, the team advances understanding of complex mood and anxiety conditions while supporting evidence-based treatment approaches. The program integrates clinical innovation with research to enhance care delivery across diverse practice settings, from private clinics to academic centers.


Neuropsychiatry

Co-Heads:

Dr. Trevor Hurwitz
UBC Psychiatry
Dr. Magda Ilcewicz
Joseph Tham
Dr. Joseph Tham

This provincial program provides specialized care for adults with brain illnesses that cause serious disturbances in behaviour, mood, and cognition, including conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury. Operating across multiple sites including hospitals in Vancouver, Delta, and Kamloops, the team delivers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services enhanced by telehealth capabilities. Current research spans diverse areas including traumatic brain injury, treatment-resistant conditions, and innovative therapeutic interventions for complex neuropsychiatric disorders.


Sexual Medicine

Co-Heads:

Dr. Miriam Driscoll
Dr. Leah Rosetti

Contact: sexmed@vch.ca

As Canada’s first sexual medicine program, established in 1974, this provincial service provides comprehensive assessment and treatment of sexual dysfunction through individual, couple, and group therapy approaches. The program offers specialized expertise in addressing sexual health concerns in the context of chronic illness, disability, and aging, while maintaining strong collaborations across medical specialties. The team’s internationally recognized research has advanced understanding of sexual pain disorders, desire disorders, and sexual rehabilitation, particularly in populations with complex medical conditions.