Communications Bulletin

** Sent on behalf of Dr. Sophia Frangou and the Research Day Organizing Committee ** Dear colleagues, We are pleased to invite self-nominations for the Necia Laura May Elvin Memorial Prize in Schizophrenia Research. The award will be presented to the successful applicant at the Annual Departmental Research Day on June 5th, 2025. This annual…

Dear Department members, In the next few months, there will be numerous opportunities for the Department to submit nominations for internal awards that recognize meritorious contributions. As such, the Department Awards & Recognition Committee is extending a department-wide call inviting you to nominate yourself or your colleagues for the following award opportunities: Faculty of Medicine…

All Department members across the province are invited to attend the UBC Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds. The next session will be held Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 8:30 am on Zoom. The session, The BC Mental Health Act and its use for people with Substance Use Disorders , is presented by Dr. Daniel Vigo,…

Faculty and trainees are invited to attend the monthly BC Psychosis Program and UBC Schizophrenia Program Educational Rounds. The rounds, held the first Friday of the month, are a CPD accredited series focused on clinical issues and research findings which will be of interest to clinicians and researchers working with individuals with psychosis.

Presented by The Cinematheque and the Institute of Mental Health, UBC Department of Psychiatry, this month’s film turns a panoramic lens onto one of society’s greatest collective institutions. Decades before hospitals became a popular site of procedural and reality television, director Frederick Wiseman documented numerous emergency encounters of patients suffering from a range of medical…

Urgent! Two PGE Mock OSCE examiners are required for the afternoon session, 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm held Thursday, April 3, 2025.

Congratulations to UBC Department of Psychiatry Clinical Professors, Dr. Stacy Elliott and Dr. Biju Mathew, who have both been honoured with King Charles III Coronation Medals in recognition of their outstanding service to Canada and their communities.

Congratulations to Professor Dr. Adele Diamond, who will be awarded the Erikson Institute’s Honorary Doctorate later this spring. The honour recognizes her groundbreaking contributions to developmental cognitive neuroscience and unwavering dedication to advancing our understanding of how children learn and grow.

The Department is saddened to share the news that Dr. Roger Freeman passed away on March 13, 2025, at the age of 91. He was a Clinical Professor Emeritus and had been a member of the Department of Psychiatry for over 50 years. Before his retirement from clinical practice, Dr. Freeman taught regularly in the…

Department members across the province are invited to attend the UBC Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds. The next session will be held Tuesday, April 1. The session, Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder: An update, is presented by Dr. Benicio Frey.

The Department of Psychiatry congratulates Professor Dr. Todd Woodward who has been awarded a UBC Killam Research Prize in recognition of outstanding research and scholarly contributions in the category of Applied Science, Medicine, and Sciences.

We are delighted to share that Mr. Ahsan Sahibzada has been promoted to the role of Postgraduate Program Manager in the UBC Department of Psychiatry, effective March 10, 2025. With Ahsan assuming his new role, we have initiated a recruitment process for the role of Senior Program Assistant, PGE.

PGME are committed to seeking ongoing feedback about the educational environment at all major teaching sites. In collaboration with Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) leadership, PGME are seeking faculty and postgraduate learner input on the work and learning environment via a short survey. 

Attn Faculty: We are currently looking for shadowing supervisors for the Department of Psychiatry’s 6th annual Psychiatry Summer Immersion Program, which will take place Monday, June 2 and Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

Today was the CaRMS Match Day for the incoming class in July 2025, and we are pleased to let you know that we have done well again this year. The caliber of residents that are coming to us are very high and we are excited to welcome them all!

Presented by The Cinematheque and the Institute of Mental Health, UBC Department of Psychiatry, in this month’s film, writer-director Elizabeth Sankey shares her deeply personal experience of postpartum depression. Sankey’s narration weaves her own story with astute pop-culture analysis of the cultural myths and symbolism surrounding witches, illustrating the terrifying and often misunderstood realities of…

Residents, Faculty, and Staff, save the date and join us on celebrating the Postgraduate Psychiatry Grad Gala 2025.

Department members across the province are invited to attend the UBC Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds. The next session will be held Tuesday, March 4. The session, An update from the Chief Scientific Advisor for Psychiatry, Toxic Drugs, and Concurrent Disorders: the transformation of BC system of care for MHSU, is presented by Dr. Daniel…

UBC Department of Psychiatry Associate Professor Dr. Daniel Vigo has been named to Vancouver Magazine’s Power 50 list 2025, for taking action against an epidemic.

Congratulations to UBC Department of Psychiatry Professor and Associate Head, Dr. Sophia Frangou, who has been recognized with the Pascal-Boyle Prize for Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in Working to Improve Mental Health Care in Europe.

If you are a psychiatrist practicing or in training in British Columbia, we want your insight on how genetic testing for antidepressant prescription could be delivered to patients.

Hosted by the Mood and Anxiety Program, these rounds offer a collaborative space for clinicians and trainees to seek guidance on complex and challenging mood disorder cases.

The Department of Psychiatry EDIA Committee is seeking expressions of interest and nominations for a new Academic Faculty Representative

On behalf of Dr. Lakshmi Yatham, Head, UBC Department of Psychiatry, Department members are invited to a Retirement Tea Reception to be held in honour of Professor Dr. Kerry Jang. Please join us on Monday, March 31st in the DHCBH Lobby.

As we continue to work towards achieving our strategic goals, we are pleased to announce that ten specialized Programs have now been (re)established. These Programs represent organizational units where members share common interests and expertise, while fostering collaborative leadership across our distributed sites.

UPDATE: A UBC memorial fund has been established to honour Dr. Au’s unwavering commitment to excellence in patient care and his passion for mentoring the next generation of psychiatrists. Please consider donating to the fund today.

Deadline: Monday February 24, 2025 | The Faculty of Medicine has launched the 2025 Canada Research Chair (CRC) Competition for up to four (4) Tier 1 and up to three (3) Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs in any field of research aligned with the FoM strategic plan. We are inviting formal expressions of interest (EOIs)…

This is a reminder to submit your Psychotherapy and Research Supervision invoices and/or your Off-Service Clinical Teaching invoices for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The deadline for all invoice submissions is no later than Monday, March 31, 2025 at 11:59 pm.

UPDATE: Examiner found. UBC Psychiatry Postgraduate Education Team is urgently seeking a Mock OSCE examiner for our February 13th exam. 

It is with mixed feelings that we announce the departure of our dear colleague, Ms. Linda Chang, from her role as Postgraduate Program Manager for the Department of Psychiatry Department, as she has accepted a role in the UBC Faculty of Medicine Faculty Development Office as a Faculty Feedback Support Analyst. We would like to…

As the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announced the results of its Fall 2024 project grant competition last week, we wish to congratulate our faculty member and principal investigator Dr. Brian MacVicar, along with his team, who was awarded grant funding to support his project.

The Faculty of Medicine has extended the deadlines for the SHEM Award Program which supports eligible faculty who perform clinical duties. Submit your expression of intent (EOI) by March 3, 2025.

Agent of Happiness offers a first-person glimpse into the Kingdom of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness index through the eyes of Amber, a government data collector. Dressed in a striking red gho, Amber, along with his colleague, administers a 148-question survey that guides national policymaking, asking everything from practical questions about livestock to more intimate probes into emotional states.

ATTN: Clinical fellows NOT involved in the Forensic/Child & Adolescent/Geriatric tracks, we are reaching out to faculty to share recent fellowship developments at UBC and to appeal for your help by completing the Fellowship Program Needs Survey by Saturday, February 15, 2025.

The UBC Department of Psychiatry is seeking faculty interested in participating in the 6th Annual Psychiatry Summer Immersion Program, taking place June 2-3, 2025. The two-day program provides an opportunity for 1st year medical students to explore the field of psychiatry as a potential career option through engagement with psychiatrists and psychiatry residents.

Department members across the province are invited to attend the UBC Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds. The next session will be held Tuesday, February 4. The session, CANMAT Perinatal Mood, Anxiety and Related Disorders Clinical Practice Guideline, is presented by Dr. Simone Vigod.

The Government of Canada, through the Canadian Bureau for International Education, has recently opened applications for two short-term scholarships supporting students to come to UBC through the Visiting International Research Students program. Go Global is currently accepting applications.

Reboot your computer before the weekend! As part of our regular maintenance, please SAVE all working documents and REBOOT your computers before leaving work today.

Department Head Dr. Lakshmi Yatham invites you to attend the UBC Department of Psychiatry Annual General Meeting on Thursday February 13, 2025 from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.

We are delighted to share that, following careful review and deliberation by an external Scientific Committee, a total of three innovative projects have been recommended for funding through the 2024/2025 Stimulus Grants Initiative.

Congratulations to Dr. J9 Austin, who has been elected president of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG)! Dr. Austin is a professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, as well as the Canada Research Chair in Translational Psychiatric Genomics. Their research involves studying the impact of genetic counseling for people with psychiatric…

The Department is currently conducting environmental scans of learning and workplace programs/sites with support from the Robyn Campol of the Faculty of Medicine’s Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) office. At this time, we encourage all Fraser faculty and residents to meet with Robyn for a one-on-one meeting.

The VCH/PHC Regional Psychiatry Grand Rounds are now the UBC Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds and are accessible via Zoom to all Department members across the province. Grand Rounds are held the first Tuesday of every month (unless otherwise stated), from 8:30 am to 9:30 am.

Presented by The Cinematheque and the Institute of Mental Health, UBC Department of Psychiatry, this month’s film, directed by Vancouver-based filmmaker Thea Loo compassionately examines the legacy of Canada’s Live-in Caregiver Program and its lasting psychological impact on the two people closest to her.

The UBC Department of Psychiatry will be funded yearly for 1 Re-entry Residency Position in Psychiatry for the 2025/2026 academic year. This re-entry residency position comes with a 3-year Return of Service (ROS) contract with the Ministry of Health. This year, the ROS is anticipate to be completed in the Fraser Health Authority in British…

With 2024 drawing to a close, I wish to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your many valuable contributions, and celebrate our remarkable achievements this year as a department.

The UBC Psychiatry Festive Celebration was held on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, with another great turnout. It was wonderful to see so many faculty, staff, students, trainees and residents to gather together for a fun and relaxed evening. Thank you to all who attended! View all the photos from the event in our UBC Psychiatry…

The UBC Department of Psychiatry is committed to fostering inclusive, respectful, and safe work and learning environments that value diversity, and are free of harassment and discrimination. All Department members are encouraged to complete the Mistreatment Reporting Survey. The deadline has been extended until December 31.

Entrada is experiencing an issue with the PIN used to complete EPA assessments. The cause has been identified, and the Digital Solution team is actively working on a fix.  If you encounter an “Invalid PIN” error message, you can proactively resolve it yourself by resetting your PIN

The UBC Faculty of Medicine is excited to launch a call for applications to the Sherrold Haddad Excellence in Medicine Award Program, which aims to support up to one clinician who holds a faculty position in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC and performs clinical duties at one or more of the following institutions: Surrey…

Congratulations to recent UBC Department of Psychiatry graduate of the Resident Subspecialty Program in Child and Adolescent psychiatry and clinical instructor, Dr. Clara Westwell-Roper.

Presented by The Cinematheque and the Institute of Mental Health, UBC Department of Psychiatry, December’s film, directed by Chika-ura Kei, follows the story of 71-year-old Yohji, a retired professor with a mysterious past, who has been diagnosed with dementia, and his son Takashi who is forced to reconcile not only with his father’s newly intensified…

Dr. Vigo has been a member of the Department since 2017, having first been offered a two-year clinical fellowship. In 2019, following his clinical fellowship, Dr. Vigo was recruited to the UBC Department of Psychiatry at the rank of Assistant Professor (Term), then appointed as an Assistant Professor, Tenure Track, jointly with the UBC School…

The Department is deeply saddened to share the news that Dr. Karen Trueman passed away on November 16, 2024. Dr. Trueman worked with the Interior Health Authority and joined the UBC Department of Psychiatry as a Clinical Instructor in 2014.

Congratulations to Dr. Trisha Chakrabarty and Dr. Jennifer Coelho recipients of Convening and Collaborating (C2) Awards and to Dr. Fidel Vila-Rodriguez recipient of a Reach Award from Michael Smith Health Research BC!

We are pleased to share the news of two leadership reappointments. Dr. Lakshmi N. Yatham has been reappointed Head, Department of Psychiatry, effective to June 30, 2029; and Dr. Lynn Raymond has been reappointed as Co-Director of the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH) for a five-year term, effective to June 30, 2029.

Congratulations to UBC Department of Psychiatry professors Dr. Raymond Lam and Dr. Steven Taylor, who have both been selected as Clarivate™ Highly Cited Researchers. Each year, Clarivate™ identifies the small fraction of the global research scientists and social scientists who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their field(s) of research.

One45 system users, including Faculty and Residents, please be advised of a significant enhancement to the One45 system that will improve security and streamline your access experience.

The 2024 Workplace Experiences Survey closes on November 26. If you haven’t had a chance to do so, we encourage you to complete the survey now during your regular work hours—it should only take about 15 to 20 minutes and can be done from a computer or mobile device.

The PGME office has recently come out with new funding guidelines regarding preparation time for the didactic lectures that many of you deliver on our Academic Days, to ensure equity for all programs. This implementation will be applied to lectures delivered from October 1, 2024, onward.

Congratulations to Clinical Professor Dr. Harry Karlinsky who has received the 2024 Paul Patterson Innovation in Education Leadership Award from the Canadian Psychiatric Association! The award is presented annually to a psychiatric educator, who, in responding to change or leading in new directions, makes a significant innovative contribution to undergraduate, postgraduate, continuing professional or public…

As Clinical Faculty, you may already be aware that nationally, Psychiatry has moved to a Structured Reference Letter for CaRMS applicants for this cycle. For those who have been experiencing issues with accessing the form, a link to the form is available here to download.

Applications are now open for the UBC Institute of Mental Health (IMH) Marshall Fellows Program in Mental Health for 2025-2026. The Marshall Fellows Program in Mental Health was established in 2019 by the IMH to support the training of young investigators in translational research in order to create research capacity in mental health.

On behalf of the UBC Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Lakshmi N. Yatham cordially invites you to our year-end Festive Celebration on Tuesday, December 3! All Department members, including faculty, staff, fellows, students, residents and volunteers, are all invited.

As the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announced the results of its spring 2024 project grant competition, we wish to congratulate our faculty members and principal investigators Dr. Sophia Frangou and Dr. Erin Michalak, along with their teams, who were awarded grant funding to support their respective projects.

Please be on alert for fraudulent emails and phishing scams masquerading as legitimate message from UBC, its faculty and associated parties. If you receive such an email, please do not respond or click on any links, and please delete the email.

Congratulations to IMH Marshall Fellow Dr. Laura Labonté who has received a 2024 Research Trainee Award from Michael Smith Health Research BC! Dr. Labonté is a recent graduate of the UBC Department of Psychiatry Research-Track and Fraser residency programs and is currently completing her UBC Institute of Mental Health (IMH) 2024/2025 Marshall Fellow

Mark your calendars for the UBC Psychiatry Festive Celebration to take place on Tuesday, December 3rd at 5:30pm at The Arbutus Club! Stay tuned for more details and an RSVP request to follow in the coming weeks.

Presented by The Cinematheque and the Institute of Mental Health, UBC Department of Psychiatry, November’s film, directed by The Neurocultures Collective and Steven Eastwood, is a brilliant exercise in collaborative filmmaking in which the lived experiences of several neurodiverse artists reign supreme.

The BC Psychiatric Association (BCPA) Annual Meeting & Education Day returns to in-person (with hybrid available) this November. Don’t miss this year’s line-up of world-class speakers who will discuss topics like Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatry, Psychedelics, Implementation of rTMS in BC, Economics update, and more.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Diane Fredrikson to the role of Director, Continuing Professional Development in the UBC Department of Psychiatry. As the Director, Dr. Fredrikson will provide leadership in developing and promoting competency based continuing professional development (CPD) in order to support the CPD needs of physicians for providing evidence…

As we continue to complete our Clinical Teaching with Patient Care payments for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year, Clinical Teaching Faculty who supervised and taught any UBC Off-Service Residents between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024 are asked to complete the online invoice form. Doing so will ensure your UBC Off-Service Resident teaching is recognized…

Register today! We are looking to fill 10 more faculty positions on the Selections Committee. One of the most important processes in our medical education system is helping to select the next generation of psychiatrists that will serve the mental health of British Columbians with humanity and excellence in care. 

UBC Killam Teaching Prizes are UBC’s most prestigious teaching awards. The Prizes recognize excellence in teaching in the medical and science undergraduate programs, residency programs, school and graduate programs within the Faculty of Medicine. The Prizes are awarded annually, and are supported by the UBC Killam Endowment Fund.

VFMP Faculty are invited to register for a series of online teacher development workshops provided as a collaboration between the Regional Faculty Development Sites (Island, Northern, Southern, and Vancouver-Fraser Medical Programs).

The Canadian Academy for Addiction Psychiatry (CAAP) is very excited to announce their inaugural Annual Conference to be held on October 21 & 22, 2024 at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, SFU Campus, Vancouver, BC. The aim of this in-person event is to bring clinicians, academics and trainees together to share novel clinical…

The Department is currently recruiting for a faculty position in the area of Concurrent Disorders at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor. The Search Committee has recently reviewed the applications and shortlisted three candidates. The co-Chairs of the Search Committee would like to invite faculty to attend the virtual presentations by these candidates and…

The Faculty of Medicine is pleased to announce the 2025/26 Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters (GCRC) Competition. The competition is open to new and returning clusters of research excellence in all disciplines at UBC Vancouver.

The Conference, organized by the UBC Department of Psychiatry and UBC CPD, took place in downtown Vancouver on September 19th and 20th, 2024. The format was truly hybrid with some presenters and some attendees participating remotely.

The BC Psychiatric Association is calling for nominations for their BCPA awards. Each year at their Annual AGM & Education Day, they honour BCPA members. It is an excellent way to recognize one another for outstanding contributions to psychiatry. Please consider nominating a deserving member colleague.

We are delighted to welcome Ms. Gitika Bhowmik and Mr. Trevor Mah to UBC Psychiatry Administrative team. Gitika has joined our team as an HR Assistant of September 26 and will be taking on the Student/Staff/Volunteer HR portfolio, handling all Workday processes, and providing day-to-day HR support for these groups. Trevor, joined the Faculty of…

Presented by The Cinematheque and the Institute of Mental Health, UBC Department of Psychiatry, this month’s film, directed by Erik Gandini, weaves together expert analysis with testimonials from everyday workers worldwide to explore the paradoxes of modern work culture and expose the ethical and psychological implications of a life ruled by notions of work.

Please be award of the upcoming automated software rollout scheduled to take place over the next three weekends, September 20 – October 7. This update is crucial for the upcoming email changes being implemented by UBC IT.

Two funding opportunities are now open for application. Genome BC is offering a new funding opportunity, Societal Issues Intake 4 (SOC4) which aims to explore and test countermeasures to local challenges for adopting genomics in BC’s healthcare system; The 2024 Research Facility Support Grants provide funding to extend the useful life of shared equipment at…

The Department of Psychiatry congratulates EDI Research Assistant and Technician, Sahil Kanani, who has been recognized with a 2024 Faculty of Medicine Applegarth Staff Service Award! The award is in recognition of his outstanding contributions by UBC staff members to the Faculty of Medicine.

We are starting to recruit examiners for our 2024-25 Mock OSCE’s. The Mock OSCEs are an integral part of preparing our residents for their Royal College OSCE exams. We have finalized the dates for each of the mock exams and have created a survey for you to put down your availability.

Please be on the alert for a fraudulent email masquerading as a legitimate message from UBC HR.  If you receive such an email, please do not respond or click on any links, and please delete the email.

It is with regret that we announce that Dr. Dmitri Zanozin will be stepping down from his position of Associate Program Director for the Prince George Track. With his departure, we are asking for Expressions of Interest from Clinical Faculty in the North who may be interested in applying for the role.

In June, we had made the announcement that Dr. Faiza Hameer was stepping down from her role as Associate Program Director for the Fraser Track of our Residency Program. We are now seeking Expressions of Interest from Clinical Faculty in Fraser who may be interested in applying for the role.

We are currently seeking nominations for a learner representative to join the Space Allocation Committee at the Detweiller Pavilion or at Strangways. This is a unique opportunity for non-faculty learners to contribute to important decisions regarding space allocation within our facilities.

This is a friendly reminder to apply for the Stimulus Grants Initiative, which is designed to enhance research capacity and provide vital support to clinicians and junior academics. The grants support small, self-contained studies or pilot projects aimed at securing more comprehensive funding in the future.

A monthly film series promoting professional and community education on issues pertaining to mental health and illness. This month’s film, The Hearing,  explores the hidden world of asylum hearings—the process that millions of refugees worldwide experience when applying for citizenship in a new country.

The International Medical Graduate BC (IMGBC) Program invites clinical faculty to apply to participate as an Examiner for the 2024 IMG Clinical Assessment Program (CAP) Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI).

As we approach the final stages of recruitment for this year’s Year 2 Psychiatry Clinical Skills Sessions, we are seeking additional support for a few remaining sessions September 6, 23, and October 7.

Our Department’s Strategic Plan identifies the advancement of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDIA) as a strategic priority for the Department, and furthermore, has also specified our aim to engage with Indigenous partners and advocates to address the need for enhanced Indigenous-focused mental health care, research and education. Accordingly, two new committees have been established…

This year, we have received strong interest from clinical faculty mentees signing up for mentorship, with notable demand for clinical faculty mentors in the Vancouver Coastal, Fraser and Vancouver Island Health Authorities. This is a great opportunity for experienced faculty to make a positive professional impact on their junior colleagues and enhance overall engagement within…

The Welcome Back BBQ is back again this year. Enjoy a complimentary BBQ lunch, live entertainment and build connections with colleagues and community partners. Register by August 22

As we approach the fall semester, there are numerous awards, both within UBC and externally, now open for applications. The newly formed Department Awards & Recognition Committee is extending a department-wide call out, inviting peer nominations and self-nominations for upcoming award opportunities.

As part of our regular maintenance, please SAVE any working documents and leave your computer powered ON over the weekend.

We are delighted to welcome Ms. Kaitlin Vandewater as our new Executive Coordinator, providing day-to-day administrative support to the Department Head and IMH Director, as of August 6. We also bid a fond farewell to HR Assistant Ms. Eunice Yiu who will be leaving her position after August 9.