I would like to remind you to participate in the UBC 2024 Workplace Experiences Survey for faculty and staff. The deadline to complete the survey has been extended to November 26!
If you haven’t yet participated, I 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 survey is your opportunity to share confidential feedback on your experience working at UBC. This will help us to identify and focus on the areas that will make the greatest difference to you and your colleagues. In the Faculty of Medicine, insights from the last WES in 2021 played an important role in informing programs and initiatives that are making a difference today, including the Staff Mentorship Program and the expansion of our Faculty-wide recognition program for both faculty and staff.
The survey includes questions related to several themes including your professional growth, inclusion and respect, health and wellbeing, work environment and more. For faculty, it also includes questions related to tenure and promotion, and support for teaching and research.
The survey link was sent to you directly from UBC’s third-party survey consultant, TalentMap. Please check your emails for the survey invitation or contact workplace.surveys@ubc.ca with any issues. The survey closes on Tuesday, November 26.
Thank you for your active participation and to those who have already completed the survey.
Sincerely,
Margaret Koshi Director, Administration UBC Department of Psychiatry
The UBC Department of Psychiatry Administration Office respectfully acknowledges the land on which we live, work and play is the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-waututh) Nations.
*Sent on behalf of Dr. Irfan Khanbhai and Dr. Andrew Howard, UBC Psychiatry Postgraduate Education Program*
Dear Teaching Faculty,
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.
The purpose of these guidelines is to provide clarity on how academic sessions that require preparation time, will be paid. This is in order to:
Establish fair and transparent preparation time payment rates for teaching sessions conducted by clinical faculty.
Align with other Faculty of Medicine units in Undergrad and Postgrad in the Teaching Tracking and Payment System (TTPS).
Ensure equitable compensation for clinical faculty members across the Faculty of Medicine based on the level of preparation required for their teaching activities.
Using a 1-hour didactic lecture as an example, see below for the total paid time using the new PGME prep time payment guidelines. Note that the “unit rate” refers to the UBC hourly rate.
New Session Delivery:
Rate: 2x unit rate x duration
Description: Teaching sessions that are entirely new and require dedicated preparation time.
Total paid time: 2 hours (1 hour prep time + 1 hour lecture time)
Repeat Delivery with Revisions:
Rate: 1.5x unit rate x duration
Description: Teaching sessions that have been delivered previously but require substantial revisions or updates.
Total paid time: 1.5 hours (0.5-hour prep time + 1 hour lecture time)
Repeat Delivery with Little to No Prep:
Rate: 1x unit rate x duration
Description: Teaching sessions that have been delivered previously and require little to no additional preparation time.
Total paid time: 1 hour (1 x 1 hour lecture time)
However, to acknowledge the teaching and preparation effort of all the presenters, we will default the preparation time to 1.5x unit rate for all Academic Day lectures, except for “New Sessions” which will be paid out at 2x unit rate. If a lecturer has identified in advance to our administration team that their session is a repeated lecture with little to no prep time, then only 1x unit rate will be paid out to that particular session.
Please reach out to us with any questions.
Best regards,
Dr. Irfan Khanbhai MD, FRCPC Clinical Associate Professor Program Director UBC Department of Psychiatry Postgraduate Education Program
Dr. Andrew Howard, MD, FRCPC Clinical Associate Professor Associate Program Director, Curriculum UBC Department of Psychiatry Postgraduate Education Program
We humbly acknowledge, with gratitude, that we live, work, and play as an uninvited guest on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations.
Meet Dr. Kirsten Marchand, an IMH Marshall Fellow dedicated to improving youths’ access to substance use services. In partnership with Foundry BC, her work combines data and community insights to develop youth-centred care models. Dr. Marchand’s passion for collaborating with patient partners, service providers, and decision-makers helps her tackle complex health system challenges.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
In my professional life, I am currently a post-doctoral research fellow at UBC in the Faculty of Medicine and Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. I have a PhD in Population and Public Health and conduct health services and population health research in the focused area of youth substance use. My research is conducted in close partnership with a provincial organization in British Columbia that delivers integrated youth services, called Foundry. In my personal life, I am a mom to two young kids, an avid reader and cook, and love to be in the forest and on the water whenever possible!
Can you describe what kind of research you are involved in?
I work closely with youth, families/caregivers, service providers and decision-makers to improve youths’ access to services for substance use. To do this, I ask these groups about what matters most to them when they access or deliver services and the best way that researchers can study this. I then use their recommendations to help me ask the right questions about how services are meeting youths’ goals and needs. I use different kinds of data. Sometimes I am asking people to share their ideas and experiences and other times I am looking at numbers. Whenever possible, I try to put both types of data together to get the most complete picture of youths’ access to services for substance use and how services can be optimized.
Can you tell us about an interesting project or initiative you are working on?
In one of my current projects, I am integrating different data sources to generate recommendations on a youth-centred model of care for opioid agonist treatment. This project has many phases, including a recently published scoping review, expert interviews, and population-level administrative health data analyses. The knowledge generated from these data sources will then be compiled to inform the key attributes of the youth-centred model of care, which will then be validated by youth, families/caregivers, service providers and decision-makers, and hopefully implemented by our study partners. This project is exemplary of the multi-phase and multi-methods research that I hope to continue contributing to – i.e., research that moves data to knowledge and practice in a coordinated and systematic way.
What aspect of your work do you enjoy the most, or find most exciting?
The most exciting and enjoyable parts of my work are the collaborations and partnerships. As I conduct research on complex health system challenges and I do not have a clinical background (e.g., nursing, medicine, social work), I get excited when I have opportunities to collaborate with patient partners, service providers, and decision-makers. This helps me ensure that my research is grounded in the local service delivery context and asks the right questions to the right people. Beyond improving the quality of my research, it also makes the research more enjoyable and meaningful.
What is the best piece of advice you can share with colleagues new to your Department or UBC?
UBC is an incredibly enriching institution for research focused on mental and substance use health. There are world renowned experts and opportunities to partner with organizations spearheading innovative solutions to improve individual and population health. There is also so much inspiration to be found in the history and current context of the diverse people, organizations, and lands where we carry out this work. So, the best piece of advice I have for those who are new to UBC or the Department is to spend time actively learning about, and building relationships with the people, organizations, and lands to inspire your work.
If you are an IMH member and would like to share more about yourself and your research with the community, please contact Megan Rollerson, Manager, Communications and Partnerships, at megan.rollerson@ubc.ca.
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 Paul Patterson Innovation in Education Leadership 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 education. As such, Dr. Karlinsky has been recognized for his innovative integration of the creative arts with mental health education and advocacy to engage fellow clinicians, health-care providers, and broader audiences including patients, their families and the general public. Through this unique approach he has educated a wide audience about psychiatric concepts and has been instrumental in facilitating mental health discussions that create awareness and help dispel widely held stigmatizing misconceptions about mental illness.
Dr. Karlinsky is the Series Director of Frames of Mind, a monthly film series promoting professional and community education on issues pertaining to mental health and illness, and has been a member of the UBC Department of Psychiatry for over 30 years. He has a longstanding commitment to professional and public education and has presented nationally and internationally on topics ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to information technology to narrative medicine to PTSD and to the use of films in health care education.
** Sent on behalf of Dr. Irfan Khanbhai, PGE Program Director, UBC Department of Psychiatry **
Dear Clinical Faculty,
Some of you may already be aware that nationally, Psychiatry has moved to a Structured Reference Letter for CaRMS applicants for this cycle. We had asked that there be a transition year where previous format reference letters as well as this structured letter be accepted. However, this was not possible. I am aware that for those of you completing these, there have been issues with downloading and uploading these letter files. If it is at all helpful, below is the link to a PDF of this form.
Next year, CaRMS assures us that the letter will be embedded on the platform and this PDF is only a transition step.
Take good care,
Dr. Irfan Khanbhai MD, FRCPC Clinical Associate Professor Program Director UBC Department of Psychiatry Postgraduate Education Program
Interim Associate Head Postgraduate Education and Continuing Professional Development UBC Department of Psychiatry
We humbly acknowledge, with gratitude, that we live, work, and play as an uninvited guest on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations.
I am pleased to announce the call for applications 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.
The IMH, in partnership with the Department of Psychiatry, is now inviting applications from qualified candidates for Fellowship awards, which will be supported by the Marshall Fellows Program in Mental Health. Please see the Application Guidelinesfor more detailed information regarding the requirements and criteria for this award. This year, in accordance with the original award funding plan, the program will fund stipends of $75,000 for up to four Fellows. Since the Fellowship Program was originally developed to support the training of clinician scientist psychiatrists, at least half of the awards will be allocated to MDs. The duration of funding is for one year only, however Fellows may have an opportunity to apply for a one-year extension of funding in the following year. Current Fellows in their first year of funding in 2024-2025 may apply for an extension in 2025-2026 for a second and final year of funding.
We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, and I would like to ask that this information be circulated widely.
If you have questions or require further information regarding these awards, please contact Margaret Koshi, Director, Administration, at margaret.koshi@ubc.ca.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lakshmi N. Yatham, MBBS, FRCPC, MRCPsych (UK), MBA (Exec) Professor and Head, UBC Department of Psychiatry Director, Institute of Mental Health, UBC Regional Head and Program Medical Director, VCH/PHC
We respectfully acknowledges the land on which we live, work and play is the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-waututh) Nations.
On behalf of the UBC Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Lakshmi N. Yatham cordially invites you to our year-end Festive Celebration on Tuesday, December 3rd! The event will take place at The Arbutus Club and includes an assortment of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres to enjoy.
All Department members, including faculty, staff, fellows, students, residents and volunteers, are all invited. Please be sure to submit your online RSVP by Tuesday, November 26 to confirm your attendance and be added to the Guest List.
We hope to see you all at our annual end-of-year celebration!
Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 | 5:30pm – 8:30pm Venue: The Arbutus Club, 2001 Nanton Ave, Vancouver BC (view on map) Served: Assorted hot & cold hors d’oeuvres | 2 drink tickets per person
Once you have RSVP’d, please click on the Save the Date link to add the event to your Outlook or iCal calendars, if you have not already done so.
**Please note that anyone who is experiencing symptoms or feeling unwell should not attend.
MENU
Mediterranean Antipasto
Smoked Salmon Lox & Candied Salmon
Cheese & Charcuterie Platter
Burrata & Roasted Tomato
***
Panko Tempura Prawns
Truffle Wild Mushroom Flatbread
Mini Prime Rib Sliders
Chicken Karage
Brie & Raspberry Wellington
***
Dessert Buffet
**If you have any allergies or dietary concerns, please speak with the service staff at the venue on the evening of the event and they can recommend appropriate items.
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 below:
While everyone ages chronologically at the same rate, some individuals experience accelerated age-related biological changes. The application of machine learning algorithms to brain imaging data enables the calculation of the biological age of the brain (brain-age); individuals with accelerated aging have a higher brain-age than their chronological age. This application pioneers the study of Network-Based Brain Age Gap Estimation (brainAGE) that examines the rate of age-related changes within defined brain networks. READ MORE
Principal Investigators: Erin Michalak; Steven J Barnes
Co-investigator: Colin A Depp; Carolyn S Dewa; Kendall Ho; Rachelle D Hole; Raymond W Lam; Denise (Denny) Meyer; Emma Morton; Jill Murphy; Gregory W Murray; Heather L O’Brien; Martin D Provencher; Lakshmi N Yatham
Over half a million Canadians live with bipolar disorder (BD), a long-term and potentially disabling mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings from depression to mania. Suicide rates are disturbingly high – up to 15% of people with BD will end their own lives. This evidence paints a bleak picture. Yet, with optimal support, care and empowerment, people with BD can experience good health and quality of life (QoL). READ MORE
If you are a PI who was awarded funding in the fall 2024 CIHR Competition, but was not mentioned in this post, please reach out to Megan Rollerson (megan.rollerson@ubc.ca)
