Congratulations to 2024 FoM Applegarth Staff Service Award recipient, Sahil Kanani!

Congratulations to 2024 FoM Applegarth Staff Service Award recipient, Sahil Kanani!

The Department of Psychiatry congratulates Sahil Kanani, a recipient of the 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.

EDI Research Assistant and Technician, Sahil Kanani, has worked has worked with the Department’s CREST.BD research team and the BC SUPPORT Unit of Michael Smith Health Research BC since 2022. During this time, he has made impactful contributions to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in patient-oriented research. Leading a situational analysis, Sahil developed strategies that shaped EDI priorities across BC. His initiatives include creating and facilitating workshops, such as “EDI in Practice,” and developing open-source educational resources. Sahil’s expertise with the Tapestry Tool has enabled the creation of digital literacy modules and podcasts, improving access to mental health resources. His proactive approach continues to foster inclusive research environments, empowering diverse voices and advancing digital accessibility in health research.

PGE 2024-25 Mock OSCE examiner recruitment – availability survey

** Shared on behalf of the UBC Psychiatry Postgraduate Education Team**

Dear Faculty Members,

I hope this email finds you well.  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 check off as many days (mornings and/or afternoons) as you would like.

Our Mock OSCE days are broken into two sessions: AM (8:15am-12:30pm) & PM (12:30pm-4:30pm) and you can sign up for either session and/or both. All eligible faculty are paid (you must have an active UBC Faculty appointment). All Mock OSCE exams will be over Zoom.

If you are interested in being an examiner, please take a moment to complete the following survey:

https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7aOaVfy3Wpuopx4


It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes to complete and we really appreciate you taking the time to do so, not to mention helping our residents prepare for their exams. Once we know everyone’s availability, I will start to create the schedules and confirm with you as soon as possible.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks and have a great day!

Regards,

Raquel Portillo Henriquez 
Senior Program Assistant, PGE
UBC Department of Psychiatry

I humbly acknowledge, with gratitude, that I 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. 

IMH Showcase | August 2024

IVAN TORRES

Clinical Professor & Neuropsychologist


Meet Dr. Ivan Torres, a Stimulus Grant Awardee and dedicated Clinical Professor at UBC’s Department of Psychiatry. Trained as a clinical neuropsychologist, his research focuses on cognitive functioning in severe mood and psychotic disorders, bridging research with clinical practice to enhance patient care. When he’s not advancing mental health research, Dr. Torres enjoys keeping active and playing in a rock band.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I was trained as a clinical neuropsychologist, and I am currently a Clinical Professor within the Department of Psychiatry at UBC, investigator within British Columbia Mental Health and Substance Use Services, research neuropsychologist within the BC Psychosis Program and Mood Disorders Centre at UBC, and Consulting Neuropsychologist at Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and Addiction.  I have broad clinical and research interests in neuropsychological functioning in psychotic and mood disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Can you describe what kind of research you are involved in?

My work involves investigation of cognitive functioning in people with severe mood and psychotic illness, including understanding the pattern, severity, and diversity of cognitive impairment in these clinical populations.  I am particularly interested in understanding client’s subjective assessment of their own cognitive functioning and how this relates to their everyday functioning and well-being.  Overall, my work aims to bridge the gap between clinical research and clinical practice so that we can learn information that can be utilized to help patients in a direct and clinically meaningful way.

Can you tell us about an interesting project or initiative you are working on?

Through research support from a UBC Department of Psychiatry Stimulus Grant, our team is embarking on a research project investigating the use of cognitive compensatory cognitive strategies in people diagnosed with mood and psychosis spectrum psychiatric illnesses.  Despite the fact that these individuals are at high risk for experiencing cognitive problems in daily life, there is very little understanding of their spontaneous use of these compensatory strategies to overcome their cognitive challenges.  An example of this would be the use of lists, organizers, mnemonics, digital supports, or other aids in everyday life.  By better understanding the use of these strategies this may lead to development of therapies aimed at increasing their effective use in these individuals.

What aspect of your work do you enjoy the most, or find most exciting?

I find it extremely rewarding to be able to collaborate with highly talented colleagues and trainees, to share ideas, and to work collaboratively on projects that are clinically informed and that will be useful to improving patient’s lives and functioning.  I am grateful that in my career I am able to be involved in various roles as clinician, researcher, and educator.

What are your interests and hobbies outside of work?

Outside of work I like to take my yellow Labrador “Sunny” out on the trails for hikes and to remain active playing basketball.  I also enjoy playing the drums in a rock band composed of fellow clinical psychologists.

If you are an IMH member and would like to share more about yourself and your research with the community, please contact Megan Rollerson, Communications and Partnerships Manager, at megan.rollerson@ubc.ca.

Relaunching the Space Committee

We are relaunching the departmental space committee to enhance the efficient use of space and foster a positive working environment that meets our members needs and aligns with departmental priorities. 

Fraudulent email alert

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

Phishing attempts frequently occur. If you believe you have received a fraudulent email, report it by forwarding it as an attachment to PSYCH IT (psychiatry.it@ubc.ca) or UBC Cyber Security (security@ubc.ca).

Watch out for these common characteristics of phishing emails:

  1. Non-UBC Email (“CAUTION: Non-UBC Email” indicator at the top of the body of email)
  2. Sense of urgency and time constraint, very brief
  3. Requests to verify accounts or credit card numbers
  4. Anything too good to be true
  5. Unexpected Emails
  6. Information mismatches (e.g. when you hover over the link, the url does not match a recognized web address)
  7. Suspicious attachments
  8. Unprofessional design

Visit the following link for more information on how to spot phishing emails: https://privacymatters.ubc.ca/phishing-emails

Administrative Team & Psychiatry IT
UBC Department of Psychiatry

psychiatry.it@ubc.ca
604 827 5695

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.

Inviting expressions of interest for the role of Associate Program Director for the Prince George track

** Sent on behalf of Dr. Irfan Khanbhai, PGE Program Director, UBC Department of Psychiatry **

Dear Faculty,

It is with regret that I wanted to announce that Dr. Dmitri Zanozin will be stepping down from his position of Associate Program Director for the Prince George Track.

After having been a family physician in many underserved communities, Dr. Zanozin returned to the UBC Psychiatry PGE Program and graduated in 2016. Since then, he has been a very valued member of the clinical faculty in Prince George at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia in many areas including in the areas of Severe and Persistent mental illness, Addiction psychiatry and on the Adolescent Psychiatric Unit and supervised our residents in these key core rotations.

He took on the role of Associate Program Director for the Prince George track in November 9, 2020 and since then, has been a truly valued member of the Residency Program and the Program Executive. He was key in growing the track having been one of its founding members, and was considered an inspiring mentor and leader to the residents within over these last few years. His leadership will be a significant loss to the Program, but I am glad to say that he will continue to serve as a preceptor in the years to come as his passion for teaching remains undiminished.

I would now like to ask for Expressions of Interest from Clinical Faculty in the North who may be interested in applying for the role of Associate Program Director for the Prince George Track. The role description can be read here, and I am happy to answer any further questions that you may have. If interested, please send me your CV and a letter expressing your interest in the role, your experience regarding medical education and any future vision that you may have for the Prince George track.

The deadline for submissions will be Friday, September 20th by end of day. We will then conduct interviews the following week and hope to have the successful applicant begin in October or November. There would be a period of active mentorship and shadowing for several months to allow for a successful transition into the role.

Thank you for your consideration and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. I can be reached at irfan.khanbhai@ubc.ca.

Sincerely,

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. 

Inviting expressions of interest for the role of Associate Program Director for the Fraser track

** Sent on behalf of Dr. Irfan Khanbhai, PGE Program Director, UBC Department of Psychiatry **

Dear Faculty,

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 as of July 31, 2024, and that Dr. Anyssa Shakeri was stepping in as Interim APD for the time being.

I would now like to ask for Expressions of Interest from Clinical Faculty in Fraser who may be interested in applying for the role of Associate Program Director for the Fraser Track. The role description can be read here, and I am happy to answer any further questions that you may have. If interested, please send me your CV and a letter expressing your interest in the role, your experience regarding medical education and any future vision that you may have for the Fraser track.

The deadline for submissions will be Friday, September 20th by end of day. We will then conduct interviews the following week and hope to have the successful applicant begin in October or November. There would be a period of active mentorship and shadowing for several months to allow for a successful transition into the role.

Thank you for your consideration and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. I can be reached at irfan.khanbhai@ubc.ca.

Sincerely,

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

I humbly acknowledge, with gratitude, that I 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. 

Call for nominations: Learner representative for the Space Allocation Committee

** Sent on Behalf of Dr. Sophia Frangou, Associate Head, Research, UBC Department of Psychiatry **

Dear Colleagues,

I hope this message finds you well. 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.

Eligible Nominees

  • Any non-faculty learners based at the Detweiller Pavilion.
  • Nominations can be submitted by Principal Investigators (PIs) or through self-nomination by individual learners.

Selection Process:

If multiple nominations are received, the representative will be selected through a random lottery to ensure fairness.

How to Nominate:

Please send your name [or the name of the nominee proposed by a PI], along with a brief statement of interest [not to exceed 200 words], to Terena Zhao, Administrative Assistant – Division Heads (terena.zhao@ubc.ca), by September 19th.

On behalf of the Space Allocation Committee, I encourage you to consider this opportunity to represent the learner community and have a voice in the allocation of our shared resources. Your participation will play a crucial role in shaping the environment in which we all work and learn.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to receiving your nominations.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sophia Frangou, MD, PhD, FRCPsych, FRCPC
Chair, Space Allocation Committee
President’s Excellence Chair in Brain Health
Associate Head – Research
Professor of Psychiatry

I acknowledge, with gratitude, that I live and work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations.

REMINDER: Deadline for 2024 Stimulus Grant Applications | October 1

** Sent on Behalf of Dr. Sophia Frangou, Associate Head, Research, UBC Department of Psychiatry **

Dear Colleagues,

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. The current application period closes at 11:59 pm on October 1, 2024. Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity to secure funding through one of the following streams:

  • Stimulus-Clinician Grant
  • Stimulus-Junior Academic Grant
  • Stimulus-Child & Youth Mental Health Grant

Each Application Package must include:

Please submit your application package as a single PDF document using the online SUBMISSION PORTAL by October 1 deadline. Only applications using the templates provided will be considered. Should you have any specific questions about the Stimulus Grants, please direct them to me at sophia.frangou@ubc.ca.

Please see our website for further details: https://psychiatry.ubc.ca/research/stimulus-grants-initiative/.  

I encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sophia Frangou, MD, PhD, FRCPsych, FRCPC
President’s Excellence Chair in Brain Health
Associate Head – Research
Professor of Psychiatry

I acknowledge, with gratitude, that I live and work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations.

Translating Mental Health and Substance Use Research into Health Systems Planning

September 17, 2024
4:00pm – 5:00pm PT

Please contact the speaker if you would like to view a recording of this session.

Summary

This webinar explored the process of translating mental health and substance use research findings into health systems planning. Of note, translational medicine frequently focuses on the first step of the translational continuum (“bench to bedside”), and this presentation highlighted the importance of also prioritizing the “bedside to community” step, a key component that frequently explains the multi-year gap that affects scale-up of evidence based interventions to the population level. This step is illustrated by the presenter’s work as British Columbia’s Chief Scientific Advisor for Psychiatry, Toxic Drugs, and Concurrent Disorders. The webinar offers valuable insights and practical knowledge to enhance practitioners understanding of the underpinnings of health systems planning. This webinar is essential for researchers looking to advance the population level impact of their work and deliver innovative strategies in mental health care.

Speaker

Dr. Daniel Vigo

Assistant Professor, UBC Departments of Psychiatry and School of Population and Public Health
BC Chief Scientific Advisor for Psychiatry, Toxic Drugs and Concurrent Disorders
Member, UBC Academy of Translational Medicine

Dr. Daniel Vigo is a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, and public health specialist, originally from Argentina. After obtaining a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, an MD, a University Specialization in Psychiatry, and a Doctorate in Public Health, Dr. Vigo worked in clinical, research, teaching, and leadership positions across the public and private sector, academia, and Government. In these roles, he has published peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and reports on public health, health systems, global mental health, psychiatric epidemiology, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and e-mental health. Dr. Vigo leads/led several landmark projects in BC, Canada, and globally, including on e-Mental Health for University Students, Needs-Based Planning for Mental and Substance Use Disorder Services, Care Options for People with Severe Substance Use Disorders at Imminent Risk of Death and Disability, Estimating Coverage and Quality of Care for Mental Disorders, and Estimating the Disease Burden of Mental Disorders. His contribution to improving the estimation of the disease burden caused by mental illness is among the most impactful papers in the field of mental health in recent years. He is currently an Assistant Professor at UBC’s Dept of Psychiatry and School of Population and Public Health, the Medical Lead for Tertiary Care for VCH’s Regional Mental Health and Substance Use Program, The Provincial Medical Lead of BC’s Assertive Community Treatment Advance practice, the Chief Scientific Advisor for Psychiatry, Toxic Drugs and Concurrent Disorders, and a member of the UBC Academy of Translational Medicine.

More IMH PROGRESS Webinars