YOU ARE INVITED: Please RSVP | UBC Psychiatry Clinical Faculty Annual Dinner | Thursday June 5 @ 5:00pm | The Arbutus Club

YOU ARE INVITED: Please RSVP | UBC Psychiatry Clinical Faculty Annual Dinner | Thursday June 5 @ 5:00pm | The Arbutus Club

** Sent on behalf of Dr. Lakshmi N. Yatham, Professor & Department Head, UBC Department of Psychiatry **

Dear Clinical Faculty Members,

On behalf of the UBC Department of Psychiatry, I am delighted to invite you to the Annual Clinical Faculty Dinner, to be held on Thursday June 5, 2025 at 5:00pm (after the Research Day event) at The Arbutus Club (2001 Nanton Ave, Vancouver BC). The dinner will be an opportunity to recognize and show appreciation to all our clinical faculty members and their many valuable contributions to the Department.

RSVP: To all clinical faculty members who wish to attend, we ask that you please confirm your attendance by RSVPing here: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bp7urrz0YoRP6ei.

Please kindly RSVP by the deadline of Friday May 23, 2025 (11:59pm) in order to be added to the Guest List. 

This event is open only to UBC Psychiatry clinical faculty, members of our leadership teams, and administrative staff (unfortunately, it is closed to non-Department members).

Save the Date: Please open and save the iCalendar file to add the event to your Outlook calendar, or manually add the event to your non-Outlook calendar.

**Reminder: Anyone experiencing symptoms or feeling unwell should not attend.

Should you have any questions regarding the venue or event details, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Kaitlin Vandewater at psychiatry.headasst@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

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).

CaRMS 2nd Iteration Psychiatry Program Match Results

**Shared on behalf of Dr. Irfan Khanbhai, Program Director, UBC Psychiatry Postgraduate Education Program**

Dear Residents and Faculty,

I am pleased to let you know that we have matched our two previously unfilled positions in the Prince George track with great candidates. I would like to give them a warm welcome to our Program.

Thanks to all faculty and resident members of the Selections Committee who put in so much time and effort to help in this incredibly important endeavour. Our big appreciation also goes out to our administrative staff who have supported us and made the process a completely seamless one.

Warm regards,

Irfan

Dr. Irfan Khanbhai MD, FRCPC
Clinical Associate Professor
Director, Postgraduate Education Program
Interim Associate Head, PGE & CPD 
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. 

Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds | May 6 with Dr. Christoph Correll

All Department members across the province are invited to attend the UBC Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds. The next session will be held Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 8:30 am on Zoom. The session, Management of Schizophrenia 2025, is presented by Dr. Christoph Correll, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, and Professor of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research.

A single registration link is available for all 2025 Grand Rounds:

Register online

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For additional information regarding the monthly UBC Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds please contact Kevin Elsaputra at kevin.elsaputra@vch.ca.

Add the 2025 Grand Rounds events to your calendar: Download calendar

  1. Click the “Download calendar” link above
  2. For Outlook users: Simply double-click the downloaded file to add the events. *Please note, the events may open as a new calendar -simply drag or copy them to your preferred calendar
  3. For other calendar apps: Open the file with your preferred calendar application

Previous Grand Rounds are now accessible on Canvas

Department of Psychiatry members with UBC CWL can self-enrol in the Grand Rounds Canvas course to view past recordings:

View Grand Rounds

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.

The Grand Rounds are a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Kamal Uppal

Call for Self-Nominations – Necia Laura May Elvin Memorial Prize in Schizophrenia Research – Deadline May 9, 2025

** 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 award recognizes a Doctoral trainee or Postdoctoral Fellow who has published an outstanding peer-reviewed paper relevant to schizophrenia. To be eligible, the paper must have been published or accepted for publication between June 2024 and May 2025 in a peer-reviewed journal. Please note that preprints and conference abstracts are not eligible for consideration.

If you meet the criteria and would like to be considered, please complete the self-nomination form and submit together with a pdf copy of your paper to Margaret Koshi (margaret.koshi@ubc.ca) by May 9th, 2025.


Sincerely,

Dr. Sophia Frangou
On behalf of the Organizing Committee

UBC’s campuses and learning sites are situated within the traditional territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations and in the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation and their peoples.

INVITING NOMINATIONS! | Upcoming Award Opportunities

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 Awards (Deadline June 13, 2025)

UBC Directory of Award Opportunities

If you wish to explore an extended list of awards, the UBC Office of Research Prizes and Awards (ORPA) has a directory of external research prize and award opportunities available to researchers, spanning all disciplines. View UBC’s Directory of Award Opportunities:

View Awards Opportunities

Nomination & Adjudication Process

If you are interested in self-nomination or nominating a colleague, please submit your nomination to Margaret Koshi, Director, Administration (margaret.koshi@ubc.ca) by April 30, 2025. The Committee’s adjudication process has three stages:

  1. Submit self-nominations and peer- nominations along with a brief rationale and a CV of the nominee.
  2. Nominees’ CV and other relevant documents will be adjudicated by the Committee based on the respective award criteria, relevant contributions, and meritorious achievements of each candidate to ensure the suitability of candidates for specific award.
  3. For those selected to be put forward for FoM nomination, all required materials will be obtained/prepared by Department Administration and submitted per the respective award procedures.

Sincerely,

Department of Psychiatry Awards & Recognition Committee
Dr. Joseph Tham, Clinical Faculty Representative
Dr. Clare Beasley, Academic Faculty Representative
Dr. Ashok Krishnamoorthy, Division Head, Geriatric Psychiatry
Dr. Emlene Murphy, Division Head, Forensic Psychiatry
Dr. Timothy Murphy, Division Head, Neuroscience & Translational Psychiatry
Dr. Roberto Sassi, Division Head, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Dr. Christian Schütz, Division Head, Substance Use & Concurrent Disorders
Dr. Randall White, Division Head, Adult Psychiatry & Mental Health Services
Ms. Margaret Koshi, Administrator

Committee Mandate
The Department of Psychiatry Awards & Recognition Committee was established to proactively nominate deserving faculty members of the Department for notable meritorious awards and honours within the Faculty of Medicine and the University, and for significant external awards.

By ensuring that outstanding faculty members are duly nominated whilst upholding departmental values of EDI, the Committee will strive to promote a culture of broad, inclusive and diverse recognition.

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).

Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds | April 8 with Dr. Daniel Vigo

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, Chief Scientific Advisor for Psychiatry, Toxic Drugs, and Concurrent Disorders, BC; and Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UBC

A single registration link is available for all 2025 Grand Rounds:

Register online

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For additional information regarding the monthly UBC Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds please contact Kevin Elsaputra at kevin.elsaputra@vch.ca.

Add the 2025 Grand Rounds events to your calendar: Download calendar

  1. Click the “Download calendar” link above
  2. For Outlook users: Simply double-click the downloaded file to add the events. *Please note, the events may open as a new calendar -simply drag or copy them to your preferred calendar
  3. For other calendar apps: Open the file with your preferred calendar application

Previous Grand Rounds are now accessible on Canvas

Department of Psychiatry members with UBC CWL can self-enrol in the Grand Rounds Canvas course to view past recordings:

View Grand Rounds

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.

The Grand Rounds are a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

IMH Showcase | January 2025

HEATHER PALIS

Assistant Professor, UBC School of Population & Public Health
Senior Scientist, BC Centre for Disease Control


Meet Dr. Heather Palis, a former Marshall Fellow and Stimulus Grant awardee! Her research at the BC Centre for Disease Control and the UBC School of Population and Public Health focuses on harm reduction and substance use interventions to address the overdose emergency in BC. Dr. Palis’ collaborative efforts include bringing together people with lived experience of stimulant use to tackle knowledge gaps in research.

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

I have an MSc and PhD in Population and Public Health from the School of Population and Public Health at UBC, where my research was focused on treatment for people with opioid use disorder. After my PhD, I completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry that was focused on examining overdose risk and access to health and substance use services among people released from provincial correctional centres in BC.

Can you describe your role in your current Department?

Currently I am a Senior Scientist in Harm Reduction and Substance Use Services at the BC Centre for Disease Control, and an Assistant Professor (Partner) in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. In these roles, I lead research that builds upon my Graduate and Postdoctoral research, focused on examining the intersections of mental health, substance use, and chronic disease to identify opportunities for intervention to reduce overdose risk across the health system.

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

My research uses large administrative health datasets to study harm reduction and substance use treatment interventions. This includes studying individual and system-level outcomes with the overall goal of informing the overdose public health emergency response in BC.

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

Alongside collaborators across UBC and the BCCDC, our teams were recently funded by Health Research BC’s Collaborating and Convening Awards to identify priorities for research focused on stimulant use in BC. Stimulants (i.e. cocaine and methamphetamine) are increasingly detected in drug toxicity (i.e. overdose) deaths in BC, however a number of knowledge gaps remain with respect to stimulant use and overdose risk. Our project brings together a group of people with lived and living experience of stimulant use to form a Peer Advisory Group. The group will advise on how provincial data can be used to investigate the intersections of chronic health conditions and overdose risk, with attention to the specific risks faced by people who use stimulants.

What are your interests and hobbies outside of work?

Outside of work I like to be outside as much as possible. I cycle and play tennis in the spring and summer and do lots of running in the Fall and Winter Vancouver rain. I am learning to swim as an adult which has been something I have been avoiding for many years and has been a rewarding experience!

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.

Attendee Registration Open! | 2025 UBC PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH DAY

BC Psychosis Program & UBC Schizophrenia Program Educational Rounds

**Shared on behalf of the BC Psychosis Program and UBC Schizophrenia Program**

Dear Department members,

Faculty and trainees are invited to attend the monthly BC Psychosis Program and UBC Schizophrenia Program Educational Rounds, formerly the BC Psychosis Program educational rounds. The rounds are a CPD accredited series occurring on the first Friday of the month from 12:00 to 1:00 pm online. Topics covered will focus on clinical issues and research findings which will be of interest to clinicians and researchers working with individuals with psychosis.

Upcoming Rounds:

Register for May Session

The BC Psychosis and UBC Schizophrenia Program Educational Rounds are a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. To receive your CME certificate, respond to the feedback survey provided after the session.

The rounds are organized by Dr Reza Rafizadeh, Clinical Assistant Professor, and Dr Randall White, Clinical Professor and Head, Division of Adult Psychiatry and Mental Health Services, with the UBC Department of Psychiatry.

We respectfully acknowledge 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).