Apply Today! | Postdoctoral Exchange Travel Award Deadline Extended

Apply Today! | Postdoctoral Exchange Travel Award Deadline Extended

Funding Opportunity

The NTU LKCMedicine and UBC Faculty of Medicine Postdoctoral Exchange Travel Award deadline has been extended and is still accepting applications.

This travel award offers a unique opportunity for postdoctoral fellows from NTU LKCMedicine and UBC Faculty of Medicine, to travel to the host institution and engage in collaborative research for a period of 4 to 6 months. Principal Investigators from host institutions will be eligible to have lab-related research expenses during the exchange period reimbursed through the award.

Postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to visit the International Partnerships MedNet webpage to review eligibility criteria and download the application form.

For a list of potential NTU LKCMedicine Faculty collaborators by research area, please visit: ntu.edu.sg/medicine/research.

For inquiries, or if you would like assistance in finding a collaborator at NTU please contact:

Courtney Bryce
Strategic Programs Officer
Office of Research, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
courtney.bryce@ubc.ca

The Online 2023/2024 Clinical Faculty Annual Report Form is Now Available!

*** Sent on behalf of the UBC Psychiatry HR Team ***

Dear Department Clinical Faculty Members,

The Online Clinical Faculty Annual Report Form for the period of July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 has been released. Please set a reminder to complete and submit this before December 31, 2024:
https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bKiFNhFPuWxoTPw

If you were appointed to the Department after July 1, 2023, you are not required to submit an Annual Report until Fall 2025. For all other clinical faculty, please note that yearly submission of the Annual Report is a condition of appointment for Clinical Faculty in the UBC Department of Psychiatry. The report is required to maintain your appointment, and will also factor heavily into decisions on reappointment and promotion. If you have any questions or require guidance on completing the Annual Report, please contact Leah Ranada, Assistant HR Manager, at leah.ranada@ubc.ca.

Clinical Faculty Promotions

For the upcoming Fall 2024 review cycle, the deadline for submitting your promotion application will be September 15, 2024. If you are interested in applying for promotion (effective July 1, 2025), please reach out to Leah Ranada at leah.ranada@ubc.ca for additional information and instructions.

Sincerely,

Your HR Team
Department of Psychiatry
University of British Columbia

The UBC Department of Psychiatry Administration Office at the UBC Vancouver Campus 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).

UBC Psychiatry IT: Memos & Updates | July 2024

DELETE IT: Don’t Get Hooked

Reminder that phishing emails are being sent year round! Protect yourself and your data. If you get any suspicious emails, DO NOT REPLY or click on any of the links.

Please report it by sending the original email as an attachment (not as a “Forward”) to UBC Cyber Security (security@ubc.ca). Once you have sent the attached original email, you can delete it.

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

JULY 12, 2024

Reboot your computer before the weekend!

As part of our regular maintenance, please REBOOT your computers before leaving work today and leave them powered on over the weekend. This will ensure all pending updates are properly installed and that our systems run smoothly.

If you have any questions or issues, please feel free to reach out to Psychiatry IT, thank you.

Psychiatry IT
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.

IMH Showcase | June 2024

CLARE KILLIKELLY

IMH Marshall Fellow
Clinical Psychologist


Meet Dr. Clare Killikelly, an IMH Marshall Fellow and Clinical Psychologist addressing prolonged grief and the psychological impacts on refugees. This summer, she will be hosting focus groups using participatory action research to examine migrants’ grieving experiences and explore the role of technology and online support. Dr. Killikelly is passionate about developing culturally informed, accessible mental health assessments and interventions, and enjoys mentoring motivated students who contribute valuable cultural insights to her research.

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

Originally from Victoria BC, Canada, I studied cognitive neuroscience at Cambridge University (PhD) and completed my psychotherapy training (DClinPsy) at King’s College London focusing on refugee mental health. This sparked my interest in developing accessible, scalable, and evidence-based tools to assess and treat mental health disorders. My current research focuses on a newly introduced mental health disorder, prolonged grief disorder, and the psychological sequalae.

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

In 2021, I was awarded a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Post-Doc Mobility grant to work at the University of British Columbia to examine the relationship between grief, indicators of mental health and post migration living difficulties in refugees in Canada in comparison with Swiss, Dutch and German cultural contexts:
https://www.global-psychotrauma.net/grief
https://clarekillikelly0.wixsite.com/grief-research

Prior to this, my research group at the Universität Zürich, Switzerland examined the clinical utility and global applicability of the new ICD-11 Prolonged Grief Disorder. Along with establishing the validity of the new symptom criteria in international contexts, my research seeks to better understand the nature of suffering and distress in different communities in order to develop accessible and culturally informed assessments and interventions.

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

This summer I will be hosting a series of focus groups exploring migrants’ experiences of grieving and bereavement while away from their homeland. We will use participatory action research methods (co-development, co-creation of knowledge) to better understand the types of support resources migrants currently have access to and what is lacking. We are particularly interested in the use of technology and online support.

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

I really enjoy working with motivated and engaged students. During my time at UBC I have worked with countless student volunteers who demonstrate a keen willingness to learn more about grief research, especially as many students come from migrant backgrounds. These students are able to share important insights as cultural brokers to help develop the study procedures in a culturally sensitive way.

What is the best piece of advice you can share with colleagues new to your department or UBC?

There are a lot of opportunities for small project funding and resources to support innovative ideas for teaching and student support. This is a great way to get involved in the UBC community.

If you are an IMH member and would like to share more about yourself and your research with the community, please contact IMH Research Manager Dr. Nicole Sanford at nicole.sanford@ubc.ca.

Temporary Closure Affecting DHCC Access

Vancouver General Hospital: Tunnel & Underground Parking Closure

DHCC staff and faculty, please be aware of a temporary tunnel closure under Laurel Street, between the Gordon & Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre (DHCC) and the Robert Ho Research Centre. The closure is for ongoing work as part of VGH OR Phase 2 upgrades and will also affect underground parking under DHCC and some street parking on Laurel Street.

TUNNEL CLOSURE: 12:00pm (noon) Friday July 12 to 10:00am Monday July 15, 2024.

UNDERGROUND PARKING CLOSURE: 4:00pm (noon) Friday July 12, to 5:00am Monday July 15, 2024.

Congratulations to our 2024 Resident Award Recipients!

Winners were announced at the Resident Welcome Reception & Awards Ceremony

The Resident Welcome Reception & Awards Ceremony held on Thursday, July 4, 2024 was a great opportunity to recognize our award recipients and acknowledge the valuable contributions of  all our residents.

Postgraduate Education, George A. Davidson Scholarship Award

  • Dr. Joseph Goody

Postgraduate Education, CanMEDS Awards

  • 1st place: Dr. Kirsten Roche
  • 2nd place: Dr. Triya Ramburn, Dr. Chin Vern Tan and Dr. Phoebe Ng
  • 3rd place: Dr. Emmanuel Tse
  • 4th place: Dr. Kaveh Rayani, Dr. Tyler Warnock, Dr. Christian Schlappner and Dr. Sabrina Campbell

Postgraduate Education. Resident Undergraduate Teaching Awards

  • Vancouver Track: Dr. Jennifer LaBranche and Dr. Jordan Williams-Yuen
  • Fraser Track: Dr. Wallace Yuen
  • Vancouver Island Track: Dr. Stuart Hartsook
  • Prince George Track: Dr. Caroline Dance
  • Interior Track: Dr. Sara Kharsa

Postgraduate Education Award for Significant Contribution to Research

  • Dr. Vivian Tsang

Postgraduate Education, Significant Leadership Award

  • Dr. Alexander Levit

Postgraduate Education, Emily Ellingsen Prize for Significant Contribution to the UBC Psychiatry Residency Program

  • Dr. Jessica Chin

Dr. William E. Piper Memorial Award in Psychotherapy

  • Dr. Sarah Zhang

Providence Health Care, Department of Psychiatry Dr. Brian Morris Memorial Award

  • Dr. Laura Matheson

Providence Health Care, Department of Psychiatry Dr. Maria Corral Award

  • Dr. Marya Aman

Providence Health Care, Department of Psychiatry Dr. Robert Kitchen Memorial Award

  • Dr. Ellia Zhong

Dr. Megan Roberts Honorary Scholarship, Royal Columbian Hospital

  • Dr. Max Liu

Island Medical Program Emily Ellingsen Award

  • Dr. Lucas Dellabough

Thank you once again to all our Residents and congratulations to our award winners. We hope to see you all again next year!

IN MEMORIAM: Dr. Abdulkarim Jiwa, Clinical Associate Professor

Dear Colleagues,

It is with profound sadness that I share the news that our beloved colleague and Clinical Associate Professor Dr. Abdulkarim Jiwa passed away last Thursday at Vancouver Hospital. As many of you are aware, Dr. Jiwa was a valued and highly respected colleague in the Department, UBC Hospital Outpatient Psychiatry Unit, Mood Disorders Program, Student Health Service, MS Clinic and the Consult-Liaison Service, for which he had previously served as Chief for many years. He had been a long-serving member of our clinical faculty at UBC Psychiatry, and up until his passing, remained a very engaged member of the Department.  This news will no doubt come as a shock and be met with a very deep sense of loss amongst his many friends and colleagues at UBC and beyond..

Dr. Jiwa’s distinguished medical career began at Makrere University in Uganda, where he obtained his medical degree in 1971. Thereafter, he relocated to Vancouver to pursue his residency training at UBC Psychiatry, which he completed in 1976, then embarked on a six-month clinical fellowship under the supervision of the late Dr. Ralph Shulman. Upon completion of his fellowship, Dr. Jiwa was appointed as a Clinical Instructor in 1977, and was subsequently promoted to Clinical Assistant Professor in 1982 and then to Clinical Associate Professor in 1987.

Over the last 47 years, Dr. Jiwa had been actively involved in the clinical supervision of medical students and residents at UBC Hospital. His reputation as a teacher was by all accounts excellent, and his opinions and expertise in consult-liaison were highly esteemed by his peers. For nearly five decades, Dr. Jiwa was a fixture and a welcome presence here on the UBC campus, and we will sorely miss seeing him in the wards, hallway and cafeteria at UBC Hospital, mood disorders program rounds, as well as at our annual Research Days, the most recent one at which he was in attendance less than a month ago. We will all fondly remember Dr. Jiwa’s gentle friendly nature, his collegiality, and the generous mentorship he provided to countless junior colleagues, students and trainees.

On a personal side, amongst his many hobbies, Abdul was also a passionate golfer. He made many winter golf trips to Palm Springs with members of the UBC mood group and other colleagues. He had a trademark “helicopter shot” and an uncanny ability to “dial the distance” with the driver such that he could use it even on par 3s. Those of us who had golfed with him have a lifetime of stories and many fond memories, and we will very much miss his presence.

On behalf of myself and members of the UBC Department of Psychiatry, I send our sincerest condolences to his wife Theresa, his children Adam and Ashley, and his extended family and loved ones during this most difficult time. A Celebration of Life will be held at the family home on Saturday August 10th.

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).

UBC Department of Psychiatry Staffing Update | July 2024

Dear Department members,

I would like to share a staffing update regarding our UBC Department of Psychiatry Administration Office.

We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Megan Rollerson as our new Manager of Communications and Partnerships in the UBC Department of Psychiatry as of July 8, 2024. Megan brings extensive experience to this role, having worked as a marketing and communications professional in various industries, and also recently completed her Master’s in Strategic Communication.

As Manager of Communications and Partnerships, Megan will be responsible for developing and implementing internal and external communication initiatives, writing documents such as letters, reports and newsletters, updating and maintaining the Department website and social media content, supporting partnership engagements with internal and external stakeholders, and working closely with Department members and leadership teams to support the strategic priorities of the Department and Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

Megan can be reached at megan.rollerson@ubc.ca or 604-822-2142, so please feel free to send your requests regarding the Communications Bulletin, the website and other communications-related items to her.

Please join me in warmly welcoming Megan to her new role and the UBC Department of Psychiatry administrative team!

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).

Clinical Faculty Update: Clinical Teaching Payments Info and 2024 Mentoring Program Open

** Shared on behalf of Dr. Joseph Tham, Clinical Faculty Affairs Representative, UBC Faculty of Medicine, UBC Department of Psychiatry **

Greetings UBC Department of Psychiatry Clinical Faculty,

I hope this E-mail finds you well as we enter the summer season!

Thanks for all who attended the UBC Psychiatry Research Day and Clinical Faculty Dinner on June 13th. Congrats to all award winners for this year.

Clinical Teaching Payment Information

For those who missed the dinner, I’ve attached a PDF of the summary Clinical Teaching Payment Information that was presented. You’ll also see in slide 2 some general reminders around items like the Stimulus Grants and to consider application for promotions.

Here’s the summary for teaching payments:

  1. All undergrad med school teaching and post-grad resident didactic teaching tracked through the Department’s Teaching Tracking & Payment System (TTPS). You should not need to do any submissions. Currently $106.03 per hour or unit as of July 1. You should see cheque or deposit about 2 months after the end of each quarter.
  2. Postgrad Psychotherapy & Research supervisors still need to submit invoices. Paid yearly.
  3. Resident clinical supervision (ie. on the wards) will be based on an amount provided by the Faculty of Medicine for each resident. Supervisors are tracked by the Department and will get a percentage based on resident shared among a number of staff. Ballpark estimate: if a resident is on the ward with you as sole supervisor, this works out to about $700/month currently. Each EPA you assess/submit is $25.  All payments made yearly and you should see cheque or deposit between June and July.

You can also visit the Clinical Faculty webpage for more details on Clinical Faculty Payments for Teaching!

Clinical Faculty Mentoring

Fall 2024 Clinical Faculty Mentoring is open for those looking for a mentor or wanting to volunteer to be a mentor. Here’s an Invitation and contact, and there’s more information attached in the “Clinical Faculty Mentoring Program Overview 2024-25” PDF:

Clinical Faculty Mentoring Program – UBC Faculty of Medicine

Are you clinical faculty or do you have an interest in teaching/supervising students?

Do you have an interest in mentorship and in doing more within the UBC Faculty of Medicine (FoM)?

Are you interested in getting support from an experienced clinical faculty colleague or mentoring a more junior colleague?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be interested in participating in the Clinical Faculty Mentoring Program. The purpose of this formal mentoring program is to support the career goals of clinical faculty in the areas of administration, clinical, and teaching to enhance overall engagement within the UBC Faculty of Medicine (FoM).

Time commitment: approximately 9 hours over seven months (Oct 2024-April 2025)

Cost: Free

Accreditation: Up to 9.0 Mainpro+/MOC Section 3 credits (Mentees); 2.0 Mainpro+/MOC Section 1 credits (Mentors)

Application deadline: July 15, 2024

Register: https://ubccpd.ca/clinical-faculty-mentoring

Contact: cf.mentoring@ubc.ca

All the best and have a wonderful season ahead everyone.

Joe

Joseph C. W. Tham, MD, FRCPC, FAPA

Clinical Associate Professor
Clinical Faculty Affairs Representative
Department of Psychiatry, UBC Faculty of Medicine

Office: (604)822-7549
Email: joseph.tham@ubc.ca

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.  

Alert: Incident of Theft at UBC Psychiatry Administration Office, Detwiller Pavilion, UBC Hospital

On the morning of Tuesday July 3, a brazen theft occurred whereby a person stole a laptop secured with an anti-theft device from the UBC Psychiatry Administration Office reception area, while the team was present. The theft occurred very quickly and was not noticed at the time it was occurring. It appears that even anti-theft device securing the laptop did not stop this person from being able to pull the lock with force from the laptop, so please be extra vigilant and lock your doors when leaving laptops and other valuable items unattended.

If theft occurs in your office or workspace, please notify UBC Hospital security and also report the incident to UBC – RCMP, who have a case file open for this site.

Again, please be extra vigilant, as there seems to be an uptick of theft occurring not only here at UBC Hospital, but also at G. L. Diamond Healthcare Centre at VGH (see below).  

Alert: Thefts at Diamond Centre – VGH

Dear Tenants of the Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre:

Please ensure this message is shared with your entire department staff.

Be aware there have been a few recent thefts affecting the facility, particularly at open area workstations.

Below is a recommendation of steps you can take to help protect your belongings.

  • Don’t leave valuables in plain sight. Lock them away. To most thieves, out of sight is out of mind.
  • In public areas, never leave valuables unattended, even for a few seconds.
  • Don’t leave keys or access cards lying around, report immediately to DHCChelp@bgis.com if lost.
  • If you leave your open workspace, even for a few minutes, ask a neighbor to watch your area for you. If you have a door, lock it when you leave your office.
  • If you see a stranger in your office area, give them a friendly “Can I help you?” Direct them to the nearest public waiting area or the clinic they may be searching for.
  • If you see anyone behaving suspiciously, report them to Security at Local 7111 and report the suspicious person. A brief description of the suspect is very helpful for follow up by facility support staff. If the person is walking away, try to see which direction they went.
  • At home, keep your doors locked even when you are there. It is common for thieves to open a door and grab a bag left near the door.
  • If keeping the doors locked when you are home is inconvenient, be mindful to put your personal bag containing your access card and key away from the door in a secure place.
  • All Departments are encouraged to keep an up-to-date record of the office keys in circulation, and make sure the keys are returned when a staff no longer work for your clinic. If this is not already done, it’s never too late to start!
  • Staff holding keys should all be aware of the importance of keeping the keys secured, especially the department submasters which provide access to all rooms in your Department.
  • Key chains and keys should not have any identifier that could help someone know which doors the key opens.
  • When accessing an area equipped with a card reader, or the building after regular business hours, DO NOT let others piggy back behind you. Let them know nicely they need to swipe their badge to enter at that time.

Greater than 99% of all thefts in this facility have occurred with no forced entry whatsoever, indicating that occupants are often not securing their areas and their possessions, and leaving them vulnerable for periods however brief. Harden the target and prevent crimes of opportunity.

Stay Safe!!

Thank you.

BGIS office contact information:

BGIS office hours: Monday to Friday 0800 – 1600 

Help Desk e-mail:  dhcchelp@bgis.com

Office Telephone:  604-875-5830