IN MEMORIAM: Dr. Abdulkarim Jiwa, Clinical Associate Professor

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.

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!

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

UBC Psychiatry Publishes the Largest Study on Brain Age Across the Human Lifespan

Reminder: Fraudulent Emails to Department Members

This is a reminder to be on the alert for fraudulent emails masquerading as messages from the Department Head. If you receive an email such as the one below, please do not respond or click on any links. Instead, send the original email to Psychiatry IT as an attachment (not as a “Forward”) and they will ask UBC IT to block that email address. Once you have sent the attached original email, you can go ahead and delete it. 

Please keep in mind that any unusual requests or solicitations for things such as money transfers will NOT be coming from Dr. Yatham, and are most certainly fraudulent.

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

Congratulations to Ms. Linda Chang, Recipient of a PGME Program Administrator Award!

We warmly congratulate our Postgraduate Programs Manager Ms. Linda Chang on receiving a 2024 PGME Program Administrator Award, in recognition of her hard work and dedication to the Program. Associate Dean Dr. Ravi Sidhu presented the award to Linda at the PGME Spring Workshop on June 18.

Congratulations once again on this fantastic recognition, Linda!

Congratulations to our Clinical Faculty Award Winners, Announced at the Clinical Faculty Annual Dinner on June 13!

The Annual Clinical Faculty Dinner on June 13 was a great opportunity to recognize the valuable contributions of  all our clinical faculty members, including our deserving awardees of UBC Psychiatry Clinical Faculty Awards for teaching and research!

As well, the evening included an Awards Presentation to honour the following awardees of UBC Psychiatry Clinical Faculty Awards for excellence in teaching and research!

Translation Research into Clinical Excellence in Psychiatry Settings (TRICEPS) Award

  • Dr. Diane Fredrikson
  • Dr. Joseph Tham

Undergraduate Psychiatry Clinical Teaching Award

  • Lindsay Bishop
  • Alison Gregson
  • Nataliya Grishin
  • Grant Millar
  • Nicolas Ramperti

UBC Psychiatry Residents Association Annual Award for Teaching Excellence

  • BCCH: Dr. Ashley Miller
  • VGH: Dr. Cameron Anderson
  • SPH: Dr. Lingsa Jia
  • UBCH: Dr. Andrew Howard
  • RH: Dr. Rahul Soma
  • RCH: Dr. Leah Rosetti
  • SMH: Dr. Lindsay Bishop
  • Victoria: Dr. Ashley Jewett
  • Prince George: Dr. Christine Kennedy
  • Community Psychiatry: Dr. Myles Blank
  • LGH: Dr. Arvind Kang
  • KGH: Dr. Claire Docherty
  • RIH: Dr. Fatima Allibhai

UBC Psychiatry Residents Association Annual Award for Teaching Excellence in Child and Adolescent Subspecialty Psychiatry

  • Dr. Brian Banno

UBC Psychiatry Residents Association Annual Award for Teaching Excellence in Geriatric Subspecialty Psychiatry

  • Dr. Vincent Choong

UBC Psychiatry Residents Association Annual Award for Teaching Excellence in Forensic Subspecialty Psychiatry

  • Dr. Kulwant Riar

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

Announcement of Dr. Michelle van den Engh’s Departure as Co-Associate Director, Resident Psychotherapy Training

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

Dear Clinical Faculty members,

With the graduation of our last time-based cohort of the UBC Psychiatry Residency Program, Dr. Michelle van den Engh will be stepping down from her role as Co-Associate Director for Resident Psychotherapy Training, after three years as Associate Director in this position and a subsequent two years as Co-Associate Director together with Dr. Jaeyun Yoo.  

We would like to thank Dr. van den Engh for all her amazing work with the Program regarding psychotherapy.  In her role, she helped to organize, refine and enhance so many aspects of the psychotherapy program.  These included the curriculum and its transition to CBD, an increase in the therapy options across tracks for residents, as well as the pivot to zoom and the need to get recordings possible with so many different privacy considerations across all the health authorities to name just a few.

She will continue in her roles as Vancouver Island Psychotherapy Site Director, as a member of the UBC Psychiatry EDIA Committee, and as Clinical Faculty Representative on the UBC Undergraduate Education Committee.

Dr. Yoo will be taking over the full role of Associate Director for Resident Psychotherapy Training as of July 1, 2024.

Please join me in thanking Dr. van den Engh and welcoming Dr. Yoo.

Warm regards,

Irfan

Dr. Irfan Khanbhai MD, FRCPC
Clinical Associate Professor
Program Director
UBC Psychiatry Postgraduate Education Program

Interim Associate Head
Postgraduate Education and Continuing Professional Development 
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 | May 2024


Meet Dr. Chithra Pream Raju, a Marshall Fellow and dedicated Psychiatrist from India. Dr. Pream Raju’s research focuses on bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, and maternal mental health at the UBC Mood Disorders Clinic, where she applies a holistic approach towards mental health. Outside of her professional pursuits, Dr. Pream Raju enjoys traveling, music, and dancing, always eager to explore new cultures and dance forms!

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

I am a psychiatrist from India. I completed my residency training at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, India. I continued as a Senior Resident (equivalent to a sub-specialty in Canada) in Forensic Psychiatry for a year and then moved to Adult Psychiatry for the next couple of years at the same institute. I am currently working as a fellow at the Mood Disorders Clinic after receiving the Marshall Fellowship Award for the years 2021/2022 and 2023/2024. My areas of interest include mood disorders with a focus on bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, and maternal mental health with a holistic approach towards mental health.

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

I am involved in various clinical trials focusing on the treatment of bipolar disorder, a severe mental illness characterized by alternating episodes of mania and depression. I am working on research projects to understand the neurobiology of bipolar disorder, which may lead to the development of novel treatment agents for preventing and treating the recurrence of episodes. Additionally, I am involved in various other research projects on substance use disorders and trauma during childbirth in women.

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

The most interesting part of one of my projects is investigating whether the levels of neurochemicals in the brain, measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with first-episode mania (which marks the onset of bipolar disorder), can predict the recurrence of future episodes over the next 10 years. The best aspect of this project is the follow-up MRS scans conducted over a decade. I am excited to be working on many new advances in the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, which remains an unsolved puzzle. What excites me most about my work is the impact of research on improving the functioning and quality of life for patients with bipolar disorder through new treatment advances.

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

There are so many opportunities around you, and you have to keep looking for them and reach out to as many people as possible to connect with. This will eventually help you reach great heights in your career!

What are your interests and hobbies outside of work?

Traveling has always been very exciting, and I love to travel and explore different countries! I also love music and dancing, and I continue to enjoy learning new dance forms!

Besides your Marshall Fellowship, are there any other awards you’re particularly proud of?

  • Silver Jubilee Award for the Best Outgoing Student, 2019 – National institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, India.
  • Research Society of Alcoholism, The Junior Investigator Award, 2021 funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for my research on ‘Management of Adult ADHD with Atomoxetine and its impact on the course of Alcohol dependence – A naturalistic follow-up study’.