An international team led by UBC researchers have created CentileBrain, published in Lancet Digital Health (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(23)00250-9/fulltext). CentileBrain is a precision medicine tool that defines “normative values” for the size of brain regions while accounting for human diversity. Details at https//:ow.ly/UtSf50QTnTV.
Congratulations to Professor Dr. Todd Woodward, who has received a 2023/2024 UBC Research Facilities Support Grant (UBC RFSG) to enhance his lab’s research capabilities and ensure longevity of technology that is crucial to their brain research program.
He and his team were awarded this grant to replace essential hardware nets integral to their Geodesic Transcranial Electrical Neuromodulation (GTEN) system. The GTEN system enables simultaneous high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) recording and high-density neuromodulation (hdNMOD), serving as a pivotal tool in investigating brain activity and behavior in ongoing research projects.
Congratulations once again to Dr. Woodward and his team on this great news!
Meet Dr. Melissa Woodward, a former IMH Marshall Fellow who has successfully transitioned from academia to her current role as a Research Analyst at Broadstreet Health Economics and Outcomes Research.
Initially focused on individuals with complex mental health needs, her research expertise now plays a key role in enhancing healthcare quality and access through evidence-based strategies. Explore some of her research on the psychosocial wellbeing of children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281083.
I completed a PhD in Neuroscience under the mentorship of Dr. Donna Lang before completing two postdoctoral fellowships at UBC in the departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, the first of which was funded through the IMH Fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. William Honer. My research used brain imaging for individuals with complex mental health concerns including treatment resistant schizophrenia and individuals experiencing homelessness and precarious housing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. More recently I focused on community mental health needs for youth in British Columbia and health service utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic working with Dr. Quynh Doan.
Currently I work as a research analyst for Broadstreet Health Economics and Outcomes Research. I contribute to a range of evidence-based projects on health economics, evidence synthesis, and observational studies which are tailored to meet the specific needs of diverse clientele. My role encompasses analysing data to support the development of robust health economic models, comprehensive reviews, and in-depth observational research, with the goal of creating actionable insights that guide healthcare improvements.
The faculty and fellow trainees I collaborated with at UBC were an incredible source of wisdom, offering a wealth of knowledge, guidance, and a sense of camaraderie that greatly enriched my professional and personal growth. My advice is to find opportunities for collaboration and build a supportive network. Building these relationships is not just about professional advancement, but also creating a community that encourages learning and mutual growth. Embrace the chance to work with others, as these connections will not only become one of your most significant resources, but will enrich your life.
Outside of work I enjoy ultimate frisbee and exploring BC’s beautiful outdoors, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and podcasting about television with Post Show Recaps including bringing my knowledge of neuroscience and psychiatry to discussion of shows like Severance and Yellowjackets. Maintaining these interests outside of work has not only supported my physical and mental health, but also fostered skills in communication, mentorship, and collaboration.
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.
The Translational Neuroimaging Educational Program invites you to register for a free online seminar on Wednesday March 27, 2024 from 8:30am – 9:30am (PT). The theme of this seminar will be How to Measure Functional Connectivity (FC) in the Brain – Comparison and Evaluation of Potential Connectivity Metrics.
Visit the Event Page for more details!
Meet Dr. Steven Esau, a Clinical Instructor, Registered Clinical Counsellor, and the Director of Operations – Fraser East for Pacific Community Resources Society (PCRS). He is currently working with the Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS) on a Fraser East Overdose Response Research Study.
I’m a proud father of 3 beautiful daughters, a loving wife as well as have a high energy dog named Chapeau. While being raised on a farm in Chilliwack, my passion for finding the best health strategies led me to studying clinical counselling and later a doctorate in behavioural health. My work has been to design, start-up and run treatment programs for Mental Health, Substance Use and Homelessness in multiple countries. The passion behind the work is getting to meet amazing people and to find new strategies that incorporate nature and relationships to get better health outcomes.
One of the main goals for student learning is to help expand knowledge on what addiction truly is, how people can find themselves caught in addiction, and that there is a vast, creative, and highly relational way to respond to those facing addiction. I am a firm believer in experiential learning, therefore, when I meet with students we discuss the etiology of addiction and mental health while doing an outdoor activity. Specifically, we do activities that I run in our bed-based substance use treatment programs such as Caving, High Ropes Course, Ziplining, Rock Climbing, etc.
I currently am working with the Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences on a Fraser East Overdose Response Research Study. The first stage was working with families and caregivers of those that had a loved one overdose to determine why people get to a point of using substances and isolating. Our research is now in the second stage of developing an intervention for families and caregivers to help foster relationships and skills to prevent PWUD from using substances alone.
What excites me most about the future of my field is the growing awareness that substance use is correlated to breaks in relationship and therefore requires a relational response in recovery. This includes relationship with nature, spirituality / culture and how they see themselves. There can be archaic or limiting interventions being taught for treatment that I now see more openness to creative new strategies. A Tedx talk I did explains a bit more of this:
Am I good enough yet? | Steven Esau | TEDxChilliwack – YouTube
Dear Faculty,
We welcome you to join the celebration with the Class of 2024 Psychiatry graduates. Please see details below and RSVP via the link below by Friday, May 3, 2024.
RSVP Link: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1M1NFdztesMQvB4
Event Details
Date: Friday, June 14, 2024
Time: 5:30 PM
Venue: Shaughnessy Restaurant
Address: 5251 Oak Street, Vancouver
Ticket Price:
· Grads – Free
· Grad’s Guests – $122
· Faculty, Allied Staff, Other Guests – $152
· Residents – $61
· Children age 6 -12 – $35
· Children age 5 or under – Free
· Department Head, PD, APD’s, MC’s, Grad Committee – Free
Payment Methods
After completing the RSVP survey, you will automatically be redirected to the payment portal to purchase additional tickets. For your reference, the link is also included here: https://secure.touchnet.net/C20435_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=72&SINGLESTORE=true
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
Raquel Portillo Henriquez
Senior Program Assistant, PGE
Faculty of Medicine | Department of Psychiatry
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver General Hospital | Musqueam Traditional Territory
11th floor, 2775 Laurel Street Room 11167 | Vancouver BC | V5Z 1M9 Canada
The UBC Vancouver campus is situated within the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam).
** Sent on behalf of Dr. Irfan Khanbhai, PGE Program Director, UBC Department of Psychiatry **
Dear Faculty,
We are currently in the process of preparing the upcoming Psychiatry Residency Program Internal Review which will be taking place between Monday, April 15, 2024 and Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
As part of the review process, the PGME surveyors will be meeting with our faculty, residents, program administrators, committee members, and department leadership to get a better understanding of the program’s strengths and challenges within the context of the new accreditation standards.
We are currently looking for available teaching faculty who are able to attend the meeting with the PGME surveyors on Tuesday April 16, 2024. In particular, we are looking for teaching faculty from these particular sites to attend. Note that all meetings will be virtual through Zoom.
If you are available to attend and is from one of the sites listed above, please sign up through this link by Tuesday, March 12th at the latest: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0OHnALdpFC5xvr8
Below is the schedule for April 16th as reference for the teaching faculty.
| Tuesday, April 16, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Start | End | Meeting |
| 8:00am | 8:30am | Meeting with Vancouver Teaching Staff |
| 8:30am | 9:00am | Meeting with Fraser Teaching Staff |
| 9:00am | 9:30am | Meeting with Vancouver Island Teaching Staff |
| 9:30am | 10:00am | Meeting with Southern Interior Teaching Staff |
| 10:00am | 10:30am | Meeting with Prince George Teaching Staff |
| 10:30am | 10:45am | Break |
| 10:45am | 11:15am | Competence Committee |
| 11:15am | 12:00pm | Residency Program Committee |
| 12:00pm | 12:15pm | Additional meeting with Program Director |
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to myself or Linda Chang at linda.chang@ubc.ca.
Sincerely,
Dr. Irfan Khanbhai MD, FRCPC
Clinical Associate Professor
Program Director
UBC Psychiatry Postgraduate Education Program
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.
Staff and Faculty can logon with their UBC email address @ubc.ca to use UBC Office 365 and Teams on any computers.
Please see below links to logon to UBC Office 365 and Teams via Internet browser by using your @ubc.ca email address, and your CWL password.
My M365 Account: Login Access:
To log into M365 Office home page, please see here: https://portal.office.com
To log into MS Teams from a browser, please go to: https://teams.microsoft.com
Please contact Psychiatry IT if you have any questions or issues, thank you!
Psychiatry IT
psychiatry.it@ubc.ca
604.827.5695
There are pending updates for the following applications for March to patch newly discovered vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat, MS Office 2019 & 2022, Skype and Zoom. Zoom in particular is a high priority – the majority of systems is patched but pending a reboot to fully complete.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Psychiatry IT at psychiatry.it@ubc.ca.
Sincerely,
Simon Chong
Computer Systems Manager
Medicine | Psychiatry | Psychiatry IT
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus | Musqueam Traditional Territory
2C1 – 2255 Wesbrook Mall | Vancouver British Columbia | V6T 2A1 Canada
psychiatry.it@ubc.ca
http://psychiatry.ubc.ca
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).
** Sent on behalf of the UBC Psychiatry Summer Immersion Program (PSIP) **
Dear Faculty,
The Department of Psychiatry 5th annual Psychiatry Summer Immersion Program will take place Mon, June 3 and Tues, June 4, 2024. The two-day program provides an opportunity for 1st Year undergraduate medical students to explore the field of psychiatry as a potential career option through engagement with psychiatrists and psychiatry residents. Each day consists of half-day interactive talks, and half-day clinical shadowing placements.
Talks offer a unique opportunity to provide information on the broad range of subspecialties and career options within psychiatry, a day in the life of a psychiatrist, and topics such as salary, work-life balance and stigma. As a speaker, you will share your career path and provide insights into your subspecialty. Talks are 40 minutes (including 5-10 minutes for Q&A).
*Please note that in person talks are preferred, at the locations listed below. However, given that all talks will also be broadcast via Zoom to students at distributed sites, remote options are available.
Shadowing provides an opportunity for students to meet and observe psychiatrists at work in a broad range of subspecialties and settings. Shadowing sessions take place on the Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning and should last approximately 3 hours.
Locations
| Site | Talks Location | Shadowing |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | Diamond Health Care Centre | Within Metro Vancouver |
| Victoria | Royal Jubilee Hospital | Victoria |
| Kelowna | Kelowna General Hospital | Kelowna |
| Prince George | University Hospital of Northern BC | Prince George |
Remuneration
Talks – $91.80/hour (pro-rated)
Shadowing Supervision – $91.80/session with 1 student; $112.21/session with 2 students
Sign Up
You can sign up to be a speaker and/or a shadowing supervisor here. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Clare Beasley (clare.beasley@ubc.ca) or Ikuko Azuma (psychiatry.projects@ubc.ca).
Best,
Ikuko Azuma (She, Her, Her)
Project Manager
Faculty of Medicine | Department of Psychiatry
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus | Musqueam Traditional Territory
2255 Wesbrook Mall | Vancouver BC | V6T 4A1 Canada
Phone 604 822 7347
psychiatry.projects@ubc.ca | @UBC_Psychiatry
https://psychiatry.ubc.ca
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.
Dear Staff, Fellows, Residents and Colleagues,
Further to the recent announcement that Dr. Jordan Cohen has stepped down from his role as Associate Head, PGE & CPD, as of December 31, 2023, I am pleased to share that our current PGE Program Director Dr. Irfan Khanbhai has been appointed to fill this vacancy on an interim basis, starting on February 15, 2024.
As Interim Associate Head, PGE & CPD, Dr. Khanbhai will ensure the continuity of strategic leadership of the Department’s Postgraduate Education and Continuing Professional Development portfolios. In this role, he will carry on the excellent work done by Dr. Cohen in providing broad oversight of our Postgraduate Programs and CBD curricula, leading efforts to ensure our curricula meet cultural competencies, and advancing our plans to develop new CPD opportunities for our faculty members.
I wish to express my deep appreciation to Dr. Khanbhai for agreeing to undertake the additional responsibilities and accountabilities of this key leadership role, which will be in conjunction with his ongoing appointment as PGE Program Director. I look forward to continuing to work closely with and supporting Dr. Khanbhai as our Interim Associate Head for the next 12 months, as we embark on a number of exciting initiatives in the areas of Postgraduate Education and CPD.
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).