IN MEMORIAM | Dr. Earl D. Hardin

IN MEMORIAM | Dr. Earl D. Hardin

The Department is very saddened to share the news of the recent passing of Dr. Earl Hardin at the age of 89. As a well-known and respected member of the UBC Department of Psychiatry for many years, Dr. Hardin was also a dedicated clinician and a prominent figure within many professional bodies, including the Western Canada District Branch of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Hardin’s psychiatric career in Vancouver began in 1963 and continued for over five decades in both private practice and at Vancouver General Hospital. During this time he was appointed as a Clinical Associate Professor in UBC Psychiatry, where he was a beloved teacher who provided psychotherapy supervision to residents, evening on-call emergency supervision, and group teaching on interviewing to medical students. Though he retired from his active teaching duties at the age of 65 per UBC requirement at the time, as an amazing testament to his love of the profession, Dr. Hardin continued his clinical practice in psychiatry for another 21 years until 2020.

Also a dedicated and highly esteemed member of the APA Western Canada District Branch, Dr. Hardin was elected to serve a term as its President in 1976. In the years to follow, he remained very involved in its activities, all the while mentoring younger colleagues and maintaining lifelong friendships with his many friends and peers. As well, he was an enthusiatic contributor to the District Branch’s magazine Catharsis!, submitting articles as recently as May 2023. Poignantly, at the time of his passing in November 2023, Dr. Hardin was working on his next article for Catharsis! which was to be titled “Why I Like My Work,” with a focus on how fortunate he felt in a profession that allowed him to help multitudes of people.

In honour of his memory and his life’s work, we would like to share the three recent articles written by Dr. Hardin:

“Remembering the District Branch” October 2021
“The Psychiatrist as Physician” October 2022
“An Interval of Group Therapies: A Solo Approach to Group Treatments in 1970s Vancouver” May 2023

To the family and close friends of Dr. Hardin, we send them our sincerest condolences for their loss. If you would like to leave a message for the Hardin family, you are invited to do so here.

IMH Showcase | January 2024

EMMA MORTON
Co-Director, CREST.BD
Senior Lecturer, Monash University


Meet Dr. Emma Morton, a transformative force in bipolar disorder research. A former IMH Marshall Fellow, she is now a Senior Lecturer at Monash University, Australia, and a dedicated psychologist.

Co-directing CREST.BD, Dr. Morton’s passion for improving lives shines through her groundbreaking work on the PolarUs app in collaboration with project leads Dr. Erin Michalak (network lead of CREST.BD) and Dr. Steven Barnes (Co-director of CREST.BD). This digital healthcare app empowers individuals to self-assess and manage their wellbeing, expanding patient care beyond symptom management. Her research, which integrates patient-focused outcomes with novel interventions, extends beyond the lab to real-world impact, as she actively engages with communities and shares her work directly with those affected by bipolar disorder.

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

I am a Senior Lecturer at Monash University, co-director of CREST.BD, and a psychologist. My PhD in Clinical Psychology was from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. I was fortunate to be one of the inaugural IMH postdoctoral fellows, and moved to work with Professor Erin Michalak and the Department of Psychiatry in 2019. Thanks to a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Banting Fellowship, I stayed in Vancouver for four years working on the PolarUs app.

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

My research seeks to improve the quality of life for those with mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder. My research has shown that people living with mood disorders value improvements to overall functioning and wellbeing as much as, if not more so, than reductions in symptoms. However, this is a severely unmet need in individuals categorized as “in remission” from mood symptoms. I am addressing this need by using both qualitative and quantitative methods to measure and predict patient-valued outcomes, develop novel interventions, and improve access to psychological support through digital tools and peer support.

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

Although the PolarUs app was found to improve quality of life, not all people engage with digital health tools, and many prefer face-to-face interventions. My evaluation of a previous CREST.BD educational website, the Bipolar Wellness Centre, found that individuals who participated in a parallel group workshop additionally reported reduced self-stigma, increased self-compassion, and self-efficacy. To extend the reach of the PolarUs app, I am adapting its content into a face-to-face peer-facilitated psychoeducation program. This program is being developed with community input about what aspects should be its primary focus, and the adaptation of individual self-management strategies to group-based activities. 

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

I have been involved in various community engagements, where I share information on living well with bipolar disorder directly with people who live with this condition, their support network, and clinicians. I have hosted self-management webinars in partnership with people with lived experience, academics and clinicians (talkbd.live), contributed to online events such as CREST.BD’s annual Reddit “Ask Me Anything” (which attracted 2.6 million views in 2023), and have co-authored educational resources (bdwellness.com). This has been the most rewarding aspect of my career, as I can share the outcomes of my research with the people most likely to benefit from it.

What are your interests and hobbies outside of work?

I feel fortunate to be part of a research network (CREST.BD) that values work-life balance. During my time in Canada, I grew to love hiking and spending time in the great outdoors. Now that I’m back home in Melbourne, I’m keen to explore local trails.

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.

YOU ARE INVITED: Farewell Tea Reception for Ms. Vicky Yau | Wed February 21 @ 3pm

As you are all aware, our Director of Administration Ms. Vicky Yau will be leaving her position in the UBC Department of Psychiatry at the end of February. As such, we would like to host an afternoon Tea Reception in her honour and in recognition of her many wonderful contributions over the last 20-plus years.  

Please join us on Wednesday February 21, 2024 from 3pm to 4pm at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH, 2215 Wesbrook Mall) Ground Floor Lobby at the UBC Campus. Light refreshments will be served.

If you wish to attend, please RSVP at this link.

If you know someone who is not a UBC Psychiatry staff or faculty member but would like to attend, please contact Margaret Koshi at margaret.koshi@ubc.ca.



In the Spotlight | ALLAN KWAN

February 2024

Meet Mr. Allan Kwan, our Information Systems Specialist who provides front-line IT support to our members and is responsible for maintaining the Department’s computer systems and network infrastructure. He has been a member of our core administrative team since 2004.

Can you tell us more about your background and role in the Department?

I went to high school in Windsor, Ontario, then graduated with my Honors Computer Science degree at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. I started working at IBM/ICL as a programmer and support executive in Hong Kong, however when I immigrated back to Vancouver, Canada, there were no computer jobs at all. I start working in different kinds of jobs, plus working in a computer store in Calgary for a year. I passed the Microsoft exams and became a Microsoft System Engineer, then worked as an on-site IT Consultant servicing most major law firms and accounting companies in the downtown Vancouver area.

I joined the UBC Department of Psychiatry on the first day of January, 2004, and have continued to support all the volunteers, students, staff, and Faculty from day one until now. I also met my wife in the Department of Psychiatry – sometimes we will run into another professor and only then they realize that she and I know each other and are actually husband and wife!  

Who have been some inspirational or encouraging mentors to you, personally or professionally?

I worked with Tim Lem, who left UBC Psychiatry but is still a good friend of mine. Tim is now in New Brunswick, where he is from, and we always WhatsApp each other. Tim is born in Canada and majored in English, so he always corrects my English accent because I am from Hong Kong.

I also worked with Colin Bryant, Communication and Computer Systems Manger and my supervisor for 20 years. Colin retired on January 31st, 2023 after serving UBC for 40 years. Colin was the best mentor for me because he was always calm and detail oriented. He didn’t talk much sometimes, but we didn’t need to ask each other things because we automatically knew what each other wanted.

I was on medical leave two times. The first time, I went through a bad depression, and the second time, I suffered from heart failure and was in VGH for 17 days where I almost died. Luckily, I have super nice co-workers who helped me through this. I would like to express my gratefulness to Vicky Yau and Colin Bryant, who assisted me during these two medical leaves and helped me get through those difficult times.

Can you share what a typical work day looks like for you?

We always try our best to assist all people who work in Department of Psychiatry. Sometimes when there are not many support requests, we work on overdue support requests, research on difficult issues, and try everything we can to look for solutions. Sometimes we have lots of support requests coming in at the same time, so we have to triage and share the requests to help our clients.

One time the UBC email system was down for a long time, and basically everyone could not perform their work smoothly at all. Another time we had a virus attack and we needed to run around to clients’ computers to stop the clients from using them, and we spent two days cleaning out the virus.

The satisfaction I get is when my clients are happy that I have resolved their issues so they can continue their work. It really doesn’t matter if they thank me or not. We can see the thank you on their face, or tone of voice if I am helping them over the phone. I always enjoy working in the IT team of the Department of Psychiatry.

What are your interests and hobbies outside of work?

If I need to relax, I will go to play badminton (my favorite hobby), also cycling, hiking, and skiing in the winter.

UBC Psychiatry IT: Memos & Updates | February 2024

Important Email Changes Coming in February 2024

In February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo will implement stricter requirements for bulk email senders, including UBC. Due to this change, individuals who have redirected or forwarded their UBC emails to non-UBC mail services may experience issues.

UBC’s enterprise mail services are already compliant with the new Gmail and Yahoo requirements. However, administrators of email marketing platforms and email systems at UBC must configure appropriate controls to meet these specifications and avoid any disruption in email delivery. READ MORE

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).

Congratulations to the UBC Psychiatry Members Awarded Funding in the 2023 Fall CIHR Project Grant Competition

As the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announced the results of its Fall 2023 project grant competition this week, we wish to congratulate our faculty and principal investigators Dr. Lakshmi Yatham, Dr. Kyooseob Ha, Dr. Kamyar Keramatian, and Dr. Lynn Raymond, along with their teams, who were awarded grant funding to support their respective projects below:

Psilocybin Assisted Therapy (PAT) for Treatment Resistant Depression in Bipolar II Disorder (TRD.BD-II): A Randomized Controlled Trial

As few medications are available for treatment of the depressive phases of Bipolar II Disorder (BD II), developing new treatments that are effective and have a good safety profile is an urgent unmet need for people with BD II. Psychedelics, particularly psilocybin have acquired significant research interest due to their effects on mood and new learning, and have been associated with improvements in depression in conjunction with therapy. READ MORE

Investigating altered sensorimotor processing in Huntington disease

Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited brain disorder with average onset in middle age and progressive impairment of movement, thinking and mood. Neurodegeneration is most severe in the cortex and striatum, and the first changes occur at synapses within the cortex and between the cortex and striatum. Although genetic approaches to reduce the mutated protein in HD patients are in clinical trials, evidence suggests changes in synapses may not be reversed once the disease has started. There is a critical need to develop complementary therapies to normalize function of brain connections before clinical disease onset, by investigating the circuit and cellular mechanisms underlying those changes. READ MORE

If you are a PI who was awarded funding in the Fall 2023 CIHR Competition, but was not mentioned in this post, please reach out to Margaret Koshi (margaret.koshi@ubc.ca).

FRAMES OF MIND Mental Health Film Series | Wednesday February 21 @ 7:00pm | The Cinematheque

A monthly film series promoting professional and community education on issues pertaining to mental health and illness. Presented by The Cinematheque and the Institute of Mental Health, UBC Department of Psychiatry. Screenings are generally held on the third Wednesday of each month at The Cinematheque, 1131 Howe St, Vancouver, BC.

The Eternal Memory

Chile 2023 (85 min DCP)
Director: Maite Alberdi
Wednesday February 21st @ 7:00pm
The Cinematheque (1131 Howe St)

Film Description

Oscar-nominated director Maite Alberdi builds on her impressive oeuvre with The Eternal Memory, her most celebrated work to date. Filmed over several years, Alberdi’s tender portrait captures couple Augusto Góngora and Paulina Urrutia as they cope with the progression of Augusto’s Alzheimer’s disease. Augusto, a well-known television journalist for underground news outlets during Pinochet’s dictatorship, and Paulina, an actor and former Minister of Culture, have been life partners for 25 years. Incorporating extensive home video footage, The Eternal Memory is an intimate portrayal of the adventures, passions, and politics of two of Chile’s most adored public intellectuals. As Augusto’s mental state declines and he forgets who she is, Paulina takes on the role of caregiver and is forced to confront the heartrending reality of her husband’s condition. Despite the couple’s grief, their relationship is imbued with abundant laughter, connection, and an unconditional love that honours both their past and their ever-cherished present. (In Spanish with English subtitles)

Grand Jury Prize, World Documentary
Sundance 2023

Co-sponsored by the Dialogue on Aging Public Presentations Series, Providence Health Care and Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, UBC

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“Alberdi succeeds at showing us the hard-to-manage sides of Alzheimer’s while avoiding reducing Augusto and Paulina’s relationship to a caregiver-patient dynamic … [The Eternal Memory] is a marvel … A testament to the individual’s role in collective memory.” — Marie Saadeh, Exclaim!

“Alberdi [builds] a portrait in the round, showing Augusto in bloom as well as blight, looking backwards to the courage and conviction of his rebel TV broadcasts, and the long flush of his love with Pauli.” — Nick Bradshaw, Sight and Sound

Post-screening Discussion:

Post-screening discussion with Dr. Benjamin Bryce and Dr. Elisabeth Drance. Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia

About the Panel:

Dr. Benjamin Bryce is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on migration to Argentina. At UBC, he is the chair of the Latin American Studies program. He is also the editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Canadian Historical Association and a fellow at the Lateinamerika-Institut at the Freie Universität in Berlin.

Dr. Elisabeth Drance is a geriatric psychiatrist who has worked in the area of dementia care over the past several decades. She is one of the developers of the Dementia Caregiver Resilience Clinic at Providence Health Care. In addition to her psychiatry background, she is a mindfulness meditation teacher and is the first Canadian to teach Mindfulness-Based Dementia Care.

Dr. Harry Karlinsky, the Series Director of Frames of Mind and a Clinical Professor in the UBC Department of Psychiatry, has a longstanding commitment to professional and public education. He has presented nationally and internationally on topics ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to information technology to narrative medicine to PTSD and to the use of films in health care education.

Want to be a regular at Frames of Mind screenings on the third Wednesday of every month? Subscribe to the email list and be the first in line for tickets!

UBC Psychiatry IT: Memos & Updates | January 2024

Recent Data Breach: ~26 BILLION records leaked – GO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS!

We strongly recommend that you update and change your passwords that could be been linked to a recent data breach. Notable sites like LinkedIn, Adobe, X (formerly Twitter), and Canva has been comprised. If you received any emails about changing passwords from these with a provided link, DO NOT use the link provided as it can be a phishing attempt. Go to the site directly via Google search then proceed to update your password. If the option is available ENABLE MFA to add an additional layer of security.

Go to the link below for additional information on other compromised sites you may have. Copy and paste the link below into the address bar then replace ‘xx’ with ‘tt’.

hxxps://cybernews.com/security/billions-passwords-credentials-leaked-mother-of-all-breaches/

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).

Announcing the Departure of Ms. Vicky Yau as Director, Administration

Dear staff, fellows, residents and colleagues,

It is with mixed feelings that I announce the departure of Ms. Vicky Yau from her role as Director of Administration in the UBC Department of Psychiatry, as she has accepted a new administrative leadership position within the UBC Department of Family Practice. We will sorely miss Vicky and the outstanding support she has provided to the Department for over twenty years, yet we are thrilled for her as she embarks on this exciting new chapter of her career. While her final working day will be February 29, 2024, she has graciously agreed to provide support as needed during the weeks to follow as we recruit for this vacancy.

Vicky joined the UBC Faculty of Medicine in 2001, supporting UBC Psychiatry’s finance operations first as an Assistant and then as the Finance & Facilities Manager. In 2016, she moved into the role of Personnel and Business Operations Manager for the Department, where she assumed broader responsibilities that included our Facilities and Human Resources portfolios. Vicky was then promoted in 2018 to her current role as Director of Administration and has since provided superb strategic and operational oversight of the Department’s processes in HR, education, financial planning, space management, health and safety, strategic plan implementation, project management, policy development and implementation, IT and communications. With her relentless dedication and wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise, Vicky has done an incredible job in fulfilling the rigorous demands of her role while also building a high degree of trust with all Department members, fostering a positive work environment and a strong culture of cooperation, providing invaluable guidance and mentorship, and forming great relationships with not only our staff and faculty, but also with her colleagues and counterparts from external units across the Faculty of Medicine.

Simply put, Vicky has been an indispensable member of the Department and an amazing leader to our Administration team. On behalf of the entire UBC Department of Psychiatry, I wish to express to her my deep gratitude for her extraordinary contributions and tireless service over these many years. As we bid farewell to Vicky and as noted above, the Department will be initiating a hiring process in the coming days to fill this vacancy, and I hope to share updates on this effort in the very near future.

Please join me in warmly congratulating Vicky as she moves on to her new role in UBC Family Practice, and wishing her all the best in her future endeavours.

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 | January 2024

Dear Department members,

I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year, and also share some staffing updates and announcements regarding our UBC Department of Psychiatry Administration Office.

Firstly, I am delighted to introduce you to our new Administrative Assistant Ms. Rei Sakuma, who started in her role on January 8.  Rei is a recent UBC graduate who brings her experience working in various educational settings, including at a Japanese language school and the UBC Department of Asian Studies. In her new position, she will provide administrative support primarily to our HR and Finance teams, and will handle other tasks as required to support the day-to-day needs of the Administration Office. Rei will be situated at Detwiller Pavilion at UBC Hospital, and she may be reached by email at rei.sakuma@ubc.ca.

As well, we are excited to welcome Ms. Tomoko Himeoka, our new Administrative Assistant who will be supporting our team members in the Education Office as of January 15. Prior to joining our staff, Tomoko held administrative positions at both a language school as well as a Vancouver-based law firm. In her new role, she will be providing broad administrative support to the UGE, PGE and SSP programs. Tomoko will be situated in the Education Office on the 11th Floor at the Diamond Centre at the VGH campus, and may be reached by email at tomoko.himeoka@ubc.ca.

Please join me in warmly greeting Rei and Tomoko and welcoming them to their new roles on the UBC Psychiatry Administration Team! 

Sincerely,

Vicky Yau
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).