The Department congratulates PGE Program Director and Interim Associate Head Dr. Irfan Khanbhai on receiving the 2025 PGME Program Director Award!
Each year, the Faculty of Medicine Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) program recognizes faculty and staff for their outstanding contributions to residency education. This award highlights Dr. Khanbhai’s exceptional leadership, dedication to program development, and unwavering support for both residents and the broader educational mission of the Department and the FoM PGME Program. This award was presented to Dr. Khanbhai at the 2025 PGME Spring Workshop
We are also pleased to share that several other clinical faculty and staff from our department have been nominated for various PGME Award categories, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to residency education. The nominees include:
Program / Site Director Nominees: Dr. Alison Gregson Dr. Michelle Waller
Faculty Nominees: Dr. Bradley Williamson Dr. David Kealy Dr. Ejike Udumaga Dr. Jaeyun Yoo Dr. Jeffrey Douziech Dr. Kylie Riou Dr. Leah Rosetti Dr. Lingsa Jia Dr. Mansoor Anwar Dr. Michelle van den Engh Cook
Program Administrator Nominees: Ahsan Sahibzada Linda Chang Olivia Michaels
Please join us in celebrating this well-deserved recognition of Dr. Khanbhai’s, as well as the significant contributions of all our department’s nominees to postgraduate medical education at UBC.
**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.
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:
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
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:
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.
** 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 traineeor 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) Nationsand in the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation and their peoples.
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)
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:
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:
Submit self-nominations and peer- nominations along with a brief rationale and a CV of the nominee.
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.
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).
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:
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
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:
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.
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.
**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.
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).
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.
Hospital (new restoration)
USA 1969 (84 min. DCP) Director: Frederick Wiseman Wednesday, April 23, 2025 @ 7:00pm The Cinematheque (1131 Howe St)
Film Description
“Wiseman gives us fault lines, derangement, sanctity … [He] knows that there is as much honour as absurdity in the skirmish.” – Matt Morrison, Film Comment
Just two years after his magnum opus Titicut Follies and decades before hospitals became a popular site of procedural and reality television, Wiseman turned his panoramic lens onto one of society’s greatest collective institutions. Set in the bustling Metropolitan Hospital in East Harlem, Hospital documents numerous emergency encounters of patients suffering from a range of medical and psychological ailments, including states of extreme intoxication. A sense of the frenetic setting in which on-call psychiatrists carry out their responsibilities—still present to this day—emerges. So too do their myriad responsibilities, including their advocacy (not always successful) for the social services needed by psychologically vulnerable patients. Seamlessly shifting between wide and close shots, Wiseman employs a unique reportorial style showcasing the intensity of the seemingly mundane—an approach that continues to inform his observational craft, revealing the drama, personalities, and social concerns of life and death scenarios.
This screening is co-sponsored by the UBC Psychiatry Division of Adult Psychiatry. FREE TICKET: The first 10 members of the Division of Adult Psychiatry and Mental Health Services who email Terena Zhao at psychiatry.divisions@ubc.cato RSVPwill obtain a free ticket!
“Despite the many undeniably unpleasant sights in the film, Hospital avoids sensationalism … To powerful effect, in its conclusion Hospital returns the cultural and social issues the film raises to the spectator, as Wiseman has frequently done in his work.” – Barry Keith Grant, Library of Congress
Post-screening Discussion:
Post-screening discussion with Dr. Bradley Locke, clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC.
Dr. Locke is a Vancouver-based psychiatrist who works in Emergency and Inpatient care, and also has sub-specialty training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, the Series Director of Frames of Mind and a Clinical Professor in the UBC Department of Psychiatry.
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!
