Elena Schuller
Clinical Instructor, UBC Department of Psychiatry
Allison Hudson
Clinical Instructor, UBC Department of Psychiatry
Email: allison.hudson2@vch.ca
Announcing the 2024/2025 Stimulus Grants Awardees

Dear Department members,
We are delighted to share that, following careful review and deliberation by an external Scientific Committee comprised of members outside of UBC and Canada, the selection process for the 2024/2025 Stimulus Grants Initiative has been completed.
A total of three innovative projects have been recommended for funding by the Committee across the Clinician, Junior Academic, and Child & Youth Mental Health streams, selected out of the many outstanding proposals we received this cycle.
Congratulations to the following awardees:
STIMULUS – CLINICAL GRANT

- Principal: Dr. Ashok Krishnamoorthy, Clinical Associate Professor
Co-applicant: Daniel Vigo
Contingency management to increase antipsychotic treatment retention in Provincial Correction
STIMULUS – JUNIOR ACADEMIC GRANT

- Principal: Dr. Marianne Hrabok, PGY4 Resident, Research Track
Co-applicant: Dr. Lakshmi Yatham
Real world clinical and functional outcomes in difficult to treat depression: A preliminary study of supratherapeutic dosing, es/ketamine, rTMS, and ECT in an Interventional Psychiatry Clinic
STIMULUS – CHILD & YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH GRANT

- Principal: Dr. Martha J. Ignaszewski, Clinical Assistant Professor
Co-applicant: Michael Krausz
Youth Overdose Cohort: Post overdose treatment experience of adolescents and young adults. A pilot and feasibility study
The Stimulus Grants Initiative was launched in 2022 by the UBC Department of Psychiatry, in partnership with the UBC Institute of Mental Health (UBC IMH) and BC Children’s Hospital, to increase research capacity and support for clinicians, residents and junior academics seeking to initiate pilot or small, self-contained studies in their areas of interest in mental health.
Please keep in mind that the next Stimulus Grants application cycle will open on June 1, 2025!
On behalf of the UBC Department of Psychiatry, the UBC IMH and BC Children’s Hospital, we wish much success to each of our 2024/2025 Stimulus Grants recipients as they pursue their respective projects, and we look forward to sharing with you updates regarding their progress in the near future.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lakshmi N. Yatham, Professor and Head, UBC Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Sophia Frangou, Professor and Associate Head, UBC Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Roberto Sassi, Psychiatrist in Chief, BCCH and Associate Professor (Partner) & CAP Division Head, 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).
Senga Frisken
Clinical Instructor, UBC Department of Psychiatry
Melissa Moses
Clinical Instructor, UBC Department of Psychiatry
Email: mmoses@mail.ubc.ca
Haroon Ahmad
Clinical Instructor, UBC Department of Psychiatry
Email: haroon.ahmad@vch.ca
Dr. J9 Austin elected President of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics!

Congratulations to Dr. J9 Austin, who has been elected president of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG)!
Dr. Austin is a professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, as well as the Canada Research Chair in Translational Psychiatric Genomics. Their research involves studying the impact of genetic counseling for people with psychiatric disorders and their families, and they are currently leading the ACCESS-GC trial, funded by Genome BC, which seeks to embed genetic counsellors (GCs) into family physician clinics, creating a team-based model that delivers enhanced, personalized care.
As the first non-man to serve as president of the society in its 30-year history, Dr. Austin will continue to advocate for broader inclusion at every level of the society for people of diverse backgrounds, ensure the society’s sustainability through financially responsible decision-making, and seek to provide a greater range of benefits for members.
Read Dr. Austin’s welcome message to ISPG members.
Congratulations once again to Dr. Austin on their election to this significant new role!