Professor, UBC Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience and Translational Psychiatry
Researcher, BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services Research Institute
Investigator, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Researcher, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
Member, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
Member, UBC Institute of Mental Health
Email: todd.woodward@ubc.ca
Short Biography
Dr. Woodward is a Professor within the Department of Psychiatry in the Faculty of Medicine, a Research Scientist with the BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute (BCMHARI), and Centre Investigator with the Brain Research Centre.
The objective of Dr. Woodward’s research program is to gain a functional and anatomical understanding of the functional brain networks that underlie the primary symptoms of psychosis and schizophrenia. Three lines of research are being pursued.
First, the cognitive correlates of the symptoms of psychosis are being explored by way of originally designed cognitive paradigms assessing specific aspects of memory and reasoning. Translation of these results back to people with schizophrenia in a group setting have led to a promising treatment program called metacognitive training (MCT).
Second, functional neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG, MEG) is being utilized to identify the neural underpinnings of these cognitive functions, and how their dysfunction manifests as the symptoms of psychosis, and how they are affected by MCT. Finally, software is being developed for multivariate analysis of functional neuroimaging data (fMRI-CPCA)
Research Focus
As director of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Schizophrenia (CNoS) Laboratory, Dr. Woodward’s research program is focused on two main areas of research: cognitive neuropsychiatry and functional neuroimaging. The objective of his cognitive neuropsychiatry research is to identify the cognitive operations underlying the primary symptoms of psychosis and schizophrenia. This is being explored by way of originally designed cognitive paradigms for memory confidence, source monitoring, reasoning, and semantic association. The objectives of Dr. Woodward’s functional neuroimaging research is to gain a functional and anatomical understanding of the cognitive systems involved in psychosis and schizophrenia, and to develop new multivariate methods for analyzing fMRI data, with applications to integrating information from fMRI, EEG and MEG. We provide two applications for download, free of charge. One is called metacognitive training (MCT), which is a group-based program that uses research-based examples to increase awareness of the cognitive biases that may underlie delusions, and training patients to counter these biases. The other is called fMRI-CPCA, which is a multivariate analysis method for imaging networks of brain activity.
Significant Accomplishments and Professional Contribution
- Outstanding Academic Performance (OAP) Award 2022, Faculty of Medicine, UBC (awarded 2023)
- Outstanding Academic Performance (OAP) Award 2021, Faculty of Medicine, UBC (awarded 2022)
- Outstanding Academic Performance (OAP) Award 2020, Faculty of Medicine, UBC (awarded 2021)
- Outstanding Academic Performance (OAP) Award 2018, Faculty of Medicine, UBC (awarded 2019)
- Outstanding Academic Performance (OAP) Award 2016, Faculty of Medicine, UBC (awarded 2017)
- National Recipient of CAMH Difference Makers: 150 Leading Canadians for Mental Health (2017)
- Excellence in Clinical or Applied Research, UBC Faculty of Medicine 2016
- Distinguished Achievement Awards of the Faculty of Medicine: Excellence in Clinical or Applied Research 2015 (awarded 2016)
- NARSAD: The Mental Health Research Association Independent Investigator Award (2016-2018; $100,000)
