Faculty grant recipients
The latest grants received by our faculty members
Jennifer Bell
Developing Ethical Guidelines for the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Participant Consent for Cancer Clinical Trials
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
One of the most ethically sensitive parts of a clinical trial is getting informed consent from participants. LLMs could help improve this process by providing clear, personalized information, making it easier for people from diverse backgrounds to understand their options and provide consent. However, using AI in this way also raises ethical concerns.
Our research aims to:
1. Bring together experts—like ethicists, legal professionals, patients, clinicians, researchers, and AI developers—to identify key ethical concerns.
2. Create practical guidelines for ethics boards to use when reviewing AI-enhanced clinical trial proposals.
3. Build partnerships across disciplines to support future research on the ethical use of AI in clinical trials. As AI becomes more common in research, clear guidance is urgently needed to ensure it is used responsibly and ethically.
Total funding (Direct costs):
$30,000
November 2025 - October 2026
Suze Berkhout
Trading Off: Understanding the Day-to-Day Concessions, Trade-Offs, Compromises of Long-Term Immunosuppression through Arts-Based Qualitative Methods
Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program
This pilot grant will co-create novel arts-based methodologies using augmented reality and documentary film/photography, to better understand the day to day trade offs and concessions that long-term transplant survivors make in order to sustain their graft organs. Understanding these through material culture and medical ephemera will create new insights for psychosocial supports for long-term survivorship.
Total funding (Direct costs):
$30,000
November 2025 - November 2026
Venkat Bhat
Healing with PsilOcybin-Assisted Intensive Cognitive Processing Therapy for chronic PTDS (HOPE-PTSD): A Multi-Site Randomized Placebo-Controlled Pilot Clinical Trial
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Over 2.5 million Canadians live with PTSD, and up to half do not respond to current intensive frontline therapies. This landmark pan-Canadian PTSD RCT brings together key PTSD stakeholders nationwide to test psilocybin-enhanced intensive cognitive processing therapy with integrated digital monitoring and AI-driven analytics.
Total funding (Direct costs):
$700,000
September 2025 - August 2028
Amer Burhan
The Mobility, Exercise, and Cognition (MEC) Team: A Novel Approach to Dementia Prediction and Prevention by Integrating Cognitive, Mobility, and Exercise Interventions to Combat Neurodegeneration in Aging
CIHR/CCNA
Identifying individuals most likely to benefit from exercise and mental training, we can target interventions to those at greatest risk. We expect these tools to help people maintain cognitive and physical health, potentially lowering dementia rates and healthcare costs, and providing healthcare providers with practical, research-backed guidelines to support brain health in aging.
Total funding (Direct costs):
$1,070,656
July 2025 - June 2029
Saadia Sediqzadah
Rapidly Addressing Homelessness through Rent Subsidies and Critical Time Intervention for People Experiencing Homelessness with Mental Illness in Toronto
Louis L. Odette Urban Angel Homelessness Fund, St. Michael's Foundation
During the course of severe mental illness, there can be “critical time” periods, often periods of transition including hospitalization, where people are at increased risk of losing housing and other resources. This project will examine the effectiveness of Critical Time Interventions (time-limited and focused case management to secure housing) and the provision of rent subsidies as an affordable intervention to rapidly address homelessness among St. Michael’s Hospital patients.
Other faculty contributors:
Samuel Law
Total funding (Direct costs):
$499,175.99 over 2 years
December 2025 - December 2027
Rosalie Steinberg
An Environmental Scan of Mental Health and Cognitive Screening Processes in Rehabilitation Settings
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Poor mental health during recovery from physical illness or disability can severely affect a patient’s ability to participate in rehabilitation, leading to delayed recovery, longer hospital stays and higher healthcare costs. Although early mental health screening has been shown to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs, there are currently no standardized mental health or cognitive screening practices in Canadian rehabilitation settings. To address this gap, we will conduct a national environmental scan of MH/Cognitve screening practices and assessment tools in Canadian rehabilitation settings, including their perceived usability and effectiveness, as well as implementation facilitators and challenges. Findings will guide future research and policy development aimed at creating national standards for mental health screening in rehab settings.
Other faculty contributors:
Lanctôt, Krista
Total funding (Direct costs):
$10,000
Nov 2025 - Nov 2026
Preconception mental illness and perinatal psychiatric risk: a population based study
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
This grant uses Ontario population-based data to examine serious psychiatric outcomes among pregnant and postpartum individuals with preconception mental illness.
Other faculty contributors
Co-investigators: Hilary Brown, Crystal Clark, Paul Kurdyak, and Simone Vigod.
Total funding (Direct costs): $233,324
2025 - 2028
Identifying genetic and epigenetic modifiers for schizophrenia in a high-risk population
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that affects about 1% of people. It has strong genetic roots, with certain genetic changes known to greatly increase the risk. The 22q11.2 microdeletion (small piece missing from the long arm of chromosome 22) raises the risk of developing schizophrenia by 25 times, over the general population risk. However, most people born with this genetic change do not develop schizophrenia. This suggests that other factors influence whether or not someone with this high-risk genetic change will develop schizophrenia. We plan to use advanced technology called long-read genome sequencing to study schizophrenia risk in people with the 22q11.2 microdeletion. This method allows us to look closely at both genetic and epigenetic changes (chemical changes that affect how genes work) in order to identify potential factors that further increase the risk of schizophrenia. We will focus on studying these changes in 300 adults who have the 22q11.2 microdeletion, comparing those with and without schizophrenia. The results of this study will give us new insights into how schizophrenia develops in people with high genetic risk. This could lead to early diagnosis and improved treatment, not just for those with the 22q11.2 microdeletion, but also for the broader schizophrenia community. The findings will also pave the way for future research to uncover the causes and mechanisms of schizophrenia and related conditions.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PI: Ryan Yuen
Total funding (Direct costs): $1,147,500
April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2030
Advancing Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario’s Learning Health System for Scalable Data Sharing via a Federated Data Ecosystem
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Other faculty contributors
Co-PIs: Debbie Chiodo, Karleigh Darnay, Meaghen Quinlan-Davidson, Tristan Glatard, Kevin Haynes
Department Co-Investigators: Daniel Felsky, Sean Hill, Peter Szatmari
Total funding (Direct costs): $3,299,999
April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2029
Microlessons: Leveraging Microlearning Strategies to Support Early Career Psychiatrists in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Training
Association for Academic Psychiatry
To identify early career psychiatrists’ (ECPs’) interests and needs to inform the development of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) continuing professional development (CPD) with microlearning strategies. With support from the AAP Educational Scholarship Award, we will adopt the Kern's six-step model for curriculum development, particularly the first two steps (i.e., problem identification and targeted needs assessment) to inform the creation a QIPS microlearning resource to support CPD for ECPs.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PI: Michael Mak
Project mentor: Sanjeev Sockalingam
Total funding (Direct costs): $5,000
September 30, 2025
Evaluating the Implementation of Ontario’s Supervised Practice Experience Partnership for Supporting Successful Workforce Integration of Internationally Educated Nurses: A Multi-Institutional Ethnography
Canadian Institutes for Health Research
Our study examines the implementation of the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP), a promising provincial strategy to address the nursing workforce crisis in Ontario by supporting the integration and retention of Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs).
Other faculty contributors
Co-PIs: Sander Hitzig, Tracy DasGupta, Ru Taggar
Total funding (Direct costs): $328,951
May 2025 – February 2028
Objective, real-time measurement of relationships between social media use and mental health in a cohort of treatment-seeking youth
Reasons for Hope Fund in Prevention and Early Detection of Mental Illness
Social media use (SMU) is high and increasing among adolescents, prompting growing concern from young people, parents, educators, and policymakers in Canada and globally. Using passive and active e-capture methods, we will recruit 250 participants from the Toronto Adolescent and Youth (TAY) Cohort Study, a large, longitudinal study of 1,500 youth aged 11-24 seeking tertiary mental health services at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), to examine bidirectional associations between SMU dimensions, mood, sleep, and internalizing psychopathology.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PI: Darren B. Courtney
Department contributors: Co-investigators: Stephanie Ameis MD MSc, Kristin Cleverley RN, PhD, CPMHN, Erin Dickie PhD, George Foussias MD PhD, Nicole Kozloff MD SM, Marta Maslej PhD, Lena Quilty PhD CPsych, Wei Wang PhD, Aristotle Voineskos MD PhD.
Total funding (Direct costs): $299,000
2025 - 2027
Improving Access and Wellbeing of Patients with Lung Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Lay Navigation Program
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
We developed and have implemented a volunteer lay navigator program, which aims to proactively provide information, navigation and support to patients with cancer. This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effectiveness of this program in improving access to psychosocial oncology services, reducing psychological distress, and improving satisfaction with care in patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PI: Gary M. Rodin
Other faculty collaborators:
Co-Applicants: Abrahamyan, L., Bender, J.L., Berlin, A., Davis, H., Leighl, N.B., Li, M., Liu, G., Nissim, R., Papadakos, J.K., Rydall, A.C., & Zimmermann, C.
Collaborators: Alagha, F., Changoor, A., Kahn, R., Lau, S., Ramsey, A., Santiago, A., Srivastava, R., & Wexler, M.
Total funding (Direct costs): $753,526.00
2025 - 2030
A machine learning predictive model and alerting system to reduce workplace violence in mental healthcare settings
WorkSafe BC
This project will deploy a machine learning alert that identifies patients who are at risk of mental deterioration and alerts the clinical team. We will study the impact of the use of this alerting system on staff safety and well being including workplace injuries.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PIs: Valentina Tamayo Velasquez, Bernard Le Foll, Jennifer Crawford, Achal Mishra, Mara Smith, Christo El Morr, Elham Dolatabadi
Department contributors: Bernard Le Foll - Project Mentor Achal Mishra - Co-investigator Mara Smith - Co-investigator
Total funding (Direct costs): $99,952.27
September 2025 - August 2027
SCOPE-KIDS: Developing an Integrated Urgent Youth Mental Health Pathway for Primary Care.
Cass Family
The broad aim of the SCOPE KIDS project is to feasibly adapt and implement a stepped care model to address urgent mental health needs of youth ages 8-18, as identified by PCPs within the North Toronto OHT.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PI: Rosalie Steinberg
Other faculty collaborators: Janet Song and Lauren Riggin
Collaborators: Alagha, F., Changoor, A., Kahn, R., Lau, S., Ramsey, A., Santiago, A., Srivastava, R., & Wexler, M.
Total funding (Direct costs): $5000
July 2025 - June 2026
Coronary Microvascular Reactivity in Relation to Brain Structure, Cardiovascular Genetics, and Serious Mental Illness in Youth
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
This study, with sites at CAMH and McGill, examines heart and brain MRI in relation to cardiovascular genetics and serious mental illness in youth. Building on established collaborations with colleagues in cardiology, the study focuses on coronary microvascular function as an early index of cardiovascular disease risk that is also relevant to the developing brain.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PIs: Matthias Friedrich, Delphine Raucher-Chene
Co-investigators: Nicole Kozloff and Clement Zai.
Total funding (Direct costs): $1,246,950
2025 - 2030
Behavioural health analytics of social connection and rest-activity rhythms using clinical safety real-time location systems for older adults living in long-term care
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
This project uses location data from clinical safety systems to identify digital markers of behavioural health and describe the social connection and rest-activity rhythms of older adults in long-term care settings. By evaluating relationships between change in location-based analytics and standard clinical outcomes, this study aims to establish person-centered, clinically meaningful approaches to technology-integrated care planning and decision-making.
Other faculty contributors
Alastair Flint
Total funding (Direct costs): $290,699
April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2028
Proof of Concept Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of the Cognitive Enhancer Memantine for Gambling Disorder
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
This study will assess the feasibility of a placebo-controlled trial of memantine for people with gambling disorder (PGD). This will be assessed in terms of recruitment (n=60/3 years), retention (10 week trial), adherence (daily dosing), tolerability (low-moderate AE frequency/severity), and follow-up (6 months); a large (d > 0.80) effect on symptom reduction and moderate effect (d > 0.50) on cognitive flexibility will provide a basis for a future full-scale RCT.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PIs: Martin Zack
Sanjeev Kumar (Qualified Investigator), Nathan Herrmann (expert consultant on clinical pharmacology of memantine), Jim Kennedy (preliminary genotype analysis), Daniela Lobo (expert consultant to QI on clinical psychiatry with people who have gambling disorder)
Total funding (Direct costs): $569,926
May 1, 2025 - April 30, 2028
Evaluating the Implementation of Ontario’s Supervised Practice Experience Partnership for Supporting Successful Workforce Integration of Internationally Educated Nurses: A Multi-Institutional Ethnography
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
This work aims to identify the real-world conditions under which SPEP implementation can optimally support IENs’ equitable and inclusive integration and retention into Ontario’s nursing workforce.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PIs: Sander Hitzig, Tracy das Gupta, Ru Taggar
Total funding (Direct costs): $328,951
March 2025 - February 2028
Considerations of Medical Humanities in Transition-to-Practice Competencies: Learning from Psychiatry Residency Training
Medical Humanities Education Matching Funding Grants
Many Transition to Practice curriculum competencies interact with the medical humanities. This project will highlight such intersections.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PI: Certina Ho
Other contributors: Sanjeev Sockalingam (Project Mentor), Jeanette Hui (Co-Investigator)
Total funding (Direct costs): $10,000
January 2025 - January 2026
Perceived Importance of Transition to Practice Competencies: A Case Study of Psychiatry Resident Experiences
Excellence Fund
The objective of this qualitative case study is to explore why and how psychiatry residents, through semi-structured interviews, rank their perceived importance of Transition to Practice (TTP) competencies and evaluate the impact of the TTP curriculum on their lifelong learning goals.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PI: Certina Ho
Other contributors: Sanjeev Sockalingam (Project Mentor), Yun lin Xue (Co-investigator), Justin Lee (Co-investigator)
Total funding (Direct costs): $10,000
February 2024 - February 2025
Novel markers of risk for age-related neurodegeneration, senescence, and cognitive decline in adults with substance use disorders - CDiAge
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
This project proposes to leverage the Cognitive Dysfunction in the Addictions (CDiA) study to assess the links among SUDs, age, cognition, midbrain integrity measured with neuromelanin-sensitive MRI, and peripheral markers of senescence and neurodegeneration.
Other faculty contributors
Co-PI: Erica Vieira, and Lena Quilty
Other faculty collaborators: Isabelle Boileau, Clifford Cassidy, Erin Dickie, Daniel Felsky, Anthony Ruocco, Etienne Sibille, Victor Tang, John Weekes, Peter Zhukovsky
Total funding (Direct costs): $1,181,924
April 2025 - March 2029