Branka Agic

Dr. Branka Agic is an Independent Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She is also an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Public Health Division and the Associate Director of the Master of Science in Community Health (MScHS) in Addiction and Mental Health Program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.

Dr. Agic holds a PhD in Health and Behavioral Sciences and a Masters of Health Science (MHSc) degree from the University of Toronto, along with a Medical Degree from the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dr. Agic’s focus is on innovative knowledge translation methods and strategies, health equity and social determinants of health. Her primary research resides in the area of mental health and substance use among diverse populations, in particular immigrants, refugees, ethno-cultural and racialized groups including factors affecting access, quality, and outcomes of care.

Appointments

Assistant Professor, Clinical Public Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), University of Toronto

Grants

2022 – 2027 Co-Principal Investigator. Onsite, Intercept Survey and Longitudinal Follow-up Study of Gamblers Who Patronize Gambling Venues: An Integrated Knowledge Translation Project. Funding source: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project grant. Principal Investigators (PIs): Turner, Nigel Ernest; Agic, Branka; Mann, Robert Ernest. Co-Investigators: Elton-Marshall, Tara Elizabeth; Hamilton, Hayley A.; Matheson, Flora Isabel; McCready, John; Wang, Wei; Wickens, Christine M.; Williams, Robert John; van der Maas, Mark

2022 – 2024 Co-Principal Investigator. Telephone-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Post- Operative Bariatric Surgery Patients to Manage COVID-19 Pandemic Related Mental Health and Distress (TELE-BARICARE): A Randomized Controlled Trial to Determine Effectiveness and Adaptation for Marginalized Populations. Funding source: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Operating Grant: Addressing the Wider Health Impacts of COVID-19. Principal Investigators (PIs): Agic, Branka; Cassin, Stephanie E; Sockalingam, Sanjeev. Co-Investigators: Akbar, Nadine; Dash, Satya; Hawa, Raed; Jackson, Timothy D; Ma, Clement; Wnuk, Susan Margaret

2022 – 2024 Co-Investigator. Gender-Specific Mental Health Priorities in Ontario Medical Students: Identifying Opportunities to Improve Women’s Mental Health and Treatment among Medical Trainees. Funding source: womenmind 2022 Seed Funding Competition. PI: Wickens, Christine; Co-Investigators: Quilty, Lena; Soklaridis, Sophie; Buckley, Leslie; Agic, Branka

2022 –2025 Co-Investigator. Optimization of Prefrontal Theta-Burst Stimulation to Treat Depression: A Bench to First in-Human Study. Funding Source: Bell Let's Talk-Brain Canada Mental Health Research Program. PI: Rajji, Tarek. Co-investigators: Agic, Branka; Collingridge, Graham; Georgiou, John; Lambe, Evelyn.; Ma, Clement; Sockalingam, Sanjeev; Blumberger, Daniel; Mulsant, Benoit; Zomorrodi, Reza

2022 – 2023 Co-Principal Investigator. The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physician Delivery of Virtual and In-person Mental Health Care Services across Reformed Primary Care Payment Models in Ontario. Funding source: CIHR Catalyst Gr.: Quadruple Aim and Equity-National Mental Health Service Standards. Principal Investigator(s): Agic, Branka; Some, Nibene Habib. Co-Investigators: Ali, Shehzad; Anderson, Kelly Kathleen; Sarma, Sisira Kumar; Wells, Samantha Lynn; de Oliveira, Claire

2021 – 2023 Co-Investigator. RÉAC ! Réactivité de la prise en charge des nouveaux arrivants face à la pandémie de COVID-19 à Montréal, Sherbrooke et Toronto: une recherche mixte participative. Funding Sources: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant - PA: Pandemic and Health Emergencies Research PIs: Gautier, Lara; Rodriguez Del Barrio, Lourdes; Touati, Nassera. Co-investigators: Agic, Branka; Bentayeb, Naïma; Blain, Marie-Jeanne; Blaser, Christine; Borvil, Achille Dadly Dadly; Di Ruggiero, Erica; Gueye, Serigne Touba Mbacké; Hanley, Jill; Maillet, Lara; Mc Sween-Cadieux, Esther; Pluye, Pierre; Ziam, Saliha

2020–2023 Co-Investigator. Triangulating evidence to evaluate the impact of cannabis policy in Ontario. Funding source: CIHR Partnerships for Cannabis Policy Evaluation. Principal Investigator(s):Elton-Marshall, Tara Elizabeth; Pisko, Laura Ann; Schwartz, Robert M. Co-Investigators: Agic, Branka; Antoniou, Tony; Chaiton, Michael Oliver; Hamilton, Hayley A ; Imtiaz, Sameer; Kaufman, Pamela Eva; Mann, Robert Ernest; O'Connor, Shawn; Rueda, Sergio; Sornpaisarn, Bundit; Tadrous, Mina; Wells, Samantha Lynn

Recent Publications

Agic, B., Fruitman, H., Maharaj, A., Taylor, J., Ashraf, A., Henderson, J., Ronda, N., McKenzie, K., Soklaridis, S., Sockalingam, S. (2022). Advancing curriculum development and design in health professions education: a health equity and inclusion framework for education programs. The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions. Impact Factor (IF) 1.355

Watson TM, Benassi PV, Agic B, Maharaj A, Sockalingam S. (2022). Community-Based Mental Health and Substance Use Services for People Leaving Prison: Equity and Inclusion Strengths and Limitations in Specialized Service Inventory Development. Community Ment Health J. 15:1–7. doi: 10.1007/s10597-022-01050-5. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36380033; PMCID: PMC9667000.

Watson TM, Benassi PV, Agic B, Maharaj A, Sockalingam S. (2022). Addressing the complex substance use and mental health needs of people leaving prison: Insights from developing a national inventory of services in Canada. Int J Drug Policy. 100:103523. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103523. Epub 2021 Nov 14. PMID: 34785421. IF 5.931

Vingilis, E., Seeley, J.S., Di Ciano, P., Wickens, C., Mann, R.E., Stoduto, G., Elton-Marshall, T., Agic, B., et al. al. (2021). Systematic review of the effects of cannabis retail outlets on traffic collisions fatalities and other traffic-related outcomes. Journal of Transport & Health. 22: 101-123. IF 2.79

Quilty. L., Agic, B., Coombs, M., Kristy, B-L., Shakespeare, J., et al. (2021). Benefits of digital health resources for substance use concerns in women: scoping review. JMIR Mental Health; 8(6):e25952 doi: 10.2196/25952 PMID: 34096879. IF 4.388

Gerretsen P, Kim J, Caravaggio F, Quilty L, Sanches M, Wells S, Brown EE, Agic B, Pollock BG, Graff-Guerrero A. (2021). Individual determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. PLoS One. 2021 Nov 17;16(11):e0258462. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258462. PMID: 34788308; PMCID: PMC8598046. IF 3.24

Strudwick, G., Sockalingam, S., Kassam, I., Sequeira, L., Bonato, S., Youssef, A., Mehta, R., Green, N., Agic, B., Soklaridis, S., Impey, D., Wiljer, D., Crawford, A. (2021). Digital interventions to support population mental health in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: Rapid Review. JMIR Mental Health 2021;8(3):e26550 doi: 10.2196/26550 PMID: 33650985 PMCID: 7927953. IF 4.38

Le, TL., Tuck, A., Agic, B., Ialomiteanu, A.R., McDonald, A.J., Mann, R.E., Wickens, C.M. (2021). Ethnicity, immigration status, and driving under the influence of alcohol. J Ethn Subst Abuse. doi: 10.1080/15332640.2021.1885550. PMID: 33656975. IF 1.15

Anderson V, Gough WA, Agic B. (2021). Nature-Based Equity: An Assessment of the Public Health Impacts of Green Infrastructure in Ontario Canada. Int J Environ Res Public Health.18(11):5763. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18115763. PMID: 34072025; PMCID: PMC8197829. IF 3.364

Honours and Awards

2020 Fred Fallis Award in Online Learning for Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Anxiety and Related Disorders; Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

2019 Ivan Silver Innovation Award for Increasing Access to Structured Psychotherapy (IASP) cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) training program; CPD Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

2017 Innovation in Teaching Workman Arts Award for Mental Health Advocacy through Teaching, CAMH, Toronto, Canada

2014 Fred Fallis Award in Online Learning for Refugee Mental Health Online Program CPD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Websites

https://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/faculty-profile/agic-branka/

https://www.camh.ca/en/science-and-research/science-and-research-staff-directory/brankaagic