New Co-Director for Residency Training Program: Dr. Paulina Bajsarowicz
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Paulina Bajsarowicz as the new Co-Residency Training Program Director for the Department of Psychiatry. She will be succeeding Dr. Marie-Christine Noël, who has stepped down to pursue her academic career at Université de Sherbrooke. In her new role, Dr. Bajsarowicz will work closely with Dr. Nancy Low and will be responsible for the development and advancement of all aspects of the residency program within the department.
Leyton Addiction Research Prize
This year’s winner of the Leyton Addiction Research Prize competition is Jessica Ahrens, for her paper entitled “Convergence of Cannabis and Psychosis on the Dopamine System ". Jessica Ahrens is supervised by Dr. Lena Palaniyappan and co-supervised by Dr. Clifford Cassidy.
Thank you to all the contestants. We strongly encourage you to consider submitting your best papers for this award again in the future.
Annual Psychiatry Research Day 2025
The Department of Psychiatry held its annual Research Day on June 19, 2025, at the Douglas Research Centre.
Thanks to the enthusiastic participation of our trainees, researchers, and volunteers, the event was a great success. The day featured a variety of short and long oral presentations, as well as a vibrant poster session.
Congratulations to the 2025 AMPQ Award Recipients!
We are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2025 AMPQ Annual Awards, who were honored during a gala in May.
🏆 Dr. Cécile Rousseau Recipient of the Heinz E. Lehmann Award for Excellence in Psychiatry. This award recognizes a psychiatrist whose exceptional contributions across various professional activities have significantly advanced and elevated the field of psychiatry.
Dr. Gabriella Gobbi: Scientific American and Nature
Sleep Better with New Drugs, Select Cannabinoids and Wearable Devices. Read more
New treatments to put insomnia to bed. Read more
Dre Cecilia Flores: TVA Nouvelles
Des marqueurs biologiques seraient liés à la dépression chez les adolescents, établit une étude de l’Université McGill. Lire ici
Dre Marie-Claude Geoffroy: Le Journal de Québec
Loin d’être simple d’agir contre les écrans. Lire ici
Drs. Srividya Iyer and Manuela Ferrari honoured for SARPEP project by Fondation du CHUM
We are pleased to share that Dr. Srividya Iyer and Dr. Manuela Ferrari have received the CHUM Foundation Award for Excellence in Learning for their leadership in the SARPEP – Rapid Learning System for Early Psychosis Programs project. This prestigious award recognizes their exceptional contributions to advancing knowledge mobilization and innovation in early psychosis care, alongside a dedicated team of collaborators.
Drs. Mahsa Dadar and Phoebe Friesen honoured with 2025 President’s Prize
We are delighted to share that Dr. Mahsa Dadar (Assistant Professor) and Dr. Phoebe Friesen (Associate Member) have been awarded the 2025 President’s Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researchers. This prestigious honour was presented during McGill’s Health Sciences Convocation Ceremony on May 27. The award recognizes exceptional early-career researchers whose innovative work is advancing the frontiers of knowledge in their respective fields.
Drs. Gustavo Turecki and Naguib Mechawar, CISION Newswire
Brain Canada Invests in Six Montreal-Area Platforms to Drive Open Science Innovation. Read more
Dr. Romina Mizrahi, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
For people at risk of psychosis, cannabis use can be dangerous. Read more
Dr. Srividya Iyer, CTV News, McGill Newsroom
McGill researchers lead project to reform youth mental health care in Canada. Watch here | Read more
Student Scholarships
The Graduate Office is pleased to announce that several of our outstanding students and trainees have been recognized with prestigious awards this spring. We are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to their continued contributions to the field of psychiatry. Congratulations to the following recipients for their achievements:
Sara Gloeckler – CGS Doctoral SSHRC (Dr. K. Greenway)
Megan Davies – FRQSC (Dr. M. Ferrari)