Mood Disorders
Centre of Excellence

Medical Director – Dr. Raymond W. Lam

Medical Director – Raymond W. Lam, MD, FRCPC
Dr. Lam is a psychiatrist and Professor and Head of the Division of Clinical Neuroscience, UBC Department of Psychiatry. He is internationally recognized as a clinical expert in depression, particularly seasonal, atypical and difficult-to-treat depressions, and his research spans the clinical spectrum from neurobiology to clinical trials of novel treatments. Dr. Lam has written 6 books on depression and has published over 250 scientific papers and book chapters. He has won numerous awards for his research and teaching including the Douglas Utting Prize for Depression Research (SMBD-JGH/McGill University), the Scientific Achievement Award (Vancouver Coastal Health), the Medical Alumni Silver Anniversary Leadership Award (UBC), and the Nancy Roeske Award for Excellence in Medical Student Education (American Psychiatric Association), as well as a Special Recognition Award (Canadian Mental Health Association) for his public education efforts.

Inpatient Director, Inpatient Unit – Dr. Lakshmi N. Yatham

Inpatient Director – Lakshmi N. Yatham, MBBS, FRCPC, MRCPsych (UK)
Dr. Yatham is Professor and Associate Head of Research and International Affairs, UBC Department of Psychiatry, and the medical manager of the Mood Disorders Clinical and Research Unit. His major areas of research interest include the neurobiology and treatment of bipolar disorder and major depression. Dr. Yatham was a recipient of the Michael Smith Foundation Senior Scholar Award and has published over 140 papers in peer-reviewed international journals and presented his research at numerous international conferences. Dr. Yatham leads a Canadian consortium on bipolar disorder and co-led the development of Canadian guidelines for treatment of bipolar disorder. He is currently the President for the International Society for Bipolar Disorders and is on the editorial boards of Bipolar Disorders, Brain Pharmacology, Human Psychopharmacology, and Quarterly Journal of Mental Health.

Patient Services Manager – Ms. Sheila Ellis

Patient Services Manager – Ms. Sheila Ellis
Ms. Ellis has a long history in health care, starting in 1979 at St. Vincent’s Hospital – Psychiatry Department. From there she moved on to Lion’s Gate Hospital, and over her years of nursing was active in Inpatients, Emergency, Outreach, Residential and Rehabilitation, and management positions. Ms. Ellis’ management portfolio includes leadership in Community Mental Health for eight years, Youth Mental Health, Adult Mental Health and Addiction Services, as well as Acting Director for North Shore Coast/Garibaldi Mental Health and Addictions Services.

LEEF Chair in Depression Research – Dr. Allan H. Young

LEEF Chair in Depression Research – Allan H. Young, MBChB, MPhil, PhD, FRCPsych (UK)
In 2005, Dr. Allan Young came to Vancouver as the inaugural Leading Edge Endowment Fund (LEEF) Chair in Depression Research at UBC, where he is now a Professor, UBC Department of Psychiatry, and co-Director of the Institute of Mental Health. He was formerly Professor of General Psychiatry and Director of Psychiatry, School of Neurology, Neurobiology and Psychiatry at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, as well as an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist. Dr. Allan Young’s research has focused on the causes and treatment of severe psychiatric disorders, particularly mood disorders. His research examines the causes and treatment of severe mood disorders and he is particularly interested in the procedures and protocols of proof-of-concept studies for novel drug treatments in psychiatry.

The Government of BC launched the Leading Edge Endowment Fund in April 2002 in fulfilment of its commitment to establish 20 permanent BC Research Chairs across the province in the fields of medical, social, environmental and technological research. Dr. Allan Young is the third person to be awarded an LEEF Research Chair. The VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, with the leadership of Lloyd and Heather Craig and other key donors such as the Credit Unions of BC, played a pivotal role by leading the campaign to raise $2.25 million in matching funds for the BC LEEF Chair.

More Staff

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Consultant Psychiatrist – L. Trevor Young, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Dr. Trevor Young is Professor and Head, UBC Department of Psychiatry, and Vice President, Mental Health, Regional Vancouver Health Authorities. As an active clinician scientist in the area of bipolar disorder, his principal research interest is the molecular basis of bipolar disorder and its treatment and how to apply these findings to the clinical setting. He has been particularly interested in understanding the processes which lead to long-term changes in brain structure and function in patients with bipolar disorder which may be targeted by neuroprotective effects of mood stabilizing drugs. Dr. Trevor Young has received the Douglas Utting Award for outstanding contributions in mood disorders and the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology Heinz Lehmann Award for outstanding contributions in neuropsychopharmacology research; he is also a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

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Consultant Psychiatrist – Auby Axler, MD, FRCPC
Dr. Axler is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Acting Director of the Psychotherapy Program, UBC Department of Psychiatry. He is also the Associate Director of Psychotherapy Training for the department. His expertise in mood disorders includes both psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacologic treatments. He also treats psychiatric illness and mood disorders at the Cardiac Rehabilitation program at Vancouver General Hospital.

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Consultant Psychiatrist – David Bond, MD, FRCPC
Dr. Bond is a Clinical Instructor, UBC Department of Psychiatry. His clinical interests include the treatment of bipolar and refractory depression. Dr. Bond’s research includes investigating antidepressant-induced manic and hypomanic switches; medical conditions in people with bipolar disorder; and novel treatments for depression and bipolar disorder.

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Social Worker – Shahzina S. Karim, BA, BSW, MSW, RSW:Clinical
Ms. Karim has been practicing as a clinical social worker at the Mood Disorders Centre at UBC Hospital for the past 10 years. Ms. Karim is involved with the STOP-EM program, the CREST.BD network and other research involving quality of life issues and bipolar disorder. She sits on various committees that look at quality of care and client-centred care at UBC hospital and Vancouver Coastal Health. She also provides clinical supervision for Master’s students in the UBC School of Social Work, where she sits on the graduate committee.

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Consultant Psychiatrist – C.V. Manjunath, MBBS, DPM, MRCPsych(UK), FRCPC
Dr. Manjunath is a Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC Department of Psychiatry. His special clinical interest is in chronic and treatment-resistant depression.

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Consultant Psychologist – Erin E. Michalak, PhD
Dr. Michalak is an Assistant Professor, UBC Department of Psychiatry. Her research interests are in bipolar disorder, seasonal and nonseasonal depression, quality of life, psychometrics and the development of outcome instruments for mood disorders. Dr. Michalak holds a Scholar Award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and a Scientist Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. She leads the MSFHR-funded “Collaborative RESearch Team for the study of psychosocial issues in Bipolar Disorder” (CREST.BD) network, and has approximately 35 scientific articles published or in press. 

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Consultant Psychiatrist – Hiram Mok, MA, MBBCh, FRCPC
Dr. Mok is a Clinical Associate Professor, UBC Department of Psychiatry, and the assistant medical manager of the Mood Disorders Clinical and Research Unit. His research and clinical interests include depression in the medically ill, depression in primary care, bipolar disorder and cross-cultural aspects of mood disorders. Dr. Mok is also the Associate Director (Evaluation & Remediation) of UBC Postgraduate Psychiatry & VGH Site Director for undergraduate medical education.

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Consultant Psychiatrist – Colleen Northcott, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Dr. Northcott is a Clinical Associate Professor, UBC Department of Psychiatry. Her expertise includes mood disorders and community based geriatric psychiatry. She is President-Elect of the Western Canada District Branch of the American Psychiatric Association and since 1995 has carried out studies and research with the APA Council on Aging, where she sits on the Committee on Access and Effectiveness for Psychiatric Services for the Elderly. Dr. Northcott continues to present her work regularly at international conferences and also has an interest in new teaching methods in the UBC medical school, winning the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2005.

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Consultant Psychiatrist – Kevin Solomons, MB, FRCPC
Dr. Solomons is a Clinical Associate Professor, UBC Department of Psychiatry, and the associate medical manager of the outpatient Mood Disorders Clinic. His areas of special interest include clinical trials of new anti-depressant therapies, and the pharmacological and psychological management of mood disorders.

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Consultant Psychiatrist – Edwin M. Tam, MDCM, FRCPC
Dr. Tam is a Clinical Associate Professor, UBC Department of Psychiatry, and manages the Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD) Clinic. His research and clinical interests include seasonal affective disorder, early bipolar disorder, and pharmacotherapy of mood disorders. He is actively involved in the clinical teaching of medical students. Dr. Tam is also interested in clinical safety issues and the management of aggressive behavior, and is on the Postgraduate Safety Committee of the UBC Department of Psychiatry.

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Consultant Neuropsychologist – Ivan Torres, PhD
Dr. Torres is a research consultant to the Mood Disorders Centre. He is also a Limited Term Associate Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, and Research Scientist at BC Mental Health and Addiction Services. His research interests involve neuropsychological functioning in bipolar disorder and psychotic illness.

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Consultant Psychiatrist – Athanasios P. Zis, MD, FRCPC