MEMO
TO: ALL MEMBERS, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
FROM: DR. L. TREVOR YOUNG, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY
DR. MOLYN LESZCZ, VICE-CHAIR, CLINICAL PROGRAMS
RE: NEW DIVISION DIRECTOR APPOINTMENTS
We are very pleased to update the Department on a number of new appointments to positions of leadership in the newly aligned divisional structure of the Department.
Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at St. Michael’s Hospital will head the new Division of Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems. This Division will integrate the large clinical activities of the Adult Psychiatry Program with the Systems expertise of the former Program in Health Systems. Dr. Stergiopoulos has held appointments in both the Division of General Psychiatry and the Health Systems Program and is well known for her outstanding work in the area of inner city mental health and the innovative development of new models of care that integrate hospital and community care; mental health and addictions; and, mental health with primary care. She is a funded researcher and clinical innovator as well as an educator recognized for teaching excellence. Dr. Stergiopoulos also has a Master of Health Sciences (Health Administration) from the Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. Dr. Stergiopoulos will take over the Division leadership at the beginning of the next academic year, July 2012. In the interim Dr. Trevor Young will continue to serve as the Acting Director. We are also very grateful to Ian Dawe for his past leadership of the General Psychiatry Division and to Paula Goering and Peter Prendergast for their past leadership of the Health Systems Program.
Dr. Valerie Taylor Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Women’s College Hospital has been appointed Head of Women’s Mental Health and Co-Director of the Equity, Gender and Population Division which she will co-lead with Dr. Sam Noh, who has lead the Culture, Community and Health Studies Program. In addition to being a psychiatrist, Dr. Taylor has a PhD from McMaster University. She is a well recognized and well funded researcher in the areas of mood disorders, obesity, perinatal mental health and the biopsychosocial determinants of mental health. She has provided outstanding leadership at Women’s College and she will bring that same vision and commitment to scholarship, integration and collaboration to this important divisional leadership position. Dr. Taylor’s appointment is effective January 1, 2012. We are very grateful to Brenda Toner for her past leadership of the Womens Mental Health Program.
The Division of Brain and Therapeutics, which will integrate the clinical, educational and research activities of the programs in Neuroscience; Addictions; Mood Disorders and Schizophrenia, will be co-directed by Jim Kennedy and Tony George effective January 1, 2012. These four outstanding areas of academic and clinical focus will all be strengthened through the added opportunities for clinical, educational and research collaboration and synergy that the new divisional alignment seeks to generate. Zindel Segal continues to head Mood Disorders and Gary Remington continues to head Schizophrenia within this broader Division.
The Divisions of Geriatric Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry and Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry will continue to be ably lead by Bruce Pollock, Sandy Simpson and Jon Hunter respectively. We have begun an active search for the Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division and hope to have a new leader announced before the end of this academic year. While that search process takes shape, we are extremely well served by the excellent work of John Langley as the interim head. Finally, we are in the final stages of determining the leadership for the Division of Psychotherapy, Humanities and Educational Scholarship and hope to announce that after the holidays.
Please join us in welcoming these outstanding individuals to these important leadership roles.