Susan Abbey

MD, FRCPC

Dr. Susan Abbey is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and a psychiatrist at the University Health Network (UHN). She has received numerous academic awards and honours, including the Robin Hunter Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Psychiatric Education and the Prix d’Excellence from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. A past President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association, Dr. Abbey’s research and clinical interests focus on the psychiatric care of patients in medical and surgical settings and the use of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in the management of medical illness. An early adopter of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression (IPT), she has taught IPT internationally and has been teaching MBSR since 2000. She is part of a research group studying mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in preventing depressive relapse following rTMS treatment and continues to champion the development of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy as a potential new treatment avenue for challenging mental health conditions.

Oyediji Ayonrinde

MD, FRCPsych, MBA, MSc

Dr. Oyedeji Ayonrinde is a Professor, Division Chair and Clinical Director for Community Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at Queen’s University, Kingston. His areas of scholarship focus on community-engaged research and implementation science regarding real-world problems in mental health care such as cancer care in persons with severe mental illness. He is also involved in cannabis safety initiatives. Dr. Ayonrinde holds specialist Fellowships in both general psychiatry and addictions from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK), an MSc (Research in Psychiatry) from University College London, an Executive MBA from Imperial College, London, as well as a Diploma in the History of Medicine. He is also a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Member of the Canadian Psychiatric Association. Dr. Ayonrinde is committed to medical education, health equity, advocacy and health policy. He maintains mental wellness through nature, bird photography and striving to decode the rhythm of his ancestral drum beats.

Michael Baker

CM, O.Ont., MD, FRCPC

Dr Michael Baker is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He began his career with an appointment to Toronto Western Hospital in 1972 and became the Head of the Division of Hematology, moving to Toronto General in 1984. In 1996, he was appointed as UHN’s first Head of the recently merged Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. He served as Physician-in-Chief of University Health Network for a period of 18 years, and was the inaugural holder of the Charles H. Hollenberg Chair in Medicine.  For the following 10 years, he held the Rose Family Chair in Palliative Medicine and Complex Care. Dr Baker’s research has focused on the diagnosis and treatment of leukemia and aspects of cancer control. He served as President of the National Cancer Institute of Canada for three years. Dr Baker is the recipient of several prestigious awards including The Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada.

Patricia Cavanagh

MD, FRCPC

Naheed Dosani

MSC, MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP, BSc

Dr. Naheed Dosani is a palliative care physician and health justice activist committed to advancing equitable healthcare access for people experiencing structural vulnerabilities such as poverty and homelessness. He founded and leads the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) Program at the Inner City Health Associates in Toronto, serves as Medical Director of Kensington Hospice (Kensington Health), Health Equity Expert Advisor at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and as a palliative care physician at St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto). An Assistant Professor with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, Dr. Dosani is also an Investigator with the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St Michael’s Hospital’s Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, focusing on health system innovation and equity-oriented care for structurally vulnerable populations. He sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Medical Association. His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Meritorious Service Cross for Humanitarianism from Canada’s Governor General, the Award for Humanitarianism from the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians and the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

Sarah Hales

MD, FRCPC

Dr. Sarah Hales, MD, PhD, is a psychiatrist and clinician investigator in the Division of Psychosocial Oncology at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and University Health Network's Centre for Mental Health, and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Her research has been funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Prostate Cancer Canada/Movember. Her clinical and research interests include the end-of-life experience as it affects both patients and families and psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at alleviating distress in those facing advanced diseases. Together with Dr. Gary Rodin she has developed and researched Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM), a psychotherapeutic intervention for patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers that has been shown to decrease distress and improve end-of-life preparation. Their Global CALM program trains and supervises healthcare professionals and supports adaptation and research on CALM around the world.

Ishrat Husain

MBBS, MD(Res.), FRCPsych, FRCPC

Dr. Ishrat Husain is the Department Head and Program Medical Director, UHN Mental Health and Program Medical Director, UHN-CAMH Partnership. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and holds the Cameron Wilson Chair in Depression Studies. He has served as a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the inaugural Scientific Head of the CAMH Clinical Trials Unit and Lead of the CAMH Mood Disorders Service. He holds graduate faculty appointments as Full Member, Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), and Full Member, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto. Dr. Husain's research program focuses on advancing understanding and treatment of mood disorders across populations through clinical trials of established and emerging treatments. His research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Grand Challenges Canada, and the Wellcome Trust and his publications have appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Psychiatry, and JAMA Psychiatry.

Daniel Rosenbaum

MD, FRCPC

Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum is an attending psychiatrist at UHN and the Inner City Health Associates in Toronto, and a clinical lecturer in Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He works with UHN’s IMPACT Assertive Community Treatment team and the PEACH (Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless) program. A co-founder of the UHN Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Group, Dr. Rosenbaum is a certified CALM (Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully) therapist with training in ketamine- and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. He co-leads the PEARL (Psilocybin-assisted Existential, Attachment, and Relational) therapy study and co-directs the Foundations of Psychedelic Psychotherapy course. He is interested in palliative care and end-of-life issues among marginalized groups, including people with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness. His work focuses on the care of individuals and families facing advanced or life-threatening illness, with particular attention to palliative and end-of-life care among marginalized populations, including those with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness. He also explores the ethical dimensions of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies and their relationship to Medical Assistance in Dying.

Sanjeev Sockalingam

MD, FRCPC, MHPE

Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam is Senior Vice President, Education and Chief Medical Officer at CAMH, Director on the CAMH Foundation Board, and Professor and Vice-Chair, Education in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He co-chairs ECHO Ontario Mental Health, a provincial hub-and-spoke virtual network building mental health and addiction capacity in rural Ontario. Dr. Sockalingam has over 200 peer-reviewed publications and leads multiple clinical and medical education grants. His clinical research has focused on improving integrated physical and mental health care and has included research on accessible psychosocial supports for this patient population. He has been the recipient of several national and international education awards including the Academy of Consultation‐Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP) Alan Stoudemire Award for Innovation and Excellence in C‐L Psychiatry Education, the Temerty Faculty of Medicine Charles Mickle Fellowship Award and the Association of Chairs of Psychiatry of Canada Award for Excellence in Education.

Tania Tajirian

MD, FRCPC

Dr. Tania Tajirian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, and serves in dual leadership roles as the inaugural Chief Health Information Officer (CHIO) and Chief of Hospital Medicine at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). A practicing academic hospitalist, Dr. Tajirian’s research and leadership focus on integrating physical and mental healthcare and advancing health informatics to enhance care delivery and equity. She has led nationally recognized initiatives to reduce clinician documentation burden through co-design and research-driven innovation. Her contributions to health system improvement have been recognized with multiple honours, including the Most Influential Women in Health IT Award (HIMSS, 2022) and recognition from Women Leaders in Digital Health Canada.

Krysia Thériault

RN, BComm, BScN, MN, CPMHN(C)

Krysia Thériault is a Clinical Nurse Specialist with Psychosocial Oncology at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Her nursing practice has focused on mental health and community care, with a commitment to advancing equitable care and supporting individuals with complex health and social needs. She has led innovative educational initiatives across healthcare settings, emphasizing interprofessional collaboration, curriculum development, and capacity building. Krysia is committed to enhancing mental health care and empowering frontline teams through education and mentorship.

Lauren Thomson

MD, FRCPC

Dr. Lauren Thomson is a Clinician Teacher at the University Health Network and the Acute Care Program Service Lead (ACPSL) for the Mental Health program’s Psychiatric Emergency Services Unit (PESU) and Urgent Care Clinic (UCC). She graduated from medical school at the University of Toronto and completed her Psychiatry training at the University of Toronto as well. Prior to medicine, Dr. Thomson trained in Health Sciences, obtaining an Honour’s Bachelor degree from McMaster University. Dr. Thomson practices as a general adult psychiatrist working in both the medical psychiatry program as well as emergency psychiatry. Her interests lie in the intersection between mental and physical health, in particular optimizing care for those with severe and persistent mental illness with comorbid physical health conditions.