July 2008

Volume III, Issue IX – July, 2008
Save the Date: IMHR Public Lecture - October 8, 2008
To coincide with Mental Illness Awareness
Week (October 5-11, 2008), the
University of Ottawa Institute of Mental
Health Research (IMHR) is hosting a
public lecture at the Royal Ottawa Mental
Health Centre, 1145 Carling Avenue
- Associates in Psychiatry Auditorium
from 10:00 a.m. - noon on October 8,
2008.
In partnership with the Mental Health
Commission of Canada, the IMHR will
proudly host a public panel discussion on the pervasiveness
and impact of stigma on those battling mental illness. André
Picard, Globe & Mail reporter, will lead the distinguished
panelists though presentations and discussions on increasing
awareness of the impact stigma on mental illness. There
will be an ensuing question-and-answer type discussion on
how we can all help to eliminate the stigma of mental illness.
For further information, please contact Marilyn Prince, Executive
Assistant to the President and CEO of the IMHR, at
613- 722-6521, ext. 6551 or marilyn.prince@rohcg.on.ca.
Daniel Alfredsson Champions Mental Health Campaign
On June 18th Senators Captain Daniel Alfredsson stepped
forward to spearhead the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental
Health's you know who i am campaign to help reduce
stigma around mental illness.
Alfredsson, who has a close relative living with mental illness
said "We need people to step forward and tell their
stories. I especially want to reach out to young people who
may need help with a mental illness, or who can help
change the way we treat and support people living with this
disease."
The social marketing campaign is anchored by a new web
site, www.youknowwhoiam.com, where people can obtain
information on mental health, find help if they need it, post
their own stories or donate. Alfredsson's own story is posted
on the web site where he will contribute to a regular blog.
The campaign is a positive step in the Foundation's efforts
to raise awareness of the vital need for philanthropy
to support mental health research at the IMHR.
Farewell and Congratulations to SACRU Lab Members
Paula Loja, Research Co-ordinator at the
Stress and Anxiety Clinical Research
Unit, will be attending medical school at
the University of East Anglia in Norwich,
England in September. We will all miss
her and wish her much success in medical
studies.
"I am leaving my wonderful team at SA-
CRU in order to pursue my life long
dream of studying Medicine. I have had
two and half wonderful years working
Ms. Paula Loja here and I have received lasting gifts of
knowledge from my friends and colleagues at SACRU, the
IMHR and at the ROMHC. There are too many friends to
thank but I would like to mention my immediate team for
their continued support and mentorship: Drs. Koszycki,
Bradwejn, Shlik, Aldosary, Diana Al-Sarakbi, and Victoria
Howard. I have learned something important from everyone
I have met here and I will miss everyone very much!" We
are all very proud of Paula!
As well, congratulations
to Diana Al-Sarakbi, Research
Assistant at SA-
CRU. Diana has been
accepted into the MBA
program at the University
of Ottawa and will begin
graduate studies in September.
Diana will continue
to work at SACRU
while attending school.
In This Issue...
• Young Investigator Award
• Ivy Dun Research Day
• IMHR Summer Social
• ROHMC Social Workers
Present at National Conference.
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IMHR Young Investigator Award
The IMHR is delighted to announce
creation of the University
of Ottawa Institute of Mental
Health Research Young Investigator’s
Award.
The aim of the Young Investigator
Award is to recognize young
researchers in the sciences
bearing on mental health. Two
awards will be presented. One
award will acknowledge the best presentation in clinical research
and the other will acknowledge the best presentation
in basic science research. At the annual Department of Psychiatry
Research Day, winners of each award will be announced.
The award, which will consist of a ticket to attend
the Inspiration Awards Gala, a commemorative plaque, and
$1,000 to be used by the awardees to attend a scientific
meeting of choice, will be officially presented to the award
recipient at the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health
Inspiration Awards Gala. The award will be open to graduate
(masters and doctoral level) and post-graduate students
who are being supervised by a researcher affiliated with the
University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research or
the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group. Students from the
University of Ottawa or Carleton University will be welcome
to submit their application.
Both basic and/or clinical investigators are eligible, but research
must be relevant to mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia,
affective/anxiety disorders, etc.). Details on how and
when to apply will be announced shortly.
Save the Date: Ivy Dunn Nursing Research Day
The Royal Ottawa
Mental Health Centre
Nurses are delighted
to present the 5th
Annual Ivy Dunn
Nursing Research
Day on Friday, October 24th, 2008 at the Royal Ottawa
Mental Health Centre. The theme of this year’s research
day is “Keeping Our Clinical Space Safe: Solutions, Strategies
& Pearls of Wisdom” and will feature Mary E. Johnson,
RN; PhD; Associate Professor, Rush University College,
Chicago Illinois, Co-investigator of the Keeping The Unit
Safe research program and Helen Kirkpatrick, RN; MScN;
MEd; PhD Clinical Coordinator Best Practice Spotlight St.
Joseph’s Healthcare and Assistant Clinical Professor
McMaster University.
IMHR Summer Social - Thank-you Dr. Blier
The IMHR would like to thank Dr. Pierre
Blier, Endowed Chair in Mood Disorders,
for generously opening his home
to host this year’s IMHR Summer Social.
The fantastic food, weather and
company all contributed to make this a
successful event. Special thanks to
Maria Da Silva for her help in coordinating
this year’s event.
The learning objectives for the research day will be to learn
from the latest research based on nurses' experiences, engage
in discussion and exchange ideas about what works
and gain opportunity to network and share stories. The target
audience includes nurses in practice, education, research,
management and policy; health care providers
across the continuum of care, persons working with people
living with mental illness, consumers and their families and
students.
Participants can register online by going to www.rohcg.on.ca
and scrolling down to News & Events for the link to the secure
registration website. For more information please contact
Marie Constance Morley (Learning and Development) at
ext 6535
ROMHC Social Workers Present at National Conference
Royal Ottawa Mental Health
Centre social workers Carmelina
Cimaglia, Bill Dare,
Sue-Ann MacDonald, Virginia
Lafond, Anne-Marie O’Brien
and Karen Poole presented
at the Social Work National
Conference, held May 22 – 25, 2008, in Toronto. The conference
theme focused on Human Rights. The presenters
addressed achieving Human Rights in social work practice
in Mental Health. The presentations were dynamic and wellreceived.
Congratulations to our Social Workers and to the
ROMHC for having so many Social Workers selected to present!
In addition, although there is plenty of warm weather yet to
be had, winter will be here before we know it. Once again,
Dr. Paul Fedoroff, Research Unit Diector of the IMHR Forensic
Psychiatry Research Unit has agreed to host the IMHR
Christmas party which will be held December 5, 2008 following
the conclusion of Research Day. Stay tuned for further
details about this annual event.
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Recent Publications, Presentations, Workshops & Awards
Holmes, D., Gastaldo, D., O’Byrne, P., & Lombardo, A. (2008). Bareback Sex: A Conflation of Risk and
Masculinity. International Journal of Men’s Health, 7(2), 173-193.
Publications
Holmes, D. & Perron, A. (2008). L’infirmière praticienne en soins de première ligne: entre colonisation et
affranchissement. In C. Dallaire & O. Goulet (Eds). Soins infirmiers: enjeux et perspectives. Montréal: Gaetan
Morin.
Jacob, JD., Holmes, D., & Buss, N. (2008). Humanism in Forensic Psychiatry: The Use of the Tidal Nursing Model. Nursing
Inquiry, 15 (3), 224-230.
Milin, R. Comorbidity of Schizophrenia and Substance Use Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults. Adolescent Substance
Abuse: Psychiatric Comorbidity and High Risk Behaviors, Yifrah Kaminer and Oscar Bukstein (eds), Routledge, Taylor
& Francis Group, New York: New York, 2008, pp.355-378.
Murata, L., Tansey M. (2008). Empowering People Using the Tidal Model. In, Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future: 25
Years of Progress in Mental Health Advocacy and Rights Protection Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office 25th Anniversary
Report. Queen's Printer for Ontario, pages 155-156.
Murray, S., Holmes, D., & Rail, G. (2008). On the Constitution and Status of “Evidence” in the Health Sciences. Journal of
Research in Nursing, 13(4), 272-280.
Roy, B., Holmes, D., & Perron, A. (2008). Soins infirmiers et gestion biopolitique: réflexion critique sur le rôle infirmier dans
l’acte vaccinal. In C. Dallaire & O. Goulet (Eds). Soins infirmiers: enjeux et perspectives. Montréal: Gaetan Morin.
Douglass, A. B., Biard, K., Elgie, B. (2008) External Validation of the Sleep Apnea (SA) Scale of the Sleep
Disorders Questionnaire (SDQ) (Poster) Association of Professional Sleep Societies annual conference,
Baltimore, Maryland.
Presentations,
Lectures &
Workshops
Douglass, A. B., Kaluzienski, M. (2008) A Novel Physical Exam Technique to Screen for Obstructive Sleep
Apnea (Poster) Association of Professional Sleep Societies annual conference, Baltimore, Maryland.
Villeneuve, C.M., Disher, D.J., Shah, D., Labelle, A. & Knott, V.J. (2008). Auditory hallucinations and the cortical response to
auditory stimulation and speech in schizophrenia: An electrophysiological imaging study. Poster presentation sessions 1, 2,
3 International Journal of Psychophysiology, 69, 207-241.
Ward, M., Peters, K., Ray, L., Douglass, A. B., Smith, C. (2008) Second-Order Parameters of Sleep Spindle Distribution Before
and After Pursuit Rotor Learning in Young and Elderly Adults (Poster) Association of Professional Sleep Societies annual
conference, Baltimore, Maryland.Jacob,
Dr. David Holmes has received the appointment of Honorary Visiting Professor, Faculty of Health and Social
Care, University of Chester, Chester, United Kingdom (2008-2011)
Awards
& Notes
Dhrasti Shah received the CIHR Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship-
Master's Award. Dhrasti will be doing her graduate work in the Clinical Neuroelectrophysiology and Cognitive
Research Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Verner Knott.
Dr. Eliyahu Dremencov, postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Drs. Xia Zhang and Pierre Blier, has received the Fellowship
Award of the Society of Biological Psychiatry (SoBP) and the Fellowship Award of the European College for Neuropsychopharmacology
(ECNP). Dr. Dremencov departed the IMHR this July to take up an appointment as a research scientist
in Brains On-Line LLC, Groningen, Netherlands. Congratulations and good luck in this new position!
Lisa Murata gave a keynote address titled “Solution-Focused Healthy Lifestyle Change” at the Registered Nurses Association
of Ontario, Ontario Family Practice Nurses Conference June 7th 2008.
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Grant Opportunities & Deadlines
A reminder that anyone wanting to improve their chances of having a successful review of their grant/funding application is
invited to submit their protocol for review to the Scientific Review Committee. Interested applicants must allow 3-4 weeks for
the review to be completed. Please submit 6 copies of your proposal to the attention of Dr. Keith Busby, Research Ethics
Coordinator, in room 5425 of the Research Tower if you are interested in this service.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
CIHR Operating Grant Program - Registration Deadline: August 15, 2008, Application Deadline: September
15, 2008
National Alliance for Research of Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD)
Young Investigator Award: The Young Investigator Award provides support for the most promising
young scientists conducting neurobiological research. One and two year awards up to
$30,000 per year are provided to enable promising investigators to either extend research fellowship training or begin careers
as independent research faculty. Application Deadline: July 25, 2008.
2009 Independent Investigator Award: Application Deadline: March 5, 2009
National Institute of Mental Health Research (NIMH)
For a full list of NIMH Neuroscience Funding opportunities go to:
http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/funding.html.
Ontario Mental Health Foundation (OMHF)
Research Project Grants: Application Deadline: Friday, September 19, 2008
Fellowships and Studentships: Application Deadline: Friday, October 31, 2008
The Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at CHEO
Deadline for Letters of Intent (Phase 1): September 8, 2008
Deadline for Full Applications (Phase 2): January 16, 2009
Young Minds in Psychiatry: International Awards Program
The APA/AstraZeneca Young Minds in Psychiatry International Awards Program is a commitment
by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and AstraZeneca to recognize and support
promising international young psychiatrists within 5 years of completing a psychiatric residency.
The Young Minds in Psychiatry Awards addresses this issue through incentives encouraging
young physicians to select a career path in research. Visit http://youngminds.astrazeneca.com for
details.
Comments & Suggestions
The University of Ottawa IMHR welcomes any suggestions on improving our newsletter and making it more informative. To
submit suggestions or material to appear in future editions of Breaking Through, please contact Dr. Owen Kelly, Research
Associate, at 613.722.6521, ext. 6727, or by email at okelly@rohcg.on.ca.
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