Mental illness and addiction have devastating effects on those afflicted as well as their loved ones. The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health is at the forefront of research into the biological mechanisms that underlie mental health conditions such as depression and schizophrenia, and addictions such as gambling and opioid addiction. Investigators at the Centre are also determining factors that contribute to resilience, enabling people to overcome emotional trauma and stress and maintain mental health. Research spans from foundational science that explores the genetic, brain connections and environmental factors that might predispose a person to these conditions, to translational work that moves research from bench to bedside.

By gaining a better understanding of the neurobiology underlying risky decisions and mood disorders, we hope to develop new strategies to treat, manage and prevent addiction and mental illness.

Female depression and concept of guilt as a woman feeling social anxiety or work pressure stress as a victim of mental distress in a 3D illustration style.

Together, we are working to improve the lives of Canadians by developing new strategies to treat, manage and prevent mental health disorders, and to advance brain health across the lifespan.

Related Researchers

Learn more about the clinical and foundational scientists who are studying mental health and addictions.

Name and Contact Info Title Research Interests
Silke Appel-Cresswell
Associate Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Parkinson’s disease, imaging, dementia, cognition
Jehannine (J9) Austin
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
mood disorders, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, genetics, genetic counselling
Shernaz Bamji
Co-Director, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
cognition, cell biology, nervous system
Steven Barnes
Professor of Teaching, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
bipolar disorder, mood disorders, mental health, neuroeducation, learning technologies, open educational resources
Alasdair Barr
Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Clare Beasley
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
inflammation, neurogenetics, proteomics, schizophrenia
Trisha Chakrabarty
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
mood disorder, bipolar disorder, virtual reality, cognition
Brian Christie
Professor, Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria
hippocampus, synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, exercise, mild traumatic brain injury, concussion, fragile-x syndrome, prenatal ethanol exposure, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, depression
Luke Clark
Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
cognition, addiction and mental health, behaviour
Ryan D’Arcy
Affiliate Professor, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
systems neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, functional neuroimaging, neurotechnology, neuroplasticity
Jessica Dennis
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
genetic epidemiology, genome-wide association scans, whole genome sequencing, longitudinal data analysis, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, psychiatric genetics, traumatic brain injury
Adele Diamond
Professor & Head, Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
executive function, developmental neuroscience, learning, behaviour, cognition
Doris Doudet
Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Parkinson’s disease, depression, cognition, dopamine
Stan Floresco
Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
behaviour, decision making, cognition, schizophrenia, dopamine, addiction and mental health, mood disorders
Sophia Frangou
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Liisa Galea
Professor, Departments of Psychiatry, and Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto
aging, neuroplasticity, neurogenesis
Kurt Haas
Professor, Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
autism, epilepsy, neuroplasticity, developmental neuroscience
Amani Hariri
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, UBC
Biosensors, Affinity reagents, Neuromodulators, Real-time Neurochemical sensors, Aptamers, Brain plasticity, Dopamine circuitry, Serotonin circuitry, Neurodegenerative diseases, Biomarker discovery
Sharon Hou
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, SFU
Child health, Serious and life-threatening illness, Neurodiversity, Health equity, Knowledge mobilization, Implementation science
Tao Huan
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, UBC
bioinformatics, systems biology, Alzheimer disease, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolomics
Judy Illes
Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
neuroethics, neurotechnology, neuroimaging, neurodegeneration, dementia, regenerative medicine
Wilfred Jefferies
Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Kamyar Keramatian
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Raymond Lam
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
depression, bipolar disorder, mood disorders
Donna Lang
Associate Professor, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Xiaoxiao Li
Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, UBC
Neuroimaging, Brain Connectome, Machine Learning
Erin MacMillan
Philips MR Clinical Scientist, UBC MRI Research Centre
magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Erin Michalak
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Tim Murphy
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
stroke, depression, neuroplasticity, imaging, foundational science
William Panenka
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
concussion, traumatic brain injury, addiction and mental health
Zachary Pennington
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
neural circuits, emotion, memory, stress, anxiety, fear, PTSD, mental health, behaviour, tool development
Anthony Phillips
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
dopamine, memory, learning, behaviour, cognition
Heather Robertson
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
mood disorders
Julie Robillard
Associate Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Alzheimer disease, dementia, neuroethics, patient experience, mental health, robotics, child health
Christian Schütz
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Mental Health, UBC
addiction, psychiatry, psychotherapy, cognitive control, brain concepts
Jeremy Seamans
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Noah Silverberg
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
Evelyn Stewart
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
genetics, cognition, neuroimaging, cognitive-behavioour therapy, obsessive-compulsive disorder, repetitive behaviour disorders
Robert Stowe
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Neurology (Medicine), UBC
schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, psychosis, autism, intellectual disability
Sriram Subramaniam
Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
cryo-EM, imaging, drug discovery
Rebecca Todd
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
Helen Tremlett
Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Milan Valyear
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
Paul van Donkelaar
Professor, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, UBCO
concussion, intimate partner violence, sensorimotor control, cerebrovascular physiology
Tamara Vanderwal
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Victor Viau
Professor, Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
HPA axis, testosterone, stress
Daniel Vigo
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
addiction and mental health, health systems, global mental health
Fidel Vila-Rodriguez
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
rTMS, ECT, MST, tDCS, depression, schizophrenia, student health
Yu Tian Wang
Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
neuroplasticity, stroke, epilepsy, foundational science
Joanne Weinberg
Professor Emerita, Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Catharine Winstanley
Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
Todd Woodward
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Lakshmi Yatham
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
bipolar disorder, addiction and mental health, mood disorders , depression

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