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Vision

The Research Committee stands as an expert advisory body dedicated to advancing the discourse on psychiatric and mental health research. The Clinical Research Committee’s focus includes clinical research and innovation within the field of addiction psychiatry across Canada and internationally.  Employing evidence-based research and practices, the Research Committee endeavors to pioneer transformative data aimed at understanding, diagnosing, preventing, and treating concurrent mental health disorders and substance use challenges.

Dr. Marco Leyton (CO-CHAIR)

Professor, McGill University

Dr. Leyton is a Professor and co-Director of continuing medical education in McGill University’s Department of Psychiatry, a past-President of the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and the 2024 recipient of CCNP’s Heinz Lehmann Award. His research focuses on overlapping causes of addictions and addiction related disorders.

Dr. James MacKillop (co-chair)

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Lily Aleksandrova

(Junior Trainee)

Dr. Lily Aleksandrova is a postdoctoral research fellow at the UBC Psychiatry/DMCBH. Her research investigates the neurobiological mechanisms of action of breakthrough or alternative therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly the role of neuroplasticity in the antidepressant effects of ketamine and classical psychedelics.

The current public health emergency based on the opioid overdose crisis and a historic mortality due to a mental illness is a critical challenge. We all need to step up our response through:

  • Research on the root causes, risks and effective interventions, strengthening infrastructure and funding. The existing patterns of use and disastrous consequences require and adaptation to the situation, like in a pandemic.
  • Engagement with high – risk patients to building on their needs early. Following positive experiences in other parts of care, we need early intervention structures and interventions.
  • A clinical trajectory providing the framework from prevention, lifestyle mentoring to counselling and early intervention to an intense crisis management with easy access, virtual care and patient empowerment.
  • Specialty interventions for the most vulnerable informed by scientific evidence.

The Canadian Academy for Addiction Psychiatry (CAAP) wants to attract every engaged professional in the field to strive towards outcome oriented collaboration to achieve high quality care and synergy caring for the most vulnerable.