Graduate Students & Senior Researchers

Graduate Students

Faith Eiboff
Faith has received several major awards including the CIHR: Frederick Banting and Charles Best CGS Doctoral Award – ($105,000); awards from two STIHR Programs, the “Population Health Intervention Research Network Traineeship, and the IMPART PhD Fellowship on Intersections of Mental Health Perspectives in Addictions Research Training, and a UBC Four Year full Doctoral Fellowship, Her dissertation is making use of data from the At Home/Chez Soi study (MHCC/CIHR grants; 2009-2013; original study led by Dr. P. Goering, C. Adair et al.). Women represent one of the fasted growing segments of the homeless population. Despite evidence that suggests women experience homelessness and mental health challenges differently from men there is limited empirical research on gender-based differences of individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illness. It is important to consider the distinct gender-specific characteristics of this population to inform responsive policies and practices. AH/CS was a randomised controlled trial examining Housing First interventions for homeless individuals living with mental illness in five Canadian cities (Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Moncton; n=2,235). Women (n=710; 31.8%) and men (n=1,525; 68.2%) recruited and screened for DSM-IV mental disorders. Findings will consider the importance of developing trauma- and gender-sensitive policy responses to homelessness. This research will provide valuable gender-specific information to inform the development of tailored housing, prevention and supportive services.

 

Duncan Greig
Duncan has been with our team since he was an undergraduate collecting data for NTP1 and he is now ABD (All but dissertation)! Duncan recently completed all of the requirements for his Ph.D. in the prestigious Clinical-Forensic Psychology program at Simon Fraser University. Most recently he finished his 1 year internship at the Alberta Forensic Psychiatric hospital.  Duncan has received several national (CIHR) and international (American Academy of Forensic Psychology; IAMFHS) awards for his work to date. His dissertation is examining the contribution of structured professional judgment and case management plans to improving adherence to RNR principles and ensuring that risk management reflects the individual’s needs. Implementing intervention strategies that address high risk, criminogenic needs in a way that is responsive to the individual.

 

Sirui Wu
Sirui is a first year PhD student in the Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology (MERM) Program. After completing her Bachelor of Education program in Southwest University, China, she did her MA program in MERM, with a thesis focusing on validating a preference assessment. Her research interests are psychometrics, quantitative research methodology and assessment development. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and hiking.

 

 


Medical Students and Psychiatry Residents

Dr. Jyote Boora
Dr. Naveenjyote (Jyote) Boora is a resident physician within the UBC Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. Originally from Lethbridge, AB, he completed his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience with Honours at the University of Lethbridge. His honours thesis project was a collaboration with colleagues at McGill University and Douglas Mental Health University Institute examining the metabolomic effects of Pre-Natal Maternal Stress in a clinical cohort of mothers and their offspring who lived through the devastating 1998 Quebec Icestorm natural disaster. He then completed his medical training at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. He has presented and published original research in many diverse areas; metabolomic analysis of Prenatal Maternal Stress in response to natural disasters, a proof of concept study with the Department of Radiology at the University of Alberta on 3D Ultrasound diagnosis of pediatric wrist and elbow fractures, as well as his involvement in mental health policy research with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta, investigating the development of seamless transition to outpatient follow-up protocols for patients recently discharged from mental health inpatient units in the Edmonton Zone for Alberta Health Services. His current research interests with the Nicholls Lab include the impact of Adverse Childhood Events (ACE)’s and Positive Childhood Events (PCE)’s on the forensic inpatient population, and the intersection of childhood adversity and trauma with forensic psychiatric involvement and concurrent substance use. He is passionate about community work and has served in the past as a volunteer for organizations such as Crisis Text Line/Kids Help Phone as a Crisis Responder, Lethbridge Police Victim Services Unit, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Edmonton as an MD Ambassador and Mentor, and at the Boys and Girls Club of Lethbridge working with at-risk youth during his undergraduate studies at the University of Lethbridge. He is presently involved in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC as a member of the resident mentorship committee. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and his two pet cats, reading literature, hiking, and training in Mixed Martial Arts.

 

Dr. Christian Farrell
Dr. Christian Farrell is a Psychiatry resident physician in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta. He holds an MD from the University of British Columbia and a BA in psychology from Simon Fraser University. Broadly, his research interests include a focus on individuals with mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system as well as the psychopharmacological treatment of those with mental illness who reside in correctional & forensic facilities. Most recently, he worked with Dr. Nicholls and operational leadership at BCMHSUS and published a manuscript documenting the COVID-19 pandemic response at the BC Forensic Psychiatric Hospital. Dr. Farrell has also published on the confidence-accuracy relationship in violence risk assessments using the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatabiity and co-led a study investigating the prevalence and factors associated with antipsychotic polypharmacy in a forensic psychiatric sample. He is currently co-leading a study of Staff Supervised Community Outings among patients at the BC Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, funded in part by a Derek Eaves Student Research Grant ($500) from the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services.

 

Dr. Tyler Faulds
Dr. Tyler Faulds is a resident physician within the UBC Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. Originally from Calgary, AB, he completed his undergraduate degree in psychology at Mount Royal University and graduated with honours. His thesis project was sponsored by Alberta Health Services and examined the relationship between psychopathology and inner speech in men living with HIV. He then completed his medical training at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. He has presented and published original research in the domains of cognitive and behavioural psychology, and has served as a journal and book chapter editor. He has served his community as a volunteer, board member, and director for non-profit organizations including the Centre for Sexuality and the New Westminster Pride Society. He currently functions as chief Psychiatric resident for Royal Columbian Hospital. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his cats, cooking, and learning new languages.

 

Dr. Joseph Goody
Dr. Goody is a Psychiatry resident in the Faculty of Medicine, UBC. His research is focused on forensic psychopharmacology, with particular interest in Canadian forensic psychotropic prescribing patterns. He is interested in examining how different antipsychotics (such as clozapine) and different formulations (such as long-acting injectable) relate to re-hospitalization and possibly recidivism post discharge from forensic hospitals. He also loves the great outdoors and spending time with his family.

 

 

Dr. Austin Lam
Dr. Austin Lam is a Psychiatry-Research Track resident physician in the UBC Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine. He holds an MD from the University of Toronto and a BSc (Honours) in psychology with a minor in philosophy from McGill University. His research interests lie broadly at the intersection of mental illness and the law. Specific areas of interest include sexual offending, violence stemming from serious mental illness, correctional mental health, concurrent disorders in the forensic population, and secure recovery in forensic patients. He has worked with Dr. Tonia Nicholls at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, including on a study examining the adverse childhood experiences of forensic patients. We are very pleased to have him back in BC and working with our team as part of his UBC Psychiatry Research Track Program. At U of T, Dr. Lam worked with Dr. Sandy Simpson and Dr. Stephanie Penney on a number of forensic projects, encompassing sexual offending, homicide, and forensic needs assessment. He maintains a strong interest in philosophy, literature, poetry, and history outside of work.

 

Dr. Edwin Chow
Dr. Edwin Chow is a forensic psychiatry subspecialty resident in the UBC Department of Psychiatry. He is originally from Toronto, ON, where he received a BHSc (Honours) in Health Sciences from McMaster University. He then completed his undergraduate medical training at the University of Toronto before completing his general psychiatry residency training at UBC. He has worked with Dr. Tonia Nicholls at the Forensic Psychiatry Hospital to examine the perspectives and experiences of mental health providers on seclusion use in forensic settings, and he has had the opportunity to present his findings at the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services conference. His other research interests include the evaluation of violence risk assessment measures as well as management of concurrent disorders in forensic settings. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, spending time with his family, and maintaining an active lifestyle including tennis and snowboarding.

 

Sonora Godfrey
Sonora Godfrey is a UBC medical student with special interests in psychiatric care space design, forensic mental health and anti-oppression work. After a BSc in Psychology at UVic, Sonora managed an outreach centre, worked in urgent mental health and substance use, and supported Dr. Bonnie Henry in the Office of the Provincial Health Officer (OPHO) during SARS-CoV-2. At OPHO, she was privileged to work with Dr. Danièle Behn Smith and Dr. Kate Jongbloed on antiracism projects. She was previously with Island Health’s Applied Research Unit doing modelling for CoV-2 and overdose prevention, and has special training in threat assessment. Out of work, she enjoys time with her pets and graphic design.