Dr. Lena Palaniyappan
Presentation: Disordered/Disorganized Communication and Ways to Address It
Dr. Lena Palaniyappan is a practicing psychiatrist; he works with youth and families experiencing severe mental illnesses such as psychosis. Following his bachelor’s degree in psychology, he completed his medical training at Stanley Medical College in Chennai, India followed by a Master’s and PhD in Psychiatry at the University of Nottingham in the UK. He currently holds the Monique H. Bourgeois Research Chair and directs the Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health at the Douglas Research Centre. He is also the Chief Editor of the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology Journal. His work on neuroimaging in psychosis led to the Global Rising Star Award from the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Early Career Foundation Grant. His research program is geared towards optimizing long-term mental health outcomes and pathways of care for individuals with serious mental disorders that often start in adolescence. His work centres on developing an understanding of the brain mechanisms involved in mental states such as psychosis and depression and in generating developmentally informed tools to predict outcome after first-episode psychosis and non-invasive treatment approaches.
Areas of interest: Youth Mental Health, Psychosis, Relapse, Speech, Natural Language Processing, Predictive analysis, Neuroimaging, Digital health, Early intervention
Dr. Kara Dempster
Presentation: Long-Acting Injectables: Practical Use in Everyday Psychiatry
Dr. Dempster, MD, MSc FRCPC is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Associate Clinical Director of the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program. As a clinician-scientist, her work focuses on the care of young adults experiencing a first episode of psychosis and on identifying the neurobiological mechanisms underlying treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Her research integrates clinical, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological approaches to support earlier, precision-based treatment strategies. Dr. Dempster serves on the Boards of Directors for Early Psychosis Intervention Canada and Early Psychosis Intervention Nova Scotia and is committed to advancing evidence-informed care for individuals with psychotic disorders.
Dr. Jason Morrison
Roundtable Discussion: Challenges and Opportunities in the Comprehensive Care of Individuals Living with Persistent Psychotic Disorders
Dr. Jason Morrison, MD, FRCPC is a psychiatrist in Halifax and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University. He specializes in early intervention for psychotic disorders and is closely involved with the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program (NSEPP), supporting individuals experiencing first-episode psychosis.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Morrison teaches and mentors medical learners and contributes to research focused on improving mental health care and outcomes. He is recognized for his commitment to patient-centered, recovery-oriented care.
Chris McWilliam
Presentation: Strengthening the Family System through Families Matter and Affected Others
Chris McWilliam, BKin, OT Reg. (NS) is a seasoned occupational therapist with Nova Scotia Health, where he has dedicated almost 20 years to supporting individuals and families affected by mental health and addictions. Chris works clinically with the Dartmouth Community Mental Health and Addictions Clinic, serves as the Occupational Therapy Professional Practice Leader, is a guest lecturer and past faculty member with Dalhousie University School of Occupational Therapy and was most recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. His lived experience supporting a loved one after a severe mental health crisis profoundly shaped his approach to practice, deepening his understanding of the challenges families face and inspiring his advocacy for family inclusion in care delivery. Chris co-facilitates two provincial family support programs, Families Matter in Mental Health and Affected Others and he has been recognized both provincially and nationally for his contributions to advancing mental health and addictions care, student learning, and professional education.
Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos
Presentation: Housing is Health: Addressing Homelessness for People with Mental Disorders, from Policy to Practice
Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos is a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. She has served in several administrative roles in the past, including Vice-Chair, Clinical and Innovation (2017-2022) and co-Director of the Division of Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems (2012-2017) in the Department of Psychiatry, as well as Physician-in-Chief at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (2016-2022), Psychiatrist-in-Chief at St. Michael’s Hospital (2011-2016) and Medical Director, Inner City Health Associates (2017-2011).
Dr. Stergiopoulos has a keen interest in mental health policy and the redesign of our system of mental health care for the purpose of system improvement. Her program of research focuses on the design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of interventions aiming to improve housing stability, service coordination and recovery of adults experiencing serious mental health and addiction challenges and social disadvantages.
Dr. Stergiopoulos completed her medical training at Dalhousie University and residency training in psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She holds a MHSc in Health Administration from the University of Toronto’s Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and completed Director’s Education Training at the Rotman School of Management.
Dr. Rudolf Uher
Presentation: Early identification of Risk and Primary Prevention Among Offspring of Parents with Severe Mental Illness
Dr. Rudolf Uher, M.D. Ph.D is a psychiatrist and Canada Research Chair in Early Intervention in Psychiatry at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada. He completed a PhD in Neuroscience at Charles University, Psychiatry residency at the Maudsley Hospital, and a fellowship Affective Disorders at the Institute of Psychiatry, UK. Dr. Uher investigates early markers of risk for mental illness and personalized treatments for depression. He leads the FORBOW project that follows over 600 youth in Nova Scotia with the aim to establish early antecedents of mental health and illness. Dr. Uher also leads the OPTIMUM-D trial which is testing biomarker-based treatment selection for major depressive disorder, and the Data Science platform of the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression (CAN-BIND).
Krista Ellsworth
Presentation: Implementing Equity and Diversity in Early Psychosis Care
Krista Ellsworth is a Registered Nurse and the Clinical Practice Educator for Early Psychosis Intervention Nova Scotia (EPINS). She has extensive experience in mental health, with roles at the IWK Health Centre, Global Affairs Canada, and Nova Scotia Health. In her current position, she provides evidence‑informed education to clinicians and stakeholders across the province. She is dedicated to enhancing access to care and promoting culturally responsive services for equity-denied populations. Outside of work, Krista enjoys travelling, yoga, and spending time with her family.
