Research Institute Leadership
Researchers at BCMHSUS are striving to create positive change in service of improving care outcomes and experiences
for clients, patients and families.
for clients, patients and families.
Dr. Tonia Nicholls
Scientific director
Forensic Psychiatric Services
Dr. Nicholls’ research focuses on the intersections between mental health and the criminal justice system. She advocates for a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach when working with people in the care of the forensic psychiatric system.
About Dr. Tonia Nicholls
Her research and that of others has shown that by improving the physical and mental health and quality of life of the individual, we can reduce the risk of crime, and lessen the economic burden through re-hospitalizations, emergency department visits and re-incarceration.
Dr. Nicholls has a doctorate in law and forensic psychology from Simon Fraser University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the BC Institute Against Family Violence.
Primary research areas
- Crime
- Forensics
- Mental health
- Evidence-based practice
- Risk assessment and risk management
The National Trajectory Projects are two national studies (NTP-1) examining persons found Not Criminally Responsible on Account of Mental Disorder (NCRMD).
In NTP-1, Dr. Nicholls and colleagues tracked mental health and criminal justice involvement, review board decision-making, and mental health and criminal outcomes for individuals within the forensic system in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
The National Trajectory Project 2 builds on the work of NTP-1 to identify the needs and outcomes of individuals found NCRMD, how those needs are met and what measures are put in place as they leave the hospital, in order to identify the best way of ensuring successful community reintegration.
Dr. Christian Schütz
Scientific director
Adult Mental Health and Substance Use Services
Dr. Schütz is a clinical researcher and practicing psychiatrist whose research focuses on understanding relapse and impulsive decision-making mechanisms to improve the treatment of addiction and concurrent disorders.
About Dr. Christian Schütz
Dr. Schütz’s training and research background includes epidemiology and preclinical and clinical behavioural pharmacology. He obtained his MD from the University of Freiburg, his Ph.D. from Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich and his MPH from Johns Hopkins University.
In 2008, he joined the faculty of the University of British Columbia. Dr. Schütz has published over 170 research articles and 15 book chapters.
Primary research areas
- Substance use disorders
- Dual diagnoses
- Treatment development and mechanism of cognitive control
ROAR (Reducing Overdose and Relapse) Canada
The large-scale study seeks to follow up with patients with dual disorders in the mental health disorders system to gauge the effectiveness of treatment, improve patient centred treatment, develop measurement-based approaches. Initial results underline the enormous role of trauma in this population in risk of overdose, and distress tolerance. We are currently focused on developing a patient registry to allow for measurement based and better patient centred treatment optimization.
Dr. Amanda Slaunwhite
Scientific director
Correctional Health Services
Dr. Slaunwhite is a population health researcher who has significant expertise in prison health, substance use and mental health. She has more than a decade of experience working with administrative health data in North America and has co-led research projects with people with lived experience of substance use, incarceration, and overdose.
About Dr. Amanda Slaunwhite
Dr. Slaunwhite holds a PhD in human geography from the University of Victoria (2015) and a master's degree in urban and regional planning from Queen's University (2009). She is dedicated to developing applied health research projects that have a positive impact on the health of incarcerated people and strengthen correctional health services. She is committed to working with people with lived/living experiences of substance use, mental health, and incarceration to co-develop and co-lead applied health research projects.
Primary research areas
- Correctional health services
- Linked administrative health data
- Social determinants of health
- Mental health
- Substance use
PRISM BC
PRISM BC is evaluating the impact of transferring health care delivery inside BC’s provincial correctional centres from the provincial ministry of justice to the Provincial Health Services Authority. Using linked health and corrections records over a 10-year period, the project will compare data from five years pre-transfer and five years post-transfer. The goal is to measure changes in health care use, mortality, and re-incarceration among people incarcerated in BC. This four-year project is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.