Who We Are

Dr. Emma Hapke, MD, FRCPC, is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and psychedelic researcher at the UHN. She is the co-founder and associate director of the UHN Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Group. She is also an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. She has expertise in women's mental health, the treatment of trauma, psychosocial oncology and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Dr. Hapke worked with MAPS as the principal investigator and study therapist for the Montreal site of the phase 3 trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. She is also the co-founder and co-director of the Michener Foundations of Psychedelic Psychotherapy program. She is currently leading research projects on psilocybin therapy for end-of-life distress, psilocybin therapy for caregiver distress, experiential training of psychedelic therapists and surveys of psychedelic use in the community.

Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum, MD, FRCPC, is an attending psychiatrist at UHN as well as the Inner-City Health Associates (ICHA) in Toronto. He is also a clinical lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He works on an Assertive Community Treatment Team, serving people with severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI), as well as the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) team through ICHA. Dr. Rosenbaum is interested in psychosocial oncology and palliative care, especially end-of-life issues for marginalized populations. He is a certified CALM therapist (Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully) and has received training in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. He is also the co-founder of the Canadian Climate Psychiatry Alliance. He is a co-founder and faculty member of the UHN Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Group and course co-director of the Michener Foundations in Psychedelic Psychotherapy course. Dr. Rosenbaum has published articles in peer-reviewed journals on psychedelic-assisted therapy in palliative and cancer care and on psychedelic microdosing.

Dr. Yarissa Herman, CPsych, is a psychologist and course director with UHN's Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Group. She is also a psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, where she is the head of a substance use Harm Reduction Program for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. She has been working in the area of substance use treatment for almost 20 years, beginning with her doctoral research, which explored the relationship between cognitive functioning and outcomes in substance use treatment. In addition to her general practice in addictions, she has provided specialized substance use interventions for street-involved youth, Indigenous communities, and individuals with psychosis. Dr. Herman is involved in clinical and research endeavors in the domains of substance use interventions as well as psychedelic assisted psychotherapies.

Dr. Susan Abbey, MD, FRCPC, is the Psychiatrist-in-Chief at UHN and a Professor in University of Toronto's Department of Psychiatry. A member of the Department of Psychiatry since 1991, she has received numerous academic awards and honours, including the Robin Hunter Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Psychiatric Education and the Prix d'Excellence from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She has been the President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association. Dr. Abbey's research and clinical interests relate to the psychiatric care of patients in medical and surgical settings, and the use of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in the management of medical illness. She was an early adopter of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression (IPT), and has taught IPT to international audiences. She has been teaching MSBR since 2000 and is part of a research group studying the role of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in preventing depressive relapse following rTMS treatment. Dr. Abbey is delighted to champion the path forward for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy as it potentially offers much-needed new treatment options for some of the most significant mental health challenges.

Matthew Kelsey, as the Director, Transformation, Partnerships & Medical Excellence, advances the Centre for Mental Health's strategic vision, works closely with the UHN Foundation to foster funding opportunities, and develops partnerships with peer institutions. Previously, he was responsible for the management of corporate planning and special projects on behalf of the Office of the President & CEO and UHN's Executive Team. He has been with UHN for more than ten years, supporting UHN Digital, Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network and the Ministry of Health, with the planning and execution of enterprise- and province-wide technology and innovation-based, strategic initiatives. Matthew holds a MHSc in Health Administration from the Institute of Health, Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Dr. Sarah Hales is a psychiatrist in the Department of Supportive Care at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Her research has been funded by agencies including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Cancer Society and Prostate Cancer Canada/Movember. Her interests include the advanced cancer experience as it affects patients and families, and psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at alleviating their distress. Together with Dr. Gary Rodin she developed one of the first standardized frameworks for the psychotherapeutic care of those living with advanced cancer. They are co-authors of the 2021 book Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully: An Evidence-Based Intervention for Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers. In collaboration with Drs. Emma Hapke and Dan Rosenbaum, she developed Psilocybin-assisted Existential Attachment and RelationaL (PEARL) therapy, and trials are currently underway to study the impact of this novel intervention on those experiencing mortality-related distress.

Dr. Crystal Hare, C.Psych, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and postdoctoral research fellow at the UHN Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Centre. Her clinical training is in health psychology, specializing in working with patients with chronic medical conditions, including cancer, with a focus on existential and meaning-making forms of therapy. Her research focuses on improving quality-of-life in individuals living with life threatening illness. She has completed the MDMA training program through the MAPS, and is a teaching assistant and student liaison for the Michener Foundations of Psychedelic Psychotherapy course. Crystal's aspirations in this field are to help establish standardized psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy protocols in order to enhance treatment outcomes, with a special focus on understanding what types of therapy interventions combine well with psychedelics to produce the best results for specific patient populations. She is also interested in helping to establish best practices for training of psychedelic therapists, with a focus on understanding the educational components most necessary to prepare therapists to work safely and ethically in this field.

Dr. Sabrina Akhtar, MD, MSc (Bioethics), CCFP, joined the UHN Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Group in the spring of 2023 to support the Special Access Program Clinic in the role of Medical Lead. She is a family physician with a special interest in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Family and Community medicine and started her academic career at UHN's Toronto Western Hospital in 2009. In addition to psychedelic psychotherapy and comprehensive primary care, Dr. Akhtar practices home-based care of the elderly, palliative care, rural emergency medicine and obstetrical care. Through her broad scope of practice, her experience with conditions such as end of life existential angst, treatment resistant anxiety and depression, and complex PTSD is grounded in the context of patient- and family-centered complex care across the lifespan.

Cindy Chan, MSc, is a clinical research coordinator for the UHN-PPRG. She manages clinical trials and provides support to overall operations in the program. Her experience include leading Health Canada-regulated clinical trials at the University of Toronto assessing new treatments for people with epilepsy and depression, and as a senior analyst at the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Cindy holds an MSc. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Western University and an HBSc from the University of Toronto (St. George) in Environment and Health and Biology.

Emily Macgregor, RP, is a clinical research coordinator and Registered Psychotherapist. She began her career in psychiatry research at McGill University, then CAMH, working with individuals with severe depression, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. In her psychotherapy practice, she specializes in complex trauma, PTSD, attachment difficulties and grief/loss. She has received training in a number of different psychotherapy approaches, and is interested in novel treatment methods for mental health issues. In both research and clinical settings, Emily is passionate about patient advocacy and social determinants of mental health.

Brandon Cirella is a clinical research analyst with the UHN Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Group. He received his BSc. in Neuroscience and Mental Health (Honours) from Carleton University, and completed further coursework in theoretical neuroscience at the University of Toronto. He is also a co-founder of Mapping the Mind, a grassroots non-profit dedicated to psychedelic science advocacy through community events. He is interested in applying a neurophenomenological approach to study the structure-activity relationships of psychedelics and novel psychoactive substances. In particular, he aims to improve the quantitative assessment of subjective experience.

Krischanda Bemister-Bourret, MA, is a PhD student and SSHRC Vanier Scholar in Psychological Science at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Krischanda received her BA and MA in Psychology from TMU and has worked in research labs at TMU, UofT and OISE. Krischanda has led community-engaged research projects aimed at promoting equity in learning and care for children in marginalized communities, as well as mixed-methods experimental projects examining how racial identification plays a role in social judgments. Krischanda has a growing interest in the field of human-animal interactions (HAIs); she has published qualitative work focused on compassion fatigue in animal care workers and travelled to Hokkaido University in 2023 to test the impact of a short-term educational intervention on HAI-related attitudinal change. Krischanda also teaches psychology at Seneca College and contributes to the APA Division's HAI newsletter. Krischanda has worked with the Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Group as a Research Assistant since November 2022.

Dr. Yvan Beaussant is instructor in Medicine in the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and at Harvard Medical School. A palliative care physician scientist, Dr. Beaussant's work focuses on developing and assessing psychedelic-assisted therapy to address psychological and existential distress in patients with cancer and other serious illnesses.

Komal Bhasin, MSW, MHSc (HA), DocSocSci, CHE, is an equity, inclusion and workplace strategist, advisor, speaker and executive coach. With over 20 years of experience in policy, strategic planning, and senior management within the healthcare, academic and not-for-profit sectors. Komal brings extensive experience in clinical practice, health care operations, health and social policy development and health system transformation. She has held mental health policy lead positions in both the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ministry of Child and Youth Services and held successive leadership positions in University of Toronto-affiliated Academic Health Science Centres, including serving as Executive Director of Research Strategy and Operations at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She is a Registered Social Worker and a Certified Health Executive, holding Master's Degrees in Social Work (MSW) and Health Sciences (MHSc), and holds a Doctor of Social Sciences. Komal has served as a faculty member at Toronto Metropolitan University in the School of Social Work, where she has taught courses on anti-oppression, social policy, and social inclusion.

Kosu Boudreau is a registered psychotherapist/registered social worker/clinical supervisor with over 18 years of combined experience working in acute care, trauma, mental health and addictions. Her areas of specialization include complex relational trauma, addictions, life transitions and psycho-spiritual growth. Kosu worked in several Toronto-area hospitals as a psychospiritual therapist/clinical educator for over 15 years before moving into private practice. She is trained and provides supervision in a variety of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies, including ketamine, MDMA, cannabis and psilocybin. She integrates experiential therapy approaches (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, Sensorimotor Therapy, ACT, Somatic Psychedelic Therapy) and draws from mindfulness and interpersonal neurobiology in her therapeutic approach. She also provides preparation and integration support for experiences of expanded states of consciousness.

Dr. Shannon Dames lives and serves as a Health Professional Investigator and Professor on Vancouver Island, situated on the unceded territory of the Stz'uminus (in the town of Ladysmith) and Snuneymuxw (in the city of Nanaimo) People. Dr. Dames was the founder and current team member of the Roots to Thrive program, Vancouver Island University's (VIUs) Psychedelic-assisted Therapy Graduate Certificate education program, and VIUs Naut sa Mawt Centre for Psychedelic Research. She is a published author with expertise in nursing practice, resilience development, psychedelic-assisted therapy research and education. Dr. Dames works across agencies and disciplines to develop collaborative service delivery, education and research in psychedelic medicine. Her current work focuses on the development of research infrastructure that supports psychedelic service delivery and education development with VIU. Her innovative research promotes resiliency and reconciliation by collaborating across cultures and silos. Her work acknowledges multiple ways of knowing, with a specific interest in collaborating to understand how Western and Indigenous ways of knowing might be shared for the healing benefit of all.

Dr. Brian Rush has worked for over 45 years as a substance use/mental health services researcher with CAMH, where he is currently appointed as Scientist Emeritus. Dr. Rush is a Professor at the University of Toronto in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. He has led major treatment system reviews in Canada and internationally and prepared several syntheses of research evidence, including concurrent disorders, rapid access to mental health and addiction services, collaborative care and psychedelic-assisted interventions. Dr. Rush is currently the project leader for the multi-site study known as the Ayahusaca Treatment Outcome Project (ATOP) and the more recent Entheogen Treatment Outcome Project, integrating cross-cultural exchange of traditional medicines between Canada and Mexico. He is also active in facilitating the collaboration among Canadian researchers, students and policy makers interested in psychedelic science, including traditional plant-based medicine.

Clayton Shirt is a traditional knowledge practitioner of holistic health and wellness, lecturer, educator and historian. His worldview and understanding of life is based on living his whole life immersed in learning from his traditional Indigenous teachers, elders and family. He is currently the sitting traditional knowledge teacher/educator with Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health, University of Toronto where he is able to bring his traditional perspective and vast experience in 'walking the good path' to scholars and educators, as well as bringing wise counsel and support to Indigenous students seeking higher learning. He was raised and currently lives in Toronto, with his wife and family of three children and his beautiful granddaughter.

Dr. Zach Walsh is a Professor in the UBC Department of Psychology. He attended the University of Winnipeg as an undergraduate, received a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2008 from the Chicago Medical School/Rosalind Franklin University and completed a clinical internship and a research fellowship at the Brown University Centre for Alcohol and Addiction Studies. Dr. Walsh is a registered clinical psychologist whose research has been supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Health Canada, BC Interior Health Authority and the American Psychological Association. He sits on the advisory board for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Dr. Walsh was the Principal Investigator for a clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of cannabis for chronic PTSD.