In February I will have been in the Vice-President of Research and Academics and Chief Scientific Officer role at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care for a year. What drew me to join the hospital and the Waypoint Research Institute was Waypoint’s leadership in mental health treatment, care and research for the Central Ontario region and beyond. I was also drawn here by the quality of the people and the collaborative environment. As a member of an amazing team both in the research and academics division and our dynamic senior leadership team, I believe Waypoint will continue to make transformative changes for health care delivery in the future.
I joined Waypoint to further the progress of two colleagues, Dr. Howard Barbaree and Dr. Nathan Kolla. The Waypoint Research Institute and the research and academics team have built a solid foundation and I am excited about the future as we work together with staff within the hospital and external partners. Waypoint has an established reputation in forensic mental health research and is continuously reaching milestones including the recent recognition of Dr. Zoe Hilton as full professor at the University of Toronto for her work on domestic violence. With our existing expertise and new staff and clinicians at Waypoint we are also expanding research in other areas of addiction and mental health care.
Dr. Bernard Le Foll, Vice-President, Research and Academics and Chief Scientific Officer
My appreciation for Waypoint’s role regionally, provincially and internationally has grown as I’ve gotten to know the people and the caring environment at our 315 bed hospital, in our outpatients and community programs and within the multiple partner organizations we are working with. I am proud of the accomplishments of the Waypoint Research Institute including various successful grants that are helping to fund the broadening of our research which includes support for our youth.
We are also increasing the links between clinicians and researchers. We have launched new research scholarship opportunities and have recently implemented a policy allowing clinicians interested in research to be linked with the Research Institute. Various projects are underway based on clinician input. We have a strong focus on better integrating the patients’ perspectives into research. Under the leadership of Dr. Christopher Canning, our Director of Research and Academics, we are creating a community of practice. We also are integrating patient voices into our research program and planning to incorporate more links with community partners.
As for the future we will be building up a clinical trial infrastructure to innovate in our model of care delivery. Waypoint is committed to innovation through its core values and as I think about my next years in this leadership role, I know our future is bright as these innovative ideas, expert staff and collaboration further enhance treatment and care.
Dr. Le Foll, Vice-President of Research and Academics and Chief Scientific Officer, is a clinician-scientist specializing in drug addiction. He is also the Chair of Addiction Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He has also practiced at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto since 2006. He was recently named to Stanford University World’s Top 2% Scientists list in 2022, recognition that reflects the research excellence and significant influence of the scientists.