Nomination of Dr. Lena Palaniyappan as the Monique H. Bourgeois Chair

We are pleased to announce the recruitment of Dr. Lena Palaniyappan as the new Monique H. Bourgeois Chair, offered through the François Bourgeois Foundation. In addition to becoming a Researcher at the Douglas Research Centre, he joins us as the Inaugural Director of the Centre for Youth Mental Health Service Innovation, Research, and Training (to be launched later in 2022), a Full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, and a Psychiatrist at the CIUSSS Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.

Dr. Palaniyappan completed his medical studies at Stanley Medical College, Chennai, India followed by a PhD in Translational Neuroimaging at the University of Nottingham, UK. Prior to arriving at the Douglas, he led the Neuroimaging in Mental Illnesses research team, based at the Robarts Research Institute (Western University) and Lawson Health Sciences Research Institution (London, Ontario).

In addition to an excellent publication record, he brings with him a unique and innovative approach to mental health care in youth, with an emphasis on investigating the determinants of symptom burden, treatment response, and prognostic accuracy in severe mental disorders that start in adolescence. The clinical goal of this work is to modify the pathways that lead to poor long-term outcomes in individuals with serious mental disorders.

Dr. Palaniyappan’s research program will have a broad focus on exploiting neuroscience to inform early interventions for youth in need. Most of his work to date has been on severe mental illnesses such as psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Palaniyappan on his appointment and in wishing him every success in this new role.