Centre for Complex Disorders

Serious mental disorders affect thinking, mood and behaviour. The consequences are suffering, impaired function in daily life and yearly costs estimated in Canada at tens of billions of dollars. Like diabetes, hypertension and asthma, mental disorders are complex disorders, meaning there is no single gene mutation, experience or environmental effect that can be held responsible. With a history of focused but isolated research strategies that have failed to address these complexities, present day treatments for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are no more effective than those developed 50 years ago. There is also a lack of effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. The Centre for Complex Disorders (CCD) will seek integrative and transformative solutions to these health problems, with an initial focus on psychotic illnesses, such as bipolar disorder and some types of depression. These often begin in adolescence and cause those affected to lose contact with reality, and chronically become socially isolated and unable to work. The unit’s secondary focus will be complex disorders affecting memory in old age.

Leader:

Members:

  • Alasdair McMillan Barr, PhD
    The Scripps Research Institute
  • Thomas Ehmann, PhD
    Fraser Health
  • Alaa El-Husseini, PhD
    University of British Columbia
  • Elliot Goldner, MD
    University of British Columbia
  • Robert Holt, PhD
    BC Cancer Agency
  • Kerry Jang, PhD
    University of British Columbia
  • James Kennedy, MD, FRCPC
    University of Toronto
  • Alan Kingstone, PhD
    University of British Columbia
  • Lili Kopala, MD
    University of British Columbia
  • Donna Lang, PhD
    University of British Columbia
  • Tania Lecomte, PhD
    University of British Columbia
  • William MacEwan, MD, FRCPC
    University of British Columbia
  • Alex MacKay, MD
    University of British Columbia
  • Anthony Phillips, PhD
    University of British Columbia
  • Ric Procychyn, PhD
    University of British Columbia
  • Ronald Reid, PhD
    University of British Columbia
  • Geoffrey Smith, PhD
    University of British Columbia
  • Weihong Song, MD, PhD, University of British Columbia
  • Allen Thornton, PhD
    Simon Fraser University
  • Ivan Torres, PhD
    Simon Fraser University
  • Paul Waraich, PhD
    University of British Columbia
  • Richard Williams, MBBS, LMCC, FRCPC
    University of British Columbia

Serious mental disorders affect thinking, mood and behaviour. The consequences are suffering, impaired function in daily life and yearly costs estimated in Canada at tens of billions of dollars. Like diabetes, hypertension and asthma, mental disorders are complex disorders, meaning there is no single gene mutation, experience or environmental effect that can be held responsible. With a history of focused but isolated research strategies that have failed to address these complexities, present day treatments for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are no more effective than those developed 50 years ago. There is also a lack of effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. The Centre for Complex Disorders (CCD) will seek integrative and transformative solutions to these health problems, with an initial focus on psychotic illnesses, such as bipolar disorder and some types of depression. These often begin in adolescence and cause those affected to lose contact with reality, and chronically become socially isolated and unable to work. The unit’s secondary focus will be complex disorders affecting memory in old age.

The CCD’s research program ranges from molecular genetic and protein research to clinical research and epidemiological and health services research aimed at developing evidence to inform health services policy development and planning. The interdisciplinary team will focus on four areas:

Award term completed September 2009.