Understanding Depression: Ontario Shores Kicks Off New CAN-BIND Talk Series
September 2025 —
Building on the overwhelming success of the 2024 Understanding Depression: Bridging Research and Clinical Care event at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH), CAN-BIND has launched a nationwide Understanding Depression public talk series. The series aims to bring the most relevant and practical information about depression directly to communities across Canada, creating opportunities for attendees to connect with local CAN-BIND sites, researchers, and clinicians. By expanding this model nationally, CAN-BIND aims to foster meaningful dialogue, increase public understanding of depression research and treatment, and strengthen links between communities and local mental health experts.
The first event in the series was held at the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences in Whitby, Ontario, one of CAN-BIND’s newest sites. Organized by the CAN-BIND Knowledge Translation (KT) Team in collaboration with Ontario Shores, the event brought together community members, mental health advocates, clinicians, and researchers for an engaging, in-person experience highlighting the latest developments in depression research and care.
The morning opened with remarks from Dr. Daniel Mueller, the Ontario Shores Research Chair of Personalized Medicine, who introduced CAN-BIND’s mission and emphasized the importance of bringing research directly to the public. Dr. Samar Elsheikh, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Pharmacogenetics Research Clinic, then provided an overview of the agenda, setting the stage for a series of expert talks.
Attendees were then treated to a series of insightful presentations. Dr. Mueller spoke about the latest clinical treatments for depression, offering practical strategies for managing symptoms. Dr. Arun Tiwari, Staff Scientist at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), followed with a discussion on pharmacogenomics, explaining how genetic differences can influence mental health and affect responses to medications, highlighting the potential for more personalized treatment approaches. PhD student and clinical psychologist in training, Katerina Dikaios, discussed the effects of trauma and emotion dysregulation on mental health, offering practical strategies for managing emotions and promoting overall well-being. Finally, Dr. Nirushi Kuhathasan from CAN-BIND’s Knowledge Translation Team introduced the CHOICE-D Guide to Depression Treatments, a resource shaped by lived experience perspectives to help patients and families advocate for informed mental health care decisions. She was joined by Genevieve Farago, a CAN-BIND Community Advisory Committee (CAC) member, who shared her lived experience perspective on revising the guide and highlighted how it can support meaningful engagement in care.
Another lively question-and-answer session followed, with attendees engaging the speakers on a wide range of topics, from treatment options and genetics-informed care to strategies for supporting mental health through lifestyle habits. The discussion was energetic and thought-provoking, reflecting the community’s strong interest in depression research and care. Speakers stayed afterward to connect informally with attendees, further strengthening the links between the public, researchers, and clinicians.
Marking another successful event, the series will soon expand to additional sites across Canada, with upcoming talks planned in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Vancouver, British Columbia; and again at CAN-BIND’s central site in Hamilton, Ontario. By taking this successful model nationwide, CAN-BIND is creating opportunities for Canadians to learn, ask questions, and actively engage with the latest developments in depression research, clinical care, and peer support initiatives.
Stay tuned for more events in our 2025-2026 Understanding Depression public talk series!