Dr. Joel Sadavoy

SENIOR CLINICIAN SCIENTIST

Joel Sadavoy MD., FRCP(c), RCPS Founder Geriatric Psychiatry, FCPA (distinguished)

Dr. Joel Sadavoy trained in medicine and psychiatry at the University of Toronto, where he has spent his entire academic and professional career. He is now professor of psychiatry, and full member in the Institute of Medical Sciences in the School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto. He is a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Canada designated Founder, Geriatric Psychiatry (2012).

Dr. Sadavoy is also Head of Geriatric and Community Psychiatry Programs, the inaugural Sam and Judy Pencer and Family Chair in Applied General Psychiatry, founding Director of the Cyril and Dorothy Joel and Jill Reitman Centre for Alzheimer’s Support and Training and senior clinician scientist in the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health in Toronto.

His prior clinical and academic leadership positions have included immediate past Psychiatrist in Chief at Mount Sinai Hospital (1993-2005); founding Psychiatrist in Chief of Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care (1980-1991); past head of Psychiatry, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto; Director of Joint Program in General Psychiatry and Head, Geriatric and Neuropsychiatry programs, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Toronto; and Head of the Division of General Psychiatry (1998-2001) and the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry (1991-1994) at the University of Toronto. Dr Sadavoy has edited or authored 12 books and manuals and over 100 professional publications in the field of psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry.

Dr. Sadavoy is known as a Canadian and international leader in mental health for which he has received numerous national and international awards. He is the founding president of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry; a past president of the International Psychogeriatric Association; Board member and inaugural chair of the Council of Academies of the Canadian Psychiatric Association; first Canadian board member of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry; and consultant to the Council on Aging of the American Psychiatric Association.

He founded the Reitman Centre for Caregivers at Sinai Health and wrote the intervention manual for the CARERS program that is now disseminated in centres across Ontario, Canada and internationally. As director of the Reitman Centre he is principal investigator or principal applicant on approximately five million dollars in active federal and CIHR grants addressing the needs of family caregivers managing dementia at home. He has won numerous national and international awards for his work in geriatric mental health, system development, and ethnocultural psychiatry. The Reitman Centre has received an Accreditation Canada Leading Practices Award and university awards for excellence in continuing medical education.

Selected recent honours and awards

2016 Appointed (by invitation) to Editorial Board of the World Journal of Psychiatry (Term 2016)

2015 Appointed North American indeendent expert (by invitation): PHC 22 – 2015: Promoting mental wellbeing in the ageing population. European Commission, DG Research & Innovation, Unit E4/Medical Research & Challenge of Ageing (COVE), Brussels Belgium

2014 Profiled as an Innovator: Ontario Medical Association (Jeff Green) The Innovators. Posted ontariosdoctors.com

2014 University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry Ivan Silver Award for Innovation in Continuing Professional Development, 2013-2014

2014 University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine Ivan Silver Award for Innovation in Continuing Professional Development, 2012-2013

2013 Chosen Canadian expert representative to Alzheimer’s Disease International Dementia Roundtable,
Washington DC

2013 Health Council of Canada: recognition Reitman Centre Carers; chosen for listing on Canadian Health Innovation Portal

2012 Diversity Award, American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry

2012 Leading Practices Award, The Reitman CARERS Program. Accreditation Canada

2011 Distinguished Fellow, Canadian Psychiatric Association

2010 President’s Award, International Federation on Aging

At a Glance

Canadian and international leader in mental health

Has won awards for his work in geriatric mental health, system development and ethnocultural psychiatry

Honoured with a Founder designation by the Royal College of Canada for his role in establishing the field of geriatric psychiatry in Canada

Head of Geriatric and Community Psychiatry Programs, Mount Sinai Hospital

Appointed the inaugural Sam and Judy Pencer and Family Chair in Applied General Psychiatry and founding Director of the Cyril and Dorothy Joel and Jill Reitman Centre for Alzheimer’s Support and Training

Major Research Activities

As founder and director of the Reitman Centre for Caregivers at Sinai Health, Dr. Sadavoy is principal investigator or principal applicant on approximately five million dollars in active federal and CIHR grants addressing the needs of family caregivers managing dementia at home.

Personal tools

Dr. Joel Sadavoy

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