Collaborating Teams
ANCHOR-MH (Alberta Network for Community Health Outreach and Rural Mental Health) is an innovative mental health education and collaboration program that equips Family Medicine physicians with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide psychiatric care for patients with complex mental health needs.
Through targeted education, collaboration with psychiatrists, and a growing community of practice, ANCHOR-MH aims to improve access to care and patient outcomes, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Mental Health Literacy focuses on improving understanding of mental health, and strengthening the ability to recognize and respond appropriately to mental health challenges and disorders.
Using evidence-based information and resources, this stream supports educators, school staff, students, parents and caregivers, and youth-serving organizations in identifying mental health concerns earlier, reducing stigma, encouraging help-seeking, and connecting individuals to appropriate care for better health outcomes.
The National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative (NNCI) is a collaboration between educators and neuroscientists. The overarching goal is to design a comprehensive set of educational resources that will help clinicians integrate a modern neuroscience perspective into every facet of their work. These include novel approaches for teaching in the classroom, in clinical settings, and through online spaces. As part of this work, the NNCI team has created more than 100 brief videos and clinical commentaries that are designed to make cutting-edge neuroscience clear, relevant, and accessible for a broad audience.
Canada is in the midst of an opioid epidemic, with overdose deaths more than doubling over the past decade. Despite the availability of effective interventions and treatments, fewer than 35% of adults diagnosed with opioid use disorder receive appropriate care. Stigma , rooted in a moral model of addiction and pervasive across societal contexts, continues to affect access to and delivery of treatment adversely. In response, the OASIS project (Overcoming and Addressing Stigma in Substance Use Disorders) has been developed as an educational intervention aimed at reducing stigma across diverse populations.
The Precision Medicine in Autism (PRISMA) group, led by Dr. Daniel Moreno De Luca, is a multidisciplinary initiative at the University of Alberta dedicated to advancing precision medicine in autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
Anchored in genetics, it explores how rare genetic variants lead to diverse neurobehavioral and medical phenotypes, aiming to identify opportunities for personalized care. Additionally, it focuses on implementation science to close the gap between professional medical recommendations for genetic testing after a neurodevelopmental diagnosis, and actual clinical practice.
Bringing together research, clinical care, education, and community engagement, PRISMA aims to deepen understanding of the diverse challenges and strengths experienced by people with neurodevelopmental conditions, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that healthcare interventions are adequately tailored, timely, and widely accessible for people who need them.