About Us

G. Eric Jarvis, M.D., M.Sc. is Associate Professor of psychiatry at McGill University & Director of the Cultural Consultation Service and the First Episode Psychosis Program at the Jewish General Hospital. His clinical work involves the psychiatric evaluation and treatment of immigrants and refugees in addition to patients with early psychosis. His current research interests include the relation between psychosis and culture, the process of cultural consultation, and language barrier to mental health services. Dr. Jarvis also writes about the history of psychiatry.

Alessandra is a medical anthropologist and social worker. She received her doctorate from the University of Toronto, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal.
Engaged in research and clinical work in immigrant and refugee mental health, she advocates the use of official interpreters in clinical encounters. Since 2014, she is part of the first-episode of psychosis clinic at the Jewish General Hospital. Her research and clinical interests are trauma, psychosis, holistic approach to mental health, As a certified yoga instructor, she teaches yoga and mindfulness to people suffering of mental health in institutions and communities. Alessandra enjoys the solitude of the mountains and the recharging energy of the seaside.

Line provides liaison with community stakeholders from marginalised ethnic groups and the early intervention service for psychosis at the Clinique JAP (CHUM)
Line enjoys being at the junction of a plurality of worlds, a position that allows her to translate meanings from one to the other. She believes in the power of community actions for social change and has been active in the community on issues of biodiversity protection, citizen engagement and governance, as well as housing rights and immigrants’ integration in Quebec society.
Line has been trained in qualitative research and, in her dissertation has delved into the professional cultures of biotechnology and the ways the pursuit of innovations is conceptualised and enacted by managers, venture capitalists and scientists. She further explored the discourse of futuring practices at the University of Oxford.
Line holds a Ph.D. in Management and an MBA from HEC Montréal and a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from Université de Montréal.

Michaela Field is currently completing a master's degree in Psychiatry at McGill University. She previously completed a BA in Psychology with Minors in both Behavioural Science and World Islamic and Middle East Studies (WIMES) from McGill University. Under the supervision of Dr. G. Eric Jarvis, her current work explores cultural perceptions and understandings of psychosis, as well as identifying systemic and structural concerns that impede access to family psychoeducation for families of patients with first episode psychosis

Ting is a Research Apprentice in the FEPP Research Team. She recently completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at McGill University. During the final year of her undergraduate program, she interned at the Douglas Research Centre and Vanguard Intercultural High School. This opportunity allowed Ting to work with twice-exceptional students and write a thesis on the underlying executive function processes associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the presence of developmental dyscalculia. Currently, she is interested in shedding light on the first-person experiences and perceptions of psychosis and promoting the destigmatization of mental illnesses.

Katherine Lynch is a MSc student in the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry at McGill University studying the individual lived experience of auditory hallucinations and how this experience can differ according to cultural background. Other areas of interest involve exploring the potential that programs such as Open Dialogue and various peer-support initiatives have in terms of transforming care for individuals experiencing mental health crises. More generally, Katherine is invested in the force that can arise with the bringing together of community, arts practices, and the individual ways people imbue their lives with meaning.

Shivani is an Internationally Trained Physician. She completed her Doctor of Medicine at the Windsor University School of Medicine, Saint Kitts and Nevis as well as her Master’s in Healthcare Administration, specializing in healthcare systems and policy at Walden University, USA. Shivani has over 10 years of healthcare sector experience across many areas such as clinical, research, project management.

Claudio holds a Law degree from the San Martin University of Peru; he also studied a Masters in Human Rights and Constitutional Law at the National University of San Marcos of Peru and a postgraduate specialization in Public Policy for Children Rights. For many years he has worked around human rights topics such as prevention of human trafficking and sexual abuse, counselling with violence survivors and children rights advocacy in the NGO and public sector environment. His areas of interest are mental health, immigration and violence prevention.

Negin is a MSc student in the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry at McGill University. She initially obtained her BSc in Nursing and then completed her BA in Psychology. In her research, under the supervision of Dr. G. Eric Jarvis, she studies the lived experience of South Asian women with psychosis to gain a better understanding of the challenges they face as well as the cultural strengths and resources impacting their treatment and recovery.

Emily Brotman is an undergraduate student at Queen’s University, studying Psychology with a minor in Law. She previously completed her DEC in Psychology at Dawson College. She joined the FEPP Research Team in June 2021, looking to apply the knowledge she had gained through her learning in school to a hands-on research position. Emily hopes to pursue a career in Human Rights Law in the future.