K. Sonu Gaind

Dr. Gaind is an Associate Professor with the University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry and Chief of Psychiatry/Medical Director of Mental Health at the new Humber River Hospital in west end Toronto. Prior to joining Humber River in 2014 he worked as a psycho-oncology consultant at Princess Margaret Hospital for nearly a decade and a half.

Dr. Gaind is co-Director of the Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems Division at the University of Toronto, an Executive Member and Medical Practice & Tariff Chair of the Ontario Medical Association Section on Psychiatry, a Past-President of both PAIRO and the Ontario Psychiatric Association (OPA), and an Executive and Board Member of the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA), having just completed his term as President of the CPA in 2016.

Dr. Gaind has worked collaboratively across academic, administrative, and advocacy roles to find strategic opportunities for positive change. By bringing an academic focus and rigour to policy development, he has helped form health policy, developed service delivery models to improve patient care and access for high-need/high-risk patient populations, negotiated significant increased resources for mental health care for “in need” psychiatric patient populations, and engaged medical colleagues across the province and country to be more aware of and advocate against policies that discriminate against the mentally ill. As Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) policies have been evolving in Canada, Dr. Gaind has testified in front of numerous federal and provincial bodies on issues relevant to mental health and mental illness that need to be considered in the MAiD framework, and has spoken across the country and internationally on the subject.

He has been acknowledged nationally and provincially for his teaching and advocacy work, including being awarded a Presidential Commendation by the CPA for his role in significantly advancing the practice of psychiatry in Ontario, the Jane Chamberlin Award from the AGHPS for Outstanding Contributions to General Hospital Psychiatry, the U of T Department of Psychiatry Henry Durost Award for Excellence in Creative Professional Activity, the CPA-COPCE Award for the Most Outstanding Continuing Educational Activity in Canada, and the Toronto French School Prix de Distinction des Anciens Élèves for making a significant impact in both his professional field and the community.

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