Next spring, the faculty of psychology at UTSC will welcome into their ranks one of Canada’s most influential and respected psychologists in clinical and personality psychology.
Dr. Michael Bagby, who is currently director of clinical research and senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in downtown Toronto, will assume the position of professor of psychology at UTSC beginning May 1, 2011 on a full-time basis. One of his main objectives will be to take a strong leadership role in UTSC’s proposed new doctoral program in clinical psychology.
Since completing his PhD at York University in 1986, Bagby has published nearly 300 peer-reviewed articles. He has also written three books and copyrighted four psychological tests. Collectively, his work has been cited in the scientific literature more than 8,000 times; 13 of his articles have been cited in more than 100 papers.
In recognition of the remarkable reach and impact of his research, Bagby has been named an Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) ‘highly cited scientist,’ a distinction held only by the top one per cent of scientists worldwide.
“We are delighted to have Michael Bagby join our psychology department,” says Rick Halpern, dean and vice-principal (academic) of UTSC. “His arrival signals a major step forward for our clinical psychology program and our efforts to forge connections between Scarborough and a number of partner institutions in the mental health community. He rounds out a group of world-class faculty members who are putting UTSC psychology on the map, both as educators and researchers.”
Bagby’s main research focus is on the relationship between personality and psychopathology, with particular attention to anxiety disorders, affective disorders and pathological gambling. He is also interested in personality disorders, dimensional models of personality and the effect personality has on individual response to different modes of treatment for major depression (such as cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy).
Bagby has held operating grants, contracts or investigator awards from OMHF, OPGRC, MRC, CIHR, SSHRC and NIA. He was recently appointed as the editor-in-chief of Assessment, one of the world’s leading journals on psychological assessment, and he is an editorial board member at the Journal of Personality Assessment, Psychological Assessment and the Journal of Personality Disorders.
At UTSC, Bagby will be instrumental in leading a proposed new doctoral program in clinical psychology. John Bassili, chair of the department of psychology at UTSC, says the hiring of Dr. Bagby signals the importance that the department gives to creating a preeminent program in clinical psychology.
“Dr. Bagby’s outstanding scholarship, along with his vast experience with clinical practice at a leading mental health institution such as CAMH, will set the tone for the style of mentorship that is essential to a successful scientist-practitioner model of education.”
“I am excited to join the UTSC psychology department,” says Dr. Bagby. “One aspect that attracted me to this position is the fine collection of psychologists in the department as a whole and the strong core of psychology faculty with clinical and scientific training. I was also impressed with the administration and leadership at UTSC and the departmental commitment to developing a new clinical program at the University of Toronto.”