Team
Marco Solmi
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr Marco Solmi is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at University of Ottawa, Canada, Psychiatrist working at The Ottawa Hospital, Investigator at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Scientist at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medicine Berlin, and visiting academic at University of Southampton, Centre for Innovation in Mental Health-Developmental Lab, School of Psychology. He is also Affiliate of the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford University, US. He is Chair of ECNP Physical And meNtal Health (PAN-Health) Thematic Working Group (TWG), and member of the Prevention of Mental Disorders And Mental Health Promotion TWG. He is also member of the consensus core clinical and psychosocial battery committee, as well as of the new research methods for clinical/psychosocial studies committee of The Canadian Network for Research in Schizophrenia and Psychoses, of the Canadian Academy of Psychiatric Epidemiology (CAPE), and of the Canadian Consortium for Early Intervention in Psychosis (CCEIP). His main area of interest is epidemiological and evidence-based psychiatry, leveraging both meta-research techniques and national databases to answer clinically relevant questions. Clinically, he is most interested in prevention/early interventions for mental disorders, psychopharmacology, and physical health in those with mental disorders. He has experience in coordinating large international project, as co-PI of the Collaborative Outcomes study on Health and Functioning during Infection Times (COH-FIT), an online survey translated in 30 languages involving over 230 researchers from over 50 countries measuring functioning and physical and mental health in the general population during COVID-19 pandemic (www.coh-fit.com). As of July 2023, he has published over 360 publications, and Google Scholar H index is now 81. He is listed among Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers in Psychiatry and Psychology since 2021.
Andrew L. Smith
CLINICIAN INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Andrew L. Smith MD FRCPC is an early-career academic psychiatrist at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, and a Clinician Investigator in the Neuroscience Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI). He has a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Certificate of Specialization in Business Applications of AI in Healthcare from Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Smith has peer-reviewed publications in the areas of olfactory learning, artificial intelligence, and novel psychoactive substances. Dr. Smith's research interests include novel therapeutics, efficient healthcare delivery, consciousness, virtual and mixed reality in mental health, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence. He has ongoing personal projects in the fields of literature, art, and design. Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for BioEquity Holdings, Co-Founder and CMO for PsychPartners Inc., and has served in various leadership roles within the University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital, including his current position on the Board of Directors of TOHAMO. Dr. Smith is a member of the Society for Medical Decision Making and the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness.
Nicole Edgar
CLINICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM MANAGER
Nicole Edgar joined the Hatching Ideas Lab in 2018 and has been the Manager since early 2020. She is a jack of all trades and can often be found fighting the good fight to ensure equitable access to mental health care for underserved populations. Outside of the lab, Nicole is often spending time with her pooch Cricket, communing with nature, and crocheting!
Nicholas Fabiano
RESIDENT, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
Nick Fabiano is a resident at the University of Ottawa Department of Psychiatry. He began his undergraduate studies in Applied Life Sciences at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and was then accepted to medical school at the University of Ottawa prior to completion of his undergraduate degree. During his residency, he has been involved with numerous research projects and will be joining the research stream. He has received a number of awards for his work such as the uOttawa Psychiatry Research Day Best Oral Presentation, the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend Mental Health Research Award, and first place in the uOttawa Journal of Medicine National Commentary contest. Academically, he is most interested in the intersection between mental and physical health, particularly elements of "lifestyle psychiatry". He is curious to determine how lifestyle habits such as exercise, diet, and sleep may impact mental health outcomes. Methodologically, he primarily focuses on evidence synthesis techniques such as systematic and umbrella reviews. From this, he has a keen interest in incorporating artificial intelligence tools into the evidence synthesis process to improve efficiency and accuracy.
Olivier Corbeil
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
Olivier Corbeil has been a clinical pharmacist at the First-Episode Psychosis Program of the Quebec Mental Health University Institute since 2019. He is also completing his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Université Laval’s Faculty of Pharmacy, Canada, where his research centers on early intervention for psychotic disorders and their comorbidities, including behavioral addictions and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). His work focuses on optimizing the safety and efficacy of pharmacological treatments through naturalistic cohort studies and large-scale population-based registry analyses. As a postdoctoral fellow in the SCIENCES Lab, Olivier leads a research program on ADHD in individuals with psychotic disorders, addressing critical gaps in treatment. His work integrates evidence from multiple interconnected studies to develop tailored guidelines that enhance clinical practice and improve patient recovery outcomes.
Carl Zhou
RESIDENT, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
Carl Zhou is a psychiatry resident at the University of Ottawa. He completed his medical school at McMaster University and undergraduate studies at the University of Ottawa. His research interests lie in "lifestyle psychiatry," which explores how non-pharmacological and non-psychotherapeutic factors—such as exercise, nutrition, habits, and environmental influences—impact mental health. Additionally, he is interested in novel psychotropics and meta-research. Methodologically, Carl focuses on evidence-synthesis techniques, including scoping and systematic reviews. Looking ahead, he plans to analyze database data and engage in clinical trials to better inform clinical practice and improve patients' lives.
Stanley Wong
RESIDENT, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Stanley Wong is a resident in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He is the Junior Chief Resident at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto. He received his undergraduate Honours Bachelors of Science with a specialization in biology from McMaster University. He completed his MD at the University of Ottawa where he was inspired to pursue a career in psychiatry and mental health. During his residency, he has been involved in multiple research projects focusing on mood disorders and novel treatments such as psychedelics. His clinical interests are in mood disorders, psychosis, and acute psychiatric emergencies and treatment. His research interests are in evidence synthesis and clinical trials. Outside of the academic setting, Stanley likes to cook, go to the gym, and spend time with friends and family.
Sami Sabbah
MEDICAL STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
Sami Sabbah is a third-year Medical Student at the University of Ottawa. He is passionate about how artificial intelligence can influence the field of psychiatry, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions. He also has a growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for treatment-resistant conditions.