From pleasure to pain: Understanding the mechanisms of depression and suicide risk

Dr. Sakina Rizvi is a Scientist and Psychotherapist in the Arthur Sommer Rotenberg (ASR) Suicide and Depression Studies Program at St. Michael’s Hospital, and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Her research program aims to characterize the neurobiology of suicide risk and treatment resistant depression (TRD), primarily through the use of fMRI and PET neuroimaging. In addition to neuroimaging research, Dr. Rizvi develops and tests novel psychotherapies for suicide risk, depression, as well as trauma resilience among healthcare workers. Her current work in this area is focused on designing therapies for hospital and community agency settings. She also conducts patient-engagement research to create community-based suicide prevention strategies. Dr. Rizvi is actively involved in outreach and advocacy projects with an emphasis on providing mental health education to the community through the creative arts. She led the Storybook Project, a lived experience short story collection on the impact of suicide published in September 2021 as “What it Takes to Make it Through: Stories of Suicide Loss and Resilience”.