Our Team
The Expert Advisory Group (EAG) on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) consists of diverse individuals and experts with an extensive range of experience related to Canadian and international MAiD policy and practices, and mental health and illness issues, including psychiatrists and clinicians, those involved in MAiD teams, psychologists, legal experts, medical ethicists and researchers, Indigenous leaders, those with lived experience and other cross sectionalities. The EAG was originally convened by Dr. K. Sonu Gaind in 2020 to respond to concerns about the Halifax Group’s IRPP report on MAiD MD-SUMC. The EAG issued its first report in February 2020 and reconvened following release of the federal Panel on MAID and Mental Illness report in May 2022 to issue a brief to the Special Joint Parliamentary Committee on MAiD. The EAG is particularly appreciative of those fellow EAG members, colleagues and patients with lived experience of mental illness who had the courage to share their experiences and insights.
Our EAG 2023 team includes:
Harvey Max Chochinov, OC OM MD PhD FRCPC FRSC FCAHS
● Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba; Senior Scientist, CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute; Former Chair, External Panel on Legislative Options to Carter versus Canada
Ramona Coelho, MD, CFPC
● Family physician caring for marginalized populations
Paul Dagg, MD, FRCPC (he/him/his)
● Clinical Professor and Associate Head, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia
K. Sonu Gaind [Chair, EAG], MD, FRCPC, DFAPA, HonMemberWPA
● Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Chief of Psychiatry/Medical Director of Mental Health, Humber River Hospital; Member, CCA Expert Panel on MAiD MD-SUMC; Former President, Canadian Psychiatric Association
Sarah Garside, MD PhD FRCPC
● Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University; Vice-President, OAAF
Mark Henick, BA, MSc
● CEO Strategic Mental Health Solutions; Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Advocate; former spokesperson Faces of Mental Illness Canada
Myeengun Henry
● Former Chief, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation
Law Society of Ontario Indigenous advisor; Ontario Provincial Police Indigenous Advisor; Southern First Nations Health Access Traditional Healer
Scott Y H Kim, MD
● Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan; Member, CCA Expert Panel on MAiD MD-SUMC
Marshall Korenblum, MD, FRCPC
● Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Child Psychiatrist & Former Medical Director, Sick Kids Centre for Community Mental Heath; Consultant, Division of Youth Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Trudo Lemmens, CandJur, LicJur, LLM (bioethics), DCL
● Professor and Scholl Chair in Health Law and Policy, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto; Member, CCA Expert Panel on Advance Requests for MAiD
Rod McCormick, PhD
● Kanienkehaka; Professor and BCIC Research Chair in Indigenous Health; Principal Investigator, Ombaashi Network; Director, All My Relations Centre, Faculty of Education and Social Work, Thompson Rivers University
Brian L. Mishara, PhD
● Director, Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life Practices; Professor, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal
The Honourable Graydon Nicholas, BSc, LLB, MSW, Order of Canada, Order of New Brunswick
● Wolastoqiyik Nation; Former Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick
Harvey Schipper, BASc, MD, FRCPC
● Professor of Medicine, Adjunct Professor of Law
University of Toronto; Member, CCA Expert Panel on Advance Requests for MAiD
Tim Stainton, MSW, PhD (he/him/his)
● Professor, School of Social Work; Director, Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship, University of British Columbia; xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Traditional Territory
Sephora Tang, MD, FRCPC
● Psychiatrist, The Ottawa Hospital; Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa, Department of Psychiatry
Georgia Vrakas, PhD, psychologue & ps.éd. (elle|she|her)
● Professeure agrégée, Département de psychoéducation; UQTR | Campus de Québec