In 2001, Dr. Tonia Nicholls was a PhD student at Simon Fraser University when she received a life-changing opportunity.
As one of the first researchers funded by Michael Smith Health Research BC (then called Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research), she received crucial support that helped launch her career.
That funding enabled her postdoctoral research on domestic violence and led to a risk-assessment tool that supports women experiencing intimate partner violence. Tonia also co-developed a clinical guide to help care providers assess aggression risk and plan treatment. The guide has since been translated into 13 languages, adapted for adolescents, and used internationally.
“The Health Research BC awards came at really critical junctures in my career.”
Tonia built on her longstanding program of work in correctional settings with further support from Health Research BC. She led the development of a jail screening assessment tool that helps corrections staff identify people in custody with complex mental health needs and refer them for further assessment and care. Her team also identified gender-specific, trauma-informed, and culturally relevant approaches to address the disproportionate health burdens among people in custody.
Health Research BC support helped Tonia move from conducting individual studies to building a sustained program of research. The funding enabled her to present her work, build collaborations, and contribute to larger national projects — positioning her to compete successfully for major research funding.
“The Health Research BC awards came at really critical junctures in my career,” says Tonia, now Scientific Director for Forensic Research with BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services. “The funding gave me the space and time to build an independent program of research and establish local, national, and international collaborations that continue to grow and strengthen to this day.”
As her career progressed, that support extended beyond her own work. Tonia went on to mentor early-career researchers, several of whom received Health Research BC support. Today, she is co-leading a $1.3-million Canadian Institutes of Health Research project with former trainee Dr. Amanda Butler, now an assistant professor of criminology at Simon Fraser University. Together, they’re evaluating a correctional-based program in BC for people in custody living with substance use challenges.
“Training and mentoring the next generation of research leaders is a natural extension of that support, and it’s a responsibility I take very seriously,” she says. “Ensuring the opportunities I received translate into lasting impact for patients, communities, and the research system is how I honour that investment.”
Dr. Tonia Nicholls
Dr. Tonia Nicholls is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Scientific Director, Forensic Research at BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services at the Provincial Health Services Authority. She holds several cross-appointments, including at the UBC School of Population and Public Health and the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University. Tonia’s research examines the intersections of law and mental health related to the provision of services to persons in conflict with the law and diverse marginalized populations.
She has trained and mentored the following Health Research BC-funded researchers:
- Amanda Butler, UBC
- Sarah Desmarais, UBC
- Caroline Greaves, UBC
- Heather Palis, UBC
- Catherine Wilson, UBC
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