Dr. Nir Lipsman wins 10th annual Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize

The winner of the 10th annual Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize is Dr. Nir Lipsman of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and director of Sunnybrook’s Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation. The Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research is jointly sponsored by the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal and the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada.

“Dr. Lipsman, a clinician-scientist, is the first winner in the 10 years of the Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize who is a neurosurgeon,” says Dr. Chris Carruthers, chair of the board of the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada. “His area of research is novel and represents the value that the prize can bring to new approaches to mental health and illness.”

During his career, Lipsman and his colleagues have pioneered the use of “neuromodulation,” which involves stimulating nerves using drugs, electrical signals or other forms of energy. For example, Lipsman has used deep brain stimulation to treat alcohol use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. MRI-guided focused ultrasound is being used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Lipsman’s centre is also a leader in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

These approaches are less invasive or entirely non-invasive, avoiding traditional surgery. Lipsman and his team are trying them in patients who still have significant mental illness despite previous treatments with other, more conventional therapies, such as drugs and psychotherapy.

Lipsman says Sunnybrook has been able to help patients improve their mental health, allowing them to carry out their activities and achieve their life goals.

For more information about Lipsman’s work, read the full announcement.

The prize will be presented to Lipsman at a ceremony on December 2 at 11 a.m. EST, followed by an engaging discussion about his work. Visit this link to register, or contact michaela.berniquez@theroyal.ca for more information. 


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