Our Story

Our Research team was founded in 1975 by its first director, Dr. Vernon Quinsey, based on a research program he began in 1971. In 1988, he left to become professor of psychology, biology, and psychiatry at Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, but continued to collaborate with members of the team. From 1988 to 2002, our director was Dr. Marnie Rice who continues her research part-time. Dr. Grant Harris was director from 2002 to 2014. All three are Fellows of the Canadian Psychological Association, as is Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Zoe Hilton.

The Research team won the Amethyst Award for Outstanding Achievement by Ontario Public Servants. Members named Dr. Rice Director of Research Emerita. Dr. Rice was also elected as Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Parallel academies include the Royal Society of London and the US National Academy of Science. Fellowship in the Society is the highest academic accolade for Canadian scientists and scholars (click here for the media release). In 2008, Dr. Quinsey received the Donald O. Hebb Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Science from the Canadian Psychological Association largely for work in, and in collaboration with, our Research team.

Our research is often undertaken in partnership or collaboration with colleagues at several other psychiatric institutions, universities, and government ministries and agencies. In addition to institutional support, we have received research grant funding most often from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, Ontario Ministry of Health, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to pursue our work.

Check out a recent Annual Report.