Elliot Goldner MD, MHSc

Faculty

Publications and Activities

Dr. Goldner’s teaching activities have addressed a wide range of topics related to mental health and addiction, ranging from clinical and epidemiological issues to population and public health concerns. He is interested in helping students to integrate information from a wide variety of disciplines that can advance the quality and outcomes of interventions in Canada and other nations.

Dr. Goldner’s research activities are focused toward the advancement of mental health and addiction services at the population level. He has worked closely with government ministries, particularly with the Ministry of Health in British Columbia, to provide research information that can support evidence-based decision making and assist in the development of an improved system of service delivery. Dr. Goldner has led a project that utilizes province-wide data to measure and improve the quality of service delivery in British Columbia. He has also used national and international data to address research questions related to mental health and addiction services and policy.

Dr. Elliot Goldner received an Honours B.Sc. degree in neurophysiology at the University of Toronto, an M.D. degree at the University of Calgary and an M.H.Sc. degree in epidemiology at the University of British Columbia where he also completed specialty training and full qualifications in Psychiatry. He began his career working to help individuals with Eating Disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa, and helped to establish a province-wide network of treatment services. Dr. Goldner was appointed the Director of British Columbia’s Provincial Eating Disorder Programs and instituted a clinical research program to advance the outcomes of treatment interventions. After working to improve the design and quality of treatment services for people with Eating Disorders in British Columbia, and in other Canadian provinces and other countries, Dr. Goldner expanded his efforts to address the full spectrum of mental health and addiction problems and developed a research unit designed to provide research support to governments in their efforts to advance the quality of mental health and addiction services.

Before joining the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, Dr. Goldner was on faculty at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine for 20 years, where he was a very active teacher and researcher. He was the Director of Undergraduate Education for the Department of Psychiatry and he founded and headed the Division of Mental Health Policy & Services and the Mental Health Evaluation & Community Consultation Unit (MHECCU). Dr. Goldner directs a national Research Training Program, entitled ‘Research in Addiction & Mental Health Policy & Services’ that has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in order to train scientists to conduct research to advance the healthcare system’s approach to mental illness and addiction. Dr. Goldner has received various awards for his scholarly work and he has served on various Boards of Directors. Currently he is a Director on the Board of the Centre for Addiction Research, at the University of Victoria, and is also serves on the Board of the Coast Foundation Society, a non-profit society that provides services to people with severe mental illnesses.