Upstream Lab scientists Dr. Archna Gupta and Dr. Saadia Sediqzadah awarded 2026 PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowships
December 17, 2025Fellowships will support Dr. Gupta’s research into access to primary care and Dr. Sediqzadah’s research into youth with early phase psychosis
Dr. Archna Gupta and Dr. Saadia Sediqzadah, scientists at Upstream Lab (part of MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto), have both been awarded 2026 PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowships.
The PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship – valued at $300,000 per scientist for over two or three years – helps protect a promising new clinician-investigator’s research time, allowing the Fellow to undertake high-impact translational research in Ontario.
Knowledge translation research aims at transitioning research discoveries to the real world to improve health outcomes.
Dr. Gupta, a family physician and family medicine obstetrics provider at St. Michael’s Hospital, will use her fellowship for research into access to primary care in Ontario, at a key moment of transformation in the province’s health system.
“Ontario’s primary care system is facing major challenges, with many people struggling to find a family doctor or primary care clinician and access the care they need. The new Primary Care Act (2025) offers a unique opportunity to make meaningful improvements, setting out six patient-centred goals to increase access and strengthen care for all Ontarians. My research and knowledge translation activities are focused on helping Ontario’s primary care system evolve to meet these important targets,” says Dr. Gupta.
“This is a critical moment for health care in our province — a chance to make lasting, positive changes that will benefit every community. My research will play a key role in making care more equitable and accessible, informing policies and tools that support patients and health professionals alike. Ultimately, this research will help support a stronger, fairer primary care system — so that every Ontarian can get the care they need, when and where they need it most.”
Learn more about Dr. Gupta’s research into research into access to primary care:
- Understanding the relationship between the distance between patients and primary care providers and quality of care
- Primary Care Supply and Demand in Ontario
Dr. Sediqzadah, a psychiatrist at St. Michael’s Hospital, will use her fellowship for research to improve the mental and physical health outcomes for youth with early phase psychosis in Ontario. Her goals include developing the first patient decision aid for early phase psychosis that will be co-designed by people with lived experience (PWLE), their families/caregivers and healthcare providers.
“According to the Ontario Early Psychosis Intervention Program Standards, early phase psychosis (EPP) is defined as experiencing symptoms of a psychotic disorder between the ages of 14 and 35, who are either untreated or receiving treatment for 6 months or less. EPP can be a confusing time for a young person. The hallmark feature of psychosis is the difficulty in telling what is real and what is not. This often-persistent lack of insight has treatment implications for both the patient and their healthcare providers,” says Dr. Sediqzadah.
“Medication acceptance and adherence can be a challenge. The mainstay of treatment of psychotic illness includes antipsychotics. While effective, they carry a significant burden of metabolic syndrome, including weight gain and increased risk of diabetes. Concerns about the side effects, how long one must be on medication, or even simply accepting one has a mental illness that requires medication in the first place, can be common concerns and barriers to treatment. We lack tools to address these issues that are tailored to both prescribers and patients, especially those that include people with lived experience in the development process. As such, my proposed research will employ knowledge translation approaches to guide both patients and prescribers on psychosis treatment, as well as the prevention/management of metabolic side effects of antipsychotics.”
Learn more about Dr. Sediqzadah’s research into youth with early phase psychosis:
- Reasons for Hope: “When can I stop taking it?”: Early phase psychosis patient decision aid co-designed by patients, families and providers
- Metformin, Antipsychotics and Psychotic Disorders: Challenges and Opportunities in Family Medicine and Psychiatry
For more information or to request an interview with Dr. Gupta or Dr. Sediqzadah, please contact: upstreamlab.comms@unityhealth.to
