Thomas E. Ungar

MD, MEd, CCFP, FCFP, FRCPC, DABPN

Dr. Thomas Ungar is an award winning innovative educator, communicator and thought leader in improving quality mental health care, equity and stigma reduction. He is currently Psychiatrist-in-Chief at St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, and Associate Scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. His background includes practice as a Board Certified family physician, Master’s degree in education, and Canadian and US Board certified subspecialist in Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine. As part of the Mental Health Commission of Canada Structural Stigma research team contributing original thought and developing new standards that highlight inequity, and implicit cognitive systemic implicit bias of mental health within health care contexts. Original conceptual designs include a mental health systems Bauhaus form follows function model Reversed Shared Care integrating mental health and physical health services together, and reframing mental illness stigma as a quality of care problem. He is creator of the Mental Health Minute, and creator of the award winning Reality Show web-series Think You Can Shrink? https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdlJcotdFSQeZWLyiG41X9w
This work has influenced the global conversation on portrayals of mental health in the media. His media appearances include TVO The Agenda, CBC The National, and the Jon Dore TV Show. He has published in The Lancet psychiatry, BMJ, CMAJ, Globe and Mail, National Post and Toronto Life. He is a husband and father of three and enjoys playing drums, guitar and ice hockey preferably not at the same time.