Tarek Rajji
Professor of Psychiatry, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry Division & Executive Director, Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto
Canada Research Chair in Neurostimulation for Cognitive Disorders
Chief, Adult Neurodevelopment and Geriatric Psychiatry Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Dr. Rajji obtained his M.D. from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. He completed residency in general psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and clinical training in geriatric psychiatry at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh. In 2006, he joined the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the University of Toronto as a research fellow in geriatric psychiatry. He stayed at CAMH as a clinician scientist and is now a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Dr. Rajji is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada with a certification in Geriatric Psychiatry.
Dr. Rajji’s research focuses on enhancing cognition in older adults with dementia or at risk for dementia using brain stimulation and clinical neurophysiology alone or in combination with other interventions. He also studies standardization of care for patients with dementia. He has held more than 17M CAD in research funding as PI or co-PI, continuous federal funding since 2009, and has more than 200 peer-reviewed publications. In recognition of his research and teaching activities, Dr. Rajji received several local, national and international awards.
Dr. Rajji has had several leadership roles at CAMH and the University of Toronto. Since 2012, he has been Chief of geriatric psychiatry. Between 2017 and 2020, he served as the Deputy Physician-in-Chief for Research at CAMH. In 2020, he was appointed as the Executive Director of the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance at the University of Toronto. In 2022, he was appointed as the Director of the Geriatric Psychiatry Division in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Rajji was the lead geriatric psychiatrist on several clinical initiatives at CAMH prior to assuming the roles of Chief and Medical Head. He also received numerous research awards and honors. His research is supported by private, provincial, federal, national, and international agencies.
Dr. Rajji focuses on restoring brain function in older patients with severe mental illness and Alzheimer’s disease. Towards this goal, he combines brain stimulation, cognitive, functional, and pharmacological methods to study and enhance neuroplasticity across the lifespan with a special focus on late life.
Research Synopsis
Using brain stimulation, neurocognitive, and neurophysiological approaches, my research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that underlie the cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia and on developing novel interventions to enhance cognition in schizophrenia across the lifespan.