Waypoint’s emphasis on patient-oriented research means listening to the voices and perspectives of the people the hospital helps. This ultimately leads to care experiences that are effective and meet patient needs.
It has also made a very satisfied employee of Dr. Elnaz Moghimi.
“We need to have people at the centre of our work,” she said. “And I’ve always had an interest in why people do the things they do. That was the key question that always drove me to different opportunities.”
Dr. Moghimi is a Research Scientist at the Waypoint Research Institute (WRI). No two days are ever the same in her job, which largely involves generating and disseminating knowledge that helps explore and identify mental health needs. Research also helps improve care for patients and the community, identifies and addresses gaps in care and service provision, includes diverse perspectives, and creates inclusive and accessible spaces for people needing mental health care.
The WRI’s inclusive approach was never more evident than during last month’s Café Scientifique, a Waypoint knowledge-sharing event that saw Dr. Moghimi and other attendees explore ways of meaningfully engaging forensic mental health patients (those served by both the mental health and justice systems) as partners in research.
Accentuating patient voices in this way is something she learned to value at York University while earning a PhD in kinesiology and health science, and then at Queen’s University completing her post-doctoral work. Dr. Moghimi realized she likes to work with people — “I don’t want to be in a lab day in and day out by myself” — so she shifted her research focus to qualitative science, which she defines as exploring individuals’ experiences and stories to understand how they view the world.
“When you work with people, the time span of what you are researching actually resulting in change is a lot shorter. That was very important to me,” she said. “In a lab, you can work 20 years on a project. I get to see an impact in people rapidly by literally asking them, ‘How was this particular treatment?’”
The WRI’s contributions are improving lives by advancing understanding of mental health and addiction. The WRI provides strategic leadership on research and academic issues, facilitates innovative science and high-quality applied research, and fosters partnerships and research collaborations across the province, country and globe.
Dr. Moghimi joined the team in January 2023. The job checked every box, even though it was a bit distant for the Toronto resident. However, the availability of hybrid work addressed her one misgiving. Due to the pandemic and her post-doctoral work, she is used to a hybrid setup, and she appreciates that Waypoint values her contributions to the organization more than her proximity.
“It’s a very productive environment because I don’t have the stress of a commute, I have better work-life balance, and I know my schedule and can have a good routine — and I still get to see my colleagues,” she said. “I love that flexibility and support. It’s one less thing to think about, which means I can focus better on my work.”
That work has already included a range of subjects, such as intimate-partner violence and youth mental well-being, on which she has collaborated with fellow WRI researchers Dr. Zoe Hilton and Dr. Soyeon Kim, respectively. Dr. Moghimi said she loves the autonomy to look into areas that spark her interest and contribute to the hospital’s strategic goals.
Waypoint’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusivity is another positive for the second-generation Iranian-Canadian. Due to her own background and her work with marginalized populations, she enjoys working in a welcoming culture that values and respects everyone: “It makes a big difference in how I’m represented in the organization and supported to connect with people who look like me and are from the same community. And in the year-and-a-half that I’ve been at the WRI, you can see the diversity changing.”