Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program

Education:

• 2010 PhD in cultural anthropology, Yale University, USA
• 2000 MPhil in gender and culture, Open University, UK
• 1997 BA in cultural anthropology, Lorand Eotvos University, Hungary

Appointments and Affiliations:

• ACMS professor in education research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Scientist, evaluative clinical sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Assistant professor, department of psychiatry, faculty of medicine, University of Toronto
• Cross-appointed researcher, The Wilson Centre, University Health Network and Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Research Foci:

Dr. Csilla Kalocsai is a cultural anthropologist and an education scientist, bringing social and critical theories, and ethnographic, narrative and participatory research methodologies into her work. Dr. Kalocsai’s evolving program of research has two current foci: 1) she explores how anthropological and critical theories can help us better understand service user involvement in health professions and service user/public education and research; and 2) she examines service user, public and health professions education in the era of the overdose crisis. She is also interested in unpacking dominant concepts that guide and structure health professions education and clinical practice, such as ‘therapeutic alliance’ in critical care, ‘co-production’ in mental health and addiction, and most currently, ’treatment resistance’ in psychiatry. Based on the implications of her research findings she collaborates with clinical educators, service users and other stakeholders to develop curriculum for health professional learners as well as for service users and their families.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

1. Csilla Kalocsai, Sacha Agrawal^*, Pat Capponi, Sean Kidd, Charlotte Ringsted, David Wiljer, Sophie Soklaridis. (2020) “It was great to break down the artificial walls we erect between the so called patient and provider”: Co-produced medical and health professions education.” Advances in Health Sciences Education. DOI: 10.1007/s10459-020-09991-w Published online in on Sept 13, 2020.
2. Laura Sikstrom, Tamar Meyer, Eva Katz, Man-Man Choi, Margaret Darragh, Amanda Cutler-Palma, Theresa Conforti, Csilla Kalocsai, Sophie Soklaridis. Increasing participation in research with therapy dogs: A qualitative study at a large urban mental health and addiction hospital. PLoS ONE 2020; 15(8):e0238096.
3. Csilla Kalocsai, Amanda Roze des Ordons, Tasnim Sinuff, Ellen Koo, Orla Smith, Deborah Cook, Eyal Golan, Sarah Hales, George Tomlinson, Derek Strachan, Christopher J. MacKinnon, James Downar. Critical care providers’ support of families in bereavement: A mixed-method study. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. Apr. 2, 2020.
4. James Downar, Tasnim Sinuff, Csilla Kalocsai, AntoineAntoine Przybylak-Brouillard, Orla Smith, Deborah Cook, Ellen Koo, Brandi Vanderspank-Wright, Amanda Roze des Ordons. A qualitative study of bereaved family members with complicated grief reaction. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. Jan 31, 2020.
5. Jory S Simpson, Stella Ng, Emilia Kangasjarvi, Csilla Kalocsai, Aimee Hindle , Arno Kumagai, Tulin Cil, Najma Ahmed, Ori Rotstein. Humanistic Education in Surgery: A Patient as Teachers Program for Surgical Clerkship. Canadian Journal of Surgery 2020; 63(3).
6. Sophie Soklaridis, Alise de Bie, Rachel Beth Cooper, Kim McCullough, Brenda McGovern, Michaela Beder, Tucker Gordon, Suze Berkhout, Mark Fefergrad, Andrew Johnson, Csilla Kalocsai, Sean Kidd, Nancy McNaughton, Charlotte Ringsted, David Wiljer, Sacha Agrawal. Coproducing Psychiatric Education with Service User Educators: A Collective Autobiographical Case Study of the Meaning, Ethics and Importance of Payment. Academic Psychiatry. Published online on December 23, 2019. DOI:1503/cjs.005319
7. Laura Hawryluck, Csilla Kalocsai, Joe Colangelo, James Downar. Medicolegal advocacy and conflicts at the end of life: A qualitative study of what happens when advocacy and best interests collide. Journal of Critical Care 2019; 51: 149-155. Available form https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrc.2019.02.013
8. Csilla Kalocsai, Andre Amaral, Dominique Piquette, Grace Walter, Shelly P. Dev, Paul Taylor, James Downar, Lesley Gotlib Conn. “It’s Better to Have Three Brains Working Instead of One”: A Qualitative Study of Building Therapeutic Alliance with Family Members of Critically Ill Patients. BMC Health Services Research 2018, 18(1):533 Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3341-1
9. James Downar, Ellen Koo, Amanda Roze des Ordons, Orla Smith RN, Deborah Cook, Eyal Golan, Sarah Hales, George Tomlinson, Csilla Kalocsai, Derek Strachan, Christopher MacKinnon, Tasnim Sinuff. Prevalence and predictors of severe grief reactions and desire for support following a death in the Intensive Care Unit - a multicentre observational study. Intensive Care Medicine 2018; 44(4): 521-522.
10. Rachel Whitty, Sandra Porter, Kiran Battu, Pranjal Bhatt, Ellen Koo, Csilla Kalocsai, Peter Wu,Kendra Delicaet, Isaac I. Bogoch, Robert Wu, James Downar. A pilot study of a MEdication RAtionalization (MERA) Intervention. CMAJ Open 2018; 6(1): E87-E94.