Paul Garfinkel

Paul E. Garfinkel is a Canadian psychiatrist, researcher and an academic leader. He is a professor at the University of Toronto and a staff psychiatrist at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Garfinkel specializes in eating disorders and has published over 150 scientific papers. He has authored several books, including Anorexia Nervosa: A Multidimensional Perspective, Guidelines for the Use of Psychotropic Drugs and Handbook of Psychotherapy for Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia.

Garfinkel has held former appointments as psychiatrist in chief, Toronto General Hospital (1982-1990); president and psychiatrist in-chief of Clarke Institute of Psychiatry (1990-1997), and chair of psychiatry at the University of Toronto (1990-2000). In 1998, he was appointed president and CEO of the newly formed Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, a position he held until December 2009. He served on Governing Council for Canadian Institute for Health Research from 2013 to 2017.

Garfinkel is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Education Garfinkel completed his undergraduate studies and received his medical degree from University of Manitoba in 1969. After completing his residency at the University of Toronto at Toronto General Hospital, Hincks Treatment Centre and Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Garfinkel obtained his F.R.C.P. in 1974. In 1977, he completed a master's degree from the Institute of Medical Science at University of Toronto.

Career After receiving his F.R.C.P. qualification, Garfinkel was appointed to the University of Toronto as a demonstrator in the Department of Psychiatry in 1974. In the following year, he was promoted to lecturer, and to assistant professor in 1976. He was promoted to associate professor in 1978 and became a professor of psychiatry in 1982.

Garfinkel held clinical and hospital appointments simultaneously with his academic appointments. At the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, he was appointed staff physician in 1974. From 1975 till 1979, he served as staff psychiatrist at different units at the Institute. He was appointed as the chief of Psychosomatic Medicine Unit in 1979.. He served as president and psychiatrist-in-chief from 1990 until 1997. and worked on classification and diagnosis of eating disorders. He described criteria for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. He conducted research regarding the clinical similarities and psychological morbidity between men and women with eating disorders and also investigated the relationship between bipolar illness and binge eating disorders.

Garfinkel also conducted research on the Eating Attitudes Test, a measure of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa and related these to psychometric and clinical parameterssociated with it. Other research involved studying the hormonal factors in anorexia nervosa, and the perception of hunger and satiety. Garfinkel discussed body image disturbances in anorexia nervosa and conducted research on Bulimia as a subgroup of Anorexia Nervosa and studied the distinction regarding the two eating disorders. He also studied the personality disorders and co-morbidities in anorexic patients.

His treatment approach became known as Multi-dimensional, aimed at removing the starvation effects of the illness, addressing faulty cognition and then examining the risk factors that brought on the disorder. Medications were used to treat symptoms but were not the primary treatment modality. For the treatment of bulimia, Garfinkel worked with antidepressants, including a trial using isocarboxazid and found that it reduced the level of symptoms associated with the disorder.

Garfinkel had a secondary interest in studying the problems of psychiatrists and conducted research on this.

Awards and honors 1974 - Paul Christie Memorial Award, Ontario Mental Health Foundation 1976 - McNeil Award 1981 - Clarke Institute of Psychiatry Research Award 1982 - John Dewan Award, Ontario Mental Health Foundation 1983 - Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders Award 1987 - Bulimia Anorexia Self Help Award 1987 - Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation Annual Award 2000 - Lifetime Achievement Award, Academy of Eating Disorders 2002 - Queen’s Gold Jubilee Medal, Province of Ontario 2004 - Pacesetter Award, Schizophrenia Society of Canada 2008 - Officer, Order of Canada 2009 - Public Service award, Canadian Mental health Association 2012 - Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award, province of Ontario 2025 - Distinguished Legacy Award, Reach Out Together Foundation