Julian Somers named Distinguished SFU Professor

By Clement Woo 

Julian Somers has been named a 2020 Distinguished SFU Professor in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions in research, teaching, service and community engagement.

With the growing opioid crisis in Canada, Somers’ research is more important than ever. Trained as a clinical psychologist in the field of addiction, Somers has developed interventions that reduce homelessness and crime involving socially marginalized people who are substance dependent and mentally ill. He engages those who are most in need of services in the design and execution of his research projects.

As a member of the Faculty of Health Sciences since 2007, Somers has led some of Canada’s first community-based outcome studies addressing mental illness and addiction. One of these projects was the At Home / Chez Soi study, Canada’s largest social science experiment, which examined “Housing First” as a means of ending homelessness for people living with mental illness. 

“My most significant contributions to research involve demonstrating the social determinants of addiction, and using psychological theory to design effective pathways to recovery and diversion from crime and homelessness.” he explains.

By building collaborative relationships with government officials and health practitioners, and integrating primary healthcare, housing, employment, and public safety, Somers has been able to improve public policies and clinical practices related to addiction and mental disorders.

He consistently establishes high-performing teams of international researchers, senior public officials, trainees, community members, and service users. His ability to draw people together behind important causes is a hallmark of his success across diverse initiatives.

Within FHS, he was the founding Director of the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction (CARMHA). He is currently the co-leader of the Mental Health and Addiction Research Challenge Area and leads the Somers Research Group, internationally recognized for initiatives involving large-scale randomized trials, multi-site interventions, and population-level studies described in over 150 publications.

“Our results now form a body of work that demonstrates the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost neutrality of policies that reduce marginalization, and have begun to influence governments in Canada and abroad,” says Somers, “My mission now includes extending this influence, and supporting investigators, public servants, and trainees to develop deeper collaborations that will serve the public interest in years to come.”

The SFU Distinguished Professor recognition not only spotlights the contributions he has made in his field, but also helps magnify that impact through public engagement and student and faculty mentorship.

A devoted educator, Somers has earned numerous awards for his teaching and mentorship, including the Dean of Graduate Studies Award for Excellence in Supervision and FHS award for Graduate Teaching/Mentorship Excellence. His trainees are among the most successful in Canada, having received major awards from various organizations, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Trudeau Foundation, L’Oreal-UNESCO and the Federation of University Women.

With a career-long interest in mentorship, combined with his experience in community-based research, he looks forward to supporting a network of “mentorship mentors” among SFU leaders, including workshops to help both graduate supervisors and trainees succeed.

“I hope to reinforce SFU’s established identity as a leader in policy research by promoting greater familiarity and ease of interaction between relevant individuals at SFU and in the BC government.” says Somers. “My objective is to establish events and networks that develop an enduring presence among Distinguished Professors at SFU.”

Learn more about the Distinguished SFU Professor program