Karen Saperson
Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences

Dr Karen Saperson is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the Canadian Psychiatric Association and a member of the American College of Psychiatrists. She completed her medical degree at the University of Cape Town in 1983 and her psychiatry residency at Queen’s University in 1992. Dr Saperson is the McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences Academic representative on the Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. She is the Chair of the Royal College Specialty Committee in Geriatric Psychiatry where she has Founder Status for the subspecialty of Geriatric Psychiatry. She has held a number of senior leadership roles at McMaster including Department Vice Chair (2019-2021), Associate Chair Education (2012-2019) Director of the Psychiatry Residency Program at McMaster (2003-2009) and inaugural Program Director for Geriatric Psychiatry at McMaster (2014-2016). Dr Saperson led several faculty Wellness initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is the Academic Head of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at McMaster, having previously served as the clinical Head of Service for geriatric psychiatry at St Joseph’s Healthcare from 1999-2009. She has held several national medical education leadership positions, including Chair of the Royal College Examination Board in Psychiatry (2009- 2014). She is the recipient of several teaching awards including the 2009 Lois Ross Teaching Award from CAIR (Canadian Association Interns and Residents) recognizing outstanding contributions to the advancement of resident life in Canada, the 2012 Association of Chairs of Psychiatry Canada Award for excellence in education and the 2017 Royal College AMS Wilson Award for Education.