Kiran Rabheru
Kiran Rabheru MD, CCFP, FRCP, DABPN, Canada
Director (2017-2025)
Dr. Kiran Rabheru is a Full Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa. He is certified as a subspecialist in Geriatric Psychiatry by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). He is also Board Certified as a Geriatric Psychiatrist by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Currently at The Ottawa Hospital, he serves as Medical Director of the Geriatric Psychiatry Program, Electroconvulsive (ECT) Program, as well as the Behavioral Support Team.
Dr. Rabheru obtained his MD at UWO in 1980, completed a rotating internship at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario, and enjoyed his career as a general practitioner for 5 years, which he maintains has grounded him in “real life medicine”. He became certified in Family Medicine in 1987 and obtained his Fellowship in the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 2004. Dr. Rabheru is a Founder of the RCPSC subspecialty of Geriatric Psychiatry in Canada and a recipient of the Outstanding Achievements in Geriatric Psychiatry in Canada Award.
He remains passionate and committed to serving the elderly throughout his career. He has served as President of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry (CAGP) for four years. He has also been a Board member of the CAGP for over 10 years and a Board member of the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) for four years. Dr. Rabheru currently serves as the Co-Leader of the Canadian Coalition of Seniors Mental Health (CCSMH) and Board Director of the International Longevity Centre (ILC). Dr. Rabheru has recently presented at the United Nations (U.N.) on Ageism and strongly advocated for a U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Rights of the Older Person.
Dr. Rabheru has been a leader in the field of ECT. He conceptualized and designed an innovative world’s first simulation-based course using high fidelity manikins for teaching ECT techniques to medical practitioners at the University of Ottawa skills and Simulation Centre. This course has lead the way to serve as a gold standard for training and certification in ECT for physicians and had a major impact on patient safety and quality of care.
