Trauma Care Research Lab

Dr. Lisa Burback

MD, FRCPCAssociate Clinical ProfessorUniversity of AlbertaLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-burback-md-0a6875b1/
Google scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=dXDzv-gAAAAJ&hl=en

Dr. Olga Winkler

MD, FRCPCAssociate Clinical ProfessorUniversity of Alberta
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=LAXSW9QAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

This site was developed to provide information and materials relevant to our psychological trauma-related research and educational initiatives. Any content presented here should not be considered a replacement for or medical advice by a qualified healthcare professional and is not associated with Alberta Health Services or Recovery Alberta.

About us

We are Canadian academic psychiatrists affiliated with the Academic Medicine and Health Specialties Program (AMHSP), a partnership between the University of Alberta Department of Psychiatry and Recovery Alberta (the public mental health system in Alberta). Based in Edmonton, Alberta, our work encompasses clinical practice, research, and education, including clinical research trials. Clinically, we have a specific focus on psychotherapy, especially treating trauma-related symptoms and disorders, as well as their common comorbidities.

Presently, we are engaged in pioneering work in the following areas:

1) The innovative application of modified EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy for diverse indications, such as addressing suicidal ideation.

2) 3MDR (Multi-modal, Motion-assisted Desensitization and Reconsolidation). 3MDR is an individualized, immersive trauma therapy that combines virtual reality exposure to personalized trauma cues, eye movements (dual attention tasks), and treadmill walking. Roles include co-investigators, clinicians delivering treatment, and clinician training.

3) Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR). DBR is a neuroscience-informed mind-body treatment for PTSD; we will be starting a study soon to test its effectiveness in PTSD

4) Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy

Collectively, we have training and expertise across an array of psychotherapy modalities, in addition to EMDR, 3MDR and DBR. These include Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, psychodynamic therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Internal Family Systems, as well as specialized training in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and Psilocybin-assisted therapy. We have an interest in exploring and researching new psychotherapies, and how to combine and adapt psychotherapy strategies for patients with complex or treatment resistant problems.

Our overarching objective is to enhance accessibility to and effectiveness of trauma treatments for the general public within the framework of the public healthcare system. This includes research, implementation, and the scale and spread of novel interventions, such as 3MDR or psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, that have the potential to help those who have not benefited from traditional treatments.

Read about our current and future studies

https://sites.google.com/ualberta.ca/mindstudies/

Publications

Peer-reviewed Journals

Meshkat S, Fang H, Sousa-Ho R, Zeifman RJ, Dunkley BT, Reichelt AC, Zhang Y, Burback L, Winkler O, Greenshaw A, Jetly R. Therapeutic Effects of Low-Dose Psilocybin in Depression and Other Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review. Psychedelic Medicine. 2026 Mar 1;4(1):54-67.
Meshkat S, Lin Q, Sousa-Ho R, Demchenko I, Zeifman RJ, Fang H, Reichelt AC, Zhang Y, Burback L, Winkler O, Greenshaw A. Magnitude of response in treatment and control groups within psychedelic trials for psychiatric disorders: A meta-analysis. European Psychiatry. 2026 Jan;69(1):e32.
Vermetten E, Jetly R, Roy MJ, Sessoms P, Nijdam MJ, Burback L, Brémault-Phillips S. 3MDR: From rehabilitation technology to a transformative trauma therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health. 2026 Jan 1;12(1):117-30.
Al-Shamali HF, Meshkat S, Janssen-Aguilar R, Uthayakumar H, Burback L, Winkler O, Zhang Y, Greenshaw A, Enns MW, Nicholson AA, Frewen P. Toward a definition of treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health. 2026 Jan 1;12(1):17-33.
Burback L, Winkler O, Jetly R, Swainson J, Zhang Y, Bhat V, Vermetten E. Evolving Psychotherapeutic Approaches for PTSD: Beyond the Fear-Based Model. Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2025 Aug 11;35(Suppl1):S152.
Vermetten E, Burback L, Sevigny PR, Nijdam MJ, Winkler O, Espejo E, Sessoms P, Bright K, Roy MJ, Brémault-Phillips S. Brief manual for multi-modal motion-assisted memory desensitization and reconsolidation therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2025 Aug 11;35(Suppl1):S122.
Janssen-Aguilar R, Meshkat S, Al-Shamali HF, Perivolaris A, Swainson J, Zhang Y, Greenshaw A, Burback L, Winkler O, Phillips JL, Enns MW. Interventional Psychiatry and Emerging Treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review. Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2025 Aug 11;35(Suppl1):S57. DOI: 10.5152/pcp.2025.241027
Yap S, Bal M, Youakim M, Aborawi A, Di Pinto G, Samways K, Beck, A, Bright, K, Bremault-Phillips S, Greenshaw A, Winkler O, Burback L. Courage, Hope and Transformation: Patient experiences of web-based, therapist delivered EMDR for suicidal ideation. PLOS Mental Health. 2025 Aug 7;2(8):e0000373.
Meshkat S, Malik G, Zeifman RJ, Swainson J, Balachandra K, Reichelt AC, Zhang Y, Burback L, Winkler O, Greenshaw A, Vermetten E, Mayo, LM, Tanguay R, Jetly, R, Bhat V. Efficacy and Safety of Psilocybin for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2025 Apr 15:106163.
Al-Shamali HF, Dong R, Jackson M, Burback L, Wong G, Cao B, Li XM, Greenshaw AJ, Zhang Y. Suffering in silence: Accessing mental health care and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for peripartum depression-A qualitative study. PloS one. 2025 Apr 24;20(4):e0321813.
Kurkova V, Winkler O, Greenshaw A, Jetly R, Swainson J, Lodewyk K, Saghafi P, Dennett E, Burback L. Exploring the potential of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for moral injury: A scoping review. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. 2025 Apr 2;138:111333.
Evans J, Aixalà M, Anderson BT, Brennan W, Bremler R, Breeksema JJ, Burback L, Calder AE, Carhart‐Harris RL, Cheung K, Devenot N. On minimizing risk and harm in the use of psychedelics. Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice. 2025 Mar 31;7(1):4-8. DOI:10.1176/appi.prcp.20240128
Meshkat S, Al-Shamali H, Perivolaris A, Tullu T, Zeifman RJ, Zhang Y, Burback L, Winkler O, Greenshaw A, Husain MI, C. Reichelt A, Vermetten E, Jha MK, Jetly R, Loebenberg R, Bhat V. Pharmacokinetics of Psilocybin: A Systematic Review. Pharmaceutics. 2025 Mar 25;17(4):411.
Meshkat S, Malik T, Zeifman R, Swainson J, Zhang Y, Burback L, Winkler O, Greenshaw AJ, Claire Reichelt A, Vermetten E, Erritzoe D, Jha MK, Dunn W, Jetly R, Husain MI, Bhat V. Psychedelics and Suicide-Related Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025 Feb 20;14(5):1416.
Yap S, Allen RR, Bright KS, Brown RGB, Burback L, Hayward J, Winkler O, Wells K,
Jones C, Sevigny PR, McElheran M, Zukiwski K, Greenshaw AJ, Brémault-Phillips S. Pilot Study Exploring the Perspectives of Canadian Clients Who Received Digitally Delivered Psychotherapies Utilized for Trauma Affected Populations. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 220. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph22020220
Yap S, Allen RR, Bright KS, Brown RGB, Burback L, Hayward J, Winkler O, Wells K,
Jones C, Sevigny PR, McElheran M, Zukiwski K, Greenshaw AJ, Brémault-Phillips S. Exploring the Perspectives of Canadian Clinicians Regarding Digitally Delivered Psychotherapies Utilized for Trauma Affected Populations. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(1), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22010081
Meshkat S, Tello‐Gerez TJ, Gholaminezhad F, Dunkley BT, Reichelt AC, Erritzoe D, Veremetten E, Zhang Y, Greenshaw A, Burback L, Winkler O, Rakesh Jetly MD, Leah M. Mayo PhD, Venkat Bhat. Impact of psilocybin on cognitive function: A systematic review. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. 2024 Dec;78(12):744-64
Yap S, Allen RR, Aquin CR, Bright KS, Brown MR, Burback L, Winkler O, Jones C, Hayward J, Wells K, Vermetten E, Greenshaw A, Bremault-Phillips S. Current and Future Implementation of Digitally Delivered Psychotherapies: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Investigation of Client, Clinician, and Community Partner Perspectives. Healthcare 2024 Oct 3, 12(19):1971
Jones C, Spencer S, O’Greysik E, Smith-MacDonald L, Bright KS, Beck AJ, Carleton RN, Burback L, Greenshaw A, Zhang Y, Sevigny P, Hayward J, Cao B, Brémault-Phillips. Perspectives and experiences of public safety personnel engaged in a peer-led workplace reintegration program post-critical incident or operational stress injury: a qualitative thematic analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2024 July 19;21:949.
Burback L, Forner C, Al-Shamali H, Paquet J, Ayoub Y, Verghese M. Winkler O. Survival, attachment, and healing: an evolutionary lens on dissociation treatment studies. Psychology Research and Behavior Management. 2024 June17; 2403–2431
Yu Z, Burback L, Winkler O, Xu L, Dennett L, Vermetten E, Greenshaw A, Li XM, Milne M, Wang F, Cao B. Alterations in brain network connectivity and subjective experience induced by psychedelics: a scoping review. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2024 May 14;15:1386321.
Burback L, Brémault-Phillips S, Nijdam MJ, McFarlane A, Vermetten E. Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: a state-of-the-art review. Current Neuropharmacology. 2024 Apr 1;22(4):557-635.
Burback L, Yap S, Purdon SE, Abba-Aji A, O’Shea K, Brémault-Phillips S, Greenshaw AJ, Winkler O. Randomized controlled trial investigating web-based, therapist delivered eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for adults with suicidal ideation. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 16;15:1361086.
Dhaliwal R, Yap S, Talarico F, Al-Shamali H, Mcweeny R, Reeson M, Shalaby R, Chen T, Spronk E, Snodgrass R, Tu E, Erick T, Marshall T, Kennedy M, Greenshaw AJ, Winkler O, Burback L. Synchronous Web-Based Psychotherapy for Mental Disorders From a Health Quality Perspective: Scoping Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2023 Nov 3;25:e40710. doi:10.2196/40710
Jones C, Juby B, Spencer S, Smith-MacDonald L, O'Greysik E, Vincent M, Mooney C, Bright K, Sevigny PR, Burback L, Greenshaw AJ, Carleton RN, Savage R, Jake Hayward, Yanbo Zhang, Bo Cao, Suzette Brémault-Phillips. “Collapsing into Darkness”: An exploratory qualitative thematic analysis of the experience of workplace reintegration among nurses with operational stress injuries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2023, 20(17), 6664; doi: 10.3390/ijerph20176664
Al-Shamali HF, Jackson M, Zinchuk N, Modanloo S, Wong G, Cao B, Burback L, Li XM, Greenshaw A, Zhang Y. Treating maternal depression: understanding barriers and facilitators to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment in Canada-a protocol. Frontiers in psychiatry. 2023 Jul 27;14:1143403. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1143403
Agyapong B, Brett-MacLean P, Burback L, Agyapong VI, Wei Y. Interventions to reduce stress and burnout among teachers: A scoping review. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2023 Apr 24;20(9):5625.
Smith-MacDonald L, Jones C, Brown MR, Dunleavy RS, VanderLaan A, Kaneva Z, Hamilton T, Burback L, Vermetten E, Brémault-Phillips S. Moving forward from moral injury: a mixed methods study investigating the use of 3MDR for treatment-resistant PTSD. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2023 Apr 6;20(7):5415.
Burback L, Dhaliwal R, Reeson M, Erick T, Hartle K, Chow E, Vouronikos G, Antunes N, Marshall T, Kennedy M, Dennett L. Trauma focused psychotherapy in patients with suicidal ideation: a scoping review. Current Research in Behavioral Sciences. 2023 Jan 1;4:100102. DOI: 10.1016/j.crbeha.2023.100102.
Winkler O, Burback L, Greenshaw AJ, Jin J. Shifting to Trauma-Informed Care in Inpatient Psychiatry: A Case Study of an Individual with Dissociative PTSD Undergoing EMDR Therapy. Case Reports in Psychiatry. 2023; 8161010. doi 10.1155/2023/8161010
Friesen L, Gaine G, Klaver E, Burback L, Agyapong V. Key stakeholders’ experiences and expectations of the care system for individuals affected by borderline personality disorder: An interpretative phenomenological analysis towards co-production of care. PLOS ONE. 2022 Sep 22;17(9):e0274197.
Jin J, Burback L, Greenshaw AJ, Winkler O. Commentary: Coercion in Psychiatry: Lessons Learned from Trauma-Informed Care. Can J Psychiatry. 2022 Sep 21:07067437221125884.
Agyapong B, Obuobi-Donkor G, Burback L, Wei Y. Stress, Burnout, Anxiety and Depression among Teachers: A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 27;19(17):10706.
Jones C, Smith-MacDonald L, Brown MRG, VanDehy J, Grunnet-Jepsen R, Ordek VP, Kruger S, Ayres Gerhart A, van Veelen N, Nijdam MJ, Burback L, Cao B, Roy MJ, Sessoms P, Vermetten E, Brémault-Phillips S. The Redesign and Validation of Multimodal Motion-Assisted Memory Desensitization and Reconsolidation Hardware and Software: Mixed Methods, Modified Delphi–Based Validation Study. JMIR Hum Factors. 2022 Jul 12;9(3):e33682.
Al-Shamali H, Hussain A, Dennett L, Cao B, Burback L, Greenshaw A, Zhang Y. Is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) an effective and safe treatment option for postpartum and peripartum depression? A systematic review. J Affect Disord Rep. 2022 Jul 1;9:100356.
Al-Shamali H*, Talarico F, Winkler O, Greenshaw A, Forner C, Zhang Y, Vermetten E and Burback L*. A systematic scoping review of dissociation in borderline personality disorder and implications for research and clinical practice: Exploring the fog. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2022 Feb 13;00048674221077029. (*equal contribution)
Hamilton T*, Burback L*, Smith-MacDonald L, Jones C, Brown MRG, Mikolas C, Tang E, O’Toole K, Vergis P, Merino A, Weiman K, Vermetten E and Brémault-Phillips S. Moving Toward and Through Trauma: Participant Experiences of Multi-Modal Motion-Assisted Memory Desensitization and Reconsolidation (3MDR). Front Psychiatry. 2021 Dec 22;12:779829. (*equal contribution).
Winkler O*, Dhaliwal R, Greenshaw A, O'Shea K, Abba-Aji A, Chima C, Purdon SE, Burback L* Web-Based Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for Adults With Suicidal Ideation: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2021 Nov 4;10(11):e30711. *equal contribution).
Ceccherini-Nelli A, Bucuci E, Burback L, Li D, Alikouzehgaran M, Latif Z, Morin K, Ganapathy K, Salsali M, Abdullah U, Westwood W, Orris J and White PJ. Retrospective Observational Study of Daytime Add-On Administration of Zopiclone to Difficult-to-Treat Psychiatric Inpatients With Unpredictable Aggressive Behavior, With or Without EEG Dysrhythmia. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Aug 17;12:693788.
Jones C, Miguel-Cruz A, Smith-MacDonald L, Cruikshank E, Baghooi D, Chohan AK, Laidlaw A, White A, Cao B, Agyapong A, Burback L, Winkler O, Sevigny PR, Dennett E, Ferguson-Pell M, Greenshaw A, Brémault-Phillips S. Virtual Trauma-Focused Therapy for Military Members, Veterans, and Public Safety Personnel With Posttraumatic Stress Injury: Systematic Scoping Review. JMIR MHealth UHealth. 2020 Sep 21;8(9):e22079.
Burback L. Management of a microprolactinoma with aripiprazole in a woman with cabergoline-induced mania. Endocrinol Diabetes Metab Case Rep. 2015;2015:150100.
Burback L, Baker GB, Dursun SM. Annual high-dose vitamin D supplementation does not affect mental well-being in older women. Evidence Based Mental Health (2011) 14(4):103.
Kassam R, Farris KB, Burback L, Volume CI, Cox CE, Cave A. Pharmaceutical care research and education project: pharmacists’ interventions. J Am Pharm Assoc Wash DC 1996. 2001 Jun;41(3):401–10.
Volume CI, Burback LM, Farris KB. Reassessing the MAI: elderly people’s opinions about medication appropriateness. Int J Pharm Pract. 1999 Sep 1;7(3):129–37.

Published Abstracts

1. Yap S, Bal M, Youakim M, Aborawi A, Di Pinto G, Samways K, Beck A, Bright K, Bremault-Phillips S, Greenshaw A, Winkler O, Burback L. Courage and Transformation: Patient experiences of web-based EMDR for suicidal ideation. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2025 Feb 28(Suppl 1): i251–i252, https://doi-org.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/10.1093/ijnp/pyae059.442

2. Agyapong B, Obuobi-Donkor G, Burback L, Wei Y. Burnout and associated psychological issues among teachers: A Scoping Review. European Psychiatry. 2023 Mar;66(S1):S948-9.

Peer Reviewed Book chapters

1. Winkler O, Burback L, Bremault-Phillips S, Vermetten E. “Dissociation and Trauma – Clinical and Research Intersections in PTSD”. In: Martin Dorahy, Steve Gold, Paul Dell, John O’Neil, editors. Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders: Past, Present, Future. Routledge Press. Publication date: 29 September 2022 ISBN 9781003057314

2. Baker GB, Hallak JEC, Dilullo AF, Burback L, Dursun SM. “Amino acids in Schizophrenia - Glycine, Serine and Arginine”. In: Ritsner M, editor. Handbook of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Volume 1. Haifa, Israel: Springer (2011). P.253 - 262.

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