In Memoriam: Dr. Mary V. Seeman
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Professor Emerita Dr. Mary V. Seeman on April 23, 2024. Mary first qualified as a member of the Institute of Medical Science (IMS) in 1985, which makes for an incredible thirty-nine years of affiliation. During this time she supervised and served as a committee member for countless graduate students. Between 2002 - 2011 she was an IMS Graduate Coordinator and was part of the team that created the Graduate Student Oath, which is recited by all incoming students together at orientation.
Mary’s relationship with graduate students was pivotal to her life. As she once described it, “I learned far more and in greater depth from the students I talked to as a Graduate Coordinator, when they explained their theories and experiments to me, than I learned from my textbooks in Medical School.”
Mary, who served as the inaugural Tapscott Chair in Schizophrenia Studies in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto (UofT), was known for her pioneering research into gender differences in schizophrenia. At the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Mary established the first outpatient clinic dedicated to women affected by psychosis. She also wrote extensively about schizophrenia for the general public to ensure that information was widely accessible.
Mary received many accolades and honors throughout her remarkable career, including an honorary Doctor of Science Degree from UofT and being appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for her contributions to the mental health of Canadian women.
The IMS sends our deepest condolences to her family, colleagues, and students. Mary will be deeply missed by all those who were lucky enough to know her.
See her obituary and share your memories of her via this online guest book. In memory of Mary's commitment to mental health, and in lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made to the CAMH Foundation.
