William Sulis
Overview
Dr William Sulis is Director of the Collective Intelligence Laboratory at McMaster University. He holds an M.D. (Western), with Fellowships in both Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry (FRCPC). He also holds Ph.D.s in Mathematics (Western) and Physics (Waterloo). He has more than 40 yrs experience in Geriatric Psychiatry across the spectrum of clinical settings. He has particular interest in the assessment of dementia and directs the Haldimand Late Life Memory Clinic, and as well in the use of supportive psychotherapy in late life. He taught supportive psychotherapy in the CBS program for 10 yrs. His research interests are varied, ranging from studies on aging and mental illness and temperament (in collaboration with Dr Irina Trofimova) and formal modeling of the temperament-illness continuum, studies on collective intelligence, and studies in foundations of physics and complex systems. His research covers the range of clinical, formal/theoretical, and simulation based studies. He has published more than 60 papers and 3 books.
Current Research
In my lab we have studied the relationship between temperament and mental illness, and the impact of aging on the expression of temperament. We have studied tools for assessing dementia in the office. In particular we examined the use of the MMSE, MOCA and EDS in a rural setting. I am interested in the formal modeling of the temperament-illness continuum. In the past I have studied neural network models of dementia. Currently I am studying dynamical parallels between collective intelligence and neural systems.
Affiliations
- Associate Clinical Professor
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University
- Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry u0026 Behavioural Neurosciences
- Director, Collective Intelligence Laboratory
Education
- MA, The University of Western Ontario
- PhD, The University of Western Ontario
- MD, The University of Western Ontario
Related Projects
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Defining and understanding healthy aging among Canadian adults: A longitudinal analysis of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Raymond and Margaret Labarge Chair in Research and Knowledge Application for Optimal Aging Fellowship
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Physical and mental health correlates in aging adults with autism
2025 MIRA PhD Scholarship
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Comprehensive prediction of osteoporosis fracture through machine learning and DXA (bone density) imaging
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Investigating the influence of age and gender on perceptions of public transit and public transit safety
2025 Labarge Mobility Master’s Scholarship
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Adaptation of the CP@clinic program to improve quality of life and healthy aging in low-income urban dwellers
MIRA | Dixon Hall Research Grant
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Brain Health Resources and Integrated Diversity (BRAID) Hub
A knowledge mobilization hub integrating education, resources, and supports informed by a two-way exchange between researchers and knowledge users to move high-quality evidence-based guidelines into practice.
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Promoting optimal aging among migrant returnees
2024 MIRA Catalyst Grant in Mobility and Aging
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A pilot validation study for a food-frequency questionnaire assessing muscle-health nutrients in older adults 65 years of age
2024 Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship
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POWER Exercise for Stroke Recovery (POWER): Ensuring fit for diverse abilities after stroke
2024 Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship
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Retinal imaging in prediction and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases
2024 Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship
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Age-related microstructural changes at the osteochondral junction: Investigating cellular network in osteoarthritis
2024 Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship
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Barriers in living spaces and homes for individuals living with dementia
2024 Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship
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Dixon Hall’s rooming house initiative: Scoping the design and implementation of social housing in Ontario to inform priorities and practice
2024 MIRA | Dixon Hall Centre Knowledge Synthesis Grant
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The promotion and sustainability of digital literacy skills for marginalized older adults
2024 MIRA | Dixon Hall Centre Knowledge Synthesis Grant
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Evaluating the use of the Fit-Frailty App in inpatient rehabilitation units to monitor frailty in older adults
MIRA EPIC-AT Fellows (Master’s level)
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Role of impaired resolution of inflammation on post-pneumonia cognitive decline in mouse aging model
MIRA | Global Nexus PhD Scholarship
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PRG-4: Application in the treatment of dry age related macular degeneration
PI: Heather Sheardown
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Understanding how aging leads to amyloid diseases and neurodegeneration
2022 MIRA PhD Scholarship
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Life-space mobility in the Canadian Longitudinal Study On Aging
2022 Labarge Master’s Scholarship
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TNF impairs macrophage killing of Streptococcus pneumoniae
2022 MIRA/Global Nexus PhD Scholarship
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Mapping how, where, and when sedentary behaviour occurs in older adults who are frail: A mixed methods longitudinal study
2022 AGE-WELL/MIRA Postdoctoral Fellow
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Understanding pain phenotypes in individuals with early knee osteoarthritis
2022 MIRA IPRC PhD Scholarship
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Designing a virtually administered walking speed test for older adults
2022 MIRA/AGE-WELL Epic PhD Award
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Is GDF15 important for the anti-aging effects of metformin?
2022 MIRA Postdoctoral Fellow
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Assessing validity and sensitivity of remotely collected wearable sensor data in patients
2021 Labarge Ph.D. Scholarship
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Understanding how aging affects blood pressure through oxidative stress
2021 MIRA Master’s Scholarship
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Promoting optimal aging through equitable access to “care of the elderly” family physicians
2021 MIRA Ph.D. Scholarship
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Developing a real-world framework for remote patient monitoring technologies that promote optimal aging
2021 MIRA Postdoctoral Fellow
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Ageism in the time of technological innovation: Understanding older people’s digital landscapes
2021 MIRA Postdoctoral Fellow
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Examining the role of frailty in SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine response in older adults
2021 MIRA Postdoctoral Fellow
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Building on what we know: Using design thinking to tailor routine assessments and interventions for fall and fracture prevention in long-term care
2021 Labarge Postdoctoral Fellow in Mobility
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Tracking real-world changes in osteoarthritic gait patterns using wearable sensors
2020 MIRA Master’s Scholarship
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Development of clinical tools to guide diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in older adults
2020 Labarge Ph.D. Scholarship
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The effectiveness of MIRA’s educational program around competency building and interest in older adult care among undergraduate students using a program logic model
2020 McMaster Education Research, Innovation & Theory Postdoctoral Fellow
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How can we screen frailty to prevent falls in older adults?
2020 CFN Interdisciplinary Fellowship (PhD)
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Evaluating impact of a community co-design process
2020 MIRA/CHEPA Postdoctoral Fellow
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Investigation of CARM1 in aging-induced skeletal muscle atrophy
2020 CFN Interdisciplinary Fellowship (Master’s)
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Designing a real-time cybercrime alert system for older adults: Neurophysiological solution during COVID-19
2020 MIRA Postdoctoral Fellow
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Modeling deviations in gait coordination and mobility in older adults
2019 Labarge Master’s Scholarship
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Improving physical activity and mobility during a pandemic via live online exercise sessions for older persons: a pilot RCT
2019 Labarge Master’s Scholarship
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Linguistic markers of social well-being in late adulthood
2019 AGE-WELL/MIRA Postdoctoral Fellowship
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Physical activity and nutrition recommendations for older adults living with frailty
2019 AGE-WELL/MIRA Postdoctoral Fellowship
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Emerging issues in older adults’ digital inequality
2019 AGE-WELL/MIRA Postdoctoral Fellowship
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Promoting optimal aging through equitable access to specialized geriatric services in Ontario
2019 MIRA Postdoctoral Fellow
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Understanding older adults’ active travel
2019 MIRA Postdoctoral Fellow
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Accelerating the aging trajectory through prenatal adversity
2019 MIRA Postdoctoral Fellow