Student’s name: Karolina Bidzinski (Maiden Name: Karolina Kozak) Supervisor’s name: Dr. Tony P. George, Clinician-Scientist and Head, Biobehavioural Addictions and Concurrent Disorders Research Laboratory (BACDRL), Addictions Division and Centre for Complex Interventions (CCI), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
PhD Thesis Title: Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) on Cannabis Use and Cognitive Function in Schizophrenia
PhD Research Summary: Karolina obtained her PhD in June 2021 from the Institute of Medical Science (IMS) at University of Toronto affiliated with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) under the supervision of Dr. Tony George. Her research focused on investigating the effects of active versus sham high-frequency (20-Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on cannabis use in outpatients with schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder (CUD). Secondary outcomes of interest included cannabis craving/withdrawal, psychiatric symptoms, cognition, and tobacco co-use. By leading this Phase II double-blind, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial, Karolina enrolled 24 outpatients with schizophrenia and CUD, of which 19 participants were randomized to receive active (n=9) or sham (n=10) rTMS treatment applied bilaterally to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The findings of Karolina’s doctoral work resulted in a first author research publication in NPJ Schizophrenia. Ultimately, Karolina’s work will hopefully provide important insights into the therapeutic potential of rTMS targeted to the DLPFC in people with co-occurring schizophrenia and CUD.
Publications and Presentations: Prior to her PhD, Karolina obtained her Master of Science in November 2016 from the IMS affiliated with CAMH where her dissertation focused on investigating the effects of varenicline on cognitive function in non-smokers with schizophrenia. To date, Karolina has a total of 15 first authored and co-authored publications, 4 book chapters, 26 external ad-hoc reviews, 9 oral presentations, and 31 poster presentations (published under maiden name: Karolina Kozak).
Scholarships and Awards: Throughout Karolina’s academic career, she has been the recipient of 7 scholarships and awards including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Research Award – Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS-D).
During her PhD, Karolina was also a member of several groups/committees including the IMS Strategic Planning Committee, the Graduate Management Consulting Association (GMCA), the Life Science Career Development Society as the Business Development and Finance Associate, as well as the Institute of Medical Science Student Association.
Karolina is now a Consultant with the Healthcare Solutions, Operations practice within KPMG Canada’s Advisory services. She is involved in supporting clients across a range of sectors, primarily healthcare, in aligning their operating model to their strategic and financial objectives.
