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About

bradford

Dr. John Bradford

Dr. Bradford was the Professor and Head of the
Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of
Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, the University of
Ottawa until 2010 and retired from the University in
2015. He was cross-appointmented as Professor in
the Department of Criminology, University of
Ottawa. He was a founder of the Royal Ottawa
Institute of Mental Health Research (affiliated with the University of
Ottawa). He is Emeritus Professor at the University of Ottawa. He is currently a Full Professor at McMaster University. He is also a Senior Scientist at the Royal Institute of Mental Health Research.
 
Dr. Bradford is a graduate in Medicine and received a Diploma of
Psychological Medicine, both from the University of Capetown, South
Africa. He holds specialist degrees in Psychiatry from South Africa,
the UK, USA, and Canada; he also has an added qualification in
Forensic Psychiatry from the American Board of Psychiatry and
Neurology. He is a Founder of Forensic Psychiatry granted by the
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
 
Dr. Bradford’s research interests have focused primarily on the
assessment and treatment of the paraphilias, and other aspects of
forensic psychiatry. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed
papers; more than 55 chapters in academic books, including
textbooks; presented at over 350 peer-reviewed international and
national conferences, and co-authored five books.
 
Dr. Bradford’s expertise in the field of forensic psychiatry is well
recognized, not only from his peers but also the media and judiciary
and from many levels of government. He has sat on various
task forces, expert panels, served as expert witness and provided
special consultations to national and international working groups.
Dr. Bradford has received every available forensic psychiatry
award in the United States and Canada other than the
Guttmacher Award [USA]. These awards are the Silver Apple
Award; Red Apple Award; Golden Apple Award; Seymour
Pollock Award; and Isaac Ray Award, from the United States,
and Canada the Bruno Cormier Award. See below for a more comprehensive list of his achievements. 
 

 

Research Interests & Expertise

Dr. Bradford’s research interests focus on the assessment and treatment of the paraphilic disorders, as well as other aspects of forensic psychiatry. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed papers; more than 45 chapters in academic books, including textbooks; presented at over 300 peer-reviewed international and national conferences, co-authored 4 books.
 
Dr. Bradford’s expertise in the field of forensic psychiatry is well recognized, not only from his peers, media and judiciary but from many levels of government as well. He has sat on task forces, expert panels, served as expert witness and provided special consultation to national and international working groups.

 

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Area of Expertise

Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation of fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility (was the forensic psychiatric expert in the Bernardo, Picton, Williams, Kachka trials and many others)

Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation

Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation of fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility (was the forensic psychiatric expert in the Bernardo, Picton, Williams, Kachka trials and many others)
Forensic Psychiatry related to Human Rights, Seclusion and Restraint, Torture and other Violations to Human Rights (Barker and Maier at the Provincial Psychiatric Hospital at Oakridge, Penetangueashene)

Forensic Psychiatry

Forensic Psychiatry related to Human Rights, Seclusion and Restraint, Torture and other Violations to Human Rights (Barker and Maier at the Provincial Psychiatric Hospital at Oakridge, Penetangueashene)
Dangerous Offender Evaluations (completed over 100)

Dangerous Offender Evaluations

Dangerous Offender Evaluations (completed over 100)




Consulting with Various Governmental Agencies relating to Forensic Psychiatry (Government of the Netherlands, The State of New York and Connecticut, Provincial)

Consulting with Various Governmental Agencies

Consulting with Various Governmental Agencies relating to Forensic Psychiatry (Government of the Netherlands, The State of New York and Connecticut, Provincial)
Civil Forensic Psychiatric evaluations testamentary capacity and various levels of competency

Civil Forensic Psychiatric Evaluations

Civil Forensic Psychiatric evaluations testamentary capacity and various levels of competency



Participating in Governmental Committees in Ontario (Health and Corrections) and Consulting both at the Federal and Provincial level

Participating in Governmental Committees

Participating in Governmental Committees in Ontario (Health and Corrections) and Consulting both at the Federal and Provincial level
Civil Forensic Psychiatry evaluations related to psychiatric malpractice (DeJong, Richardson and Barker and Maier and many others)

Civil Forensic Psychiatry Evaluations

Civil Forensic Psychiatry evaluations related to psychiatric malpractice (DeJong, Richardson and Barker and Maier and many others)
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Recognition

Most recently, his work has been recognized by the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, having received the Seymour Pollock Award in 2007. He was the recipient of the Isaac Ray Award in 2009 an international award for outstanding contributions in jurisprudence and mental health granted by the American Psychiatric Association. He was also the 1st person to receive the Bruno Cormier Award granted by the Canadian Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. He is also a recipient of the Silver Apple, Red Apple  and Golden Apple awards from the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. He received the Inaugural Career Achievement Award from the Canadian Psychological Association for the applied science of psychopharmacology. He was on DSM IV work groups and was a scientific advisor to Sexual Disorders work group DSM 5. He co-chaired the task force report of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry on the biological treatment of the paraphilias co-chaired a 2nd task force of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry on adolescent sexual offenders. He was also the Chair of Research of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Education and Research Institute from 2002 until 2015.

Dr. Bradford was on DSM IV workgroups and was a scientific advisor to the Sexual Disorders workgroup DSM 5.  He has co-chaired the Task Force of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry on the biological treatment of paraphilias. A follow-up task force of which he was a member, published another report in 2020. He also co-chaired a 2nd Task Force of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry on adolescent sexual offenders. All were published in the Journal of the World Societies of Biological Psychiatry. He was also the first Chair of Research of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Education and Research Institute from 2002 until 2015. 

Dr. Bradford has received several honorary appointments, including being made a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK), a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists, and a Distinguished Fellow of the Canadian Psychiatric Association. He also received the Order of Canada in 2011 and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal in 2012. He received a Canada 150 pin acknowledging the achievements of outstanding individuals in Canada on June 7, 2017. In 2019 he was awarded the Yochelson Scholarship from Yale University.

Awards

Bruno Cormier Award

Awarded 1994

Emeritus Status, University of Ottawa 

Awarded 2017

Seymour Pollock Award

Awarded 2007

Seymour Pollock Award

Awarded 2007

Issac Ray Award,
American Psychiatric Association

Awarded 2009

Order of Canada

Awarded May 26, 2011

Diamond
Jubilee Medal, 2012