Curriculum Vitae — Walter Sena, MD, MSc

Walter Sena

ALMA MATER

  • Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

    World top 1.7%Center for World University Rankings

    • Medical Schools only

      Better positioned than most medical schools across Australia, the UK, and the US

Public Profiles

ScholarORCIDLinkedInUBC Institute of Mental HealthResearch GateOpen Science Framework

Credentials

PSYCHIATRY EXPERIENCE

  • Private Practice

  • Inpatient

    • Integrated Center for Studies and Sustainable Development Programs

      sep 2014 - nov 20171470 h
      Hospital Municipal Jurandyr Manfredini
      • Supported adults with acute mental illness in a hospital setting
      • Managed shift incidents with specialized nurses
      • Reviewed and adjusted treatment daily
      Documents previewDocuments

  • Specialized Emergency

    • Rio de Janeiro City Hall

      feb 2016 - may 20171536 h
      Instituto Municipal Philippe Pinel
      • Delivered crisis intervention and de-escalation for adults in acute distress
      • Assessed and managed acute intoxication, withdrawal, and psychiatric emergencies
      • Triaged presentations and referred complex cases to specialized units
      Documents previewDocuments
      Documents previewDocuments

  • Consultation-Liaison

    • Institute of Primary and Advanced Health Care

      sep 2014 - feb 20161728 h
      Hospital Municipal Lourenço Jorge
      • Assessed clients with combined medical, mental health, and substance use needs
      • Assessed decision-making capacity and suicide risk at the bedside
      • Advised medical teams on managing psychiatric symptoms during admission
      Documents previewDocuments

  • Outpatient

    • Integrated Center for Studies and Sustainable Development Programs

      nov 2013 - feb 2014384 h
      Hospital Municipal Jurandyr Manfredini
      • Diagnosed and treated adults with mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders
      • Prescribed psychotropic medication and monitored treatment response
      • Provided psychoeducation to patients and their families
      Documents previewDocuments

  • Community Psychiatry

    • Rio de Janeiro City Hall

      jan 2013 - oct 2013960 h
      UERJ Centro de Atenção Psicossocial
      • Supported adults experiencing homelessness, substance use, and mental illness
      • Practised from a trauma-informed approach
      • Collaborated with social workers and community stakeholders
      Documents previewDocuments

  • General Emergency

    • Integrated Center for Studies and Sustainable Development Programs

      aug 2011 - jan 20131728 h
      Hospital Municipal Jurandyr Manfredini
      Documents previewDocuments

    • Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development in Health

      jul 2011 - jan 20131824 h
      Hospital Municipal Jurandyr Manfredini
      Documents previewDocuments

RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

  • Postdoctoral Medical Researcher

    oct 2024 - nov 20251920 h
    University of British Columbia - Department of Psychiatry
    • Recruited participants for research studies
    • Conducted diagnostic evaluations of persons living with psychotic symptoms
    • Used structured interviews and cognitive assessments
    • Recruited participants for research studies
    • Conducted diagnostic evaluations with patients with psychiatric disorders
    • Worked alongside clinical staff to determine participant eligibility
    • Interacted directly with prospective participants
    • Designed and implemented research protocols
    • Maintained data quality, including database management, and equipment upkeep
    • Tabulated and organized research data
    • Supervised research staff and mentoring students

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    may 2023 - apr 20241920 h
    University of British Columbia - Department of Psychiatry
    • Prepared proposals for research grants
    • Designed and implemented research protocols
    • Oversaw equipment maintenance and ensured quality control in data collection
    • Analyzed research data
    • Managed research-related computer databases
    • Tabulated and organized data for presentations at conferences
    • Supervised laboratory personnel to streamline workflow
    • Participated in the training and mentoring of students

POSTGRADUATE TRAINING

  • Supervised Probationary Training

    nov 2014 - dec 20161920 h
    UFRJ Institute of Psychiatry
    • Conducted evaluations for faculty-led outpatient clinics, including the First-Episode Psychosis Clinic, the Neuropsychiatric Disorders Clinic, and the Psychogeriatrics Clinic
    • Assessed more than 100 patients using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), and other standardized instruments, including the HAM-D, GDS, PANSS, MMSE, and GAF scales
    • Established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cognitive-remediation interventions
    • Monitored patients throughout the interventions
    • Conducted advanced neurocognitive assessments using eye-tracking technology.

  • Psychiatry Specialization

    mar 2012 - may 20142400 h
    State University of Rio de Janeiro
    • Trained in a public mental health setting with emphasis on community psychiatry
    • Cared for individuals with chronic mental health issues
    • Managed hospital admission and discharge of individuals with complex psychotic symptoms
    Certificate previewCertificate
    Certificate previewCertificate

    • Psychiatry Clinic

      290 h

    • Psychiatry Therapeutics

      280 h

    • Social Psychiatry

      280 h

    • Practical Activities

      1550 h

POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

GRADUATION

  • Elective Clinical Rotations

    • Family and Community Medicine II

      jan 2011 - jun 2011800 h
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    • Psychiatry - UFRJ

      jan 2011 - jun 2011288 h

    • Psychiatry - City Hall of Rio de Janeiro

      jul 2010 - dec 2010288 h

  • Comprehensive Clinical Rotations

  • Core Clinical Rotations and coursework

  • Clinical Skills

    • Infectious Diseases and Parasites

      jul 2009 - dec 2009195 h
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    • Urgencies and Emergencies in Medical Practice

      jan 2009 - jun 200960 h
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    • Medical Psychology

      jan 2008 - jun 200875 h
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    • Semiology of Neurological Syndromes

      jul 2005 - dec 200540 h
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    • Clinical Propaedeutics

      jan 2005 - jun 2005150 h
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    • First Aid

      jan 2004 - jun 200430 h
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  • Public Health and Legal Medicine

  • Integrated Systems

    • Digestive System

      jul 2004 - dec 2004150 h
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    • Endocrine and Reproductive System

      jul 2004 - dec 2004225 h
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    • Urinary System

      jul 2004 - dec 2004150 h
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    • Neurosciences

      jan 2004 - jun 2004225 h
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    • Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems

      jan 2004 - jun 2004225 h
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  • Medical Sciences

  • Research and Teaching Appointments

    • Neuropsychology - Research Assistant

      jan 2009 - dec 2009240 h
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    • Neurosurgery - Research Assistant

      jan 2005 - jun 2005120 h
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    • Neurophysiology - Teaching Assistant

      jan 2005 - jun 2006360 h
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EVENTS ATTENDANCE

  • Provincial Opioid Addiction Treatment Support Program

    in progress
    UBC Continued Professional Development

  • Addiction Care and Treatment

    in progress
    UBC Continued Professional Development

  • Alcohol Use: Screening, Determining Risk, and Evidence-Based Treatment

    in progress
    UBC Continued Professional Development

  • Supporting Children and Youth Who Use Substances

    in progress
    UBC Continued Professional Development

  • Gender-Affirming Primary Care

    in progress
    UBC Continued Professional Development

  • Autism and Neurodiversity in Primary Care

    in progress
    UBC Continued Professional Development

  • Basic First Aid and CPR-C/AED

    expires jul 2027
    Canadian Red Cross
    Certificate previewCertificate

  • Neuroradiology Rounds

    20255 h
    UBC Neuropsychiatry
    Document previewDocument

  • Neuropsychiatry Grand Rounds

    2024 -202520 h
    UBC Neuropsychiatry
    Document previewDocument
    Document previewDocument

  • AI in Medicine and Imaging

    jun 20258 h
    Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence
    Document previewDocument

  • 18th Annual Pacific Psychopharmacology Conference

    sep 20245 h
    UBC Continued Professional Development
    Document previewDocument

  • UBC Advanced Research Computing

    nov 202340 h
    UBC Research + Innovation
    Document previewDocument

  • Functional Neuroimaging Bootcamp

    may 202340 h
    UBC Psychology
    Document previewDocument

  • Functional Neuroimaging Workshop

    may 2022 - jul 202240 h
    PUC-Rio Psychology
    Document previewDocument

  • Medical Technology Regulation

    oct 20208 h
    Hospital Albert Einstein - Brazil
    Document previewDocument

  • 3rd International Brain Stimulation Conference

    feb 201924 h
    Vancouver
    Document previewDocument

  • Doctor-Patient Relationship

    oct 20182 h
    Brazilian National Academy of Medicine
    Document previewDocument

  • 47th SfN Annual Meeting

    nov 201736 h
    Society for Neuroscience
    Document previewDocument

  • IV International Symposium of Frontiers in Neuroscience

    oct 201736 h
    Buzios, Brazil
    Document previewDocument

  • Medicine Humanization

    oct 20164.5 h
    Brazilian National Academy of Medicine
    Document previewDocument

  • 15th World Congress of Psychiatry

    nov 201236 h
    Buenos Aires, Argentina

  • XXXII Brazilian Congress of Psychiatry

    oct 201436 h
    Brasilia
    Document previewDocument

  • 10th World Congress on Brain, Behaviour & Emotion

    sep 201436 h
    Montreal

  • 43rd SfN Annual Meeting

    nov 201336 h
    Society for Neuroscience

  • XXXI Brazilian Congress of Psychiatry

    oct 201336 h
    Curitiba
    Document previewDocument

  • XXX Brazilian Congress of Psychiatry

    oct 201236 h
    Natal
    Document previewDocument

  • XXIX Brazilian Congress of Psychiatry

    nov 201136 h
    Rio de Janeiro
    Document previewDocument

  • 2nd Fluminense Symposium on Immune and Neural Cognition

    aug 20118 h
    Brazilian National Academy of Medicine
    Document previewDocument

  • 11th Brazilian Congress of Community and Family Medicine

    jun 201136 h
    Brasilia
    Document previewDocument

  • 1st Fluminense Symposium on Immune and Neural Cognition

    aug 20098 h
    Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
    Document previewDocument

PRESENTATIONS, PUBLICATIONS AND ABSTRACTS

  • Gaze Detection Models for Cognitive Tests: From Hubel and Wiesel to Convolutional Neural Networks to Efficient Visual Models

    oct 2025
    UBC Neuropsychiatry - Grand Rounds
    Document previewDocument

  • Development of a Neurocognitive Assessment Spanning DSM Domains, Designed for Low-Resolution Eye-Trackers

    jul 2024
    UBC Psychiatry - Research DayYoutube
    Document previewDocument

  • Dysregulated noradrenergic response is associated with symptom severity in individuals with schizophrenia

    nov 2023
    Journal Frontiers in Psychiatryhttps://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1190329
    Documents previewDocuments

  • Real-Time Symptom Capture of Hallucinations in Schizophrenia with fMRI: Absence of Duration-Dependent Activity

    jul 2022
    Journal Schizophrenia Bulletindoi.org/10.1093/schizbullopen/sgac050
    Documents previewDocuments
    Documents previewDocuments
    Documents previewDocuments
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  • Association between increased serum D-serine and cognitive gains induced by intensive cognitive training in schizophrenia

    may 2019
    Journal Schizophrenia Researchdoi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2018.04.011
    Document previewDocument

  • Anti-saccade and visual search performance in schizophrenia

    nov 2017
    47th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
    Document previewDocument

  • Anti-saccade and visual search performance in schizophrenia

    may 2017
    Canadian Association for Neuroscience - Montreal

  • Metacognition during sleep and dissociation

    sep 2014
    10th World Congress on Brain, Behaviour & Emotion

  • Innovative Works and Research in Primary Health Care

    nov 2013
    Rio de Janeiro City Hall
    Document previewDocument

  • The Role of Psychosocial Care Centres in Mental Health Public Policy

    aug 2013
    V Seminar of UERJ Psychosocial Care Center
    Document previewDocument

  • Community Therapy for Social Inclusion

    jun 2011
    11th Brazilian Congress of Community and Family Medicine

  • Apraxias in Acquired Brain Injury

    jun 2009
    UFRJ Academic Integration Week
    Document previewDocument

  • Genetic Mapping of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations

    jun 2005
    UFRJ Academic Integration Week
    Document previewDocument

AWARDS

  • Elected Member

    jan 2025
    Sigma Xi - The Scientific Research Honor Society
    Document previewDocument

  • The Office of Wellbeing Strategy

    mar 2024
    UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative AwardLight-Up: Igniting Postdoctoral Resilience at UBC
    • Planned the project 'Light Up: Igniting Postdoctoral Resilience at UBC'
    • Developed a questionnaire for burnout assessment focused on postdoctoral fellows
    • Reported outcomes to UBC Postdoctoral Fellows Office
    Webpage previewWebpage
    Report previewReport

  • President Academic Excellence Award

    sep 2022
    UBC Neuroscience
    Document previewDocument

  • Faculty of Medicine Graduate Award

    aug 2022
    UBC Neuroscience
    Document previewDocument

  • PhD Tuition Award

    aug 2022
    UBC Neuroscience
    Document previewDocument

  • Solidarity Grant

    may 2020
    Atlantic Institute
    • Promoted brain health through cognitive training during the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Minimized the impact of COVID-19 on endangered and vulnerable communities
    • Contributed to the advancement of fairer, healthier, and more inclusive societies
    Documents previewDocuments

SCHOLARSHIPS

  • UBC Psychiatry

    may 2023 - apr 2024
    Marshall Fellow2022-23 Institute of Mental Health Fellows
    • Conducted assessments with adults living with psychiatric disorders
    • Worked independently and within a multidisciplinary team
    • Maintained accurate records under institutional privacy rules

  • Education through Work for Health Program (PET-Saúde)

    jan 2013 - jun 2013
    Brazil Ministry of Health
    • Tutored graduate students in a workplace program strengthening the Psychosocial Care Network
    • Contributed to mental health policy implementation and interdisciplinary training
    • Presented 'The Role of Psychosocial Care Centres in Mental Health Public Policy'

  • Psychiatry Trainee

    jan 2010 - jul 2010
    City Hall of Rio de Janeiro

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

  • New Ventures BC Competition

    aug 2025
    Top 25 in British ColumbiaNVBC Top-25
    • Developed a digital tool for cognitive health assessment
    • Presented and defended the work to expert panels
    • Selected among the top 25 startups in British Columbia

  • Lab2Launch

    mar 2023 - jul 2023
    Innovation UBCInnovation UBC 2023 Cohort Day

VOLUNTEERING

  • UBC Postdoctoral Association UBC

    may 2023 - apr 2025
    Executive Member23-24 Executive Team
    • Earned Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Award
    • Represented members' interests to institutional stakeholders
    • Recruited sponsors for UBC Postdoc Research Day

  • Brain Academy

    mar 2018 - mar 2019
    UFRJ Outreach
    • Made cognitive training freely available to the public
    • Coordinated graduate students to offer cognitive training sessions
    • Maintained a database of training outcomes
    Document previewDocument

  • 3rd UFRJ Summer Neuroscience Course

    feb 2018
    Graduate Program in Morphological Sciences
    • Prepared and facilitated discussions for visiting students
    • Coordinated scheduling, materials, and participant records
    • Guided and supported attendees throughout the course
    Document previewDocument

  • International Federation of Medical Students Association - UFRJ

    jul 2009 - mar 2010
    Local Committe Treasurer
    • Managed committee finances and kept accurate records
    • Reported to an elected committee
    • Hosted international medical students
    Document previewDocument