As a psychiatrist, Marc Laporta, MD, is interested in a number of different clinical populations. In 1997 he created the Early Psychosis Intervention Centre at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), the first of its kind in Montreal. He has served as its director since that time. He has also set up a number of other clinical programs, including the Treatment, Assessment, Continuity and Outreach program (which later became the Module for Evaluation and Liaison), the Transition Unit (a step-up/step-down intensive day program), and the Italian Clinic, which serves the mental health needs of Italian-speaking patients. He has also been involved in coordinating medical student training in the psychiatry program of McGill University.聽
Marc Laporta, MD, became interested in international and global issues in mental health, as his clinical involvement with cultural groups deepened. His first mission under the auspices of the Montreal WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre consisted in developing Vietnam鈥檚 capacity for early intervention in mental health disorders. He later led another mission in Vietnam to help the country鈥檚 mental health system move toward community-based psychiatry. The goal of his third mission was to set up training related to psychosocial difficulties following the 2004 Tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia.聽
Marc Laporta, MD, develops international collaborative ventures with countries such as Belize and Dominica and is involved in Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)-led endeavours in the area of emergencies and disasters for the Americas.聽
He is also involved in issues related to mental health policy and mental health delivery in primary care settings. His goal is to raise McGill University鈥檚 awareness of and participation in global mental health issues and to directly involve medical students and residents in international activities.