Dr. Diane McIntosh

Dr. McIntosh obtained an undergraduate degree in pharmacy before completing her medical school training, two years of a pediatric residency and then an adult psychiatry residency.

A widely respected psychiatrist, author, educator, podcaster and patient advocate, Dr. McIntosh’s career-long focus has been to improve access to psychiatric care through education and technology. In 2011, she co-founded SwitchRx, an online resource used by more than 100,000 healthcare professionals. In 2018, she founded PsychedUpCME to provide high-quality psychopharmacology education focused on the confident, rational prescribing of psychiatric medications. In response to the inaccessibility of psychiatric care, in 2019 she founded RAPIDS, an innovative technology developed to support clinicians to optimize and personalize their psychiatric care, reducing suffering and improving patient outcomes. 

Dr. McIntosh has helmed three podcasts, including PsychedUp, a 2025 Amazon Hidden Gem. She’s published three books, including This is Depression and You Belong Here.

In 2025, she was honoured to receive the King Charles III Coronation Medal for service to Canadians for her psychiatric advocacy and education and the Alum of the Year Award from the Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association. She is a senior advisor to British Columbia’s Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Wendy Cocchia, supporting her scientific innovation pillar.