Karen Phillips

Dr. Phillips’ research program uses interdisciplinary approaches to investigate sexual and reproductive health. Originally trained in reproductive biology with clinical experience in assisted reproductive technologies and infertility, she has steadily transitioned her research to investigations of human health awareness, attitudes, perceptions and behaviours in the context of sexual and reproductive health. Building on her foundation in reproductive biology, Dr. Phillips examines the biological, environmental and social determinants of sexual and reproductive health. Her research group evaluates sexual and reproductive health risk perceptions, decision-making and health promotion.

Professor Phillips is accepting new students for thesis supervision.

• ReproHealth Lab
• Twitter

• Sexually transmitted and blood-borne diseases (STBBI)
• Maternal-fetal health
• Prenatal education/health promotion
• Infertility
• Environment and reproductive health
• Risk perception; risk communication
• Public health management of infectious respiratory diseases (e.g. SARS, COVID-19, influenza)

Complete publications: ResearchGate and Google Scholar

• Chedid RA, Phillips KP. Best practices for the design, implementation and evaluation of prenatal health programs. Matern Child Health J. 2018 Jul 31.
• Chedid RA, Terrell RM, Phillips KP. Best practices for online Canadian prenatal health promotion: A public health approach. Women Birth. 2018 Aug;31(4):e223-e231
• Phillips KP.  Perceptions of Environmental Risks to Fertility. 2015. In: Handbook of Fertility, 1st Edition Nutrition, Diet, Lifestyle and Reproductive Health. Ronald Ross Watson. Elsevier-Academic Press. ISBN: 978-0-1280-0872-0
• O'Reilly E, Sevigny M, Sabarre KA, Phillips KP. Perspectives of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners in the support and treatment of infertility. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014; 14:394
• Remes O, Whitten AN, Sabarre KA, Phillips KP. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and vaccines: Ottawa university students’ knowledge, awareness and vaccine intentions. Journal of Genital System & Disorders. 2013; S1-006.
• Whitten AN, Remes O, Sabarre KA, Khan Z, Phillips KP Canadian university students’ perceptions of future personal infertility. Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2013; 3:561-568.
• Sabarre KA, Khan Z, Whitten AN, Remes O, Phillips KP. A qualitative study of Ottawa university students' awareness, knowledge and perceptions of infertility, infertility risk factors and assisted reproductive technologies (ART).  Reprod Health. 2013;10:41.
• Remes O, Whitten AN, Sabarre KA, Phillips KP. University students' perceptions of environmental risks to infertility. Sex Health. 2012; 9(4):377-83.
• Phillips KP, O'Sullivan TL, Dow D, Amaratunga CA. Infectious respiratory disease outbreaks and pregnancy: occupational health and safety concerns of Canadian nurses. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2011;26(2):114-21.
• KP Phillips, N Tanphaichitr. (2010) Mechanisms of Obesity-Induced Male Infertility. Expert Review Endocrinology and Metabolism. In press.
• KP Phillips, TL O’Sullivan, D Dow, C Amaratunga. (2010) Infectious respiratory disease outbreaks and pregnancy: Occupational health and safety concerns of Canadian nurses. Prehospital and Disaster Management. In press.
• CA Amaratunga, KP Phillips, E O’Connor, T O’Sullivan, M Boscoe, L Lemyre and D Krewski.  (2010).  Chapter 7: The need for healthcare worker sex and gender-sensitive supports during infectious disease outbreaks, In:  SARS Unmasked:  Risk Communication of Pandemics and Influenza in Canada. MG Tyshenko, C Paterson. McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal, Quebec. ISBN: 978-0-7735-3618-0
• E O’Connor, T O’Sullivan, C Amaratunga, P Thille, KP Phillips, M Carter, L Lemyre. (2009) Risk Communication with nurses during infectious disease outbreaks: Learning from SARS. Journal of Emergency Management, 7(5): 48-56
• A Martinez, KP Phillips. (2009) La promotion de l’équité en éducation sexuelle dans les écoles secondaires de la région de la capitale nationale. [Promotion of equity in secondary school sexual education in the National Capital Region]Canadian Journal of Education. 32(1):60-86.
• A Martinez, KP Phillips. (2008) Challenging ethno-cultural and sexual inequities: An intersectional feminist analysis of Ottawa teachers, health partners and university students’ views on adolescent sexual and reproductive rights. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. 17(3):141-159.
• KP Phillips, N Tanphaichitr. (2008) Human exposure to endocrine disrupters and semen quality.  Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. 11(3-4):188-220.
• KP Phillips, WG Foster. (2008). Key developments in endocrine disrupter research and human health. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. 11(3-4):322-344.
• M Tyshenko, KP Phillips, M Mehta, R Poirier, WL Leiss. (2008). Risk communication of endocrine disrupting chemicals: The internet as an emerging tool for improving knowledge translation and transfer. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.11(3-4):345-350.
• KP Phillips, V Sahni, N Karyakina, M Turner, W Foster, W Leiss, S Kacew, D Krewski (2008). Assessing and managing risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. 11(3-4):351-372.
• KP Phillips, MAF Petrunewich, JL Collins, JM Baltz. (2002).  The intracellular pH-regulatory HCO3-/Cl- exchanger in the mouse oocyte is inactivated during first meiotic metaphase and reactivated after egg activation via the MAP kinase pathway. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 13(11): 3800-3810.
• KP Phillips, MAF Petrunewich, JL Collins, RA Booth, XJ Liu, JM Baltz. (2002). Inhibition of MEK or cdc2 kinase parthenogenetically activates mouse eggs and yields the same phenotypes as mos-/- parthenogenotes. Developmental Biology. 247(1):210-23.
• KP Phillips, M-C Léveillé, P Claman, JM Baltz (2000). Intracellular pH regulation in human preimplantation embryos. Human Reproduction. 15(4):896-904.
• KP Phillip, JM Baltz (1999). Intracellular pH regulation by HCO3-/Cl- exchange is activated during early mouse zygote development. Developmental Biology. 208:392-405.