Biography
Dr. Jennifer Phillips is a Scientist in the Mood Disorders Research Unit at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research (IMHR), affiliated with the University of Ottawa.
She received her BSc from Brock University and her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Ottawa. She is the Director of Research (Interim) and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa and an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University.
Dr. Phillips' expertise is in clinical neuroscience with a focus on depression and suicide prevention. Her research is supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the University of Ottawa Medical Research Fund (UMRF).
Dr. Phillips' ongoing studies investigate the biological underpinnings and consequences of depression using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and peripheral biomarkers, test the efficacy of low-dose ketamine to treat depression in patients resistant to other forms of treatment, and examine clinical and psychosocial determinants to identify sex-specific risk factors for suicidal behaviours.
Selected Publications
- Robillard R, Daros AR, Phillips JL, Porteous M, Saad M, Pennestri MH, Kendzerska T, Edwards JD, Solomonova E, Bhatla R, Godbout R, Kaminsky Z, Boafo A, Quilty LC. Emerging New Psychiatric Symptoms and the Worsening of Pre-existing Mental Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Canadian Multisite Study: Nouveaux symptômes psychiatriques émergents et détérioration des troubles mentaux préexistants durant la pandémie de la COVID-19: une étude canadienne multisite. Can J Psychiatry. 2021 Jan 19;:706743720986786. doi: 10.1177/0706743720986786. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 33464115.
- Robillard R, Saad M, Edwards J, Solomonova E, Pennestri MH, Daros A, Veissière SPL, Quilty L, Dion K, Nixon A, Phillips J, Bhatla R, Spilg E, Godbout R, Yazji B, Rushton C, Gifford WA, Gautam M, Boafo A, Swartz R, Kendzerska T. Social, financial and psychological stress during an emerging pandemic: observations from a population survey in the acute phase of COVID-19. BMJ Open. 2020 Dec 12;10(12):e043805. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043805. PubMed PMID: 33310814; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7735085.
- Phillips JL, Jaworska N, Kamler E, Bhat V, Blier J, Foster JA, Hassel S, Ho K, McMurray L, Milev R, Moazamigoudarzi Z, Placenza FM, Richard-Devantoy S, Rotzinger S, Turecki G, Vazquez GH, Kennedy SH, Blier P. A randomized, crossover comparison of ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy for treatment of major depressive episodes: a Canadian biomarker integration network in depression (CAN-BIND) study protocol. BMC Psychiatry. 2020 Jun 2;20(1):268. doi: 10.1186/s12888-020-02672-3. PubMed PMID: 32487236; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7265624
- Phillips JL, Norris S, Talbot J, Birmingham M, Hatchard T, Ortiz A, Owoeye O, Batten LA, Blier P. Single, Repeated, and Maintenance Ketamine Infusions for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2020 Apr;18(2):236-243. doi: 10.1176/appi.focus.18206. Epub 2020 Apr 23. PubMed PMID: 33343241; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7587876.
- Phillips JL, Norris S, Talbot J, Hatchard T, Ortiz A, Birmingham M, Owoeye O, Batten LA, Blier P. Single and repeated ketamine infusions for reduction of suicidal ideation in treatment-resistant depression. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2020 Mar;45(4):606-612. doi: 10.1038/s41386-019-0570-x. Epub 2019 Nov 23. PubMed PMID: 31759333; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7021716.
- Talbot J, Phillips JL, Blier P. Ketamine for chronic depression: two cautionary tales. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2019 Nov 1;44(6):384-385. doi: 10.1503/jpn.190073. PubMed PMID: 31573153; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6821514.
- Jaworska N, Phillips JL. Harnessing Neuroimaging to Enhance Our Understanding of the Effects of Ketamine in Depression. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2019 Jul;4(7):603-605. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.05.005. PubMed PMID: 31279401.
- Phillips JL, Norris S, Talbot J, Birmingham M, Hatchard T, Ortiz A, Owoeye O, Batten LA, Blier P. Single, Repeated, and Maintenance Ketamine Infusions for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Psychiatry. 2019 May 1;176(5):401-409. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18070834. Epub 2019 Mar 29. PubMed PMID: 30922101.
- Phillips JL, Batten LA, Tremblay P, Aldosary F, Du L, Blier P. Impact of monoamine-related gene polymorphisms on hippocampal volume in treatment-resistant depression. Acta Neuropsychiatr. 2015 Dec;27(6):353-61. doi: 10.1017/neu.2015.25. Epub 2015 May 20. PubMed PMID: 25990886.
- Phillips JL, Batten LA, Tremblay P, Aldosary F, Blier P. A Prospective, Longitudinal Study of the Effect of Remission on Cortical Thickness and Hippocampal Volume in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015 Mar 30;18(8). doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyv037. PubMed PMID: 25829180; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4571636.
- Ledoux AA, Boyer P, Phillips JL, Labelle A, Smith A, Bohbot VD. Structural hippocampal anomalies in a schizophrenia population correlate with navigation performance on a wayfinding task. Front Behav Neurosci. 2014;8:88. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00088. eCollection 2014. PubMed PMID: 24672451; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3953714.
- Phillips JL, Blier P. Ms Phillips and Dr Blier reply. J Clin Psychiatry. 2013 Jun;74(6):631-2. doi: 10.4088/JCP.12lr08004a. PubMed PMID: 23842018.
- Ledoux AA, Phillips JL, Labelle A, Smith A, Bohbot VD, Boyer P. Decreased fMRI activity in the hippocampus of patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy control participants, tested on a wayfinding task in a virtual town. Psychiatry Res. 2013 Jan 30;211(1):47-56. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.10.005. PubMed PMID: 23352276.
- Phillips JL, Batten LA, Aldosary F, Tremblay P, Blier P. Brain-volume increase with sustained remission in patients with treatment-resistant unipolar depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2012 May;73(5):625-31. doi: 10.4088/JCP.11m06865. Epub 2012 Feb 21. PubMed PMID: 22394416.
- Bouchard S, Doumoulin S, Talbot J, Ledoux AA, Phillips JL, Monthly-Blanc J, Labonté-Chartrand G, Robillard G, Cantamesse M, Renaud P. Manipulating subjective realism and its impact on presence: Preliminary results on feasibility and neuroanatomical correlates. Interacting with Computers. 2012; 24(4):227-236.
- Bouchard S, Talbot J, Ledoux AA, Phillips J, Cantamesse M, Robillard G. Presence is just an illusion: using fMRI to locate the brain area responsible to the meaning given to places. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2010;154:193-6. PubMed PMID: 20543296.
- Boyer P, Phillips JL, Rousseau FL, Ilivitsky S. Hippocampal abnormalities and memory deficits: new evidence of a strong pathophysiological link in schizophrenia. Brain Res Rev. 2007 Apr;54(1):92-112. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2006.12.008. Epub 2007 Jan 11. Review. PubMed PMID: 17306884.