Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program

Phone: 416-480-6736
Fax: 416-480-5766
Administrative Assistant: Anusha Nagireddy
Email: anusha.nagireddy@sunnybrook.ca

Education:

• B.Sc., 1981, University of Ottawa, Canada
• MD, 1985, University of Ottawa, Canada
• Diploma in psychiatry, 1990, University of Toronto, Canada
• Research diploma, 1990, psychiatry, U of T, Canada
• FRCP(C) (psychiatry), 1990, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Associate scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Head, Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Director, Clinic for OCD & Related Disorders, Sunnybrook
• Associate professor, department of psychiatry, U of T
• Associate member, graduate faculty, Institute of Medical Science, U of T
• Affiliate scientist, neuroscience research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Adjunct member, psychology, graduate studies, York University

Research Foci:

• Genetics of mood and anxiety disorders
• Psychiatric pharmacogenetics
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment outcomes

Research Summary:

Dr. Richter is internationally known for her work in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). She is exploring the genetic and biological basis of this illness. Her work also aims to define better the boundaries of OCD and related spectrum disorders and improve treatment outcome. Her funding sources include the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Ontario Mental Health Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation and the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation.

Dr. Richter is the author of numerous publications and scientific presentations. She is active as an advocate for individuals with OCD and related disorders, serving on the scientific advisory committee of the Canadian Institute for Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, the steering committee of the Toronto Hoarding Support Services Network, and the scientific advisory boards of the Canadian Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviour Support Network and the International OCD Foundation. She is an internationally acclaimed speaker on anxiety and presents extensively to health care professionals and lay audiences.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

1. Phillips KA, Zai G, King NA, Menard W, Kennedy JL, Richter MA. A preliminary candidate gene study in body dysmorphic disorder. J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord. 2015;6:72–76.
2. Fineberg NA, Reghunandanan S, Simpson HB, Phillips KA, Richter MA, Matthews K, Stein DJ, Sareen J, Brown A, Sookman D. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Practical strategies for pharmacological and somatic treatment in adults. Psychiatry Res. 2015;227(1):114–125.
3. Brandl EJ, Tiwari AK, Zhou X, Deluce J, Kennedy JL, Müller DJ, Richter MA. Influence of CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 gene variants on antidepressant response in obsessive compulsive disorder. Pharmacogenomics. 2014;14(2):176–181.
4. Stewart SE, Yu D, Scharf JM, Neale BM, Fagerness JA, Mathews CA, Arnold PD, Evans PD, Gamazon ER, Osiecki L, McGrath L, Haddad S, Crane J, Hezel D, Illman C, Mayerfeld C, Konkashbaev A, Liu C, Pluzhnikov A, Tikhomirov A, Edlund CK, Rauch SL, Moessner R, Falkai P, Maier W, Ruhrmann S, Grabe H-J, Lennertz L, Wagner M, Bellodi L, Cavallini MC, Richter MA, Cook EH Jr, Kennedy JL, Rosenberg D, Stein DJ, Hemmings SMJ, Lochner C, Azzam A, Chavira DA, Fournier E, Garrido H, Sheppard B, P Umana, Murphy DL, Wendland JR, Veenstra-Vander Weele J, Denys D, Blom R, Deforce D, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Westenberg HGM, Walitza S, Egberts K, Renner T, Miguel EC, Cappi C, Hounie AG, Conceicaao do Rosario M, Sampaio AS, Vallada H, Nicolini H, Lanzagorta N, Camarena B, Delorme R, Leboyer M, Pato CN, Pato MT, Voyiaziakis E, Heutink P, Cath DC, Posthuma D, Smit JH, Samuels J, Bienvenu OJ, Cullen B, Fyer AJ, Grados MA, Greenberg BD, McCracken JT, Riddle MA, Wang Y, Coric V, Leckman JF, Bloch M, Pittenger C, Eapen V, Black DW, Ophoff RA, Strengman E, Cusi D, Turiel M, Frau F, Macciardi F, Gibbs JR, Cookson MR, A Singleton for the North American Brain Expression Consortium, Hardy J for the UK Brain Expression Database at Crenshaw, Parkin MA, Mirel DB, Conti DV, Purcell S, Nestadt G, Hanna GL, Jenike MA, Knowles JA, Cox N, Pauls DL. Genome-wide association study of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Mol Psychiatry. 2013;18(7);788–798.
5. Zai G, Brandl E, Müller D, Richter MA, Kennedy JL. Co-senior authors on this manuscript. Pharmacogenetics of antidepressant treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder: an update and implications for clinicians. Pharmacogenomics. 2014;15(8):1147–1157.

Related News and Stories:

• National agency recognizes scientific excellence at Sunnybrook Research Institute: Scientists score high with multimillion-dollar funding investment (Oct. 13, 2015)
• Are you a hoarder? Check these 5 signs (CBC.ca News, June 6, 2015)
• Breaking the cycle of OCD (The Globe and Mail, Feb. 5, 2015)
• Mood disorders across our lives (SRI Magazine, 2013)
• Driving progress: National health research agency funds a dozen SRI scientists (April 25, 2014)
• Skin picking classified as distinct disorder (The Toronto Star, May 20, 2013)
• Ask a Scientist: What Are You Reading? (SRI Magazine, 2012)
• $10-million gift will raise profile of anxiety disorders, (The Globe and Mail, June 10, 2012)

Related Links:

• Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre, Sunnybrook
• U of T profile, collaborative program in neuroscience
• U of T profile, psychiatry