Emu pioneers new treatments for mental illness

Dr. James Kennedy (MD ’84, an Emu) already knew by high school that he wanted to study the brain and behaviour. Since then his passion has been to unravel the mystery of mental illness through a combination of patient care and research.  “Everyday there is hope for new answers and solutions for devastating psychiatric illnesses,” said Dr. Kennedy.

 

Jim has done Nobel Prize quality research and in fact has collaborated with many Nobel Prize winners," said Dr Nick Voudouris who nominated Dr. Kennedy, for the 2009 Faculty of Medicine Alumnus of Distinction. 

 

Before attending medical school at the University of Calgary, Dr. Kennedy completed a BSc in psychology and biology and his MSc in neurochemistry at York. While completing his MSc he applied to medical schools and he found the program in Calgary appealing because of its clinical presentation-based curriculum. In Calgary, he found himself in an environment where inquiry and research was encouraged in medical school. While he was completing his MD he teamed up with Calgary psychiatrist Dr. Roy MacKenzie to try and understand human behaviour from an evolutionary point of view by studying other primates. This project led to a paper that was featured on the cover of  the British Journal of Psychiatry in 1986 and catapulted Dr. Kennedy’s research career. Dr. MacKenzie continued to mentor Kennedy even after he moved to Yale to complete his residency in psychiatry.

 

Today, Kennedy continues to push the boundaries of research and treatment for patients suffering with all types of mental illness. He and his team are pioneering new treatments that combine genetic testing and brain imaging to better understand brain structure and function. By combining genetic testing with brain imaging, Dr. Kennedy will be able to study the effects of neurochemical changes that occur while taking certain medications.

 

Currently he is also applying molecular genetics to the study of problem gambling, schizophrenia, manic depression, addictions and impulse control disorders.  In addition, he is searching for genetic factors that may predict response and side effects to psychiatric medications. All of these areas of research and patient care offer promising futures for those suffering with mental illness.

 

Dr. Kennedy is of Head, Section of Neurogenetics, at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.  He is also Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and the Director of the Department of Neuroscience Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. He has published more than 300 scientific articles, and he is an active lecturer at numerous international conferences.

 

Join us as we celebrate Dr. James Kennedy and Dr. William Ghali, winners of the 2009 Faculty of Medicine Alumni of Distinction Award for Research at our Annual Alumni Dinner on October 3 at the Calgary Zoo. Click here for more details.