Nationality Canadian | Name Gustavo Turecki | |
 | ||
Born May 11, 1965 (age 59) ( 1965-05-11 ) Awards AFSP Research Career Award (2012); Radio-Canada Scientist of the Year Award (2009); NARSAD Oxley Foundation Investigator Award (2009); AFSP Distinguished Investigator Award (2009 & 2006), Heinz Lehmann Award, CCNP (2012). Organization | ||
Dr gustavo turecki at cdrin 2015
Gustavo Turecki, MD, PhD (born May 11, 1965) is an award-winning Canadian psychiatrist and professor at McGill University. He is a William Dawson Scholar and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, and works at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, where he heads both the McGill Group for Suicide Studies and the Depressive Disorders Program. He is also the director of the FRQS Quebec Network on Suicide, Mood Disorders and Related Disorders, and the co-director of the Douglas Bell-Canada Brain Bank.
Contents
- Dr gustavo turecki at cdrin 2015
- The Role of microRNA in Depression Research
- Scientific contributions
- Personal life
- Recognition of work
- Neurobiology studies
- Clinical and behavioural studies of depression and suicide
- References
As a clinician and neuroscientist, his research focuses on examining the influence of life experiences on brain function, and their relationship to depression and suicide risk. Among his major contributions, published in more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, is the first description of the long-term impact of childhood abuse on the brain, particularly how it affects the activity of key genes involved in stress-response.
The Role of microRNA in Depression Research
Scientific contributions
Turecki's neurobiological work has focused strongly on the processes underlying depression and suicide. A defining moment in his career came from a collaboration with Michael Meaney and Moshe Szyf, in which they uncovered that early-life adversity epigenetically regulates the glucocorticoid receptor gene, a key component of response to stress. This groundbreaking study helped to reconcile the longstanding debate about the relative influences of genes and environment on behaviour (‘nature vs. nurture’ debate), and garnered international attention, leading to Turecki's selection as the scientist of the year by Radio Canada/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 2009, along with Meaney and Szyf. Turecki's further research on the human brain explored the epigenetic control of genes related to stress-response systems, such as the hypothalamus- pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, particularly in association with childhood abuse and suicide. The promising results obtained in studying the epigenetic control of the HPA axis prompted Turecki to study the role of epigenetics in another pathway, the polyamine stress response, which his team had already shown to be linked to suicide risk. More recently, and in parallel to the classic epigenetic studies focusing on DNA and histone methylation, Turecki's focus has expanded to non-coding RNAs and their involvement in depression and suicide, as well as in response to antidepressants.
Turecki also conducts work aiming at refining the depression and suicide phenotype. His clinical work focuses on depression. He leads the Depressive Disorders Program, a clinical group that treats patients affected with major depression and integrates research projects into clinical practice. Two key aspects of this work are exploring how impulsive-aggressive behaviours contribute to suicide risk, and implementing novel protocols and standards in the field.
Turecki's ongoing research endeavours have a strong impact on international neuropsychiatric research. His clinical intervention protocols have helped to improve patient care, and his laboratory has become an international leader in the investigation of the neurobiology of suicide, focusing on functional genomics, epigenetics and other molecular factors. His contributions in creating and managing the Suicide Brain Bank within the Douglas Bell-Canada Brain Bank has allowed researchers from around the world to access unique and valuable human tissues.
Personal life
Turecki is married and has three children. He was born in La Plata, Argentina and moved to Montreal in 1994.
Recognition of work
Turecki is currently an FRQS Chercheur National. His contributions have also been recognized through numerous prizes and awards.