Dr. Natalie Grizenko is conducting research in :
– Pharmacogenetic and neuroimaging of ADHD (with Dr. Ridha Joober)
– Effectiveness of ADHD inteventions (with Dr.Lily Hechtman)
– Prenatal /postnatal risk factors in ADHD (including maternal stress and stress during pregancy and the impact of prenatal and postnatal complications).
– Epigenetic research in ADHD
– Day treatment effectiveness for children.

From 2001 to 2015, Natalie Grizenko has assumed the position of medical director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Program, with the tripartite mandate of integrating research, teaching and clinical excellence throughout the program. She has also been involved in clinical teaching and research assuming the role of postgraduate training coordinator in child psychiatry at the Douglas Institute from 1991 to 2001. She was also co-director of the Child Psychopathology Axis of the Douglas Research Center.

Dr. Grizenko has received (as principal investigator and associate investigator) over 66 grants totaling over $6 million. She has supervised 80 psychiatry residents, medical research students, Masters and Ph.D. students. Natalie Grizenko has published over 80 papers and book chapters, and has written two books.

Winner of the MHS/Keith Connors award for scholarly contributors, 2010.

Key publications

Sengupta, S.M., Fortier, M.-E., Thakur, G.A., Bhat, V., Grizenko, N., Joober, R. Parental psychopathology in families of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and exposed to maternal smoking during pregnancy. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,2015; 56(2); 122-129

Grizenko, N., Cai, E., Jolicoeur, C., Ter-Stepanian, M., Joober, R., Effects of methylphenidate on acute math performance in children with attenti-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 2013; 58(10):632-639.

Grizenko, N., Pereira, R.M., Joober, R., Sensitivity of scales to evaluate change in symptomatology with psychostimulants in different ADHD subtypes. Canadian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2013, 22(2):153-158.

Choudry, Z., Sengupta, S.M., Grizenko, N., Harvey, W.J., Fortier M.-E., Schmitz, N., Joober, R. Body Weight and ADHD: examining the role of self-regulation PLOS ONE, 8(1):e 55351.doi 10.1371/journal.pone.0055351 epub: Jan. 29, 2013.

Thakur, G., Sengupta, S.M., Grizenko, N., Choudry, Z., Joober, R., Comprehensive phenotype/genotype analysis of norepinephrine transporter gene (SL6A2) in ADHD: relationship to maternal smoking during pregnancy PLOS ONE, 2012:7(11):e49616, doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0049616. Epub 2012, Nov. 20.

Grizenko, N., Zhang, D.D.Q., Polotskaia, A., Joober, R., Efficacy of methylphenidate in ADHD children within the normal and gifted intellectual spectrum. J Can Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2012, 21(4):282-288.

Fortier, M.-E., Sengupta, S.M., Grizenko, N., Bellingham, J., Choudhry, Z., Joober, R. Genetic evidence for the association of the hypothalamic-pituatary-adrenal (HPA) axis with ADHD and methylphenidate treatment response Neuromolecular Medicine, Oct 10,2012, doi:10.1007/s12017-012-8202-1.

Choudry, Z., Sengupta, S.M., Grizenko, N., Fortier, M.-E., Thakur, G., Bellingham, J., Joober, R., Association between LPHN3 and ADHD disorder: interaction with maternal stress during pregnancy. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2012 Aug 53(8):892-902 doi:10.1111/j1469-7610.2012.02551x, Epub 2012, Apr. 7.

Grizenko, N., Fortier, M-E., Zadorozny, C., Thakur, G.A., Schmitz, N., Duval, R., Joober, R., Maternal stress during pregnancy, ADHD symptomatology in children and genotype: gene-environment interaction. J Can Academy.of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
2012, 21(1):9-15.

Grizenko, N., Paci, M., Joober, R. Is the inattentive subtype of ADHD different from the combined/hyperactive subtype? Journal of Attention Disorders, 2010, 13(6): 649-657.

Grizenko, N., Rajabien Shayan, Y., Polotskaia, A., Ter-Stepanian, M., Joober, R. Maternal Stress during pregnancy and how it relates to symptom severity and response to treatment in children with ADHD. J. of Psychiatry and Neuroscience 2008, 33(1):10-16

Grizenko, N., Bhat, M., Schwartz, G., Ter-Stepanian, M., Joober, R. Therapeutic response to methylphenidate in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder with and without learning disability. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 2006, 31(1): 46-51.

Grizenko, N., Kovacina, B., Ben Amor, L., Schwartz, G., Ter-Stepanian, M., Joober, R. Relationship between response to methylphenidate treatment in children with ADHD and psychopathology in their families. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 2006, 42(1): 47-53.

Grizenko, N., Zappitelli, M., Langevin, J.P., Hrychko, S., El-Messidi, A, Kaminester, D., Pawliuk, N. and Ter-Stepanian, M. Effectiveness of a Social Skills Training Program Using Self-Other Perspective Taking : A Nine Month Follow-up. Am J of Orthopsychiatry, 2000, 70(4): 501-509.

Grizenko, N. Outcome of a multimodal day treatment for children with severe behavior problems : A five year follow-up. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 1997, 36(7) : 989-997.