Ridha Joober MD, PhD
- Theme-Based Group:Youth Mental Health and Early Intervention
- Division:Clinical Research

6875 Boulevard LaSalle
Montréal, QC
H4H 1R3
Researcher, Douglas Research Centre
Group Leader, Youth Mental Health and Early Interventions
Director, Program of Early intervention and Prevention of Psychoses (PEPP-Montreal), Douglas Mental Health University Institute
Full Professor, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
Vice President, Canadian Collegium of Neuropsychopharmacology
Genetics and pharmacogenetics of psychiatric disorders, Youth mental health and early intervention in psychotic disorders
Ridha Joober joined the Research Centre of the Douglas Hospital in 1999 where he devotes his research to genetics and pharmacogenetics of psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder in children and autism. The work of Dr. Joober is dedicated to developing a better understanding of the genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders, which could lead to a better understanding of the underlying biology of mental illness diagnoses and treatments. Dr. Joober also done research on care models and the organization of services for young people affected with mental disorders.His more recent work combines genetics and neuroimaging techniques to study the effects of environmental factor, such as maternal smoking during pregnancy and drug abuse during adolescence, on brain development and functioning in patients with psychiatric neurodevelopmental disorders. As a psychiatrist, Ridha Joober treats and monitors adolescents and young adults experiencing a first psychotic episode, patients with schizophrenia living in the community and children with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. He is the Director of PEPP-Montreal, a program that offers high quality care to young people with psychotic disorder for the first time in their lives. Dr. Joober is Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Human Genetics of the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University. Due to his engagement in both clinical and molecular investigations, Dr. Joober work to establish integrated research programs whose primary objective is to improve the care and well being of patients and their families.
Dr. Joober is the author / co-author of over 230 scientific articles published in journals with peer review. He has received several awards, including the Young Investigator Award from the American National Alliance of Research on Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders, the Young Investigator Award of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the award of Senior Researcher from the Fond du Québec Health Research.
Recent news
Recent publications
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The effects of childhood adversity on treatment delays and its components in first-episode psychosis. Psychiatry Res. 2021;308:114341.
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Predictors of empowerment in parents of children with autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders who are undergoing genetic testing. Mol Genet Genomic Med. 2021;9(11):e1803.
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The BDNF val66met polymorphism is associated with decreased use of landmarks and decreased fMRI activity in the hippocampus during virtual navigation. Eur J Neurosci. 2021;54(7):6406-6421.
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Randomness and nondeterminism: from genes to free will with implications for psychiatry. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2021;46(4):E500-E505.
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Serotonin syndrome: SSRIs are not the only culprit. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2021;46(3):E369-E370.
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Cumulative exposure to ADHD medication is inversely related to hippocampus subregional volume in children. Neuroimage Clin. 2021;31:102695.
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Impact of childhood trauma on positive and negative symptom remission in first episode psychosis. Schizophr Res. 2021;231:82-89.
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Sex-dependent complex association of TPH2 with multiple dimensions of ADHD. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2021;110:110296.
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Neurocognitive functions in persistent negative symptoms following a first episode of psychosis. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021;47:86-97.
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The antipsychotic potential of cannabidiol: clinical implications for patients with psychosis and comorbid cannabis use disorder. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2021;46(1):E164-E165.
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Association between COMT methylation and response to treatment in children with ADHD. J Psychiatr Res. 2021;135:86-93.
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Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: narrative review. BJPsych Open. 2021;7(1):e35.
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The New Wave of Youth Mental Health Services: Time for Reflection and Caution. Can J Psychiatry. 2020:706743720984382.
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Adipose tissue dysregulation at the onset of psychosis: Adipokines and social determinants of health. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2020;123:104915.
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Do Unremitted Psychotic Symptoms Have an Effect on the Brain? A 2-Year Follow-up Imaging Study in First-Episode Psychosis. Schizophr Bull Open. 2020;1(1):sgaa039.
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