Austin, Jehannine - Biography
Jehannine Austin
PhD, MSc (Genetic Counseling) CCGC/CGC
Assistant Professor, UBC Department of Medical Genetics
Graduate Advisor, UBC Genetic Counseling Training Program
Block Co-Chair: Brain and Behaviour (2nd year, UBC Undergraduate Medical Program)
Other Affiliations:
- Research Scientist, BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, Vancouver.
- Centre Investigator, Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
- Consultant, Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver.
- Member, Womens Health Research Institute, Vancouver.
Contact Information:
Rm A3-112 - 3rd Floor,
CFRI Translational Lab Building,
938 W 28th Ave,
Vancouver, BC
V5Z 4H4
(604) 875 2000 ext. 5943
Email: jehannine.austin@ubc.ca
Publications:
Austin J, and Honer W. Potential impact of genetic counselling for mental illness. Clinical Genetics.2005 67 (2) p134-142.
Austin, J. Schizophrenia: An update and review. Journal of Genetic Counselling. 2005 14(5) p. 329- 340.
Austin J, Smith G.N., and Honer W. The genomic era and families’ perceptions of psychotic disorders: Genetic risk estimation, associations with reproductive decisions and views about predictive testing. American Journal of Medical Genetics: Neuropsychiatric Genetics 2006. 141(8) p926-928
Austin J. and Peay, H.L. Applications and Limitations of Empiric Data in Provision of Recurrence Risks for Schizophrenia: A practical review for healthcare professionals providing clinical psychiatric genetics consultations. Clinical Genetics 2006. 70 (3) p177-187
Austin JC, and Honer WG. The genomic era and serious mental illness: a potential application for psychiatric genetic counseling. Psychiatric Services 2007. 58(2) p254-261
Peay HL, Palmer C, Sheidley B, McCarthy Veach P, Gettig B, Austin JC. Psychiatric disorders in clinical genetics I: Assessing family histories of psychiatric disorders. Journal of Genetic Counseling 2008 17(1) p6-17.
Austin JC, Palmer C, Sheidley B, McCarthy Veach P, Gettig B, Peay HL. Psychiatric disorders in clinical genetics II: Individualizing recurrence risks for psychiatric disorders. Journal of Genetic Counseling 2008 17(1) p18-29.
Austin JC, and Honer WG. Psychiatric genetic counseling for parents of individuals with psychotic disorders: a pilot study. Early Intervention in Psychiatry 2008 2 p80-89.
Voineskos AN, Lang DJ, Zai G, Bulgin N, Shaikh S, Su W, Kopala, LC, MacEwan, GW, Thornton AE, Smith GN, Austin JC, Honer WG, Kennedy JL. MAG Gene Variation and Cortical Gray Matter Volume in First Episode Schizophrenia. Brain Imaging and Behaviour 2008. 2(2) p117-122.
Hippman C, Oberlander T, Honer WG, Misri S, Austin JC. Depression during pregnancy: the impact on maternal mood of increased risk for fetal aneuploidy. Clinical Genetics 2009 75 p30-36.
Du Souich C, Austin JC, Friedlander R, Boerkoel CF. A Novel Syndrome With Psychiatric Features and Review of Malformation Syndromes with Psychiatric Disorders American Journal of Medical Genetics 2009 149A(4):713-21.
Smith GN, Wong H, MacEwan GW, Kopala LC, Ehmann TS, Thornton AE, Lang DJ, Barr AM, Procyshyn R, Austin JC, Flynn SW, Honer WG. Predictors of starting to smoke cigarettes in patients with first episode psychosis Schizophrenia Research 2009 108(1-3):258-64.
Monaco L, Conway L, Valverde K, and Austin JC. Genetic counselors’ perceptions and practices relating to schizophrenia. Public Health Genomics. 2010 13: 21-26.
Hunter, MJ, Hippman, C, Honer, WG, Austin JC. Genetic counseling for schizophrenia: trends in referrals to a catchment area medical genetics program over 40 years (1968-2007). In press, American Journal of Medical Genetics, 2010 152A: 147-152.
Austin, J.C. Re-conceptualizing risk in genetic counseling: implications for clinical practice. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 2010.
Feret, H, Conway, L, Austin JC. Genetic Counselors’ attitudes towards individuals with schizophrenia: desire for social distance and endorsement of stereotypes. In press Patient Education and Counseling
Research:
Psychiatric disorders (e.g. depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) are common conditions that are associated with extreme emotional burden, both for affected individuals and their families. Psychiatric disorders are complex conditions that arise as a result of combinations of genetic and environmental vulnerability factors. The genetics of psychiatric disorders is especially complex, so our understanding has been slow in coming despite application of state-of-the-art tools and a large number of studies over many years. Although both molecular genetic research in psychiatry and clinical applications of genetics in many other medical disciplines are well established, research involving clinical applications of genetics in psychiatric conditions is still emerging. However, progress is now being made, and there is an urgent need to translate this into benefit for individuals with psychiatric disorders and their families.
The overall objective of my program of research is to use a clinical genetics perspective to inform the development of novel biological and non-biological interventions to improve outcomes for individuals with psychiatric disorders and to support their families.
I am particularly interested in:
- Improving outcomes for people with mental illness and their families by helping them to better understand the causes of mental illness.
- Contributing to a better understanding of factors that contribute to the development of postpartum depression, and developing new nutritional interventions to reduce women’s risk for postpartum depression
- Modifying healthcare professionals attitudes towards individuals with mental illness.
More information about my research program can be found here:
http://www.bcmhari.ca/faculty/austin-jehannine.php
