schizophrenia

The broad goal of my research is to study the impact of the stress response on the regulation of emotion, particularly in young people. Dysfunction in emotional regulation is at the heart of major depression and bipolar disorder, and there is no doubt that stress often plays a pivotal role in these illnesses. Uncovering the neurobiology of mood disorders is the core of my work. Reward processing (an aspect of emotional regulation) in addictions is a developing interest as well.

I also maintain an interest in other psychiatric disorders found in young people, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, all of which I have worked on in the past.
We use a number of experimental techniques to answer these questions. These include, but are not limited to: (1) volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (manual tracing, voxel based morphometry and cortical thickness), (2) diffusion tensor imaging, (3) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (proton mainly, and phosphorous if possible) and (4) functional magnetic resonance imaging. Obviously, neuroimaging techniques provide only part of the 'whole picture': other tools such as endocrine assessments, behavioral studies and rigorous psychiatric examination must be combined in order to understand the manner in which changes in emotional regulation are related to stress and disease.

The larger, 30,000 feet goal is to have my outcome-focused research have a positive and useful impact upon clinical practice in ways that will better the lives of children affected by mental illness.

The focus of my research interests has been on issues that I consider relevant for psychiatric practice. This includes the application of new technologies to relevant clinical issues with the goal of improving the care of psychiatric patients. In collaboration with the division of cardiac sciences, I currently initiated a study using CMR (cardiovascular magnetic resonance) imaging to study functional and structural cardiac abnormalities in early psychosis. In another study with the Seaman MR Research Centre, we are using abdominal MRI to assess lithium-induced nephropathies.

I regularly supervise medical students and residents during thier psychiatric rotations. Over the last year I have served as Pscychiatry Evaluations Coordinator as well as resident research coordinator for the department of psychiatry. In these positions I try to get medical students and psychiatric residents interested in psychiatric research.

Being a clinical psychiatrist has helped me to identify clinical issues that are relevant for patient-care. Given the abundance of different approaches available at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, I would like to contribute to the clinical aspects of translation research for neuropsychiatric disorders.

Dr. Donald Addington is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the interim director of the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education.  Dr. Addington is active in research, education clinical practice and administration. His research activities include health services research and knowledge synthesis with a focus on quality and outcome of schizophrenia and particularly First Episode Psychosis Services. His most recent activity has been the development of a Fidelity Scale for First Episode Psychosis Services. He has over 120 peer reviewed publications and has received grants from the National Institutes of Health, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. Dr. Addington established the psychosis research group at the University of Calgary in 1986. This group has continued to the present time and is now a component of the Mathison Centre. In 1990 published the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia which has become the internationally recognized gold standard for the assessment of depression in schizophrenia and has been translated into 35 languages? Nationally Dr. Addington has chaired working groups for the development of the Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines for Schizophrenia. In Calgary he has obtained competitive health services grant support to develop the First Episode Psychosis services comprised of both first episode psychosis clinics and specialized clinics for those at high risk of developing schizophrenia. These services have now become established components of Alberta Health Services. In addition to his research career Dr. Addington was for 11 years the Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Calgary and Head Calgary Health Region Regional Clinical Department of Psychiatry. He has served on a number of committees for the Canadian Institutes for Health Information, the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. In 2011 he was asked to write an invited commentary for the US Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, on Performance Measures for evaluation and quality improvement in the care of individuals with a First Episode Psychosis. He is serving his second term as the Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Psychiatric Association.