Jehannine Austin, Medical Genetics

Canada Research Chair in Translational Psychiatric Genomics

Jehannine Austin

Jehannine Austin

Dr. Jehannine Austin, an Associate Professor with UBC’s Departments of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, aims to make psychiatric genetics relevant to people with mental illness and their families by developing new counseling-based and biologically-based treatments.

In 2012, she founded the world’s first specialist psychiatric genetic counselling service, housed at BC Women’s Hospital in Vancouver. To date, the clinic has provided services to over 300 families across the province and has sparked the development of two other clinics — one in the US and one in the UK.

In addition to serving as Canada Research Chair in Translational Psychiatric Genomics and a Research Scientist at the BC Mental Health and Addictions Institute, Dr. Austin has been elected to serve as the next president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) – the largest professional organization for genetic counselors in the world.