Chairholder to study psychotic disorders

Dr. Philip Tibbo is named the Dr. Paul Janssen Chair in Psychotic Disorders. (Danny Abriel Photo)

Maritimers suffering from psychoses are offered new hope as Dalhousie University installs Dr. Philip Tibbo as the Dr. Paul Janssen Chair in Psychotic Disorders.

“We’re fortunate to have a psychiatrist and researcher of his stature in this appointment,” said Dr. Harold Cook, Dalhousie Medical School’s dean. “Research chairs address pressing health needs in our community by advancing new knowledge, which translates into improved treatments for patients and their families.”

Dr. Tibbo, a renowned psychiatrist from the University of Alberta, will lead a major research team into the causes and treatments of psychotic disorders. His focus will be on early detection and intervention and in improving public awareness of the needs of patients with psychotic disorders. The chair will be attached to the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie and Capital Health.

“Helping someone as soon as they’ve experienced their first episode of psychosis is critical to improving their outcome,” said Dr. Tibbo. “One of my goals is to attract research associates and students from a variety of disciplines to Halifax so that through our collaborative work, we can better understand psychoses and how to manage them.”

“Having a research chair dedicated to the study and treatment of psychotic disorders will help recruit other researchers and physicians with special expertise in this field to our region,” said Dr. Raymond LeBlanc, Capital Health’s vice-president of research and academic affairs. “This position has a Maritime mandate and will certainly be of great benefit to those living with mental illness in our communities.”

Janssen-Ortho Inc. provided $1 million in funding for the chair and the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia donated $500,000. The market value of the fund today is worth $2.3 million.

"This is an investment in the future of mental health care in Nova Scotia, as Dr. Tibbo's work on early detection, intervention, and improving public awareness of the needs of patients with psychotic disorders will also make a difference in the lives of generations to come," said Robert Hunt, the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia's board of directors chair. "Imagine the difference it will make for our children and grandchildren if they can benefit from early detection and treatment—and go through life without the stigma of a mental illness."

The Dr. Paul Janssen Chair in Psychotic Disorders is named for the late Dr. Paul Janssen, one of the 20th century’s most innovative and inspiring pharmaceutical researchers. His work is responsible for many important treatment breakthroughs, including in the field of psychiatry.