Gustavo Turecki’s groundbreaking work in depression and suicide has been instrumental in the development of suicide research, intervention and prevention initiatives in Canada and internationally.

Dr. Turecki is a recognized leader in the functional genomics and epigenetics of suicide and depression. A major component of Dr. Turecki’s research has been to understand the molecular changes that occur in the brains of individuals who struggle with depression and feel so hopeless that they consider taking their own life. His work shows how early life adversity affects behavioural and emotional development and influences suicide risk through epigenetic changes in specific areas of the brain.

In this work, Dr. Turecki established the molecular link between social experience and the brain, leading to a new field of study on the epigenetic basis of behaviour. Dr. Turecki’s understanding of how early traumatic life experiences influence the development of the brain has also had significant impact in the clinical setting by legitimizing the experiences of victims of childhood maltreatment. Additionally, Dr. Turecki has produced promising biomarkers of antidepressant response, which could contribute to improved patient management in daily practice. Dr. Turecki’s integration of molecular and clinical science research has positioned him as one of the world’s leading researchers in mood disorders and suicide.

Dr. Turecki is the current Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, the director of the FRQS Quebec Network on Suicide, Mood Disorders and Related Disorders (RQSHA), Co-Director of the Douglas-Bell Canada Brain Bank, and the founding director of the McGill Group for Suicide Studies (MGSS). Additionally, he holds a Canada Research Chair in Major Depressive Disorder and Suicide. In his role as a clinician, Dr. Turecki leads the Depressive Disorders Program at the Douglas Institute, where he provides treatment to youth and adults with refractory major depressive disorder. Dr. Turecki regularly publishes his work in the highest-ranked journals, including Nature and sister journals such as Nature Neuroscience, with more than 400 publications during the length of his career.

Dr. Turecki completed his MD and residency in psychiatry at UNIFESP, Brazil. He received his PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University.