Schizophrenia: Nature vs. Nurture Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined

Researchers have estimated that about 80 percent of the risk for developing Schizophrenia is hereditary and yet that doesn't mean people with that genetic component in their family history will actually develop the disorder. Sometimes Schizophrenia risk increases through a random mutation that is not passed from parent to child. In this episode, we'll be looking at the role genetics plays in the development and onset of Schizophrenia. Is it all about your genes? Or are there other potential risks that can trigger it? To help answer some of these questions we'll be talking to two people — Dr. Robert Stowe, a behavioural neurologist in the UBC Neuropsychiatry Program and a member of the Genetic Testing Task Force of the International Society for Psychiatry Genetics; and Courtney Cook, who works as a genetics counsellor on UBC's MAGERS project.

Resources for show notes:

Dr. Robert Stowe:

https://www.centreforbrainhealth.ca/stowe-robert

https://www.bcchr.ca/bstowe

https://psychiatry.ubc.ca/person/robert-stowe/

https://www.vchri.ca/researchers/robert-stowe

Metabolic and Genetic Explorations in Refractory Schizophrenia (MAGERS) Project (2021)

https://med-fom-psychiatry.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2021/05/Stowe-Metabolic-and-Genetic-Explorations-in-Refractory-Schizophrenia-Project.pdf

Genetic Counselling at Adapt Clinic

http://www.bcmhsus.ca/our-services/genetic-counselling-(the-adapt-clinic)

GenCOUNSEL: Genetic Counsellors and Geneticists

https://www.bcchr.ca/GenCOUNSEL/our-team/genetic-counsellors-and-geneticists
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