Peggy Margaret Anne Richter

MD, FRCP(C)
Associate Scientist, Staff Psychiatrist
peggy.richter@sunnybrook.ca
Phone: 416-480-6736
Fax: 416-480-5766

Research Assistant:

Administrative Assistant
Email: anusha.nagireddy@sunnybrook.ca

Dr. Peggy M.A. Richter is the inaugural Head and co-lead of the Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre and Director of the Clinic for OCD & Related Disorders at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and heads the sole residential treatment program for severe OCD in Canada. She is Professor of Psychiatry at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, and Associate Scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute. Dr. Richter is internationally known for her work in OCD, focusing on exploration of the genetic and biological basis of this illness, novel treatments and improving outcome. Funding sources include the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, National Institute of Mental Health, and the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation.

Dr. Richter is the author of numerous publications and sits on the boards of several advocacy groups, including the Scientific Advisory Board and the Perinatal Task Force of the International OCD Foundation, and the Scientific Boards of Anxiety Canada and the Canadian BFRB Support Network. She co-chaired the development of Ontario Quality Standards for management of OCD and Anxiety Disorders. She is an internationally acclaimed speaker on anxiety, presenting extensively to both health care professionals and lay audiences. She is passionate about improving understanding and treatment of OCD and the related disorders.

Education

  • B.Sc., 1981 (incomplete), University of Ottawa, Canada
  • MD, 1985, University of Ottawa, Canada
  • Diploma in Psychiatry, 1990, University of Toronto, Canada
  • Research Diploma, 1990, Department of Psychiatry, U of Toronto, Canada

Appointments & Affiliations

  • Associate Scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
  • Head, Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
  • Director, Clinic for OCD & Related Disorders, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
  • Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
  • Associate Member, graduate faculty, Institute of Medical Science, U of T
  • Adjunct member, Department of Psychology, Your University

Research Foci

  • Genetics of anxiety disorders
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • OCD-related disorders
  • Psychiatric pharmacogenetics

Publications

Affiliated Labs & Programs

Selected Publications

  1. Hamani C, Davidson B, Rabin JS, Goubran M, Boone L, Hynynen K, De Schlichting E, Meng Y, Huang Y, Jones RM, Baskaran A, Marawi T, Richter MA, Levitt A, Nestor SM, Giacobbe P, Lipsman N. Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Focused Ultrasound Capsulotomy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2024 Aug 24:S0006-3223(24)01548-8. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.08.015. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39187171.

  2. Strom NI, Gerring ZF, Galimberti M, Yu D, Halvorsen MW, Abdellaoui A, Rodriguez-Fontenla C, Sealock JM, Bigdeli T, Coleman JR, Mahjani B, Thorp JG, Bey K, Burton CL, Luykx JJ, Zai G, Alemany S, Andre C, Askland KD, Banaj N, Barlassina C, Nissen JB, Bienvenu OJ, Black D, Bloch MH, Boberg J, Børte S, Bosch R, Breen M, Brennan BP, Brentani H, Buxbaum JD, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Byrne EM, Cabana-Dominguez J, Camarena B, Camarena A, Cappi C, Carracedo A, Casas M, Cavallini MC, Ciullo V, Cook EH, Crosby J, Cullen BA, De Schipper EJ, Delorme R, Djurovic S, Elias JA, Estivill X, Falkenstein MJ, Fundin BT, Garner L, German C, Gironda C, Goes FS, Grados MA, Grove J, Guo W, Haavik J, Hagen K, Harrington K, Havdahl A, Höffler KD, Hounie AG, Hucks D, Hultman C, Janecka M, Jenike E, Karlsson EK, Kelley K, Klawohn J, Krasnow JE, Krebs K, Lange C, Lanzagorta N, Levey D, Lindblad-Toh K, Macciardi F, Maher B, Mathes B, McArthur E, McGregor N, McLaughlin NC, Meier S, Miguel EC, Mulhern M, Nestadt PS, Nurmi EL, O'Connell KS, Osiecki L, Ousdal OT, Palviainen T, Pedersen NL, Piras F, Piras F, Potluri S, Rabionet R, Ramirez A, Rauch S, Reichenberg A, Riddle MA, Ripke S, Rosário MC, Sampaio AS, Schiele MA, Skogholt AH, Sloofman LGSG, Smit J, Soler AM, Thomas LF, Tifft E, Vallada H, van Kirk N, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Vulink NN, Walker CP, Wang Y, Wendland JR, Winsvold BS, Yao Y, Zhou H; 23andMe Research Team; VA Million Veteran Program, Estonian Biobank; CoGa research team; iPSYCH, HUNT research team; NORDiC research team; Agrawal A, Alonso P, Berberich G, Bucholz KK, Bulik CM, Cath D, Denys D, Eapen V, Edenberg H, Falkai P, Fernandez TV, Fyer AJ, Gaziano JM, Geller DA, Grabe HJ, Greenberg BD, Hanna GL, Hickie IB, Hougaard DM, Kathmann N, Kennedy J, Lai D, Landén M, Le Hellard S, Leboyer M, Lochner C, McCracken JT, Medland SE, Mortensen PB, Neale BM, Nicolini H, Nordentoft M, Pato M, Pato C, Pauls DL, Piacentini J, Pittenger C, Posthuma D, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Rasmussen SA, Richter MA, Rosenberg DR, Ruhrmann S, Samuels JF, Sandin S, Sandor P, Spalletta G, Stein DJ, Stewart SE, Storch EA, Stranger BE, Turiel M, Werge T, Andreassen OA, Børglum AD, Walitza S, Hveem K, Hansen BK, Rück CP, Martin NG, Milani L, Mors O, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Ribasés M, Kvale G, Mataix-Cols D, Domschke K, Grünblatt E, Wagner M, Zwart JA, Breen G, Nestadt G, Kaprio J, Arnold PD, Grice DE, Knowles JA, Ask H, Verweij KJ, Davis LK, Smit DJ, Crowley JJ, Scharf JM, Stein MB, Gelernter J, Mathews CA, Derks EM, Mattheisen M. Genome-wide association study identifies 30 obsessive-compulsive disorder associated loci. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Mar 13:2024.03.13.24304161. doi: 10.1101/2024.03.13.24304161. PMID: 38712091.

  3. Lisi DM, Hawley LL, McCabe RE, Rowa K, Cameron DH, Richter MA, Rector NA. Online versus in-person delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder: An examination of effectiveness. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2023 Sep 12. doi: 10.1002/cpp.2908. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37699581.

  4. Hossain R, Sinyor M, Nestor S, Richter MA, Lipsman N, Hamani C, Giacobbe P. Mapping the future of interventional psychiatry for the obsessive-compulsive related disorders: A scoping review. Psychiatry Res. 2023 Jan;319:115007. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.115007. Epub 2022 Dec 10. PMID: 36525901.

  5. Katz DE, Rector NA, McCabe RE, Hawley LL, Rowa K, Richter MA, Ornstein T, Regev R, McKinnon M, Laposa JM. The effect of aerobic exercise alone and in combination with cognitive behavioural therapy on obsessive compulsive disorder: A randomized control study. J Anxiety Disord. 2023 Aug;98:102746. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102746. Epub 2023 Jul 18. PMID: 37494756.

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