Career Summary
Dr. Philippe Major is a pediatric neurologist at CHU Sainte-Justine, Head of the Department of Neurology since 2018, and Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Montréal, with a primary appointment in the Department of Neurosciences and a secondary appointment in the Department of Pediatrics. After completing his specialty training in pediatric neurology at CHU Sainte-Justine in 2006, he pursued advanced fellowship training in pediatric epilepsy and tuberous sclerosis at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, where he was responsible for the tuberous sclerosis clinic.
Since returning to Montreal in 2008, Dr. Major has established Canada’s first specialized clinic for patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. Today, this clinic remains the pediatric clinic following the largest number of patients in Canada and has recently received accreditation from the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance. His expertise focuses on the neurological manifestations of this multisystem disease, including epilepsy, developmental disorders, neuropsychiatric involvement, and neurocutaneous disorders more broadly.
His research also focuses on pediatric epilepsy, ranging from common forms to complex and drug-resistant epilepsies, with particular interest in tuberous sclerosis, infantile spasms, epilepsy surgery, precision therapies, and the transition of adolescents to adult care. He is notably involved in the TÉCUM program on transition in complex epilepsy, as well as in recent pediatric precision health projects in tuberous sclerosis.
Strongly committed to teaching and program development, Dr. Major served as Director of the Pediatric Neurology Residency Program from 2012 to 2018. He currently holds several institutional leadership roles, including Assistant to the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and lead for the project to establish the pediatric epilepsy referral center at CHU Sainte-Justine. His work was recognized with the Clinical/Advocacy Award from the Canadian League Against Epilepsy in 2021 and the Innovation Award from CHU Sainte-Justine in 2025.
Publications
R.J. Huntsman, R. Tang-Wai, J. Alcorn, S. Vuong, B. Acton, S. Corley, R. Laprairie, A.W. Lyon, S. Meier, D.D. Mousseau, D. Newmeyer, E. Prosser-Loose, B. Seifert, J. Tellez-Zenteno, L. Huh, E. Leung, P. Major. Dosage Related Efficacy and Tolerability of Cannabidiol in Children With Treatment-Resistant Epileptic Encephalopathy: Preliminary Results of the CARE-E Study. Front Neurol 2019;10:716
V. Mongrain, N.H. van Doesburg, F. Rypens, C. Fallet-Bianco, J. Maassen, J. Dufort-Gervais, L. Côté, P. Major. A case report of severe tuberous sclerosis complex detected in utero and linked to a novel duplication in the TSC2 gene. BMC Neurol. 2020 Sep 1
D'Onofrio G, Major P. Reversal of Benzodiazepine-Induced Myoclonus by Flumazenil in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Neuropediatrics. 2024 Oct;55(5):347-348. doi: 10.1055/a-2338-5736. Epub 2024 Jun 5. PMID: 38838738
Whitney R, Nouri MN, Sham L, Muir K, Andrade AV, Connolly MB, Donner EJ, Evanochko C, Flinn J, House AA, Kim RH, Kowal C, Major P, Teixeira Marques P, Suller-Marti A, Trinari E, Valcic M, Wilbur C, Zak M, Keezer MR. The Current State of Care for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex in Canada. Can J Neurol Sci. 2025 Apr 2:1-7. doi: 10.1017/cjn.2025.58. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40170605
Li J, El Haffaf Z, Lattouf JB, Major P, Keezer MR. Diagnostic Accuracy of Clinical Manifestations in Identifying People With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Neurol Genet. 2025 Jul 2;11(4).
Zhao YN, Blondeau LA, Drouin-Engler RM, Beaudet L, Côté M, Damiani J, Chartrand D, Léger V, Nguyen DK, Major P, Keezer MR. TÉCUM: A New Transition Program for Young People With Epilepsy. Neurol Clin Pract. 2025 Dec;15(6)
Related news
Catalyst Program awards $2.1 million across seven projects to advance Precision Child Health
Press release, Tuesday 14 January 2025