Researcher

Title

• Associate Professor and University Research Chair in Eating Disorders, Department of Psychology, Concordia University
• Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University of Montreal
• Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University

• Postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, 2005-2009
• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of Leiden, the Netherlands, 2001-2005
• Masters in Research Methodology and Statistics, University of Leiden, 1996-2001
• Masters in Clinical Psychology, University of Leiden, 1997-2000

My research program focuses on neurobiological mechanisms of psychopathology. In my current research, I study the impact of early childhood adversity on brain development and epigenetic processes, as well as the risk of developing psychological disorders, particularly eating disorders.

The research methodology I use is based on a combination of epidemiological approaches and experimental studies (fMRI neuroimaging, PET, genetics, epigenetics, behavioral and cognitive measures).

Awards and Distinctions

• University Research Chair in Eating Disorders, Concordia University, 2019-2024
• Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé, Senior Fellow, 2019-2023
• NARSAD- Brain & Behavior Research Foundation - Independent Researcher Award, 2017-2021
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research, New Investigator Salary Award, 2014-2018
• Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Young Investigator Award, 2013
• NARSAD- Brain & Behavior Research Foundation - Young Investigator Award, 2013-2015
• Monique-Gaumond Prize for young researchers working on the theme of depression, 2011
• Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé, Junior 1 scholarship researcher, 2011-2015

Presentations

• Evidence for epigenetic regulation at DNA Loci implicated in risk for Anorexia Nervosa. International Conference for Eating Disorders (virtual conference), June 2021.
• DNA methylation in monozygotic twins: a longitududinal examination from birth until the preschool age. Congress of International Society for Twin Studies (virtual conference), July 2021.
• Relevance of peripheral DNA methylation measures for human brain development and psychopathology. Annual Research Day, Quebec Brain Imaging Network, Montreal, February 2020.
• The role of the early environment on brain development: Epigenetic mechanisms and relevance for mental health. Queen’s centre for neurosciences, Kingston, February, 2020.
• Neurobiology of eating disorders. University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands, December 2019.
• Multidisciplinary research in child development and mental health: Research methods and challenges. Workshop at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil, December 2019.
• Genetic and environmental contributions to eating disorders. Escola de Medicina, Vitória, Brazil, June 2019.
• Eating Disorders. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil, May 2019.

Publications

• Breton, É. & Booij, L. (2021). Du cerveau à l’assiette: Coup d’œil sur les troubles alimentaires. Revue Québecoise, accepted.
• Azar, N., Booij, L., Muckle, G., Arbuckle, T. E., Séguin, J. R., Asztalos, E., Fraser, W.D. Lanphear, B. Bouchard, M. F. (2021). Prenatal exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and cognitive ability in early childhood. Environment International, 146, 106296.
• Kirkpatrick, R., Munoz, D. Khalid-Khan, S., & Booij, L. (2020). Methodological and clinical challenges associated with biomarkers for psychiatric disease: A scoping review. Journal of Psychiatric Research, S0022-3956(20)31082–7.
• Hayward, D.A., Pomares, F.B., Casey, K., Ismaylova, E., Levesque, M., Greenlaw, K., Vitaro, F., Brendgen, M., Dionne, G., Boivin, M., Tremblay, R.E., & Booij, L. (2020). Birth weight is associated with adolescent brain development: a multi-modal imaging study in monozygotic twins. Human Brain Mapping, 41, 5228–5239.
• Sansfaçon, J.**, Booij, L.**, Gauvin, L., Fletcher, F., Islam, F., Israel, M., & Steiger, H. (2020) Pre-treatment motivation and therapy outcomes in eating disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.  International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53, 1879–1900. **SHARED first authorship
• Booij, L. & Steiger, H. (2020). Applying epigenetic science to the understanding of eating disorders: A promising paradigm for research and practice. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 33, 515–520.
• Da Estrela, C., McGrath, J., Booij, L., & Gouin, J-P. (2020). Heart rate variability, sleep quality, and depression in the context of chronic stress. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Jun 11.
• Steiger, H.**, & Booij, L.** (2020). Eating disorders, heredity and environmental activation: Getting epigenetic concepts into practice. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9, 1332. **SHARED first authorship
• Burdo, J., Booij, L., Kahan, E., Thaler, L., Israel, M., Agellon, L.B., Nitschmann, E., Wykes, L., & Steiger, H. (2020). Plasma levels of one-carbon metabolism pathway nutrients in women with Anorexia Nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53, 1534–1538.
• Chiarella, J., Schumann, L., Pomares, F.B., Frodl, T., Tozzi, L., Nemoda, Z., Yu, P., Szyf, M., Khalid-Khan, S., & Booij, L. (2020). DNA methylation differences in stress-related genes, functional connectivity and gray matter volume in depressed and healthy adolescents. Journal of Affective Disorders, 271, 160–168.
• Scardera, S., Sacco, S., Di Sante, J., & Booij, L. (2020). Body image-related cognitive fusion: Role of disordered eating, self-compassion and sad mood. Eating and Weight Disorders, Feb 21.
• Arias, J., Williams, C., Raghvani, R., Aghajani, M., Baez, S., Belzung, C., Booij, L., Busatto, G., Chiarella, J., Fu, C., Ibanez, A., Liddell, B., Lowe, L., Penninx, B., Rosa, P., & Kemp, A. (2020). The neuroscience of sadness: A multidisciplinary synthesis and collaborative review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 111,199–228.
• Thaler, L., Brassard, S., Booij, L., Kahan, E., McGregor, K., Labbe, A., Israel, M., & Steiger, H. (2020). Methylation of the OXTR gene in women with Anorexia Nervosa: Relationship to social behavior. European Eating Disorders Review, 28, 79–86.
• Brietzke, E., Booij, L., Wieck, A., Soares, C. N., Roberts, N., & Khalid-Khan, S. (2020). A discussion of potential clinical markers predicting anti-inflammatory treatment response in individuals with major depression. Brain, Behavior and Immunity, 83, 3–4.
• Gouin, J-P., Wrosch, C., McGrath, J., & Booij, L. (2020). Interpersonal capitalization moderates the associations of chronic caregiving stress and depression with inflammation. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 112.
• Gouin, J-P., Paquin, C., Wrosch, C., McGrath, J., Arbour, N., & Booij, L. (2020). Marital quality and inflammation: the moderating role of early life adversity. Health Psychology, 39, 58–67.
• Dos Santos, R.R.G., Forte, G.C., Mundstock, E., Amaral, M.A., Goecks, S., da Silveira, C.G., Amantéa, F.C., Variani, J.F., Booij, L., & Mattiello, R. (2020). Body composition parameters can better predict body image dissatisfaction than body mass index in Brazilian children and adolescents. Eating and Weight Disorders, 25, 1197–1203.
• Booij, L. (2019). Genetic and epigenetic regulation of CRTC1 in human eating behaviour and fat distribution: Methodological and clinical insights and considerations. EBioMedicine,45, 15–16.
• Sild, M., & Booij, L. (2019). Histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) – a new player in anorexia nervosa? Molecular Psychiatry, 24, 1425–1434.
• Kirkpatrick, R., Booij, L. Vance, A., Marshall, B., Kanellos-Sutton, M., Marchand, P., & Khalid-Khan, S. (2019). Eating disorders and substance use in adolescents: How substance users differ from non-substance users in an outpatient eating disorders treatment clinic. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52, 175–182.
• Steiger, H.**, Booij, L.**, Kahan, E., McGregor, K., Thaler, L., Labbe, A., Joober, R., Israël, M., Szyf, M., Agellon, L., Fletcher, E., Gauvin, L., St-Hilaire, A., & Rossi, E. (2019). A longitudinal, epigenome wide study of DNA methylation in Anorexia Nervosa: Results in actively ill, partially weight restored, long-term remitted, and non-eating-disordered women. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 44, 1–9. **SHARED first authorship
• McIver, T., Bosma, R., Goegan, S., Sandre, A., Klassen, J., Chiarella, J., Booij, L., & Craig, W. (2019). Functional connectivity across social inclusion and exclusion is related to peer victimization and depressive symptoms in young adults. Journal of Affective Disorders, 253, 366–375.
• Van den Heuvel, M., Scholtens, M., Van der Burgh, H., Agosta, F., Alloa, C., Avancini, T., Baron-Cohen, S., Basaia, S., Beyer, F., Booij, L., ....,......, Zhang, R., & De Lange, S. (2019). 10Kin1 day: A bottom-up neuroimaging initiative. Frontiers in Neurology, 10, 425.
• Nguyen, T-V., Jones, S.L., Gower, T., Albaugh, M.D., Botteron, K.N., Hudziak, J.J., Fonov, V.S., Campbell, B.C., Booij, L., Herba, C.M., Monnier, P., Ducharme, S., Waber, D., & McCracken, J.T. (2019). Age-specific associations between oestradiol, cortico-amygdalar structural covariance, and verbal and spatial skills. J Neuroendocrinology, 31, e12698.
• Farooqi, N.A.I, Scotti, M., Yu, A., Lew, J., Monnier, P., Botteron, K., Campbell, B.C., Booij, L., Herba, C., Seguin, J.R., Castellanos-Ryan, N., McCracken, J.T., & Nguyen, T-V. (2019). Sex-specific contribution of DHEA-Cortisol ratio to prefrontal-hippocampal structural development, cognitive abilities and personality traits. Journal of Endocrinology, 31, e12682.