Peter Giacobbe

Administrative Assistant: Heidi Goertz, 416-480-4085

Research Synopsis

The overarching goal of Dr. Giacobbe’s research is the development and evaluation of novel treatment strategies for people with treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders. His clinical and research interests are in the area of “interventional neuropsychiatry.” As in the fields of cardiology or radiology, the term interventional can describe psychiatrists who are certified, by nature of training and experience, to perform interventions that are procedural and typically more invasive than general medical care within that specialty.

Dr. Giacobbe is one of few psychiatrists in the world with expertise in the delivery and evaluation of deep brain stimulation, MRI-guided focused ultrasound, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroconvulsive therapy. 

He assumed the position of clinical head of the newly formed Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in January 2018. The mandate of Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation is to provide neurocircuitry-guided direct-to-brain treatments for treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders. The treatments include noninvasive brain stimulation options (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation), convulsive therapies (electroconvulsive therapy) and surgical interventions (deep brain stimulation and MRI-guided focused ultrasound). 

He has taken a lead role in creating the 2009 and 2016 CANMAT guidelines for the use of neurostimulation therapies in major depressive disorder and has spoken extensively on brain stimulation topics locally, nationally and internationally. 

He has contributed to growth of the burgeoning field of neuromodulation for psychiatric disorders, especially in the areas of deep brain stimulation and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders.