Cathy Barr completed her Ph.D. in molecular biology at the University of Texas, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (M.D. Anderson Cancer Center) in Houston, Texas, followed by postdoctoral training in the genetics of complex behaviors at Yale University and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Currently serving as a Senior Scientist at both the Hospital for Sick Children and the Krembil Research Institute (University Health Network) and as a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Physiology at The University of Toronto, Dr. Barr investigates the genetic foundations of behavior, cognition, and psychiatric disorders with established genetic predispositions. Her research mainly focuses on childhood-onset conditions, including depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, reading disabilities, and Tourette syndrome, with special emphasis on understanding shared risk factors across disorders – a critical area given that children with neurodevelopmental disorders face a fivefold increased risk of depression. Through innovative approaches, Dr. Barr and her research team have successfully identified risk-contributing genes. They are investigating how DNA variations in these genes influence gene function and neural cell behavior. In this Genomic Press Interview, she generously shares insights from her groundbreaking research into the genetic underpinnings of childhood psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Part 1: Cathy Barr – Life and Career
Could you give us a glimpse into your personal history, emphasizing the pivotal moments that first kindled your passion for science?
When I was a senior in high school, we had a medical resident come to our advanced biology class. He told us about delivering a baby with no brain that died immediately after birth. They then figured out that the father did not have full closure of his spinal column, pointing to a genetic cause. That led me to think about genetics and the potential to understand human disease.
Citation: Genomic Psychiatry 2025; 10.61373/gp024k.0097
We would like to know more about your career trajectory leading up to your most relevant leadership role. What defining moments channeled you toward that leadership responsibility?
There was much serendipity in where I ended up. I let my interests in molecular biology and genetics guide my career choices, which ultimately led me to my current position.
Please share with us what initially piqued your interest in your favorite research or professional focus area.
My interest in the genetics of psychiatric disorders began when I heard a lecture by Bob Williamson. In it, he mentioned that scientists were beginning to study the genetics of schizophrenia and how difficult that would be. At that moment, I knew that I wanted to study this, not because it would be difficult but because of the potential of genetics to understand this complex and debilitating disorder.
What impact do you hope to achieve in your field by focusing on specific research topics?
I hope that the knowledge gained from the study of genetics reduces the stigma for psychiatric disorders and leads to more specific treatments.
Please tell us more about your current scholarly focal points within your chosen field of science.
After decades of searching for genes contributing to psychiatric disorders, we are now blessed with a plethora of risk genes. The challenge is to understand how genetic variation alters gene and cell function. We are using multiple molecular techniques (e.g., CRISPR, CRISPRa, and CRISPRi) and stem cell-derived neural cells (gene-edited stem cells and iPSCs from patients) to understand how genetic variation alters cell function.
What habits and values did you develop during your academic studies or subsequent postdoctoral experiences that you uphold within your research environment?
Persistence! If something does not work, try another approach.
At Genomic Press, we prioritize fostering research endeavors based solely on their inherent merit, uninfluenced by geography or the researchers' personal or demographic traits. Are there particular cultural facets within the scientific community that warrant transformative scrutiny, or is there a cause within science that deeply stirs your passions?
The disparity in the treatment of women scientists.
What do you most enjoy in your capacity as an academic or research leader?
Planning projects and experiments and then analyzing data.
Outside professional confines, how do you prefer to allocate your leisure moments, or conversely, in what manner would you envision spending these moments given a choice?
I love to travel. Fortunately, science offers excellent opportunities through conferences and collaborations.
Citation: Genomic Psychiatry 2025; 10.61373/gp024k.0097
Part 2: Cathy Barr – Selected Questions from the Proust Questionnaire
What is your idea of perfect happiness?1
Having a promising scientific finding! Outside of science, I am happiest when traveling and seeing or learning something new.
What is your greatest fear?
Cognitive impairment that would prevent me from working.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Besides spending money on travel, I do not have any extravagant habits.
What are you most proud of?
Having survived in academia.
What is your greatest regret?
I have lots of small regrets but no single greatest regret.
What is the quality you most admire in people?
Compassionate honesty.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Intelligence.
What is your favorite occupation (or activity)?
Traveling, hiking, and reading.
Where would you most like to live?
I love living in Toronto but would be OK with a beach cottage in San Diego for the winter.
What is your most treasured possession?
My condo overlooking Toronto Harbour.
When and where were you happiest? And why were you so happy then?
There was no single time when I was happiest. I have had many moments of great happiness.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Stubborn.
Among your talents, which one(s) give(s) you a competitive edge?
Hard work.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Having survived in academia.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would like to be more patient.
What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty.
Who are your favorite writers?
There are too many to list and the list is always changing. My favorites include Abraham Verghese, Toni Morrison, Rohinton Mistry, Margaret Atwood, and Jane Austen.
Who are your heroes of fiction?
Owen Meany and Atticus Finch.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Rosalind Frankland, Malala Yousafzai, and Michelle Obama.
What aphorism or motto best encapsulates your life philosophy?
Keep going.
Cathy Barr, PhD, Hospital for Sick Children, Krembil Research Institute, The University of Toronto, Canada.
Cathy Barr, standing next to her research presentation poster at an Applied Biosystems reception in Hawaii, associated with the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2009 meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. The poster, titled “Improving the Human Condition,” outlines her work as Senior Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children and Professor at the University of Toronto, focusing on childhood-onset psychiatric and cognitive disorders, particularly her research on genetic variation in brain development and function.
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