Researcher Profile: Phil Tibbo

Phil Tibbo was born in Newfoundland but spent his early years in Saskatchewan before completing high school in Newfoundland. His educational journey continued to Mount Allison, then Memorial for a medical degree. This was followed by an internship in Edmonton, back to Halifax as a hospital GP then to Edmonton for his  specialty training in Psychiatry. After psychiatry residency he obtained an AHFMR Clinical Research Fellowship, moving on to work clinical and in research. Phil came to Halifax in 2008 as the Dr Paul Janssen Chair in Psychotic Disorders. Amongst other positions, he also joined the BRC Executive in 2022.

Dr. Phil Tibbo
Professor, Dept of Psychiatry
Professor, Dr Paul Jansen Chair in Psychotic Disorders

Director of Research, Dept of Psychiatry, Dalhousie.

Clinical Director, Early Psychosis Intervention Nova Scotia, NSHealth.

Dr. Tibbo’s work in schizophrenia and psychosis is the main focus with early intervention the goal. Hence youth and young adults tend to be the target population. A tool for this research is often brain neuroimaging. Other aspects studied relate to comorbid addiction and more specifically cannabis and psychosis. Phil is building a program in NS which seeks to identify early and treat properly to address individuals with psychosis and addictions.  Funding, testing, imaging, service delivery and getting to the rural NS youth are some of his many challenges.

When Phil is not at his desk he and his family enjoy a seaside cottage where he practises his master gardener skills. He can coax greenery out of our craggy coast – quite a mean feat!  So you can see he is tenacious and not afraid of a challenge!