Jessica Yuen

Jessica did her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, where she did a double major in Cell Biology & Genetics and Economics. She then did a Master of Medical Science degree in Anatomy at the University of Hong Kong, specializing in Neuroscience. She then returned to the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, where she completed her Ph.D. in Neuroscience mentored by Dr. Alasdair Barr. Her dissertation focused on the role of autonomic dysfunction in regulating cardiometabolic side effects induced by the atypical antipsychotic clozapine. She joined Dr. Chudasama’s lab in September 2024 as a postdoctoral fellow. She is currently investigating the hippocampal-prefrontal interactions that shape cognition and behavior, and how disruptions in these interactions contribute to psychiatric disorders. A combination of viral tracers, optogenetics, psychopharmacological agents, behavioral tests and animal models of mental disorders will be used for this purpose.

Peer-Reviewed Papers

Boyda H.N., Pham M., Huang J., Ho A.A., Procyshyn R.M., Yuen J.W.Y., Honer W.G., Barr A.M. (2022) Antipsychotic drug-induced increases in peripheral catecholamines are associated with glucose intolerance . Front Pharmacol. 13:765905.

Yuen J.W.Y, Wu C., Wang C.K., Kim D.D., Procyshyn R.M., Panenka W.J., Honer W.G., Barr A.M. (2021) A ganglionic blocker and adrenoceptor ligands modify clozapine-induced insulin resistance . Psychoneuroendocrinology.129:105257.

Kim D.D., Barr A.M., Lian L., Yuen J.W.Y, Fredrikson D., Honer W.G., Thornton A.E., Procyshyn R.M. (2021) Efficacy and Tolerability of Dopamine D₂ partial agonists versus D₂ antagonists in the early course of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis . NPJ Schizophr. 7(1):29.

Yuen J.W.Y, Kim D.D., Procyshyn R.M., Panenka W.J., Honer W. G., Barr A.M. (2021) A focused review of the metabolic side-effects of clozapine . Front. Endocrinol. 12:609240.

Boyda H.N., Procyshyn R.M., Tse L., Yuen J.W.Y., Honer W.G., Barr A.M. (2021) A comparison of the metabolic side-effects of the second-generation antipsychotic drugs risperidone and paliperidone in animal models . PLoS ONE. 16(1):e0246211.

Yuen J.W.Y., Wu C., Wang C.K., Kim D.D., Procyshyn R.M., Honer W.G., Barr A.M. (2020) A comparison of the effects of clozapine and its metabolite norclozapine on metabolic dysregulation in rodent models . Neuropharmacology. 175:107717.

Boyda H.N., Ho A.A., Tse L., Procyshyn R.M., Yuen J.W.Y., Kim D.D., Honer W.G., Barr A.M. (2020) Differential effects of antipsychotic drugs on peripheral catecholamines . Front Psychiatry. 11:617428.

Kim D.D., Chung Y., Yuen J.W.Y, Etminan M., Carleton B.C., Barr A.M., White R.F., Honer W.G., Procyshyn R.M. (2018) Antipsychotic-associated symptoms of Tourette syndrome: A systematic review . CNS Drugs. 32(10):917-938.

Yuen J.W.Y, Kim D.D., Procyshyn R.M., White R.F., Honer W.G., Barr A.M. (2018) Clozapine-Induced Cardiovascular Side Effects and Autonomic Dysfunction: A Systematic Review . Front Neurosci. 12:203.

Wu C., Yuen J., Boyda H.N., Procyshyn R.M., Wang C.K., Asiri YI, Pang C.Y., Honer W.G., Barr A.M. (2014) An Evaluation of the Effects of the Novel Antipsychotic Drug Lurasidone on Glucose Tolerance and Insulin Resistance: A Comparison with Olanzapine . PLoS ONE. 9(9):e107116.