Rate My Professor James MacKillop

James MacKillop is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University, where he holds the Peter Boris Chair in Addictions Research. He serves as Director of the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research and Director of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research. His research investigates the nature and treatment of substance use disorders and related conditions, frequently applying behavioral economics and neuroeconomics to understand addictive behavior. This work integrates perspectives from psychology, economics, and cognitive neuroscience to examine preferences, choices, and consumption patterns, with applications ranging from basic neuroimaging studies to clinical interventions and public policy. MacKillop is also an Associate Member in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour and maintains clinical affiliations with St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

MacKillop trained as a clinical psychologist, earning a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Binghamton University (State University of New York) in 2005 and completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University in 2006. He previously held faculty positions at the University of Georgia from 2008 to 2014 before joining McMaster University. He has received recognition including designation as a University Scholar in 2019 and appointment as a Canada Research Chair in Translational Addiction Research. His contributions emphasize translational research that connects basic science findings on genetic variation, brain imaging, and behavioral phenotypes with improvements in treatment and policy for substance use disorders and medical cannabis.