Faculty | Health Sciences | Staff

Karen Phillips

Associate Professor
Room : THN 217
Phone : (613) 562-5800 ext. 8678
Fax : (613) 562-5632
E-mail : karen.phillips@uOttawa.ca		 Karen Phillips

Biography

Karen Phillips, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences and a Principal Scientist at the Institute for Population Health. She obtained her doctorate at the University of Ottawa specializing in oocyte maturation, molecular events at fertilization and early embryo development. During her doctoral training, Professor Phillips furthered her education at the Fertility Centre, Ottawa Hospital to become a Clinical Embryologist, trained in all aspects of assisted reproductive technologies (ART).  Professor Phillips’ program of research is interdisciplinary approaches to evaluate sexual and reproductive health. Bio-environmental determinants of reproductive health are evaluated using laboratory and animal models. Currently under investigation is the role of bisphenol A, an endocrine disrupter, on testicular physiology; specifically the expression of testicular estrogen receptors (ERα, ERβ and GPR30). Social-environmental determinants of reproductive health are evaluated using qualitative research methodology. Professor Phillips’ research team has undertaken several studies including sexual and reproductive health education, university students’ perceptions of infertility and ART, emotional impacts of infertility among Canadian women and the role of complementary and alternative medical practitioners in the treatment and support of infertility. 

University degrees

Year Degree Specialty Institution
2002-2004   Risk Assessment, Endocrine Disrupters Institute of Population Health
2001-2002 Post-doctoral Fellow Reproductive Physiology OHRI
2001 Ph.D. Reproductive Physiology University of Ottawa
1993 B.Sc.H. Biology Queen's University

Research Interests

  • Infertility
  • Reproductive Biology
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health Education
  • Endocrine Disrupters

Selected Publications

  • KP Phillips, N Tanphaichitr. (2010) Mechanisms of Obesity-Induced Male Infertility. Expert Review Endocrinology and Metabolism. In press.
  • KP Phillips, TL O’Sullivan, D Dow, C Amaratunga. (2010) Infectious respiratory disease outbreaks and pregnancy: Occupational health and safety concerns of Canadian nurses. Prehospital and Disaster Management. In press.
  • CA Amaratunga, KP Phillips, E O’Connor, T O’Sullivan, M Boscoe, L Lemyre and D Krewski.  (2010).  Chapter 7: The need for healthcare worker sex and gender-sensitive supports during infectious disease outbreaks, In:  SARS Unmasked:  Risk Communication of Pandemics and Influenza in Canada. MG Tyshenko, C Paterson. McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal, Quebec. ISBN: 978-0-7735-3618-0
  • E O’Connor, T O’Sullivan, C Amaratunga, P Thille, KP Phillips, M Carter, L Lemyre. (2009) Risk Communication with nurses during infectious disease outbreaks: Learning from SARS. Journal of Emergency Management, 7(5): 48-56
  • A Martinez, KP Phillips. (2009) La promotion de l’équité en éducation sexuelle dans les écoles secondaires de la région de la capitale nationale. [Promotion of equity in secondary school sexual education in the National Capital Region]Canadian Journal of Education. 32(1):60-86.
  • A Martinez, KP Phillips. (2008) Challenging ethno-cultural and sexual inequities: An intersectional feminist analysis of Ottawa teachers, health partners and university students’ views on adolescent sexual and reproductive rights. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. 17(3):141-159.
  • KP Phillips, N Tanphaichitr. (2008) Human exposure to endocrine disrupters and semen quality.  Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. 11(3-4):188-220.
  • KP Phillips, WG Foster. (2008). Key developments in endocrine disrupter research and human health. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. 11(3-4):322-344.
  • M Tyshenko, KP Phillips, M Mehta, R Poirier, WL Leiss. (2008). Risk communication of endocrine disrupting chemicals: The internet as an emerging tool for improving knowledge translation and transfer. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.11(3-4):345-350.
  • KP Phillips, V Sahni, N Karyakina, M Turner, W Foster, W Leiss, S Kacew, D Krewski (2008). Assessing and managing risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. 11(3-4):351-372.
  • KP Phillips, MAF Petrunewich, JL Collins, JM Baltz. (2002).  The intracellular pH-regulatory HCO3-/Cl- exchanger in the mouse oocyte is inactivated during first meiotic metaphase and reactivated after egg activation via the MAP kinase pathway. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 13(11): 3800-3810.
  • KP Phillips, MAF Petrunewich, JL Collins, RA Booth, XJ Liu, JM Baltz. (2002). Inhibition of MEK or cdc2 kinase parthenogenetically activates mouse eggs and yields the same phenotypes as mos-/- parthenogenotes. Developmental Biology. 247(1):210-23.
  • KP Phillips, M-C Léveillé, P Claman, JM Baltz (2000). Intracellular pH regulation in human preimplantation embryos. Human Reproduction. 15(4):896-904.
  • KP Phillip, JM Baltz (1999). Intracellular pH regulation by HCO3-/Cl- exchange is activated during early mouse zygote development. Developmental Biology. 208:392-405.