Dr. Jennifer Swainson, MD, FRCPC

Dr. Jennifer Swainson has practiced inpatient and outpatient psychiatry at the Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton since 2009.  She completed her medical school and residency at the University of Alberta. 

Dr. Swainson has a focus on treatment resistant depression and has particular interest and expertise in the use of ketamine in this area.  She has co-led the development of one of the original IV ketamine programs for treatment resistant depression in Canada and is a key contributor to the CANMAT task force update on use of ketamine for depression (in progress), and to development of a provincial guideline for use of ketamine in depression. She is actively involved in research and has recently authored and co-authored several publications on esketamine and ketamine for depression. Her other major area of focus is the various interactions between diet and mental health.

Dr. Swainson is an active preceptor to students and residents, and sits on the psychiatry department residency program committee since 2009.  She was recently awarded Resident Research Supervisor of the year in 2019. She was also the runner up for the 2018 Professional Association of Residents of Alberta Teacher of the Year.