Matthew Burke

Dr. Matthew Burke is a Cognitive Neurologist in the Neuropsychiatry Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center. He is cross appointed between the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He holds leadership positions as the Neuropsychiatry Lead for the University of Toronto Neurology Residency Program, the Medical Director of Sunnybrook’s Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Program and as the Clinical Research Co-Lead for the Concussion Ontario Network (CONNECT). He sees patients with concussion/traumatic brain injury, functional neurological disorders and other neuropsychiatric conditions. Before starting at Sunnybrook, Dr. Burke completed medical school and his neurology residency training at the University of Toronto. He then completed a two-year Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation fellowship in Cognitive Neurology and Neuropsychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. Concurrent with his fellowship, Dr. Burke completed the Harvard Catalyst Clinical Translational Research Academy (NIH-funded program providing advanced training in methods of clinical investigation).

Dr. Burke’s clinical research fellowship provided specialized training in non-invasive brain stimulation and brain network mapping. His research applies these novel techniques to investigate the complex and poorly understood brain disorders at the interface between neurology and psychiatry. He also has active research interests in studying how placebo effects can meaningfully modulate the brain and is part of the Harvard Program in Placebo Studies research team. 

Dr. Burke’s research to date has resulted in multiple high-impact publications, competitive peer-reviewed research grants and media attention on international outlets (CNN, BBC, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, Vice and CBC). His contributions to the field of neuropsychiatry have been recognized with the American Neuropsychiatric Association's 2019 Young Investigator Award 2023 Career Development Award. 

Research Synopsis

•    Placebo Effects
•    Non-invasive Brain Stimulation
•    Brain Network Mapping
•    Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury
•    Functional Neurological Disorders
•    Neuroplasticity

Select Publications

1. Burke MJ. “It’s All in Your Head” – Medicine’s Silent Epidemic. JAMA Neurology 2019; 76(12):1417-8. 
2. Burke MJ, Joutsa J, Cohen AL, Soussand L, Cooke D, Burstein R, Fox MD. Mapping Migraine to a Common Brain Network. Brain 2020:143(2):541-53. 
3. Burke MJ, Blumberger DM. Caution at psychiatry's psychedelic frontier. Nature Medicine. 2021;27(10):1687-1688. 
4. Burke MJ, Romanella SM, Mencarelli L, Greben R, Fox MD, Kaptchuk TJ, Pascual-Leone A, Santarnecchi E. Placebo effects and neuromodulation for depression: a meta-analysis and evaluation of shared mechanisms. Molecular Psychiatry. 2022;27(3):1658-66. 
5. Burke MJ. A fundamental change is needed for appraising placebo responses in psychiatry. Lancet Psychiatry. 2023;10(5):316-7.

Appointments

Medical Director, Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Honours and Awards

2023 Career Development Award, American Neuropsychiatric Association, USA

2023 Academic Scholars Award, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada

2019 Young Investigator Award, American Neuropsychiatric Association, USA 

2018 Frontiers in Headache Research Award, American Headache Society, USA  

2018 AAN Fellow Scholarship, American Academy of Neurology, USA  

2017 Marotta Prize for Teaching in Neurology, University of Toronto, Canada

2012 Weber/Nimon Prize in Neurology, University of Toronto, Canada

2011 Mimi and Charles Hollenberg Research Award, University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada