Professor Mark Ferro is the new Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health, the Government of Canada announced.
A researcher in the School of Public Health and Health Systems, Professor Ferro focuses on advancing the understanding of youth multimorbidity —the co-occurrence of physical and mental disorders in children, youth, and young adults. His work is bridging the clinical-epidemiological divide through clinical and population-based studies that improve youth health, help families, and reduce health system costs.
As Canada Research Chair, Professor Ferro will lead a new study investigating how systemic inflammation may be associated with the onset of mental disorders among children. Using blood samples collected from children, Professor Ferro’s team will examine whether inflammatory molecules— which are already elevated in children with physical conditions— also predict the development of multimorbidity. His work will also explore the role physical activity and socioeconomic status play in the link between physical and mental health in children.