TORONTO, November 5, 2012 – York University Professor Jonathan Weiss will lead an innovative research program that will focus on the mental health challenges facing Canadians with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Parliamentary Secretary Dr. Colin Carrie announced the new Chair at York University on Monday, on half of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health. He was joined by Mike Lake, Member of Parliament for Edmonton – Mill Woods – Beaumont.
The Chair in Autism Spectrum Disorders Treatment and Care Research Program is funded by the federal government in partnership with Autism Speaks Canada, the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance, NeuroDevNet, and the Sinneave Family Foundation. Their commitment of $1 million over five years to support the research will be matched by York University.
“Our Government is committed to helping Canadians maintain and improve their health.” said Carrie. “That’s why we are supporting research that will use innovative approaches to improve the health of Canadians who live with autism.”
Lake said the government understands the importance of working with organizations in the autism community and the role of the new research chair. “These organizations provide a valuable link to Canadians affected by ASD and their families and they will be critically important to the success of the research program and implementation of the results,” he said.
Weiss, an assistant professor in York’s Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, will examine why people with ASD are prone to develop mental health problems, and evaluate novel treatment strategies to help youth and adults with ASD deal with these issues, as well as other stressful events like bullying. He will also search for ways to improve access to care for all. To achieve these goals, Weiss and his team will work with people with autism, families, service providers, and government to share cutting edge research that will inform mental health care policy and practice across the country.
“The majority of people with autism will experience mental health problems at some point in their lives. Good mental health translates into better outcomes for these individuals and for their families, and to a reduced demand on our health and social systems, which benefits all Canadians,” said Weiss. “Thanks to the support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and its partners, we look forward to conducting research that addresses this need.”
Dr. Dan Goldowitz, Scientific Director of NeuroDevNet, said: “Individuals with ASD transitioning from the protection of the family and pediatric health and educational services face a huge gap in the continuum of care, and access to meaningful supports. NeuroDevNet is delighted to partner in supporting the work of Dr. Weiss because his research addresses these fundamental issues in a thoughtful and applied manner.”
Weiss will conduct a longitudinal study of 300 youth and adults with ASD over a three-year period, measuring putative biological, psychological, family, and society risk factors (and their interactions) for mental health problems. The findings from this study will be used to develop preventative treatments aimed at modifying the risk factors before mental health problems become entrenched. He has already identified that for youth with ASD, one robust predictor of mental health problems is a history of being bullied. He will expand his program of intervention research to address the impact of bullying and other psychosocial stressors through cognitive behaviour therapy, progressively evaluating and refining it over the years.
Mamdouh Shoukri, President and Vice-Chancellor of York University, congratulated Weiss on being named the recipient of the new Chair in Autism Spectrum Disorders Treatment and Care Research Program. “York’s Faculty of Health is home to some of Canada’s leading researchers, who work collaboratively to improve health promotion, disease prevention and health care in the community,” said Shoukri. “I am proud of their commitment to bettering the health of the nation.”
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Media Contacts:
Janice Walls, Media Relations, York University, 416-736-2100 ext. 22101, wallsj@yorku.ca
Cailin Rogers, Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, 613-957-0200
David Coulombe, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 613-941-4563
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada’s health research investment agency. CIHR’s mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
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