Annual Carol Buck Lecture and Graduate Scholarship
Drops of Prevention: Approaches to Reducing the Burden of Physical-Mental Multimorbidity in Children
2025 Carol Buck Lecturer: Mark A. Ferro
Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health
Director, Advancing Research in Children’s Health (ARCH) Lab
Associate Professor, School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo
Date: Friday, December 5
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Location: PHFM 3015 (Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine)
Short Biography:
Dr. Mark Ferro is the Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health and an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. He earned his BSc in Biochemistry from McMaster University (2004), MSc in Community Health and Epidemiology from the University of Saskatchewan (2006), and PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Western University (2011). He completed postdoctoral training in Child Psychiatry at McMaster University during which time he was the recipient of a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship from CIHR. He was appointed Assistant Professor in Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences and Pediatrics at McMaster University before being recruited to the University of Waterloo in 2016. He has received nearly $5M in research funding as Principal Investigator, published over 220 peer-reviewed papers, and delivered over 50 invited talks. From 2020-22, Dr. Ferro was the President of the Canadian Society of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. Ferro is an Associate Editor of Child: Care, Health and Development and serves on the editorial board for the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. He has received numerous distinctions including the Distinguished Service Award and Early Career Award from the Canadian Society of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Early Research Award from the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, Brain Star Award from CIHR, and has twice received the Outstanding Faculty Performance Award from the University of Waterloo. In 2018, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American Psychopathological Association. His program of research takes a life-course approach using both clinical and epidemiological studies to understand the intersection between physical and mental health. Dr. Ferro’s focus is on the determinants and mechanisms leading to the onset of mental disorder and physical-mental multimorbidity, psychiatric health service use and psychosocial outcomes associated with multimorbidity, and the measurement of mental health and quality of life in children and young people.
Abstract:
Child multimorbidity—the co-occurrence of physical and mental illness—is a salient and challenging issue facing the public health and health care systems. While the interrelationships between physical and mental illness in childhood are complex, few laboratories are dedicated to studying the biological and psychosocial mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon. This talk will present knowledge gaps and evidence on child multimorbidity generated from Multimorbidity in Children and Youth Across the Life-course (MY LIFE)—an on-going Canadian study led by Dr. Ferro, as well as other epidemiological datasets. Attendees will learn about contemporary research exploring multimorbidity—its prevalence, determinants, and outcomes—as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population and the clinical implications to support children with multimorbidity and their families.
Area of Research: Public health, Physical activity, Global health, Epidemiology, Health promotion, Active transportation
Learn more about Dr. Ferro:
University of Waterloo
ARCH Lab
Dr. Carol Buck
Dr. Carol Buck, a dedicated member of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics from 1952 to 2004, left an indelible mark on Schulich Medicine & Dentistry as its first female chair, serving from 1967 to 1977. Her passion for advancing human health made her an international leader in epidemiology, and her impact extended to both students and colleagues.
The establishment of the Carol Buck Lecture and Graduate Scholarship in Epidemiology stands as a tribute to Dr. Buck's enduring legacy. Throughout her career, she demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improving human health by employing rigorous epidemiological methods to identify and address the root causes of ill-health. Renowned for her remarkable clarity of thought and communication, Dr. Carol Buck continues to be remembered and respected by her colleagues and former students.
