Biography – INMHA Scientific Director: Dr. Patricia Conrod
Professor at the Université de Montréal and a Canada Research Chair in Preventive Mental Health and Addiction.
Dr. Patricia Conrod, a Montréal psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction, is a leading expert in youth substance use and mental health. She is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research on neurocognitive and personality risk factors for substance use and mental disorders. Her work has influenced policies in Canada and internationally, particularly based on her contributions to the understanding of how social media and substance use affect young people’s brain development, and how targeted prevention strategies provide long-term protection against such harms.
At the Research Centre of CHU Sainte-Justine, Dr. Conrod leads major studies that use state-of-the-art brain imaging technology. She is the founder and co-director of the Centre IMAGINE, a pediatric brain imaging facility. Dr. Conrod is also director of SENSUM, the Université de Montréal’s Strategy for Neurosciences and Mental Health.
Building on her research findings, Dr. Conrod founded the PreVenture program, which teaches cognitive and behavioural strategies to help teenagers manage individual differences linked to mental health challenges. Dr. Conrod and her team have shown that this brief intervention is highly effective in preventing substance use disorders in teens.
As the Scientific Director of INMHA, Dr. Conrod will guide CIHR’s health research priorities and investment strategies to improve the health of people in Canada and around the world.
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