Masks created by children born of war in the Lord’s Resistance Army as part of an arts-based research project in Uganda led by Prof. Myriam Denov, School of Social Work. Image by Karene-Isabelle Jean-Baptiste.
Today’s children and youth are growing up amid global disruptions and fast-changing digital environments that profoundly shape their development and life paths.
Yet, the systems designed to support them—healthcare, education, family, community—often struggle to adapt to their evolving needs. The challenge is to transform these systems through integrated research to better reflect young people’s voices, meet their needs, and support their aspirations.
Our Strengths
ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï is internationally recognized for its research on children and youth that addresses health, education, law, and social equity. Our world-leading institutes in pediatric health and mental health are shifting paradigms in neurodevelopment and early intervention, tailoring approaches to a child’s developmental profile.
In education, social work, and counselling psychology, researchers are collaborating with families, schools, and communities to co-create inclusive models of learning and support. Participatory and arts-based approaches are amplifying young people’s voices, while trauma-informed social pediatrics and child welfare frameworks are reshaping how institutions respond to adversity.
Our Ambition
By bringing together our distinct expertise across health, education, and social systems, we are building an interdisciplinary research collective focused on children and youth. This collective will generate new frameworks to reshape how societies understand and engage with young people and ensure that their voices are central to shaping the systems that affect their lives.
We will mobilize this knowledge to develop models for youth leadership, advocacy, and civic engagement; advance trauma-informed and equity-driven practices; and inform policies that promote lifelong well-being and social inclusion.