Dr. Nicole Letourneau, PhD MN BN RN FCAHS FAAN FCAN FRSC
UCalgary Research Excellence Chair in Parent and Child Health
Research chair at UCalgary Nursing tackles social issue of toxic stressors on developing children
One in four Canadian children are thought to be at risk for developing emotional or behavioural problems as a result of family violence, or their mother's depression or addictions, according to Statistics Canada.
The Research Excellence Chair in Parent and Child Health recognizes that Nicole Letourneau’s transformational methods of working in the area of child and family health have profoundly influenced the entire field. Her research is unusual in its integration of traditional, translational, and medical science with her social science perspective and her perspective as a nurse.
Chairholder Letourneau is a well-known Canadian nurse researcher studying how children are affected by family issues such as postpartum depression, addiction, and violence. She has received $75+ million in research funding and published three books and 250+ peer-reviewed publications on child and family health. She identifies, creates, tests, and evaluates parental supports that are most effective in helping vulnerable children in these stressful family environments.
Letourneau and her team recently launched the CHIR-funded Alliance against Violence and Adversity (AVA) Health Research Training Platform and related Women’s and Girls’ Health Hub, an addition to her Child Health Implementation and Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Studies Program. This allows her to make significant contributions to relevant research training and knowledge mobilization across Canada.
Letourneau's CHILD Studies Program investigates solutions (e.g. interventions, programs, resources, services, tools) that support the healthy development of vulnerable children, especially while they are still in an early caregiving environment. These resources can help prevent the cognitive, social-emotional and behavioural problems that these children may develop later in life.
Nicole Letourneau: How Postpartum Depression Affects Babies
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Collaborators/Partners
- Alberta Health Services
- Barnard Center of the University of Washington
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Faculty of Nursing, UCalgary
- Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES (Brazil)
- Alliance of Canadian Research Centres on Gender-Based Violence
- Alberta Council of Women's Shelters
In the News
Addressing the mental health in new mothers and improving the parent-child relationship
Dr. Nicole Letourneau's VID-KIDS project aims to help educate mothers on recognizing cues from their babies, what they may mean and how they can respond
Podcast: Parenting with Dr. Nicole Letourneau
In this episode on Brain Child, Krista Forand, registered psychologist, interviews researcher Dr. Nicole Letourneau about what she has learned over the years through her research about parenting.
Calgary research team calls for reconceptualization of postpartum depression to include dads too
A Calgary research team says it’s time to reconceptualize our view of postpartum depression. Nicole Lyn Letourneau, along with her team, wants people to refocus relationships within the family by increasing support, especially spousal support, to ensure a healthy relationship with their babies.
Good beginnings for mental health start in the cradle
Infant mental health researchers and practitioners share strategies for interventions into postpartum depression.