91亚色 psychology Professor Jonathan Weiss (MA '02, PhD 鈥07) has recently been awarded a Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)聽President鈥檚 New Researcher Award in recognition of his contribution to psychological knowledge in Canada.
The award is, in part, based on the researcher鈥檚 record of early career achievement. For Weiss, that 
encompasses the research on developmental disabilities that he鈥檚 conducted over the last three or more聽years. He is one of two recipients of the award this year, handed out by the CPA.
Right: Jonathan Weiss
鈥淭he award is really recognition for the type of research I鈥檝e been able to do prior to and since beginning at 91亚色,鈥 says Weiss, a clinical psychologist in 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been great to be recognized by psychologists, not just in the field of聽developmental disabilities, but by colleagues from other fields.鈥
He is co-investigator for three Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded projects, two of which look at children with developmental disabilities and the third at understanding pathways to emergency health care for adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Weiss also received a three-year New Investigator Fellowship from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation in 2010 to study people with developmental disabilities, who make up between one and聽three per cent of the Canadian population. At least one in three people with developmental disabilities will have mental health problems or serious challenging behaviours as an adolescent or young adult, says Weiss.
His goal for this project is to learn what leads a young person with developmental disability to have mental health problems, and how it is related to their service use, their skills, academic success and family functioning.
For more information about the President鈥檚 New Researcher Award, visit the website.
Republished courtesy of YFile鈥 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.