Toronto-based researcher Dr. Danielle Baribeau was announced Saturday, October 21, 2023 as this year’s recipient of the CIHR – CPA Glenda M. MacQueen Memorial Career Development Award for Women in Psychiatry from the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INMHA) and the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA).

This career development award for women in psychiatry honours Dr. Glenda MacQueen’s dedication to mentorship, as well as her contributions to research, training, clinical and administrative service. Women psychiatrists face inequities both in their personal development and in academic research, and Dr. MacQueen was committed to tackling these barriers.

“This award is meaningful to me as Glenda McQueen was a Canadian female psychiatrist and researcher with a focus in understanding the biology of mental health problems and using this information to target new treatments. I have similar research interests and career goals, and am honored to have the chance to follow in her footsteps,” says Dr. Baribeau, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

“As a woman psychiatrist and researcher, this will allow me to keep funding my research team, supporting women students and trainees with an interest in neuroscience and mental health, and ultimately sustain our momentum with projects and datasets just starting up.”

Dr. Baribeau leads a research program focused on clinically translating genetic advances into improved mental health care in autism and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her clinical focus is in autism, neurogenetic disorders, and psychopharmacology.

“This is my first award as an early career researcher; to me it signifies the launch of my career, and provides validation and encouragement during the challenging first few years of getting a research program started,” Dr. Baribeau adds.

“This award will directly support research projects looking at mental health outcomes in youth with neurodevelopmental differences (NDDs) as they enter adolescence and young adulthood. We know adolescence is an especially vulnerable time for mental health problems for all young people, and even more so for youth with NDDs.”

This award was created through the combined efforts of CIHR-INMHA, CPA and Glenda MacQueen’s family. The scientific director of CIHR-INMHA, Dr. Samuel Weiss, was close personal friends with Dr. MacQueen, and even credits her for inspiring him to join CIHR as scientific director six years ago.

“Glenda was a caring and visionary individual, and an inspiration to many,” Dr. Weiss says.

“This memorial award represents her remarkable legacy in research, psychiatry and mentorship. Dr. Baribeau and her work are a strong fit for the spirit of this initiative.”

“CPA is delighted to partner with CIHR-INMHA to present this award, which honours the memory of Dr. MacQueen in a significant and fitting manner,” adds CPA president Dr. Gary Chaimowitz.

“It is our hope that the award provides Dr. Baribeau with the resources to further her crucial work to foster advances in mental health research and psychiatry in Canada.”

The application deadline for the 2024 Glenda MacQueen Award is Feb. 1, 2024.

Please contact Rob Cornforth, Manager, Communications, 613-234-2815, ext. 237, rcornforth@cpa-apc.org for interview requests.