Dr. Jude Mary Cénat is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology and the Director of the Vulnerability, Trauma, Resilience & Culture (V-TRaC) Research Laboratory at the University of Ottawa. His research program explores factors associated with vulnerability, trauma, and resilience, with a particular interest in the role of cultural factors. Dr. Cénat conducts research on racial disparities in mental health and social services, the impact of natural disasters and infectious disease outbreaks on mental health, interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma, and overall mental health. He conducts research in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.
People often ask me why it's important to conduct research on mental health in Black communities, and I say, "Because I've seen too many young people with mental health problems suffer socially because families and community members didn't know what to do to help them; and social and health institutions provide care that is ill-suited, not evidence-based, and not culturally and socially responsive to families.