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Nancy Young

Nancy Young

School of Education Building room 205B, Education Building

Biography

Dr. Young is a Director of the School of Rural and Northern Health at Laurentian University and holds a Research Chair in Rural and Northern Children's Health. She represents Laurentian University on several national child health councils. In addition to her primary appointment at Laurentian, she holds appointments as a Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children's Research Institute and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).  These linkages support her research focus on rural and northern children and youth.

Dr. Nancy Young is working to ensure that the voices of children and youth are heard when it comes to their health. Since health and quality of life are specific to the perspective of the reporter, child-centric methods are of critical importance in the measurement of children's health. Dr. Young's research has proven that children are as good as their parents and clinicians in reporting on the state of their health. Her expertise in cross-cultural adaptation of child health measures is reflected in her collaborative research internationally (e.g., with Beijing Children's Hospital in China). This expertise is being applied in many countries around the world.

For the past decade, Dr. Young's research is increasingly focusing on Indigenous children.  She played a critical role in the development of the Aboriginal Children's Health and Well-being Measure (ACHWM) in collaboration with many partners including children and youth.  This measure is now known by the name the children have given it:  Aaniish Naa Gegii (meaning How are you? in Ojibway).  She has worked in collaboration with First Nations, Métis and Inuit groups to adapt this child-self-report tool for different regions and cultural contexts.  This work is generating numeric data to augment traditional understandings of Indigenous children's health and is another step towards better health outcomes.  See www.ACHWM.ca for more information.  A webex presentation of this work is available at:  http://lul.ca/u/aUsNfhttp://lul.ca/u/aUsNf

Dr. Young is also a leader within the Laurentian University research community. She was the founding Director of the Research Centre for Evaluating Children's Health Outcomes (ECHO) and remains an active member of ECHO.  She is the primary supervisor to a cadre of Masters and PhD students. Training the next generation of HQP is essential to her mandate. Investing in our children's health is essential to our future. Dr. Young's research bridges from bench to bedside to backyard to improve the lives of our children.

Her publications are available on line: 

ORCID ID:               0000-0002-1739-3299

ResearcherID:          G-3934-2011

Scopus Author ID:    56426762600

Some of her collaborative research grants are included on these sites.

Education

  • BSc PT (Physical Therapy) University of Toronto
  • MSc (Clinical Epidemiology) University of Toronto
  • PhD (Medical Science) University of Toronto

Academic Appointments

Member, ECHO Research Centre, Laurentina University

Scientist, SickKids Research Institute

Senior Scientist, ICES North

Senior Scientist, CHEO Research Institute

Laurentian Site Leader for the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program 

On The Web

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1739-3299

http://www.laurentian.ca/content/echo

Research

Dr. Young's research focuses on children who face unique health challenges, particularly children in rural and northern regions. Her projects enable children and youth to contribute their perceptions of health through innovative health assessment tools. Her research is multi-disciplinary and uses a variety of research methods including health services research, survey research, and qualitative research. Over the past decade, she has been actively engaged in 32 research projects, including special projects focused on rural and northern children's health; methodological foundation projects that are essential prerequisites for her research agenda; provincial and national child health projects in which she has integrated rural and northern children; and capacity building projects unique to rural and northern regions.  The goal of her current research is to improve the health of Indigenous children, particularly those in rural and remote communities.

Her research is currently funded through a series of peer-reviewed grants.  She is a Principal Investigator on the following grants: 

  • Valuing Indigenous Emotional Wellness -- Reviewing programs to enhance support for children in rural and remote communities [VIEW] CIHR Rapid Response Mental Health Grant [2020]

  • Listening to Children’s Voices –Promoting Indigenous Mental Wellness [I aM Well] CIHR Pathways to Health Equity Component 3 Grant [2019-2024]
  • Aboriginal Child Health and Well-Being Measure Outreach.  Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services [2016 – present]
  • The Aboriginal Youth Mentorship Project in Toronto.  Diabetes Action Canada  [2017 – present]
  • Deepening The Roots of Living in a Good Way for Indigenous Children. The Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program. CIHR Pathways to Health Equity Component 3 (Co-PI, NPI Jon McGavock) [2019-2024]
  • The Aboriginal Youth Mentorship Project in Toronto.  Diabetes Canada (with support from Manulife) [ 2018 – present]
  • Measuring Quality of Life in Boys with Hemophilia using Longer Acting Factor Replacement Products. Biogen Grant [2017-present]
  • Enhancing Identification and Referral to Treatment for First Nations Children and Youth Experiencing Depression. Cundill Foundation / CAMH  [2017 – 2023]
  • Comparing the Effectiveness of a New Screening and Triage Process vs Standard Practice in Matching Mental Health Services to Needs among Aboriginal Youth Living On-Reserve.  SPOR IMPACT Award [2016 – Dec 31, 2019]


She is a Co-Investigator on the following grants:

  • SPOR Evidence Alliance.  CIHR [2017 – 2022]   
  • SPOR Network in Diabetes and its Related Complications. CIHR [2016 - 2021]​ 

Awards

  • Laurentian Univeristy Research Chair in Rural and Northern Children's Health (2015 to present)
  • Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Rural and Northern Children's Health (2005 to 2015)
  • Ontario Ministry of Health Scholarship (1994 to 1996)

Teaching

Dr. Young is currently the primary supervisor for 1 post-doctoral fellow, 3 doctoral students and 1 masters students in the School of Rural and Northern Health.

Publications

Dr. Young's full list of publications is available at on line at https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1739-3299

Her most recent publications are listed below:

  1. Forbes A, Walker J, Ritchie S, Young N. Application of Two-Eyed Seeing in Primary Research Focused on Indigenous Health: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 2020: 9(1):1-18.  DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920929110.
  2. Lambert C, N’Dogomo M, Sanogo I, Lobet S, Hermans Ce, Henrard S, Blanchette V, Young NL. Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Canadian Haemophilia Outcomes-Kids’ Life Assessment Tool (CHO-KLAT) in Côte d’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast)Health and Quality of Life Outcomes: 2020; 18(1): 76(1-9). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-020-01327-x
  3. Carcao M, Zunino L, Young NL, Dover S, Bouskill V, Hilliard P, Price VE, Blanchette VS.  Measuring the impact of changing from standard half-life (SHL) to extended half-life (EHL) FVIII prophylaxis on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in boys with moderate/severe hemophilia A: lessons learned with the CHO-KLAT tool.  Haemophilia 2020; 26(1):73-78. (e-published December 22, 2019). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/hae.13905 
  4. Usuba K, Russell J, Ritchie SD, Mishibinijima D, Wabano MJ, Enosse L, Young NL. Evaluating the Outdoor Adventure Leadership Experience (OALE) Program using the Aboriginal Children's Health and Well-being Measure (ACHWM©).  Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education. 2019; 22(1): 187-197. (e-published August 17, 2019). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-019-00038-2
  5. Wabano MJ, McGregor LF, Beaudin R, Jacko D, McGregor LE, Kristensen-Didur S, Mishibinijima D, Usuba K, Young NL. Health Profiles of First Nations Children Living On-Reserve in Northern Ontario. CMAJ Open 2019;7(2): E316-E322.  DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.9778%2Fcmajo.20180128
  6. Usuba K, Russell J, Ritchie SD, Mishibinijima D, Wabano MJ, Enosse L, Young NL. Evaluating the Outdoor Adventure Leadership Experience (OALE) Program using the Aboriginal Children's Health and Well-being Measure (ACHWM©).  Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education. 2019:, pp.1-11. DOI: 10.1007/s42322-019-00038-2.
  7. Wabano MJ, McGregor LF, Beaudin R, Jacko D, McGregor LE, Kristensen-Didur S, Mishibinijima D, Usuba K, Young NL. Health Profiles of First Nations Children Living On-Reserve in Northern Ontario. CMAJ Open May 14 2019;7(2): E316-E322. DOI 10.9778/cmajo.20180128.
  8. Usuba K, Price VE, Blanchette VS, Altisent C, Abad A, Buchner-Daly L, Carneiro J, Feldman B, Fischer K, Grainger J, Holzhauer S, Luke B, Meunier S, Ozelo M, Tang L, Vallin S, Villaça P, Wakefield C, Warfe G, Wu R, Young NL. Impact of Prophylaxis on Health-Related Quality of Life of Boys with Hemophilia: an analysis of pooled data from 9 CountriesImpact of Prophylaxis on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of Boys with Hemophilia: an analysis of pooled data from 9 Countries.  Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis 2019; 00:1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/rth2.12202.
  9. McGregor L, Maar M, Young NL, Toulouse P. Keeping Kids Safe: Caregiver's Perspectives on the Determinants of Children's Physical Activity in Rural Indigenous Communities.  Rural and Remote Health Journal March 20, 2019; 19(1) 4833 https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH4833
  10. Young NL, Wabano MJ and the ACHWM Effectiveness Team (Ritchie SD, Jacko D, Enosse L, Anderson M, Trudeau T, and Elder Rita Corbiere). Beyond the Patient – Lessons from Community Engagement in Rural and Remote First Nations. CMAJ 2018 Nov 7;190(Suppl):S16-18.
  11. Young NL, Wabano MJ, Jacko D, Barbic SP, Boydell K, Thavorn K, Roy-Charland A, Momoli F, Anderson M, Trudeau T, Mushquash C, Szatmari P, Denommee J, Williamson P and The Aboriginal Children’s Health Screening Study team. Community-Based Screening & Triage vs Standard Referral of Aboriginal Children: A Prospective Cohort Study Protocol.  International Journal of Indigenous Health  2018; 13(1): 65-86.  https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijih/article/view/30282