====== Christopher Mushquash ====== {{ ::chrismushquash-headshot-sept2019-180x180.jpeg?200|}} Dr. **Christopher Mushquash** is a registered clinical psychologist and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, with expertise in rural and northern clinical practice and the development of culturally appropriate interventions for mental health and addiction difficulties in First Nations children, adolescents, and adults. He is an academic researcher and Indigenous scholar who was born and raised in rural Northwestern Ontario. He is Ojibway, and a member of Pays Plat First Nation. He is notable in the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] due to his membership on the [[Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table]]. ===== Education ===== Mushquash completed his pre-doctoral residency in the Faculty of Medicine at the [[University of Manitoba]], specializing in rural and northern clinical practice and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at [[Dalhousie University]] in 2011.((//Executive team.// Lakehead University. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://archive.ph/f9hCz)) ===== Affiliations ===== ==== Canada Foundation for Innovation ==== Mushquash sits on the board of directors for the [[Canada Foundation for Innovation]].((//About.// Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Ph.D., C.Psych. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/2WiR2)) ((//Leader in Indigenous health joins CFI Board.// (2019, October 8). Canada Foundation for Innovation. https://archive.ph/ymC0t)) The Government of Canada awarded $28 million in funding for the CFI to distribute to [[COVID-19]] related research projects, including the development of [[COVID-19 vaccines]], sequencing, cardiovascular impact analysis, 3D [[artificial intelligence]] capture technology to enforce "social distancing" measures, and wastewater testing. Grants were awarded to researchers working with the [[University of British Columbia]], [[IWK Health Centre]], [[Dalhousie University]], [[Canadian Center for Vaccinology]] and [[Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre]], among others.((Seto, C. (2020, November 10). //Safe facilities will help deliver effective COVID-19 vaccines in eastern Canada.// Canada Foundation for Innovation. https://archive.ph/gBClA)) ((Bertrand, M. (2020, November 6). //Ensuring Canadian researchers are well equipped to tackle the pandemic.// Canada Foundation for Innovation. https://archive.ph/3MW8U)) ((//Exceptional Opportunities Fund – COVID-19 (Universities).// Canada Foundation for Innovation. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/vcSvi)) ((//Exceptional Opportunities Fund – COVID-19 for colleges, polytechnics and Cégeps.// CFI. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/Z1Ku1)) ==== Canadian Institutes of Health Research ==== He is currently the vice-chair of the Institute Advisory Board for the [[Canadian Institutes of Health Research]] (CIHR), [[Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health]].((Canadian Institutes of Health Research. (2017, December 15). //IIPH Institute Advisory Board Members.// Government of Canada. https://archive.ph/nGOLn)) ==== Dilico Anishinabek Family Care ==== Dr. Mushquash is a registered clinical psychologist providing assessment, intervention, and consultation services for First Nations children, adolescents, and adults at [[Dilico Anishinabek Family Care]].((Dilico Anishinabek Family Care. (2021, May 5). //TONIGHT! Join Dr. Mushquash to learn stress and anxiety management strategies. [Post].// Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/DilicoAnishinabekFamilyCare/posts/tonight-join-dr-mushquash-to-learn-stress-and-anxiety-management-strategiesif-yo/2211315998999697/)) ((//Contact.// Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Ph.D., C.Psych. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/iKtja)) ==== George Jeffrey Children’s Centre ==== Mushquash joined the board of directors for the [[George Jeffrey Children’s Centre]] in 2021.((//Board of Directors.// George Jeffrey Children’s Centre. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/zVrKA)) ==== Government of Canada ==== Mushquash is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction.((//Christopher Mushquash.// (2021, June 25). Canada Research Chairs. https://archive.ph/K8oS1)) The research chairs are funded by the [[Canadian Institutes of Health Research]] (CIHR), [[Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada]] (NSERC), and [[Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council]] (SSHRC).((//Canada Research Chairs.// (2022, January 14). Government of Canada. https://archive.ph/to9He)) ==== Lakehead University ==== Mushquash is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at [[Lakehead University]].((//Executive team.// Lakehead University. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://archive.ph/f9hCz)) His staff profile features a large, red message bar that reads "MANDATORY COVID-19 [[VACCINE PASSPORT]] and DAILY SCREENING".((//Dr. Christopher Mushquash, C.Psych.// Lakehead University. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://archive.ph/ZCWIc)) He is Director of the school's Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research, whose website prominently displays a banner advertising the [[United Nations]]' [[Sustainable Development Goals]].((//Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research.// Lakehead University. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://archive.ph/HJsfG)) ((//Executive team.// Lakehead University. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://archive.ph/f9hCz)) ==== Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table ==== Mushquash is a member of the [[Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table]] and Co-Chair of the Mental Health Working Group.((//About Us.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/about/#mushquash-christopher-2)) ==== Ontario Psychological Association ==== Mushquash serves as a board member for the [[Ontario Psychological Association]].((//About.// Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Ph.D., C.Psych. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/2WiR2)) ((//Who We Are.// Ontario Psychological Association. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/tU1mr)) ==== Royal Society of Canada ==== In 2017, Mushquash was inducted in the [[Royal Society of Canada]]’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. ==== Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre ==== Mushquash is also the President of Research at [[Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre]] and Chief Scientist at the [[Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute]].((Walker, B. (2019, August 29). //Lakehead University receiving $742k to support seven important research projects.// Lakehead University. https://archive.ph/obyzy)) ((//About Us.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/about/#mushquash-christopher-2)) ==== University of Ontario ==== Mushquash is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at the [[University of Ontario Institute of Technology]].((//Executive team.// Lakehead University. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://archive.ph/f9hCz)) ===== COVID-19 ===== ==== Advocacy for School Funding ==== Mushquash was a speaker at a September 2020 "Kids in Crisis Town Hall" event hosted online by [[Children's Health Coalition]], a group "calling on the Ontario government to invest $375 million in children’s health and social care."((The Children’s Health Coalition. (2020, September 17). //Kids in Crisis Town Hall.// Vekeo. https://web.archive.org/web/20220127172942/https://vekeo.com/event/childrenshealthcoalition-61250-2/)) ((childrenshealthcoalition (@CHCOntario). (2020, September 16). //Children are victims of a health-care crisis that the COVID-19 pandemic is only making worse. For some, it’s a matter of life and death. Join our panel discussion and share your concerns. The #kidsincrisis Town Hall is Sept 17, 7PM - 8PM. [Tweet].// Twitter. https://archive.ph/ydNEZ)) {{::eidty7xxsaactyj.jpeg?200 |}} Fellow speakers included Rita Celli of [[CBC News]], Dr. [[Peter Rosenbaum]], Pediatrician and Childhood Development and Disability Expert; Dr. [[Javeed Sukhera]], Child and Youth Psychiatrist; [[Ivona Novak]], Co-chair of the Holland Bloorview Family Advisory Committee; [[Alex Munter]], CEO of [[Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario]]; and [[Christine Elliot]], Deputy Premier of Ontario and [[Ontario Minister of Health]]. The coalition membership includes [[SickKids]], [[McMaster Children's Hospital]], [[CHEO]], [[London Health Sciences Centre]] Children's Hospital, [[Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital]], [[Kids Health Alliance]], [[Children's Mental Health Ontario]] and [[Empowered Kids Ontario]].((Lauren Ettin (@LaurenEttin). (2022, January 12). //Kids are headed back on Monday. We know that on balance, this is where they should be. And should stay. So everyone needs to make prudent decisions to keep community spread low. [Tweet].// Twitter. https://archive.ph/T9smE)) ==== Opioid Crisis ==== Mushquash co-authored a paper discussing the impact of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] on opioid use treatment for Indigenous people. He argued that "expanded telemedicine" and "flexible prescriptions" had helped these patients and should continue after the pandemic.((Wendt, D. C., Marsan, S., Parker, D., Lizzy, K. E., Roper, J., Mushquash, C., Venner, K. L., Lam, A., Swansburg, J., Worth, N., Sorlagas, N., Quach, T., Manoukian, K., Bernett, P., & Radin, S. M. (2021). //Commentary on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on opioid use disorder treatment among Indigenous communities in the United States and Canada.// Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 121, 108165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2020.108165)) ===== Research Funding ===== His research has been funded by the [[Canadian Institutes of Health Research]] (CIHR), the [[Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council]] (SSHRC), the [[Canada Research Chairs Program]], the [[Canadian Foundation for Innovation]], [[NeuroDevNet]], [[Kids Brain Health Network]], the [[Ontario Mental Health Foundation]], [[Health Canada]], the [[Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation]], the [[Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care]], and the [[Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science]].((//Executive team.// Lakehead University. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://archive.ph/f9hCz)) ===== Awards ===== Dr. Mushquash is the recipient of numerous awards for his work, including the [[Canadian Psychological Association]] President's New Researcher Award, [[Lakehead University]] Outstanding Alumni Award, the Northwestern Ontario Visionary Award, the [[Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science]] Early Researcher Award, and the [[Clinical Psychological Association]] Clinical Section Scientist-Practitioner Early Career Award.