About us
Who we are

The Observatory for Children’s Education and Health is a center coordinating research on the short- and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s education, and on the identification of mitigating strategies for the post-pandemic recovery. The observatory is funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et Culture (FRQSC).

 

Although children and teenagers are less affected by COVID-19 infection than adults, they nonetheless suffer from the social and economic consequences of the current pandemic. Directly or indirectly, the pandemic affects the lifetime trajectory of many young people, particularly those with social vulnerability or medical risk factors. The scientific community has been proactive in noting the adverse effects of the pandemic and researching solutions, but to date these efforts have been scattered and disperse. We propose to set up an organized infrastructure for research and innovation, a world-class pole of excellence, to allow researchers and decision-makers to work together on minimizing the impact of COVID-19 on child health, psychosocial development, education, and economic outcomes. We aim to combine the strengths of administrative and research data in a Research Platform for Understanding Child Development, Health, and Education (Observatoire pour l’Éducation et la Santé des Enfants, OPES). This platform could play a leading role in informed decision-making, maximizing the health and welfare of the next generation, our social capital.

To observe

long-term development of children and adolescents, and to enhance our understanding of the risk and protective factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To implement

innovative social interventions and/or technologies to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To empower

researchers to conduct world-class research in a multidisciplinary framework.

To carry

on existing longitudinal studies and upgrade them with data to facilitate comparisons before, during, and after the pandemic.

Created in synergy

with the Quebec Statistics Institute (Institut de la statistique du Québec, ISQ), whose mandate is to facilitate access to large administrative databases in Quebec.

Created in consultation

with the Quebec Statistics Institute and the Quebec Ministries of Health, Education, Family, and Employment and Social Solidarity.

 

Observatory

The observatory aims to facilitate the use of intersectoral data on children and youth developpment.

Our Researchers

Nicholas Chadi, M.D., MPH

Mental Health Axe

Université de Montréal

Patrick Charland, Ph. D.

Université du Québec à Montréal

Hallie Coltin, M.D., FRCPC..

Université de Montréal

Patricia Conrod, Ph. D.

Université de Montréal

Catherine Dea, Ph. D.

Université de Montréal

Olivier Drouin, M.D., MPH, FRCPC

Université de Montréal

Stéphane Duchesne, Ph. D.

Université Laval

Catherine Herba, Ph. D.

Université du Québec à Montréal

Fatima Kakkar, M.D.

Université de Montréal

Simon Larose, Ph.D.

Education Axe

Université Laval

Sarah Lippé,  Ph.D.

Université de Montréal

Tianna Loose, Ph.D.

Université de Montréal

Massimiliano Orri, Ph. D.

McGill University

Isabelle Ouellet-Morin, Ph. D.

Intervention and social innovations

Université de Montréal

Tomas Paus, M.D., Ph. D.

Université de Montréal

Catherine Ratelle, Ph. D.

Université Laval

Nadia Roumeliotis, M.D., Ph. D.

Cross Sector Data Axe

Université de Montréal

Nos partenaires

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Understanding the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on our children

Catherine Ratelle, Ph. D.

Université Laval