Tracie Afifi, BSc, MSc, PhD

Research summary

Dr. Afifi’s primary research interests are in the areas of child maltreatment and mental health with a focus on resilience, intervention and prevention.

Her work focuses on protective factors related to better outcomes for children and adults following childhood adversity as well as primary prevention of child maltreatment. She has also conducted research to advance knowledge related harms and prevention of spanking.

In addition, Dr. Afifi is leader in the field of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Dr. Afifi has also conducted work to understand trauma among members of the Canadian Armed Forces and among public safety personnel.

Research affiliations

Director

• Childhood Adversity and Resilience (CARe) Research Team

Research scientist

• Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM)

Member

• Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) Academic, Research, and Clinical (ARC) Network
• Manitoba Population Mental Health Research Group
• Childhood Adversity Research Program at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia
• Canadian Academy of Psychiatric Epidemiology

Past president

• Canadian Academy of Psychiatric Epidemiology

Research interests

• Canadian Armed Forces
• Child maltreatment
• Intervention
• Mental health
• Prevention
• Psychiatry epidemiology
• Public safety personnel
• Resilience
• Veterans

Dr. Tracie Afifi is a professor in the College of Community and Global Health at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. She holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Childhood Adversity and Resilience. Her research has informed health policy and legislative changes both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Afifi's primary research interests focus on child maltreatment and mental health, with an emphasis on resilience, intervention, and prevention. She has authored over 200 peer-reviewed journal publications and presented at more than 200 conferences globally. Dr. Afifi also serves as an associate editor for Child Abuse & Neglect.

Her work has attracted global media attention, with coverage from major outlets including CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, CBC, CTV, Global TV, TIME, the Washington Post, and the Globe and Mail.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Manitoba (2009)

Master of Science (MSc), University of Manitoba (2003)

Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Manitoba (1999)

Awards

2023:

• University of Manitoba Distinguished Alumni Award in Academic Innovation

2021:

• Merit Award in the Research, Scholarly Work, and Creative Activities Category from the University of Manitoba and University of Manitoba Faculty Association
• Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award in the Mercedes-Benz Emerging Leader Category from Women’s Executive Network’s Diversity Council of Canada

2020:

• The Alexander Leighton Award in Psychiatric Epidemiology from the Canadian Academy of Psychiatric Epidemiology (CAPE) and the Canadian Psychiatry Association

2019-20:

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Gold Leaf Prize for Early Investigator

2018:

• The Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research from The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research

2017:

• Article of the Year in Child Abuse & Neglect
• Merit Award in the Research, Scholarly Work, and Creative Activities Category from the University of Manitoba and University of Manitoba Faculty Association

2016:

• Inducted Member of the College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada
• 2016 CBC Manitoba Future 40

2014:

• Rh Award for Outstanding Contributions to Scholarship and Research in the Health Sciences category at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation

2013:

• Merit Award in the Research, Scholarly Work, and Creative Activities Category from the University of Manitoba and University of Manitoba Faculty Association
• The Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children, Children’s Rights Support Award. This award is presented to an individual or group who has demonstrated exemplary efforts to respect the rights of children as described in the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child.