Professor Jeffrey Ansloos awarded Dorothy Killam Fellowship for research on suicide prevention and environmental health in Indigenous communities

Jeffrey Ansloos, an Associate Professor of Indigenous Health and Social Policy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), has been named one of this year’s laureates of a prestigious Dorothy Killam Fellowship. This is the first time in almost 30 years that an OISE faculty member has been awarded the fellowship, with the last recipient being Professor Linda Siegel in 1996.

This highly competitive award recognizes scholars of exceptional ability, providing them with the time and resources to pursue transformative research with broad societal impact. Each year, only five to eight scholars across Canada are awarded this honour.

Valued at $80,000 per year for two years, Dorothy Killam Fellowships grant mid-career researchers full release from teaching and administrative duties, allowing them to focus entirely on their research. Established to align with Dorothy Killam’s vision of advancing knowledge for the benefit of all Canadians, the fellowships support bold, inclusive research that can break barriers beyond the academic community.

Ansloos, who teaches in the department of Applied Psychology and Human Development and holds the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Studies of Health, Suicide, and Environmental Justice, will use this opportunity to further his research on suicide prevention in Indigenous communities, focusing on how environmental factors like climate change and industrial development impact mental health outcomes.

“I’m incredibly grateful to receive this fellowship because it will provide dedicated time for me to [advance] the mobilization of the incredible research knowledge that I’ve had the privilege to be a part of,” says Ansloos,

“I’m also really delighted that impact is a cornerstone of this fellowship, which invites deep consideration of how to share information generated from research in ways that have a tangible effect on making the lives of community members better.”

Suicide is a growing global public health issue both nationally and globally. In Canada, it is a leading cause of premature death among First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, particularly those under the age of 44. Studies on suicide among Indigenous populations in other high-income countries, such as the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Greenland, and other Arctic nations, reveal similarly elevated rates, says Ansloos.

Ansloos’s research seeks to address gaps in environmental policies that fail to account for mental health risks, including suicidality.

“We’re living in an extraordinary time where we are directly experiencing the effects of global temperature changes [while] access to Indigenous people’s lands are increasingly in the sights of those seeking to develop critical minerals,” says Ansloos, who is a citizen of Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba.

“Any decision that happens at the level of environmental policy needs to more fulsomely anticipate impacts on all parts of the ecosystem, including the mental health of community members.”
 

Ansloos’ research assesses the extent to which Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and monitoring practices—key tools in Canadian environmental law used to evaluate the potential effects of major development projects—address mental health risks in Indigenous communities. 

By identifying gaps in current policies, he aims to develop actionable, community-based recommendations that reduce suicide rates and ensure environmental policies are inclusive of, and sensitive to, the mental health needs of Indigenous peoples.

Ansloos has already conducted extensive research in this area in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Quebec.

“Dr. Ansloos’ receipt of the prestigious Dorothy Killam Fellowship is a well-deserved recognition of the far-reaching significance of his research,” says Professor Erica N. Walker, Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

“His work at the intersection of environmental change, mental health, and suicide prevention in Indigenous communities is both urgent and transformative. This fellowship will provide the support needed to deepen his research, generate new insights, and create meaningful solutions that will significantly improve the health and well-being of Indigenous communities, both in Canada and globally.”