Addressing the Mental Health Impact of Pandemic-related School Closures
Vohra Miller Lectures in Critical Public Health Issues
Event Description 
The fourth-annual Vohra Miller Lectures in Critical Public Health Issues in collaboration with the Institute for Pandemics aimed to foster a dialogue on health equity issues, as it relates to the youth educational landscape. While recognizing the importance of the public health measures that were put in place based on scientifically proven best practices to ensure the safety and health of all Canadians, this discussion analyzed the impact of pandemic education disruption on mental health outcomes in children and youth using innovative statistical methods.
Panelists Kuan Liu, Mark Lasso, Kimberley Chau shared the learning outcomes and their perspectives to address topics posed by panelist and moderator, Dr. Amy Gajaria.
Panelists will explore some of the following issues:
Although necessary precautions were made to ensure the health and safety of all Canadians during the pandemic, school closures temporarily disrupted education. Social interactions, intellectual stimulation, and the surrounding environment during school hours play a key role in the development of school-aged children and youth. Social isolation may trigger and exacerbate anxiety and depression. These impacts were felt disproportionately by equity-deserving families and communities.
The effects of education disruption on mental health may be long-lasting. Although evidence exists on short-term impact, the temporal and spatial intersectionality between school closure and socioeconomic status (SES) on mental health outcomes among children and youth remains unexplored.
Speaker Biographies 
Opening Remarks:
Adalsteinn Brown
Professor & Dean, Dalla Lana School of Public Health  
Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown is the Dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) at the University of Toronto. He received his undergraduate degree in government from Harvard University and his doctorate from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
Steini is well known for his expertise in evidence-informed policy making, health-care quality improvement, performance management, leadership and health systems capacity-building and strategy. Prior to serving as Dean of the DLSPH, he was Director of the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, and while in this role, he also led numerous complex initiatives with other universities, hospitals, government and international agencies. Steini, along with many of the faculty at DLSPH, have played a critical role in the COVID-19 response, and will remain deeply involved with Ontario’s strategy going forward. 
Host and Moderator: 
Amy Gajaria
Associate Scientist, Center for Addiction and Mental Health
Dr. Amy Gajaria is an associate scientist in the Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth, & Family Mental Health and a psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and the inaugural associate director, equity, diversity, and inclusion for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Dr. Gajaria completed her postgraduate training in psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She has a specific interest in supporting the needs of racialized young people and was a recipient of a Public Psychiatry Fellowship from the American Psychiatric Association.
Dr. Gajaria’s research focuses on the use of qualitative methodologies to address questions of health equity as they relate to underserved children, youth, and families. She has a particular interest in meaningfully engaging traditionally underserved communities and in the use of methodological frameworks informed by critical perspectives.
Featured Panelists:
Kuan Liu
Assistant Professor and IfP Catalyst Grant recipient
Professor Kuan Liu is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and the Biostatistics Division at Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Prof. Liu’s research targets the development of novel statistical methodologies motivated by applications in a variety of disciplines such as personalized medicine, population health, and health services research. Her methodological interests include causal inference, Bayesian statistics, longitudinal data analysis, measurement errors and bias analysis, and semi-parametric/parametric joint modelling.
Mark Lasso
Principal, Toronto District School Board
Mark Lasso (MIEd, BEd, BA) is a school principal with the TDSB who has been working in school and instructional leadership, teaching, mental health, and school safety for over 30 years. Mark completed graduate studies in educational leadership, global education systems and change management and holds a specialist in Special Education. He is completing a master's degree in Disaster and Emergency Management at York University, focusing on school safety and emergency planning, including the impact of critical events on vulnerable communities. Mark is also finishing Supervisory Officer qualifications at Lakehead University and Trauma certification from Wilfrid Laurier University’s School of Social Work. As a strong advocate for mental health, Mark is working to create a Toronto-based Trauma-Informed Practices (TIP) educator network, implement system-wide TIP training, and develop a critical incident peer-support program for staff. He is also a member of the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies’ 2SLGBTQIA+ Roundtable, seeking to improve mental health support for children and youth in care.
Kimberley Chau
High School Teacher and jack.org Senior Speaker
Kim Chau was born and raised in Toronto and is currently working as a high school teacher. Her passion for mental health began through supporting others in their own journeys. She was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder in 2018 and wants to use her experiences to help others see what life can be like living with Mental Illness. She has participated in four Jack Rides in support of Team Bridget (and two as a Ride Marshal)!! When she is not working she can be found spending time with her family and friends enjoying new foods, playing ultimate frisbee, and most recently doing spin classes.