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We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Chloe Hamza is the recipient of the Ministry of Ontario's Early Researcher Award (ERA) Program . This Ontario funding will support 406 research projects across the province, helping institutions attract and retain top research talent, and cover the costs of research operations and infrastructure, including building, renovating and equipping research facilities with laboratories and the latest technology. This is part of a new initiative where Ontario is investing more than $270 million to support new innovations and discoveries. 

Dr. Hamza joined the Department of Applied Psychology in 2016 as Assistant Professor and was recently promoted to Associate Professor in 2022. We sat down with Dr. Hamza to learn more about her research and career goals. Read more below.

What does the Early Researcher Award (ERA) mean to you? 
The most exciting part of this award is that it will support the recruitment and training of a large team of diverse students to my research lab (). Students will receive specialized training in post-secondary student mental health research, longitudinal research methods and data analysis, knowledge dissemination, as well as have opportunities to work directly with youth through various outreach initiatives. I am grateful to have the opportunity to support the ongoing professional development of the next generation of research-scientists through this ERA! 

Tell us a little bit about your education /early career journey?
I completed my graduate training in Lifespan Development Psychology at Brock University (2010 – 2015), as a Canada Vanier Graduate Scholar. I then completed a CIHR-funded Postdoctoral Fellowship in Applied Psychology in the Centre for School-based Mental Health at Western University. My training and interests in human development, mental health, and education motivated me to pursue a faculty position in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at OISE. I was fortunate to be hired as an Assistant Professor in 2016 in the department. I feel grateful to be part of such a vibrant, supportive, and interdisciplinary community. In 2022, I was promoted to Associate Professor (time flies!). 

Tell us a little bit about your research and what you are working on currently/ hope to achieve next in your career?
My research program is broadly focused on understanding the development of mental health and well-being among adolescents and young adults, particularly in school-based contexts (e.g., during the transition to post-secondary school). I am interested in how stressors impact mental health and well-being over time, and the factors that lead to more risky forms of coping. Understanding the processes through which student cope with distress, is important to informing efforts to build supportive academic communities for students, and promote healthy coping for young persons. In the future, I hope to further shape evidence-informed practices and policies aimed at high school and post-secondary students not just in Ontario, but internationally. 

What was the most interesting thing you learned early on in your career? 
How cool knowledge translation is! I think it’s incredible to go from study conceptualization (and writing grant and ethics applications) through to knowledge mobilization, and dissemination. As a researcher, I think considering the ways science shapes practice, and how, is fascinating! 

Do you have any words of wisdom for someone starting off their career in education or research? 
As an early career faculty, I have relied tremendously on the support and guidance of more senior mentors. I would encourage emerging scholars to invest in meaningful relationship building early, and surround yourself with a network of strong mentors. For me, this has meant being strategic about working with mentors who are effective teachers, innovative researchers, and strong policy advocates, to learn from and collaborate with in my research and teaching. 

Is there something you would have told yourself early on in your career?
Slow and steady wins the race! It’s easy to get caught up in the fast-paced academic world, and the pressures to produce, but you have to pace yourself. It’s important to have a good work-life balance, and find a rhythm that is sustainable for you. I try to encourage this perspective for the students I work with too, as their well-being is important to me. 

Are there any other awards/accomplishments that you have received that you would like us to mention?
I would like to also acknowledge that my larger research program was undertaken, in part, thanks to funding from the Canada Research Chairs Program (CRC-2021-00090).