Ground-breaking research earns significant honour

Faculty of Arts and Science researcher Kate Harkness has earned the 2024 Douglas Utting Prize, awarded annually in Canada to someone with excellence in research or academic pursuits furthering the understanding or treatment of depression or suicide.

The Douglas Utting Foundation is a family foundation established in 1985 in memory of Douglas Utting, who struggled with depression for many years before taking his own life. The foundation is situated within the Department of Psychiatry of the Jewish General Hospital, in association with McGill University.

Dr. Harkness (Psychology) is widely regarded as the Canadian leader, and part of a very small team of leading experts worldwide, on the role of stressful life events in depression. The breadth of Dr. Harkness’ work in this field is tremendous – she has made paradigm-shifting theoretical contributions, produced ground-breaking and innovative empirical research, and has translated this basic work to understanding depression treatment.

“I am extremely honoured to receive the Douglas Utting Prize and Medal,” Dr. Harkness, director of the Mood Research Lab, says. “I have seen many of my most esteemed senior colleagues and leaders in the field of depression research in Canada receive this award over the years, and it is so rewarding for me personally to join their ranks.”

A key aspect of Dr. Harkness’ work that sets it apart is its strong multi-disciplinarity – she has led several teams made up of psychiatrists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and other allied health professionals to produce impactful results that integrate across psychological, neurobiological, and social-contextual levels of analysis. In particular, she has provided new and impactful knowledge on the role of childhood abuse histories in ‘tuning’ the brain and mind. Further, she and others have been able to use this knowledge to gain a greater understanding of how best to treat individuals with depression when they have a history of trauma.

“I have dedicated my 25-year career to understanding the powerful role of childhood abuse and neglect in depression and it is professionally rewarding to see this area of research being valued by such an esteemed organization. When I started my work on childhood maltreatment, it was very under-studied and there were a lot of myths and much ignorance about its enduring impacts on mental health into adulthood. It is now widely understood that adverse experiences in childhood change and shape our psychology, neurobiology, and social contexts throughout life, and that knowledge is having real impacts on public policy. It is very exciting to think that my team and I have played a part in that knowledge creation and translation.”

Dr. Harkness currently serves on the Executive Board of the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network for Depression (CAN-BIND). Working with a pan-Canadian and multi-disciplinary group of researchers, clinicians, and persons with lived experience, she is helping to translate her research on stress and trauma to discover personalized treatment strategies for depression based on each individual’s unique history. The ultimate goal of Dr. Harkness’ research is to help the millions of Canadians with depression get well and stay well.