Dr. Suzanne Tough
Positions
Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences
Child Health & Wellness Researcher
Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute
Contact information
Background
Educational Background
B.S. Psychology, University of Calgary, 1983
Doctor of Philosophy Epidemiology & PubHealth, University of Alberta, 1996
M.S. Physiology, University of Calgary, 1987
Postdoctoral Fellowship Epidemiology, Alberta Cancer Board, 2000
Biography
Suzanne Tough is a Professor with the Departments of Paediatrics and Community Health Sciences in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary and faculty for the MaxBell Policy Institute. She is a member of the Owerko Centre, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI).
Dr Tough is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and has been a member of national and international advisory boards including the World Health Organization Preterm Birth International Consortium, the Canadian Maternal Infant Child Youth Research Network (MICYRN) and CIHR Institutes. Dr Tough has undertaken the role of Scientific Director in 3 provincial organizations/initiatives and has served as a member of the United Way Council of Champions. Dr Tough has been recognized for her skills through a Health Region Peoples’ Choice Award, a Golden Apple Supervision Award, as well as University of Alberta Alumni Award of Excellence, Global YWCA Women of Vision award, the Geoffrey C Robinson Award from the Canadian Pediatric Society, Killam Research Scholar. In 2019, she was recognized as one of the Top 100 in the SHEInnovates Women and Global Innovation Campaign by the United Nations Global Innovation Coalition for Change. In 2020, she received the Department of Pediatrics CARE Award-Researcher.
As a policy fellow for the MaxBell Foundation/Burns Memorial Fund Dr. Tough researched and developed strategies to improve outcomes for children and families through investing in community. She is well known for her work on ‘Social Snacking’ and social support.
Through her academic career Dr. Tough has published over 300 peer reviewed publications, 9 book chapters and numerous reports and secured over $30 million in research funding . She has mentored over 30+ honors, Masters, PhD and Post Doctoral trainees, and actively mentors junior faculty across the disciplines of medicine, psychology, education and social work to support career and personal development. As a member of a number of committees interested in maternal and child health issues, has contributed to the development of research strategies and processes that inform policy and practice, and addresses contemporary issues in knowledge translation and applied research.
Research
Areas of Research
The All Our Families Cohort (formerly All our Babies) is a longitudinal pregnancy cohort that enables the investigation of the relationships between parental well-being and outcomes for children and families. All Our Families participants have provided information about mental health, lifestyle, neighborhood, pregnancy, parenting, child development, family life, recreation, screen time, sleep and use of services. This information enables identification of early influences on later health and development outcomes for children and families. Under Dr. Tough’s leadership, the AOF cohort is a member of national and international cohort consortium which enables data sharing and analysis to address complex questions.
The All Our Families cohort began in 2008 with the recruitment of 3,200 Alberta mother-baby pairs. Mothers were recruited before they were 25-weeks of gestation and since recruitment, our dedicated participants have completed 9 surveys across childhood, including data collected during the global COVID 19 Pandemic. As the children have matured, they have completed questionnaires adding self reported data from adolescence onwards. In addition to the questionnaire data, 1,800 of our mothers also provided biologic samples and cord blood.
Research areas that we have explored to date include topics related to preterm birth, social support, exposure to abuse, maternal anxiety and depression, breastfeeding, use of community resources (eg. Library), sleep, child care, and child social and emotional development. We are excited to continue to collect information to better understand how children are managing elementary school. Some topics of interest in these growing years are screen time, recreation, bullying, eco-anxiety and resilience.
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Awards
- Killam Research Excellence Award, Killam Foundation. 2022
- Fellowship, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. 2021
- 2020 Department of Pediatrics CARE Award - Researcher, University of Calgary. 2020
- #SHEInnovates Women Global Innovation 100 Campaign, United Nations Women Global Innovation Coalition for Change (GICC). 2019
- Senior Policy Fellowship, Max Bell Foundation/Burns Memorial Fund. 2020
- Scientific Advisor, PolicyWise: Secondary Analysis to Generate Evidence (SAGE). 2019
- Senior Policy Fellowship, Max Bell Foundation/Burns Memorial Fund. 2019
- Scientific Advisor, PolicyWise: Secondary Analysis to Generate Evidence (SAGE). 2018
- Senior Policy Fellowship, Max Bell Foundation/Burns Memorial Fund. 2018
- Scientific Advisor, PolicyWise: Secondary Analysis to Generate Evidence (SAGE). 2017
- Senior Policy Fellowship, Max Bell Foundation/Burns Memorial Fund. 2017
- Geoffrey C. Robinson Award , Canadian Paediatric Society. 2021
- Scientific Advisor, PolicyWise: Secondary Analysis to Generate Evidence (SAGE). 2016
- Health Scholar, Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions (2009-2016). 2016
- Brain Travel Award, World Congress on Brain, Behavior, and Emotions. 2015
- AHFMR Health Scholar Award, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. 2009
- Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Supervision Award, 2009
- Outstanding Achievement in Supervision Award, 2009
- Salary Support Award, 2009
- Award of Excellence, Alumni Recognition Award, 2008
- AHFMR Population Health Investigator, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. 2007
- AHFMR Population Health Investigator, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. 2005
- Nominee - People First Award, Calgary Health Region. 2005
- AHFMR Population Health Investigator, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. 2004
- Nominee - 2004 Health Services Research Advancement Award, Canadian Health Services Research Foundation. 2004
Publications
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