Dr. Allison Crawford is the UArctic Chair in Public Mental Health and Community-centered Digital Innovation. Dr. Crawford is a renowned leader in public mental health, suicide prevention, and digital health innovation, with a focus on Arctic and remote communities. Her work integrates participatory research, Indigenous knowledges, and digital solutions to address pressing mental health challenges across the Arctic. She leads a community-based mental health service through the Government of Nunavut and is the Chief Medical Officer for the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline, which includes a specialized pathway for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis callers and texters.
Through her HeART Lab (Health Equity through Art, Research, and Technology), Dr. Crawford has collaborated with the Sustainable Development Working Group of the Arctic Council and Permanent Participants to bring together youth from Arctic communities in Canada, Greenland, Finland, Iceland and Norway to engage youth in mental health research using technology.
As UArctic Chair, Dr. Crawford continues her long-standing engagement with Arctic communities, leveraging CAMH’s advanced research infrastructure in artificial intelligence, digital health, and health equity. She aims to lead community-based conversations to identify mental health priorities and develop culturally meaningful digital health solutions, ensuring Indigenous knowledge and leadership are central to her work.