Christine Chambers

Education

BSc (Dalhousie)
MA (UBC)
PhD (UBC)

Research Interests

Dr. Christine Chambers is an internationally recognized clinical psychologist and scientist whose research focuses on improving the health and well-being of children and families. For more than 25 years, her work has advanced understanding of children’s pain, including its assessment and management, and how research evidence can be mobilized to improve pain and health outcomes for children.

Christine is a Professor at Dalhousie University, a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Children’s Pain, and a member of the Scientific Staff at IWK Health. Her research program brings together researchers, health professionals, patients, and families to generate new knowledge and move evidence into practice. She has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers, is ranked among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists, and has mentored more than 100 trainees.

Christine is the founding Scientific Director of Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), a national knowledge mobilization initiative dedicated to improving children’s pain management by bringing together patients, families, health professionals, researchers, and organizations to move evidence into practice. She is also Associate Director of the North American Pain School, an interdisciplinary training program developing the next generation of pain researchers.

Beyond her own research program, Christine provides national leadership as Scientific Director of the Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Since assuming the role in 2020, she has championed partnerships, knowledge mobilization, capacity building, and the meaningful engagement of children, youth, and families in health research.

Christine is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and has received numerous awards for contributions to research, mentorship, patient engagement, knowledge mobilization, and advocacy. She has twice been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network.

Selected Publications

To view Dr. Chambers' publications please see:

PubMed
Google Scholar

Awards and Honours

• Royal Society of Canada (RSC) Fellow
• Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) Fellow
• Canadian Psychological Association Fellow
• Society of Pediatric Psychology (Division 54; American Psychological Association) Fellow
• Dennis Drotar Distinguished Research Award in Pediatric Psychology, Society of Pediatric Psychology
  
• Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100, Women's Executive Network
• Science Champion, Discovery Awards, Discovery Centre 
• President’s Excellence in Research Award, Research Impact, Dalhousie University 
• Patients First Award for Excellence and Innovation in Patient-Centred Care, Merck Canada
• Outstanding Pain Mentorship Award, Canadian Pain Society 
• Leadership Award (Individual), Children’s Healthcare Canada 
• Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision, Dalhousie University

Memberships

• American Psychological Association (Division 53, Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology & Division 54, Society of Pediatric Psychology)
• Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies
• Canadian Pain Society
• Canadian Pediatric Society
• Canadian Psychological Association (Clinical Psychology & Health Psychology and Behavioural Medicine)
• International Association for the Study of Pain (Special Interest Group on Pain in Childhood & Special Interest Group on Pain and Intellectual Developmental Disabilities)

Service & Activity 

• Member, Editorial Board, Canadian Journal of Pain
• Associate Director, North American Pain School (NAPS)
• Research Advisory Committee member, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
• Member, Comprehensive Project Proposals Committee, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
• Member, Clinical Program Committee, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience