Kathleen Pajer

Senior Scientist, CHEO Research Institute

Kathleen Pajer, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Psychiatry and formerly served as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa and Chief of Psychiatry at CHEO. She currently serves as the Director of the CHEO Precision Child and Youth Mental Health (PCYMH) Collaboratory, supported by generous donor funding in a partnership with SickKids. Additionally, she is the Clinical and Scientific Director of Project ECHO Ontario: Child and Youth Mental Health.

Dr. Pajer spent the majority of her career in the United States as a clinician scientist, focusing on stress response system function in adolescent girls with behavioral disturbances. Since her recruitment to Canada in 2011 to Dalhousie University and in 2014 to the University of Ottawa, Dr. Pajer has taken on leadership roles in medical, clinical, and research domains. Her scientific focus has since shifted transforming the child and youth mental healthcare system.

She has received numerous grants and awards for her work, including the 2024 CHEO Research Institute’s Osmond Impact Award, recognizing individuals who have significantly advanced the CHEO Research Institute’s growth over the past year.

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Research Areas

Mental Health Precision Child and Youth Mental Health Psychiatry (Child and Adolescent) Artificial Intelligence COVID- 19 Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders

Related News

  1. Launching Precision Rewired: A CHEO Research Institute Limited Series Podcast on the future of child and youth mental health

    08/07/2026

    Launching Precision Rewired: A CHEO Research Institute Limited Series Podcast on the future of child and youth mental health

  2. The CHEO Research Institute leads global conversation on precision mental health for children and youth

    27/05/2026

    The CHEO Research Institute leads global conversation on precision mental health for children and youth

  3. CHEO research shows how AI could reduce emergency department visits for mental health care

    04/02/2026

    CHEO research shows how AI could reduce emergency department visits for mental health care

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Research Projects

  1. Scoping review of precision child and youth mental health research: dwelling in possibility

    09/02/2026

  2. Predicting child and adolescent mental health emergency department revisits: a machine-learning approach compared to a clinician-derived baseline

    01/12/2025

    This study aimed to develop and validate a machine‑learning–based algorithm using electronic health record data to predict child and youth mental health emergency department revisits, and to compare its performance with a clinician‑weighted model. The machine learning approach outperformed the clinician-driven baseline while identifying clinically meaningful predictors such as prior ED visits, medication history, substance use, and outpatient mental health care. These findings demonstrate that interpretable ML models can complement clinical expertise and support improved planning for CYMH emergency care.

  3. Dyadic attachment-based therapies for infants and young children with mental health problems: a scoping review

    12/11/2025

    Early child-caregiver attachment is foundational to mental health (MH). While prevention efforts often aim to improve attachment quality, clinicians frequently encounter infants and young children already exhibiting clinical symptoms of MH disorders. A comprehensive summary of attachment-based dyadic interventions for this population is lacking. This scoping review aims to address this gap.

  4. Risk of neuropsychiatric and related conditions associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a difference-in-differences analysis

    07/07/2025

  5. Using Neuropsychological Profiling to Tailor Mental Health Care for Children and Youth: a Quality Improvement Project to Measure Feasibility

    01/05/2025