Faculty of Health Professor Rebecca Pillai Riddell has been recognized for advancing evidence‑based mental health support for children and youth across Canada.
Strong Minds Strong Kids, Psychology Canada (SMSK) – a prominent charity focused on preventative children’s mental health support – named Pillai Riddell the recipient of the 2025 Major Contributions Award. She was recognized for her contributions to its mission of delivering science‑backed resources for children from birth through age 18 to support positive mental health and build coping skills.
“SMSK upholds a mission near and dear to my heart – making psychological science accessible for preventing and moderating mental health challenges for all Canadian children and families,” says Pillai Riddell.
Pillai Riddell is a professor in the Department of Psychology and holds the Tier 1 York Research Chair in Pain and Mental Health. She also directs the Opportunities to Understand Childhood Hurt (OUCH) Laboratory, where she leads research on how infants and young children experience and regulate pain, particularly in early‑life medical contexts such as vaccinations and neonatal care.
Widely recognized as a leader in her field, Pillai Riddell has contributed to more than 100 peer‑reviewed publications and is a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Her work has earned honours including the American Pain Society’s Jeffrey Lawson Award for Advocacy in Children’s Pain and the Canadian Pain Society’s Outstanding Mentorship Award.
Pillai Riddell has worked closely with SMSK since 2018, first as a member of its board of trustees and, for the past two years, as a member of its executive board. Through these roles, she has contributed her expertise to advance the organization’s efforts to promote coping skills in young people. For example, she, her lab and postdoctoral fellow Katie Di Pierdomenico conducted a large‑scale review on digital interventions for preventative mental health in partnership with SMSK. That work helped advance SMSK’s programs, which also support parents, caregivers, educators and professionals.
“As a clinical psychologist and a basic behavioural scientist, breaking out of the lab and getting our evidence‑base out to Canadian families is critical,” says Pillai Riddell, whose work with SMSK has reached hundreds of thousands of children, youth and the professionals who support them each year. For her, the 2025 Major Contributions Award underscores the significance of the work being done through the organization. “SMSK stands as a national beacon for getting psych science where it belongs – in the minds of parents, children and the front‑line people who support them,” she says.
SMSK recognized Pillai Riddell for her influence on its ability to fulfill that mission.
“She has been an extraordinary partner to our organization,” says Anne Lovegrove, president and executive director of SMSK. “Her insight, generosity of time and commitment to advancing mental health promotion through research have meaningfully influenced our strategy and programs.”