York University psychology Professor Joel Katz has been recognized with a prestigious honour by the American Psychological Association (APA) for his contributions to pain research.
Joel Katz
Katz, a Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology and Canada Research Chair in Health Psychology, was “unanimously and enthusiastically” endorsed to become a Fellow of Division 53, the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP) of the APA. In 2010, he was elected Fellow of APA Division 38, Health Psychology.
Katz’s research focuses on risk and protective factors for chronic pain in children and adults. He has contributed to more than 280 peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters, 150 invited addresses and presentations and more than 350 abstracts/conference proceedings. Katz has also held major national funding over his career.
“I’m honoured to be have become a Fellow of APA Division 53 and to be recognized by the Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology for my research contributions to the field of pain in children and youth,” he said. “Pain has been called the ‘silent epidemic’ of our times, and not surprisingly, most people are shocked to hear that the prevalence of chronic pain in children and youth is approximately 20 per cent. This means that one out of every five Canadian children and youth is faced with the challenges and realities of living with pain on a daily basis. Increasing public awareness of this critical issue is an essential first step to improving care and access to it.”
At York University, Katz runs the Human Pain Mechanisms Lab. He is also the research director of the Pain Research Unit at the Toronto General Hospital.
His research contributions have been recognized with many awards, including the Canadian Psychological Association’s Donald O. Hebb Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Science, and the Canadian Pain Society Distinguished Career Award. He is also a Fellow of Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.