Dr. Ahun’s research aims to identify the mechanisms through which parental mental health and parenting behaviors impact child development and mental health in global contexts. Using qualitative and quantitative research methods, the primary axis of her research aims to identify mediators and moderators of the associations of parental depression with child development and mental health. Specifically, Dr. Ahun is interested in understanding social and cultural differences in how parents and children experience mental health, and the extent to which the mediators and moderators of these associations differ across sociocultural contexts. The second axis of her research aims to design, implement, and evaluate interventions that support caregivers to promote children’s development and mental health. Within this axis, Dr. Ahun is specifically interested in designing multi-component interventions that target various aspects of the family environment to improve children’s mental health and overall family wellbeing. In addition to conducting research in Canada and Ghana, Dr. Ahun has collaborates with international organizations such as UNICEF and the World Health Organization to improve the implementation and evaluation of interventions to improve early child development.
Dr. Ahun’s academic background spans the social and health sciences. After completing a Bachelors in Honors Psychology (with a focus on developmental psychology) at McGill University, she went on to pursue a PhD in Public Health (health promotion option) at Université de Montréal and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Global Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine (Division of Clinical Epidemiology) and a Junior Scientist at the McGill University Health Centre – Research Institute (Child Health and Human Development Program and Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation).
Contact: marilyn.ahun [at] mcgill.ca (Email )