Resilience Research Centre

Resilience Research Centre Michael Ungar, Ph.D. He is the author of over 250 peer reviewed articles and book chapters and 17 books.

is the founder and Director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience. In 2022, Dr. Ungar was ranked the number one Social Work scholar in the world in recognition of his ground-breaking work as a family therapist and resilience researcher. That work has influenced the way human development and organ

izational processes are understood and studied globally, with much of Dr. Ungar’s clinical work and scholarship focused on the resilience of marginalized children and families, and adult populations experiencing mental health challenges at home and in the workplace. In addition to providing consultation to international NGOs like the Red Cross and Save the Children, government agencies in more than a dozen low, middle, and high income countries, and educational institutions at all levels of study, Dr. Ungar’s research has also influenced the HR and corporate social responsibility initiatives of Fortune 500 companies like Unilever, DHL and Cigna. Dr. Ungar’s work emphasizes how to use the theory of resilience to increase both individual and institutional agility during crises, with numerous organizations having adopted his concept of resilience as a negotiated process that enhances wellbeing and social responsibility. His blog, Nurturing Resilience, can be read on Psychology Today’s website. Most commonly, the term resilience has come to mean an individual's ability to overcome adversity and continue his or her normal development. However, the RRC uses a more ecological and culturally sensitive definition. Dr. Michael Ungar, Co-Director of the RRC, has suggested that resilience is better understood as follows:

“In the context of exposure to significant adversity, resilience is both the capacity of individuals to navigate their way to the psychological, social, cultural, and physical resources that sustain their well-being, and their capacity individually and collectively to negotiate for these resources to be provided in culturally meaningful ways.” (See also Ungar, 2008 and Ungar, 2011)

Coming soon: R2 Resilience Expert Training – Fall 2026 CohortJoin Dr. Michael Ungar for a four-session virtual training ...
05/05/2026

Coming soon: R2 Resilience Expert Training – Fall 2026 Cohort

Join Dr. Michael Ungar for a four-session virtual training designed to strengthen the resilience of individuals, organizations, and communities.

Practical. Evidence-based. Transformative.

Registration opens June 30. Join the waitlist now. [email protected]

🚨 We’re Hiring: National Project Coordinator (Youth Transitions Study)The Youth Transitions Study (YTS) at Dalhousie Uni...
04/30/2026

🚨 We’re Hiring: National Project Coordinator (Youth Transitions Study)

The Youth Transitions Study (YTS) at Dalhousie University is looking for a National Project Coordinator to help lead a multi-year, multi-site research project focused on youth transitions from child welfare and community services across Canada.

This project is grounded in community-engaged and participatory research, with a strong commitment to working alongside youth and individuals with lived and living experience to shape research, practice, and policy.

We are especially interested in candidates who bring experience working with, or alongside, people with lived and living experience, and who are committed to equity, inclusion, and meaningful engagement.

📍 Halifax-based (with hybrid flexibility)

👉 Apply here: https://dal.peopleadmin.ca/postings/20793

Please feel free to share with your networks!

The Pathways from Child Welfare and Community Services project is a multi-year, multi-site national study examining youth transitions from child welfare and community services into stable housing, precarious living situations, or homelessness across Canada. The project employs a mixed-methods, parti...

Last week, another member of our team traveled to Addis Ababa to meet with our partners at ARESRO.It’s always energizing...
04/01/2026

Last week, another member of our team traveled to Addis Ababa to meet with our partners at ARESRO.

It’s always energizing to see this work come to life through in-person collaboration—strengthening partnerships, sharing knowledge, and building momentum together.

We’re excited to see the continued progress of this important project and grateful to be working alongside such a dedicated team.

We’re pleased to share this update from our partners at ARESRO.Wonderful to see this work in action—we’re looking forwar...
03/18/2026

We’re pleased to share this update from our partners at ARESRO.
Wonderful to see this work in action—we’re looking forward to the continued progress of this important project.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents and guardians of children aged 8–12We’re pleased to share a research opportunity led by Ash Fahie, a Bac...
01/29/2026

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents and guardians of children aged 8–12

We’re pleased to share a research opportunity led by Ash Fahie, a Bachelor’s Honours Psychology student at Mount Saint Vincent University, and supervised by Dr. Jan Höltge at the Resilience Research Centre, Dalhousie University.

This study explores how parents make decisions about their child’s independence and how families support children’s autonomy and well-being.

🧠 What’s involved?
• A 20-minute anonymous online survey
• Optional entry into a draw to win one of three $50 Walmart gift cards

🔗 Scan the QR code on the poster or visit:
https://tinyurl.com/parentchildstudymsvu

Please feel free to share with your networks.

🌟 Congratulations, Dr. Gianisa Adisaputri! 🌟This week, our colleague Gianisa Adisaputri successfully defended her PhD di...
10/02/2025

🌟 Congratulations, Dr. Gianisa Adisaputri! 🌟

This week, our colleague Gianisa Adisaputri successfully defended her PhD dissertation at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Health. 🎓👏

Gianisa has balanced her many roles at the Resilience Research Centre with her academic journey, bringing expertise in resilience, immigrant health, healthcare access, and emergency management. Her doctoral research explored primary care access for immigrant women in rural areas — an important contribution to health equity in Canada.

We are so proud of her remarkable achievement and excited to now celebrate her as Dr. Adisaputri! 🥳

🚨 Visiting Scholar Alert 🚨Dr. Alean Al-Krenawi is a distinguished scholar in the fields of social work, mental health, a...
09/23/2025

🚨 Visiting Scholar Alert 🚨

Dr. Alean Al-Krenawi is a distinguished scholar in the fields of social work, mental health, and cultural studies. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, a Master’s degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a Bachelor’s degree from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Over the course of his career, Dr. Al-Krenawi has held academic and leadership positions at several institutions, including Ben-Gurion University, Al-Ahliyya Amman University in Jordan, Achva Academic College in Israel, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and Algoma University in Canada. He is also a recipient of a Killam Visiting Scholar at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Dr. Al-Krenawi’s contributions to scholarship and practice have earned him numerous accolades. In 2012, he received the “Distinguished Academic Scholar in Arab Society in Israel” Award. In 2016, he was recognized by the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Social Work for his outstanding academic achievements. He was named among the top 100 contributors to social work journal scholarship in 2022, and in both 2023 and 2024, Stanford University included him in its list of the world’s top 2% of scientists in his field.

His work has significantly shaped global discourse on culturally sensitive social work and mental health practices, especially within Arab and Indigenous communities. His interdisciplinary research, grounded in both academic theory and community engagement, continues to influence mental health policy and practice on an international scale.

Current and Recent Publications:

1. Al-Krenawi, A. (2024). Syrian Refugees in Jordan and Mental Health: Challenges and Culturally Sensitive Practice. Leiden: Brill Publishers.

2. Al-Krenawi, A. (In Press). Dual Use of Global and Local Indigenous Mental Health Services: The Middle East Case. Leiden: Brill Publishers.

3. Al-Krenawi, A. (In Progress). Special Issue: Stress, Traumatic Events, and Political Violence: Implications for Mental Health Care. Healthcare.

4. Al-Krenawi, A. (2025). The Experience of Muslim Students and Scholars in Academic Institutions in the West. Special Issue, Journal of International Students, Vol. 15, No. 3 (2025).

Address

Halifax, NS

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Resilience Research Centre posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Resilience Research Centre:

Share