Research summary
Mental and physical health are deeply connected—and understanding this relationship is essential to improving the health of populations. As Canada Research Chair in Population Health Data Science, Dr. Xiangfei Meng is investigating how mental health disorders are linked to other chronic illnesses and how these combined conditions (known as multimorbidity) can be better predicted and prevented.
Using machine learning, digital phenotyping and big data analytics, she and her research team are identifying biological, psychological and social factors that influence the likelihood that people with existing health conditions will develop additional mental or physical health problems. They are also developing online tools to help vulnerable and underserved populations access personalized health information and prevention strategies. They aim to close knowledge gaps in how diseases co-develop and create more targeted approaches to care. Ultimately, their work has the potential to reduce health disparities and improve quality of life for people living with complex health challenges.