Dr. Kennedy is Professor of Psychiatry and Arthur Sommer Rotenberg Chair in Depression and Suicide Studies at the University of Toronto, Director of the Centre for Suicide and Depression Research at St. Michael’s Hospital, and a Scientist at Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and Krembil Research Institute.

He is the founding chair of the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatment (CANMAT), a national group of psychiatrists developing treatment guidelines for the management of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Today, CANMAT guidelines are used by treatment professionals around the world.

In 2012, Dr. Kennedy spearheaded the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression (CAN-BIND). As the largest depression research group in Canada, CAN-BIND explores links between symptoms, brain circuits, and molecular measures in differentiating subtypes of depression. Discoveries made by CAN-BIND help to drive individualized treatment approaches and provide targeted care for people with depression.

Dr. Kennedy is a champion for suicide awareness in Canada. As the Arthur Sommer Rotenberg Chair in Depression and Suicide Studies at the University of Toronto, he has contributed to suicide prevention and intervention efforts with the Canadian Armed Forces, the Whitefish River First Nation, and the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. He is also on the Board of Eli’s Place, an inpatient treatment centre for young adults with recurrent and severe mental illness.

As an advocate for person-centred research and care, Dr. Kennedy has long valued the role that voices of lived experience play in driving relevant, meaningful research that responds to real-world policy and community needs.

Dr. Kennedy is committed to transforming new discoveries into clinical practice through knowledge translation and education. His work has been published and cited widely, and he has been invited to deliver more than 500 presentations internationally.