SiOS was co-founded in 2012 by Dr. Stephen Lewis and Dr. Nancy Heath. Now directed by Dr. Lewis, our team consists of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Guelph. At the heart of our work is giving voice to people’s diverse lived experience, inspiring hope, and fostering recovery. Also central to the SiOS mission is promoting a compassionate understanding of self-injury by providing research-informed information and helpful resources.
Dr. Stephen P. Lewis
Dr. Stephen P. Lewis is a Research Leadership Chair and Professor in the Department of Psychology, at the University of Guelph. He is Past President and Invited Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Self-injury. He is also an elected College Member of the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Lewis’ research centres people's lived experience of self-injury and mental health adversity to tackle stigma, promote recovery and resilience, and foster a more compassionate understanding of these concerns in society. His own lived experience with self-injury, trauma, suicidality, and mental illness bridges advocacy with academia as reflected in a widely viewed TEDx Talk, published narratives, media stories (e.g., CBC, CNN, New York Times, Good Morning America), producing a documentary film, and research impacts that extend far beyond traditional scholarship to shape social media policy, create practical guidelines and trainings, and empower individuals to work toward recovery. His work has been recognised by the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, who awarded him their Mental Health Leadership Award.
Dr. Lewis shares his self-injury story
Dr. Nancy L. Heath
Nancy L. Heath, PhD, is a James McGill Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University. She is a professor in the Human Development and School/Applied Child Psychology programs. Dr. Heath’s research program explores resilience and adaptive functioning in youth and young adults at-risk; with her most recent work focusing on non-suicidal self-injury in the community. She is a founding member and past president of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS). Dr. Heath has also trained as a mindfulness based stress reduction instructor. She has presented at numerous conferences nationally and internationally, in her research area as well as doing many workshops and media presentations on both self-injury and mindfulness.