“I want my research to shine a light on premature deaths among people with severe mental disorders. This is a huge health disparity that needs to be addressed," -Dr. Jess FiedorowiczDr. Jess Fiedorowicz has built his research career on bringing together specialists from different disciplines to better understand the health risks faced by people with severe mental disorders, with a focus on bipolar disorder. 

Suicide and cardiovascular disease are the leading causes of premature death in this population, at rates much higher than in the general public. Dr. Fiedorowicz is interested in how the course of illness, symptoms, and treatment of these disorders might impact both cardiovascular health and risk for suicide. 

He has published over 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers, many of them using a collaborative team science approach that he aims to foster with colleagues in Ottawa.

Dr. Fiedorowicz was recruited in 2020 as the Head and Chief of the Department of Mental Health at The Ottawa Hospital, and professor and Senior Research Chair in Adult Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa. He was recently appointed as a scientist in the Clinical Epidemiology Program and the Neuroscience Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

“I want my research to shine a light on premature deaths among people with severe mental disorders. This is a huge health disparity that needs to be addressed," he said.

The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.   

Media Contact 
Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca