Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 3, 2011
• Invested on: September 28, 2012

Michael Meaney has pushed forward the frontiers of epigenetics, the study of the impact our environment can have on our genes. His research looks at how early adversity, particularly through parental care, can change gene expression at the molecular level and influence the development of psychiatric disorders later on. He is a gifted communicator as well as an original thinker, and his findings have sparked scientific and public policy debates on early childhood development.