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FACULTY
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AUTISM
RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM FACULTY
Éric Fombonne, M.D.
CIHR Principal Investigator, Program Director
Canada Research Chair in Child Psychiatry
Professor of Psychiatry, McGill University |
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The Faculty
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Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou
Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou joined Bloorview Kids Rehab in 2008 as a clinician-scientist. Dr. Anagnostou comes to Toronto from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where she was Assistant Professor and Clinical Director of the Seaver Autism Center of Excellence. Dr. Anagnostou's primary appointment is in the Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto and she is located at Bloorview Kids Rehab, with a cross-appointment to the Division of Neurology, Department of Paediatics, University of Toronto at SickKids. Dr. Anagnostou completed medical school at McGill University in 1998 and her residency in child neurology in 2003. She subsequently completed a research fellowship at the Seaver Autism Center of Excellence in New York. Dr. Anagnostou's research focuses on the psychopharmacology and neuroimaging of autism. Dr. Anagnostou is principlal or co-investigator on multiple clinical trials in autism and has had extensive funding in both pharmacology and neuroimaging. She co-edited the Manual for the Treatment of Autism published by APPI Press in 2007. Her research at Bloorview Kids Rehab focuses on the development of clinical trials to test novel compounds for the treatment of autism and related disorders. In collaboration with imaging researchers at SickKids, she is also studying the developmental trajectory of abnormalities in the frontostriatal circuitry in autism, and exploring the mechanisms of treatment response and side effects generation using fMRI, MR spectroscopy and DTI techniques.
Recent Publications:
King BH, Hollander E, Sikich L, McCracken JT, Scahill L, Bregman JD, Donnelly CL, Anagnostou E, Dukes K, Sullivan L, Hirtz D, Wagner A, Ritz L, STAART Psychopharmacology Network: Lack of efficacy of citalopram in children with autism spectrum disorders and high levels of repetitive behavior: Citalopram ineffective in children with autism. Archives of General Psychiatry 2009: 66(6): pp 583-590.
Glessner JT, Wang K, Cai G, Korvatska O, Kim CE, Wood S, Zhang H, Estes A, Brune CW, Bradfield JP, Imielinski M, Frackelton EC, Reichert J, Crawford EL, Munson J, Sleiman PM, Chiavacci R, Annaiah K, Thomas K, Hou C, Glaberson W, FloryJ, Otieno F, Garris M, Soorya L, Klei L, Piven J, Meyer KJ, Anagnostou E, Sakurai T, Game RM, Rudd DS, Zurawiecki D, McDougle CJ, Davis LK, Miller J, Posey DJ, Michaels S, Kolevzon A, Silverman JM, Bernier R, Levy SE, Schultz RT, Dawson G, Owley T, McMahon WM, Wassink TH, Sweeney JA, Nurnberger JI, Coon H, Sutcliffe JS, Minshew NJ, Grant SF, Bucan M, Cook EH, Buxbaum JD, Devlin B, Schellenberg GD, Hakonarson H: Autism genome-wide copy number variation reveals ubiquitin and neuronal genes. Nature 2009: May 28: 459(7246): pp 569-573.
Cai G, Edelmann L, Goldsmith JE, Cohen N, Nakamine A, Reichert JG, Hoffman EJ, Zurawiecki DM, Silverman JM, Hollander E, Soorya L, Anagnostou E, Betancur C, Buxbaum JD: Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification for genetic screening in autism spectrum disorders: Efficient identification of known microduplications and identification of a novel microduplication in ASMT. BMC Medical Genomics 2008: Oct 16: 1: pp 50.
Wasserman S, Iyengar R, Chaplin WF, Watner D, Waldoks SE, Anagnostou E, Soorya L, Hollander E: Levetiracetam versus placebo in childhood and adolescent autism: A double-blind placebo-controlled study. International Clinical Psychopharmacology 2006: Nov 21(6): pp 363-367.
Hollander E, Bartz J, Chaplin W, Phillips A, Sumner J, Soorya L, Anagnostou E, Wasserman S: Oxytocin increases retention of social cognition in autism. Biological Psychiatry 2007: Feb 15 61(4): pp 498-503.
Anagnostou E, Esposito K, Soorya L, Chaplin W, Wasserman S, Hollander E: Divalproex versus placebo for the prevention of irritability associated with fluoxetine treatment in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology 2006: Aug 26(4): pp 444-446.
Hollander E, Soorya L, Wasserman S, Esposito K, Chaplin W, Anagnostou E: Divalproex sodium vs. placebo in the treatment of repetitive behaviours in autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 2006: Apr 9(2): pp 209-213.
Anagnostou E, Miller SP, Guiot MC, Karpati G, Simard L, Dilenge ME, Shevell MI: Type I spinal muscular atrophy can mimic sensory-motor axonal neuropathy. Journal of Child Neurology 2005: Feb 20(2): pp 147-150.
Hollander E, Anagnostou E, Chaplin W, Esposito K, Haznedar MM, Licalzi E, Wasserman S, Soorya L, Buchsbaum M: Striatal volume on magnetic resonance imaging and repetitive behaviors in autism. Biological Psychiatry 2005: Aug 158(3): pp 226-232.
Eanagnostou@bloorview.ca
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Dr. Anthony Bailey
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Dr. Armando Bertone
Dr. Armando Bertone, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the School/Applied Child Psychology Program at McGill University. He is also Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at l’Université de Montréal and a researcher at the Fernand Seguin Mental Health Research Center. In 2009, he founded and currently directs The Perceptual Neuroscience Lab (PNLab) for Autism and Development, with sites at both McGill University and l’Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies in Montréal, Canada. A trained psychophysicist and clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Bertone is interested in characterizing the development of perceptual and related processes (- cognitive, motor, learning, attentional, multi-sensory, etc.) in both in typical children and in individuals with developmental conditions (- ASDs and fragile-x syndrome). He has introduced the concept and utility of using perceptual phenotypes for developing biologically-plausible neural hypotheses consistent with visuo-perceptual abilities that are specific to autism. His team and collaborators are presently using different experimental approaches to assess how such altered perception affects sensory-related cognition and behavior in autism.
Recent Publications:
Kéïta L, Mottron L, Dawson M, Bertone A (2011). Atypical lateral connectivity : a neural basis for altered visuo-spatial processing in autism. Biological Psychiatry, 70, 806-811.
Perreault A, Gurnsey R, Dawson M, Mottron L, Bertone A (2011). Increased sensitivity to visual mirror symmetry in autism. PLoS ONE, 6, e19519.
Bertone A, Hanck J, Kogan CS, Chaudhuri A, Cornish KM (2010). Using perceptual signatures to define and dissociate neural etiology : autism and fragile x syndrome as model conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 1531-1540.
Kéïta L, Mottron L, Bertone A (2010). Far visual acuity is unremarkable in autism : do we need to focus on crowding? Autism Research, 3, 333-341.
Bertone A, Hanck J, Kogan CS, Chaudhuri A, Cornish KM (2010). Associating neural alterations and genotype in autism and fragile x syndrome: incorporating perceptual phenotypes in causal modeling. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 1541-1548.
Bertone A, Mottron L, Jelenic P, Faubert J (2005). Enhanced and diminished visuo-spatial information processing in autism depends on stimulus complexity. Brain, 128, 2430-2441.
Bertone A, Mottron L, Jelenic P, Faubert J (2003). Motion perception in autism: a ‘complex’ issue. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 15, 218-225.
Armando Bertone, PhD
Assistant Professor
School/Applied Child Psychology
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology
McGill University
3700 McTavish Street
Montreal, Quebec H3A 1Y2
Telephone: 514.398.3448
Email: armando.bertone@mcgill.ca
Website: www.pnlab.ca
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Dr. Michael
H. Boyle
Michael
H. Boyle is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry of Behavioural
Neurosciences, McMaster
University, and Member of the Offord Centre for Child Studies.
He holds a Canada Research Chair in the Social Determinants of
Child Health and is currently principal investigator of the Ontario
Child Health Study: a longitudinal, province-wide survey of 3294
children aged 4-to 16 years begun in 1983, with follow-ups in 1987
and 2001. Dr. Boyle has been involved in numerous large-scale population
studies and evaluation projects, including: the Ontario Health
Survey Supplement (1990-91), a study of the epidemiology of adult
psychiatric disorder; Helping Children Adjust; a Tri-Ministry Study
(1991-1996), an evaluation study of school-based programs to prevent
antisocial behavior in elementary schools; and the Community Action
Program for Children (1994-2000), an evaluation study of federally
sponsored community-based programs intended to promote healthy
development among children exposed to socio-economic risk. At the
present time, his research is focusing on socioeconomic factors
associated with child health in developing countries. As a member
of the Health Research Methods program at McMaster, he teaches
principles of health status measurement, observational research
methods and approaches to secondary data analyses of child development
data.
Boyle, M.H., Cunningham, C.E., Georgiades, K., Cullen, J., Racine, Y., & Pettingill, P.
(2009). The Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI): 2. Usefulness in
screening for child and adolescent psychopathology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50 (4), 424-431.
Miller, J.L., Vaillancourt, T., Boyle, M.H. (2009). Examining the heterotopic continuity of
aggression using teacher reports: Results from a national Canadian study. SocialDevelopment, 18, 164-180.
Boyle, M.H., Georgiades, K., Cullen, J., Racine, Y. (in press). The influence of women’s education on intimate partner violence directed towards women in India.. Social Science & Medicine (2009), doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.06.039
Omariba, D.W.R., & Boyle, M.H. (in press). Rural-urban migration and cross-national variation in child mortality in less developed countries. Population Research & Policy Review,
DOI 10.1007/s11113-009-9140-y
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Dr. Jessica Brian
Jessica A. Brian received her PhD in Clinical Developmental Psychology from York University in 2000. She completed a year-long internship at the Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI) in New Jersey, with an emphasis on Applied Behaviour Analysis in autism intervention. Dr. Brian’s research interests include basic attention and inhibition in autism and related disorders, as well as early identification and intervention. She is a Clinician-Investigator at the Bloorview Research Institute at Bloorview Kids Rehab, and has co-directed the Autism Research Unit at SickKids for nine years. Dr. Brian has been heavily involved in a multi-site longitudinal research program examining the emergence of autism in infants and toddlers and is co-leading an early intervention project for toddlers showing the very earliest sign of ASD.
Selected References:
Brian, JA., & Bryson, SE: Disembedding performance and recognition memory in autism/PDD. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 1996: 37: pp 865-872.
Brian, J.A., Tipper, S.P., Weaver, B., & Bryson, S: Inhibitory mechanisms in autism: Typical selective inhibition of location versus facilitated perceptual processing. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2003: 44(4): pp 552-560.
Brian, JA, Landry R, Szatmari P, Niccols A, Bryson SE: Habituation in high-risk infants: Reliability and patterns of responding. Infant and Child Development 2003: 12: pp 387-394.
Cauley K, Brian JA: Teaching play-related verbalizations to children with autism using precision teaching. Journal of Precision Teaching and Celeration 2004: 19(2): pp 39-42.
Mitchell S, Brian J, Zwaigenbaum L, Roberts W, Szatmari P, Smith I, Bryson S: Early language and communication development of infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics 2006: 27(2) Supplement 2: pp S69-S78.
Bryson SE, Zwaigenbaum L, Brian JA, Roberts W, Szatmari P, Rombough V, McDermott C: A prospective case series of high-risk infants who developed autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2007: 37(1): pp 12-24.
Bryson SE, McDermott C, Rombough V, Brian J, Zwaigenbaum L: The Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI): Scale development and reliability data. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2008: 38:731-738.
Brian JA, Bryson SE, Garon N, Roberts W, Smith I, Szatmari P, Zwaigenbaum L: Clinical assessment of autism in high-risk 18 month olds. Autism 2008: 12(5): 433-456.
jbrian@bloorview.ca
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Dr. Susan
E. Bryson
Susan
E. Bryson received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from McGill University.
She has been recently recruited to Dalhousie University and the
IWK Health Centre as the first holder of the Craig Chair in Autism
Research. She was formerly Head and Clinical Director of the graduate
program in Clinical-Developmental Psychology at York University,
and Associate Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children (HSC).
She is Founding Director of the Autism Research Unit at the HSC
and of the newly established Autism Research Centre at the IWK
Health Centre. She also spearheaded the recent establishment of
the Provincial (Nova Scotia) Autism Library and Resource Centre
for families and professionals. Dr. Bryson is
a leading authority on mechanisms of attention, emotion and cognition
in autism, and
on the early detection and treatment of autism. She also has expertise
in the epidemiology of autism, having conducted two large Canadian
studies. She has served as consultant to Health Canada and the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control, she is one of the Founding Directors
of the Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network, and she is
on the editorial boards of the Journal of Autism and Developmental
Disorders and the Journal on Developmental Disabilities. She has
a long-standing record of training students, professionals and
parents, and of serving various community agencies, for which she
recently received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. Dr. Bryson
has a particular interest in knowledge transfer and application.
References:
Bryson, S.E. (In press). The Autistic Mind. To appear in M.
Bauman (Ed.) Neurobiology of Autism (Rev. ed.).
Landry, R., & Bryson, S.E. (In press). Impaired disengagement
of attention in young children with autism. Journal of Child
Psychology and Psychiatry.
Czapinski, P., & Bryson, S.E. (2003). Reduced facial muscle
movements in autism: Evidence for dysfunction in the neuromuscular
pathway. Brain and Cognition, 51, 177-179.
Bryson, S.E., Rogers, S.J., & Fombonne, E. (2003). Autism
Spectrum Disorders: Early Detection and Intervention, Education
and Psychopharmacological Treatment. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry,
48, 506-516.
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Dr. Jacob A. Burack
Jacob A. Burack, Ph.
D., is Professor of School/Applied Developmental Psychology at
McGill University. He is the founder and director
of the McGill Youth Study Team, is co-director of the Neurodevelopmental
Disorders Research Center at Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies
that was established with funding from the Canadian Foundation
for Innovation-Institutional Innovation Fund, and is a co-investigator
on the CIHR-funded National Network on Aboriginal Mental Health.
His empirical work has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council since 1992 and is focused on the development of
attention and perception in persons with autism and other developmental
disorders. In addition, to his empirical and theoretical articles
and chapters, Dr. Burack co-edited books including the “Handbook
of mental retardation and development” (Cambridge University
Press) and “The development of autism: Perspectives from
theory and research”(Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates), that
included contributions from many of the leading international researchers
of psychological issues among persons with autism. Dr. Burack advocates
for the application of methodologies from developmental psychology
to the study of autism and is editor of a special issue of the
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (February, 2004)
that will be focused on matching concerns and innovations. Dr.
Burack is the editor of the new book series, Development at Risk,
that will be published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. He is a
member of the advisory boards of both the Postdoctoral and Merck
Doctoral Program on Research in Mental Retardation at the University
of Wisconsin, and is a member of the editorial boards of Development
and Psychopathology, the Journal of Cognition and Development and
the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. At the community
level, he is a provincial government appointed expert on the board
of directors of Miriam Home, a public social service agency that
services persons with autism and other developmental disabilities,
and is a member of the board of directors of Summit School for
children with developmental disabilities.
References:
Landry, O., Mitchell, P., & Burack, J. A. (2009). Orienting of visual attention among persons with autism spectrum disorders: Reading versus responding to symbolic cues. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 862-870.
Burack, J. A., Joseph, S., Russo, N., Shore, D. I., Porporino, M., & Enns, J. T. (2009). Change detection in naturalistic pictures among children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 471-479.
Burack, J. A., & Russo, N. (2008). On why joint attention might look atypical in autism: A case for a strong policy statement but more nuanced empirical story. Child Development Perspectives, 2, 46-48.
Russo, N., Flanagan, T., Berringer, D., Iarocci, G., Zelazo, P. D. & Burack, J. A. (2007). Deconstructing the executive function deficit in autism: Implications for cognitive neuroscience. Brain and Cognition. 65, 77-86.
Mottron, L., Dawson, M., Hubert, B., Soulieres, I., & Burack, J. A. (2006). The enhanced perceptual functioning model of autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 27-43.
Jake Burack, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology
McGill University
3700 McTavish Street
Montreal, Quebec H3A 1Y2
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Dr. Melanie Couture
Melanie Couture is an Assistant Professor at Laval University in the Department of Rehabilitation of the Faculty of Medicine in Quebec City and a researcher at the Research Centre of the Centre hospitalier universitaire affilié de l’Hôtel Dieu de Lévis. She graduated from the ART program as a post-doctoral fellow from McGill University. Her research interests focus on neurodevelopmental assessment and developmental trajectory. She is a strong believer in clinical research and very sensitized to the importance of early identification of children with developmental disabilities. Melanie’s research in autism focuses on sensory-motor difficulties and how they may have an impact on the children’s daily activities and functional independence.
Melanie completed a B.Sc. in Occupational Therapy from University of Montreal, a Master in Child Study from Concordia University, and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences (rehabilitation) at the University of Montreal. Throughout her graduate studies she also worked as an occupational therapist at the specialized home care services of Ste-Justine Hospital and in private practices.
Jasmin,, E., Couture M., McKinley, P., Reid, G., Fombonne, E., Gisel, E. (2009). motor and daily living skills of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 2, 231-241.
Fombonne, E. Couture, M., Gisel, E., Reid, G., Smith, I. FQRSC (2008-AC-121463) : Longitudinal study of the impact of sensory-motor skills on functional independence in activities of daily living of children with autism spectrum disorders. 47 300$. 2007-2009.
Mélanie Couture Ph.D. erg.
Professeure adjointe/ Assistant Professor
Université Laval/ Laval University
Département de réadaptation/ Rehabilitation Department
Faculté de Médecine/ Faculty of Medicine
Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry
1050 rue de la Médecine
Québec, Québec
Local 2465
Phone : (418) 656-2131 poste 6491
Fax : (418) 656-5476
melanie.couture@usherbrooke.ca
Researcher CRCHA - Hôtel Dieu de Lévis
(418) 835-7121-1764
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Dr. Pierre Drapeau
Pierre Drapeau, B.Sc., Ph.D. (McGill), is a professor and the chair of Pathology and Cell Biology and the Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience at the Université de Montréal. Dr. Drapeau uses the zebrafish as a model to study embryonic development and diseases of the nervous system. Zebrafish lay large numbers of transparent eggs that develop rapidly, its embryo has simple motor behaviours and spinal cord structure, and its genome is sequenced, thus uniquely facilitating the study of spinal cord development in living embryos. Dr. Drapeau is recognised for his research on neural development and synapse formation. Using a comparative genomics approach he is validating mutations of human synaptic genes underlying disorders of the nervous system, including autism, by expressing mutated human genes in zebrafish embryos.
Recent publications
Montpetit et al. (2008) Disruption of AP1S1, causing a novel neurocutaneous syndrome, perturbs development of the skin and spinal cord. PLoS Genet 4(12): e1000296.
Gros-Louis et al (2008). Als2 mRNA splicing variants detected in KO mice rescue severe motor dysfunction phenotype in Als2 knock down zebrafish. Human Mol. Gen. 17:2691-702.
Valdmanis et al. (2007) Mutations in the KIAA0196 gene at the SPG8 locus cause Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. Am. J. Hum. Gen. 80:152-161.
Contact information
Pierre Drapeau, Ph.D.
Department of Pathology and Cell Biology
Université de Montréal
C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville
Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7
Tel.: 514-343-7087
Fax: 514-343-5755
e-mail: p.drapeau@umontreal.ca
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Dr. Mayada Elsabbagh
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Dr. James T Enns
James
T Enns, PhD (Princeton),
FRSC, is known internationally
for his
research on visual attention in humans. His work has influenced
prevailing
theories and viewpoints in three ways: (1) vision is oriented
toward objects, and three-dimensional
relations among objects, from
its
earliest
stages, (2) vision depends as much on feedback from higher-to-lower
centers
as it does on sensory input, and (3) individuals differ in
important and
predictable ways in their ability to control whether visual
selection governed by the environment
or by the internal goals of
the observer.
He is
a Professor in UBC's Department of Psychology and the Graduate
Program in
Neuroscience. He has been an Associate Editor for the journals
Psychological
Science and Visual Cognition. His research has been published
in Science,
Psychological Science, Psychological Review and is supported
by grants from
NSERC, Nissan Motor Corp., BC Health & NATO.
He has edited two research
volumes on the Development of Attention, 1990, 1997), coauthored
three
textbooks on Sensation & Perception
(1986, 1999, 2004) and has a book
forthcoming from WW Norton (The Thinking Eye, The Seeing Brain).
Publications:
Fecteau, J.H., Chua, R., Franks, I., and Enns, J.T. (2001). Visual awareness and the on-line modification of action. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 55(2): 106-112.
Enns, J.T., and Di Lollo, V. (2000). What’s new in visual masking? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4(9): 345-352.
Austen, E.L., and Enns, J.T. (2003). Change detection in an attended face depends on the expectation of the observer. Journal of Vision, 3: 64-74.
Liu, G., Healey, C.G., Enns, J.T. (2003). Target detection and localization in visual search: A dual systems perspective. Perception & Psychophysics, 65(5): 678-694
James T. Enns, PhD, FRSC
Distinguished University Professor
Department of Psychology & Graduate Program in Neuroscience
2136 West Mall
UBC
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
604-822-6634 (voice)
604-822-6923 (fax)
jenns@psych.ubc.ca
http://www.interchg.ubc.ca/vsearch/
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Dr. Alan Evans
Dr.
Alan Evans uses three-dimensional
computer techniques to study functional neuroanatomy. He collaborates
with cognitive neuroscientists to examine memory, language, mood
and sensory processing. A stimulus or task is presented to subjects
and changes in their cerebral blood flow are measured by PET and
MRI. Dr. Evans also contributes to a North American electronic
network that links brain mapping laboratories. He and his colleagues
are analyzing data derived from more than 400 brains to make a
neuroanatomy atlas. The imaging techniques developed in the McConnell
Brain Imaging Centre are also being used in large-scale, multi-centre
clinical trials.
References
1. Rousset OG, Deep P, Kuwabara H, Evans AC, Gjedde AH, Cumming
P. Effect of partial volume correction on estimates of the influx
and cerebral metabolism of 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-dopa studied with
PET in normal control and Parkinson's disease subjects. Synapse.
2000 Aug;37(2):81-89.
2. Dumoulin SO, Bittar RG, Kabani NJ, Baker CL Jr, Le Goualher
G, Bruce Pike G, Evans AC. A new anatomical landmark for reliable
identification of human area V5/MT: a quantitative analysis of
sulcal patterning. Cereb Cortex. 2000 May;10(5):454-63.
3. O'Driscoll GA, Wolff AL, Benkelfat C, Florencio PS, Lal S,
Evans AC. Functional neuroanatomy of smooth pursuit and predictive
saccades. Neuroreport. 2000 Apr 27;11(6):1335-40. back
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Dr.
Margaret Fahnestock
Margaret Fahnestock, Ph.D. is a Professor of Neuroscience at McMaster University. She is internationally recognized for her work on neurotrophic factors. Her specific area of expertise is the regulation of neurotrophin expression in human brain and the role of neurotrophins in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. She has published over 60 scholarly manuscripts and book chapters, including five that have been chosen as "Papers of the Week" by Alzheimer Research Forum. Dr. Fahnestock is well known for pioneering the quantification of scarce mRNAs in human post-mortem brain tissue and for sparking interest in the role of proneurotrophins in CNS. She has a long track record of academic leadership including serving twice as President of the Southern Ontario Neuroscience Association, session chair at the Society for Neuroscience meeting, and serving on grant review committees for the Medical Research Council of Canada, CIHR, Alzheimer Society of Canada, and the NIH (National Institute of Aging, USA). At McMaster University, she is active in undergraduate teaching, is Associate Director of the new Graduate Program in Neuroscience, and has chaired the Neuroscience seminar series since 1993.
Publications:
Masoudi, R., Ioannou, M.S., Coughlin, M.D., Pagadala, P., Neet, K.E., Clewes, O.,
Allen, S.J., Dawbarn, D., and Fahnestock, M. (2009). Biological Activity of Nerve Growth Factor Precursor Is Dependent upon Relative Levels of Its Receptors. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 284(27): 18424-18433.
Peng, S., Garzon, D.J., Marchese, M., Klein, W., Ginsberg, S.D., Francis, B.M., Mount, H.T.J., Mufson, E.J., Salehi, A., and Fahnestock, M. (2009). Decreased Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Depends on Amyloid Aggregation State in Transgenic Mouse Models of Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Neuroscience, 29(29): 9321-9329.
Garzon, D.J., and Fahnestock, M. (2007). Oligomeric Amyloid Decreases Basal Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA via Specific Downregulation of BDNF Transcripts IV and V in Differentiated Human Neuroblastoma Cells. Journal of Neuroscience, 27(10): 2628-2635.
Fahnestock, M., Yu, G., Michalski, B., Mathew, S., Colquhoun, A., Ross, G.M., and Coughlin, M.D. (2004). The nerve growth factor precursor proNGF exhibits neurotrophic
activity but is less active than mature nerve growth factor. Journal of Neurochemistry, 89: 581-592.
Margaret Fahnestock,
Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences
McMaster University
1200 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
Tel. 1-905-525-9140, ext. 23344
Fax 1-905-522-8804
E-mail fahnest@mcmaster.ca
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Dr. Éric Fombonne
Eric Fombonne, MD is a Canada Research Chair in Child Psychiatry, Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University, and Director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Program at the Montreal Children’s Hospital where he has expanded autism services. He worked at INSERM in France and in the UK at the London Institute of Psychiatry. He has been involved in numerous epidemiological studies of autism and is considered to be a leading authority on this topic, and also on the putative links between autism and immunizations. He has also been involved in the development of assessment tools for clinical and research purposes, in family and genetic studies of autism, and in outcome studies. He has a long track record of scientific/research leadership including serving as a consultant for the National Academy of Sciences, the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Medical Research Council (UK), the MIND Institute (U.C. Davis) on research matters related to autism. He has been Associate Editor of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and is on the editorial board of several other scientific journals. He is on the board of several family associations with which he has worked closely over the years
Fombonne E, Quirke S, & Hagen A (2009). Prevalence and interpretation of recent trends in rates of pervasive developmental disorders, McGill Journal of Medicine (in press)
Fombonne E (2009) A wrinkle in time: from early signs to a diagnosis of autism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 48(5): 463-464.
Fombonne E (2009) Epidemiology of pervasive developmental disorders. Pediatric Research, 65 (6): 591-598.
Meilleur A-A and Fombonne E, (2009). Regression of language and non-language skills in pervasive developmental disorders. J Intellect Disabil Res, 53(2), 115-124.
Jasmin E., Couture M., McKinley P., Reid G., Fombonne E, and Gisel E. (2009) Sensory-motor responses and daily living skills of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 39:231-241.
D’Souza Y, Fombonne E , Ward B. (2006) No evidence of persisting measles virus in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from children with autism spectrum disorder. Pediatrics, 118, 1664 - 1675.
Fombonne E, Zakarian R., Bennett A., Meng L., McLean-Heywood D. (2006) Pervasive developmental disorders in Montréal, Québec: prevalence and links with immunizations. Pediatrics, 2006, 118:139-150.
Fombonne E, (2005) Epidemiology of autistic disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders. J Clin Psychiatry, 66 (Suppl), 10: 3-8.
Chakrabarti S., Fombonne E, (2005). Pervasive developmental disorders in preschool children: Confirmation of high prevalence. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162: 1133-1141.
Fombonne E, Chakrabarti S. No evidence for a new variant of Measles-Mumps-Rubella-induced autism. Pediatrics 2001, 108 (4) e58.
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Dr. Krista Hyde
Assistant Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University
Research Scientist, Montreal Children’s Hospital, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center
Faculty Member, International Laboratory for Brain Music and Sound Research
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Research overview:
The overall lab mission is to better understand the behavioral and brain correlates of human complex sound processing (i.e. in music and speech) in both typical and atypical development.
Research themes:
• Local and global auditory processing
• Spectral and temporal processing
• Cross-modal processing (i.e., auditory-motor, auditory-visual)
• Brain plasticity / training studies
• Brain connectivity studies
Populations studied (children and adults):
• typical-development
• specialized training (i.e. music and dance)
• developmental disorders:
• autism spectrum disorders
• dyslexia
• tone-deafness
Methods used:
• cognitive and psychophysical measures
• structural (VBM, DTI, cortical thickness) and functional MRI measures
• correlational analyses between brain and behavioral/ clinical measures
Selected publications:
Zwaigenbaum, L., Scherer, S., Szatmari, P., Fombonne, E., Bryson, S.E.,_Hyde, K.L., et al. The NeuroDevNet autism spectrum disorders demonstration project. Seminars In Pediatric Neurology. In press.
Hyde, K.L., Zatorre, R.J., & Peretz, I. (2011). Functional MRI evidence for abnormal neural integrity of the pitch processing network in congenital amusia. Cerebral Cortex, 21(2):292-9.
Samson, F., Hyde, K.L., Bertone, A., Soulières, I., Mendrek, A., Ahad, P., Mottron, L. & Zeffiro, T.A. Atypical resource allocation for processing complex non social sounds in verbal autistics and Asperger individuals. Neuropsychologia. 2010 Dec 28. [Epub ahead of print].
Hyde, K.L., Samson, F., Evans, A.E, Mottron, L. (2010). Neuroanatomical differences in brain areas implicated in perceptual and other core features of autism revealed by cortical thickness analysis and voxel-based morphometry. Human Brain Mapping, 31(4):556-66.
Hyde, K.L., Lerch, J.P., Norton, A., Forgeard, M., Winner, E., Evans, A.C., Schlaug, G. (2009). The effects of musical training on structural brain development: a longitudinal study. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1169:182-6.
Hyde, K.L., Lerch, J.P., Norton, A., Forgeard, M., Winner, E., Evans, A.C., Schlaug, G. (2009). Musical Training Shapes Structural Brain Development. Journal of Neuroscience, 29(10): 3019-25.
Hyde, K.L., Peretz, I. & Zatorre, R.J. (2008). Evidence for the role of the right auditory cortex in fine pitch resolution. Neuropsychologia, 46(2): 632-639.
Hyde, K.L., Lerch, J.P, Zatorre, R.J., Griffiths, T.D., Evans, A.C. & Peretz, I. (2007). Cortical thickness in congenital amusia: when less is better than more. Journal of Neuroscience, 27(47):13028-32.
Hyde, K.L., Zatorre, R., Griffiths, T.D., Lerch, J. P. & Peretz, I. (2006). Morphometry of the amusic brain: a two-site study. Brain, 129, 2562-2570.
Hyde, K.L., & Peretz, I. (2004). Brains that are out of tune but in time. Psychological Science, 15(5), 356-60.
Hyde, K.L. & Peretz, I. (2003). ‘Out-of-pitch’ but still ‘in-time’: An auditory psychophysical study in congenital amusic adults. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 999, 173-6.
Peretz, I. & Hyde, K.L. (2003). What is specific to music processing? Insights from congenital amusia. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(8), 362-367.
Peretz, I., Champod, A.S., & Hyde, K.L. (2003). Varieties of musical disorders: The Montreal battery of evaluation of amusia. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 999, 58-75.
Ayotte, J., Peretz, I. & Hyde, K. (2002). Congenital amusia: a group study of adults afflicted with a music-specific disorder. Brain, 125, 238-251.
Contact Information:
Krista L. HYDE, PhD
E-mail: krista.hyde@mcgill.ca
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Dr. Grace Iarocci
Grace Iarocci is Associate Professor of Psychology and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research scholar at Simon Fraser University. Her clinical expertise is in child development and psychopathology, specifically diagnosis and psychoeducational assessment of developmental disabilities. Her research focuses on the study of attention, perception and cognition and the relation to social development in typical children and in individuals with developmental disorders. She is also interested in the effects of the child’s mal/adaptation on parental and family health and well-being. Dr. Iarocci also participates in a variety of initiatives geared toward evidence-based clinical and educational practices for persons with autism in a variety of contexts. She is past-president of Autism Community Training, a research affiliate of the Down Syndrome Research Foundation and has served as consultant to the Asante Centre for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
Sokol, B., Muller, U., Carpendale, J., Young, A. & Iarocci, G., (Eds) (2010). Self- and Social-Regulation: Social Interaction and the Development of Social Understanding and Executive Functions. New York: Oxford University Press.
Rombough, A., Barrie, J & Iarocci, G. (in press). Creating a new framework for understanding orienting of social attention in typical and atypical development. In J.A. Burack & J. T. Enns (Eds) Cognitive Neuroscience, Development, and Psychopathology. New York: Oxford University Press.
Iarocci, G., Rombough, A., Yager, J., McLaughlin, J., Weeks, D., & Chua, R. (in press). Visual influences on speech perception in children with autism. Autism.
Iarocci, G., Enns, J. T., Randollph, B., & Burack, J. A. (2009). The modulation of visual orienting reflexes across the lifespan. Developmental Science.
Iarocci, G., Yager, J., & Effers, T. (2007). What gene-environment interactions can tell us about social competence in typical and atypical populations. Brain and Cognition. 65:112-127.
Iarocci, G., Yager, J., Rombough, A., & McLaughlin, J (2007). The development of social competence among persons with Down syndrome: From survival to social inclusion. International Review of Research on Mental Retardation, 35, 87-119.
Grace Iarocci, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, B.C. Canada V5A 1S6
Tel: 604-812-4248
Fax: 778-782-3427
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Dr. Shannon Johnson
Shannon Johnson is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of the Clinical and Cognitive Neuropsychology Laboratory at Dalhousie University. She holds cross-appointments in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and is a Scientific Staff member at the IWK Health Centre. Dr. Johnson received her Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology from the University of Victoria. She completed her clinical internship at the Medical University of South Carolina and a post-doctoral fellowship in the Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at Indiana University.
Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on understanding differences in perception, cognition, and social-cognition in individuals with an autism spectrum diagnosis. She has a particular interest in clinical topics that are pertinent to adolescents and adults with ASD. Research topics in her lab span several areas of psychology including clinical psychology, health psychology, neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. She also has experience with neurodegenerative and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Her teaching at Dalhousie focuses on child psychopathology and child assessment.
Recent publications
Phelan, H.L., Filliter, J.H., & Johnson, S.A. (2010, epub ahead of print). Memory performance on the California Verbal Learning Test – Children’s Version in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Johnson, S.A., Blaha, L.M., Houpt, J.W., & Townsend, J.T. (2010). Systems Factorial Technology provides new insights on global-local information processing in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Mathematical Psychology. 54, 53-72.
Johnson, S.A., Filliter, J.H., & Murphy, R.R. (2009). Discrepancies between self and parent perceptions of autistic traits and empathy in high functioning children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39 (12), 1706 - 1715.
Johnson, S.A., Yechiam, E., Murphy, R.R., Queller, S., & Stout, J.C. (2006). Motivational processes and autonomic responsivity in Asperger’s Disorder: Evidence from the Iowa gambling task. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 12(5), 668-676.
Contact Info
Shannon Johnson, Ph.D. (Registered Psychologist)
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
Dalhousie University
1355 Oxford Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1
office: 902-494-4504
Shannon.johnson@dal.ca
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Dr. Elizabeth Kelley
Dr. Beth Kelley grew up in Toronto and first became interested in individuals with autism while doing some volunteer work in the preschool at Surrey Place. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at York University in 2000, and received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2006, whereupon she accepted a position in the Psychology Department at Queen's University. Dr. Kelley has published in a number of prestigious journals including "Child Development", "Current Directions in Psychological Science" and the "Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders". She is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and Autism Speaks.
Her research interests vary widely yet are all related to the idea that social difficulties are the core feature of ASD. She currently is conducting projects in the following diverse areas:
- the ability of children with ASD to deceive others
- how sensory difficulties are related to language development and social withdrawal in young children with ASD
- the effects of social versus nonsocial reward in the propensity and ability of young children with ASD to engage in imitative tasks
- how adaptive behavior develops across the lifespan in individuals with ASD
- the relationships between repetitive behaviours, sensory functioning and social development
- the experiences of being victimized by one’s peers in high-functioning adolescents with ASD and how this is related to their overall socioemotional functioning
- how attention and executive functioning relate to social difficulties in adolescents with ASD
- children who have a history of ASD yet no longer meet the criteria for a diagnosis
Publications:
Li, A. S. M., Kelley, E., Evans, A., & Lee, K. (in press). Exploring the ability to deceive
in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. DOI 10.1007/s10803-010-1045-4
Brown, H., Ouellette-Kuntz, H., Hunter, D., & Kelley, E. (2010). Assessing need in
school-aged children with an autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4, 539-547. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2009.12.009
Kelley, E., Naigles, L., & Fein, D. (2010). An in-depth examination of optimal outcome
children with a history of autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4, 526-538. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2009.12.001
Helt, M., Kelley, E., Kinsbourne, M. Pandey, J., Boorstein, H., Herbert, M., & Fein, D.
(2008). Can children with autism recover? If so, how? Neuropsychology Reviews,18, 339-366.
Kamio, Y., Kelley, E., Robins, D., Swainson, B., & Fein, D (2007). Atypical lexical/semantic processing in high-functioning pervasive developmental disorders without early language delay. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 1116-1122.
Swensen, L., Kelley, E., Fein, D., & Naigles, L. (2007). Children with
autism display typical language learning characteristics: Evidence from preferential
looking. Child Development, 78, 542-557.
Kelley, E., Paul, J., Fein, D., & Naigles, L. R. (2006). Residual language deficits
in optimal outcome children with a history of autism. Journal of Autism andDevelopmental Disorders, 36, 807-828.
Elizabeth Kelley, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
Queen's University
62 Arch St., H351
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 CANADA
Phone: 613-533-2491
Fax: 613-533-2499
http://psyc.queensu.ca/asdstudies/index.html
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Dr. Tara Kennedy
Tara Kennedy, MD, PhD, FRCPC, is a Developmental Pediatrician who works with children and families affected by autism in her position as Clinical Leader of Pediatric Autism Rehabilitation Services at the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Dr. Kennedy received her pediatric training at Dalhousie University and her Developmental Pediatrics Fellowship training at the University of Toronto. She is actively involved in advocacy at the community level, and in the development and delivery of educational programs in the field of Child Development for medical trainees, physicians, and other health care professionals across Canada.
Dr. Kennedy’s academic interests are in the domain of Medical Education. She has a Master’s of Education degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and a PhD in Medical Education from the Institute of Medical Science and the Wilson Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Her CIHR-funded research program employs qualitative research methodology to explore issues related to independence in clinical training and supervision of medical trainees. Other areas of research interest include knowledge translation, patient safety, and professional socialization.
Selected publications:
Kennedy, TJT, Regehr, G, Baker, GR, and Lingard, L. “Not unless it seems urgent”: A grounded theory study of credibility preservation during medical trainee requests for clinical support. BMJ, 2009, 338:b128.
Kennedy, TJT, Regehr, G, Baker, GR, and Lingard, L. Point of care assessment of trainee competence for independent clinical work. Academic Medicine, 2008, 83(10 suppl): S89-92.
Kennedy, TJT, Lingard, L, Baker, GR, Kitchen, L, and Regehr, G. Clinical oversight: Conceptualizing the relationship between supervision and safety. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2007, 22(8): 1080-85.
Kennedy, TJT, and Lingard, L. Making sense of Grounded Theory. Medical Education, 2006, 40: 101–108.
Kennedy, TJT, Regehr, G, Rosenfield, J, Roberts, W, and Lingard, L. Exploring the gap between knowledge and behaviour: A qualitative study of clinician action following an educational intervention. Academic Medicine, 2004, 79: 386-393.
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Dr. Alan Kingstone
Alan Kingstone, PHD, is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of British Columbia. He is interested in how the brain subserves human attention and behaviour in everyday life. His research on social attention is particularly relevant to the present program.
Recent publications are available at:
http://web.mac.com/alan.kingstone/Site/Publications.html
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Dr. Bruce
Mazer
Dr. Bruce
Mazer graduated
from McGill University Faculty of Medicine and completed his training
in Pediatrics at the Montreal Children's Hospital. He then completed
a clinical and research fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at
the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado,
under the guidance of Dr. Erwin Gelfand. Dr. Mazer is currently
an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at McGill University and Division
Head of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at the Montreal Childrens'
Hospital.
His research interests include B cell development, IgE regulation,
inflammatory mediators, and regulation of immune function by intravenous
immunoglobulin. He has funding from several research organizations
including MRC/CIHR, FRSQ, the Canadian Blood Services and the Hospital
for Sick Children Foundation.
Recent Publications:
Sobol SE, Taha R, Schloss MD, Mazer BD, Manoukian JJ, Tewfik
TL, & Hamid Q. TH2 cytokine expression in atopic children
with otitis media with effusion. J Allergy Clin Immunol 110:
125-130 (2002)
Zelcer S, Henri C, Tewfik TL, & Mazer B. Multidimensional
voice program analysis (MDVP) and the diagnosis of pediatric
vocal cord dysfunction. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 88: 601-608
(2002)
Mazer B. Omalizumab reduced inhaled corticosteroid use and
exacerbations in childhood allergic asthma. ACP J Club 136:
16(2002)
Hajoui, O., Janani, R., Tulic, M., Joubert, P., Ronis, T., Hamid, Q., Zheng, H., and
Mazer, B.D. (2004). Synthesis of IL-13 by human B lymphocytes: Regulation and role in IgE production. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 114(3): 657-663.
Ducharme, F.M., Chabot, G., Polychronakos, C., Glorieux, F., and Mazer, B. (2003). Safety Profile of Frequent Short Courses of Oral Glucocorticoids in Acute Pediatric Asthma: Impact on Bone Metabolism, Bone Density, and Adrenal Function. Pediatrics, 111(2): 376-383.
Sobol SE, Taha R, Schloss MD, Mazer BD, Manoukian JJ, Tewfik TL, & Hamid Q. TH2 cytokine expression in atopic children with otitis media with effusion. J Allergy Clin Immunol 110: 125-130 (2002)
Zelcer S, Henri C, Tewfik TL, & Mazer B. Multidimensional voice program analysis (MDVP) and the diagnosis of pediatric vocal cord dysfunction. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 88: 601-608 (2002)
Mazer B. Omalizumab reduced inhaled corticosteroid use and exacerbations in childhood allergic asthma. ACP J Club 136: 16(2002)
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Dr. Pat Mirenda
Dr. Pat Mirenda is a Professor in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and is responsible for BACB-approved graduate coursework at UBC. She has an extensive publication record and teaches courses on autism, augmentative communication, positive behaviour support, and inclusive education. The third edition of her co-authored book “Augmentative and alternative communication: Supporting children and adults and complex communication needs” was published in 2005. In addition, she co-edited “Autism spectrum disorders and AAC” (augmentative and alternative communication), which was published in 2009. Her current research includes a Canada-wide study of developmental trajectories in children with autism, a study of the effectiveness of self-advocacy training with adolescents with Asperger’s syndrome, and studies of the use of video modeling and voice-output communication aids with children with autism.
Selected Publications:
Bopp, K., & Mirenda, P. (2010). Prelinguistic predictors of language development in children with autism spectrum disorders over 4-5 years. Journal of Child Language, 37, 1-19.
Jull, S., & Mirenda, P. (2010, April). Parents as play date facilitators for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. online doi: doi:10.1177/1098300709358111.
Mirenda, P., Smith, I., Vaillancourt, T., Duku, E., Georgiades, S., Szatmari, P., Bryson, S., Fombonne, E., Roberts,, W., Smith, I., Volden, J., Waddell, C., Zwaigenbaum, L., & the Pathways in ASD Study Team. (2010, April). Validating the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. online doi: 10.1007/s10803-010-1012-0.
Kleeberger, V., & Mirenda, P. (2010). Teaching generalized imitation skills to a preschooler with autism using video modeling. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 21, 116-127.
Zaidman-Zait, A., Mirenda, P., Zumbo, B., Wellington, S., Kalynchuk, K., & Dua, V. (2010, June). An item response theory analysis of the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form among mothers of children with autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. online doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02266.x.
Bopp, K., Mirenda, P., & Zumbo, B. (2009). Behavior predictors of language development over two years in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 52, 1106-1120.
Mirenda, P. (2008). A back door approach to autism and AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 24, 219-233.
Stock, R., Schulze, K., & Mirenda, P. (2008). A comparison of stimulus-stimulus pairing, standard echoic training, and control procedures on the vocal behavior of children with autism. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 24, 123-133.
Smith, V., Mirenda P., & Zaidman-Zait, A. (2007). Predictors of expressive vocabulary growth in children with autism. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 50, 149-160.
Brown, K., & Mirenda, P. (2006). Contingency mapping: A novel visual support strategy as an adjunct to functional equivalence training. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 8, 155-164.
Elfert, M., & Mirenda, P. (2006). The experiences of behavior interventionists who work with children with autism in family homes. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 10, 577-591.
Fossett, B., & Mirenda, P. (2006). Sight word reading in children with developmental disabilities: A comparison of paired associate and picture-to-text matching instruction. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 27, 411-429.
Hamm, B., & Mirenda, P. (2006). Post-school quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities who use AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 22, 134-147.
Maione, L., & Mirenda, P. (2006). Effects of video modeling on peer-directed social language skills of a child with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 8, 106-118.
Pat Mirenda, PhD., BCBA, Professor
Dept. of Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education
The University of British Columbia
2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC
V6T 1Z4
Tel: 604-822-6296
Fax: 604-822-3302
E-Mail: pat.mirenda@ubc.ca
Website: http://educ.ubc.ca/faculty/pmirenda/index.html
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Dr. Chris Moore
Dr. Chris Moore, Ph.D., is Dean of Science and Professor of Psychology at Dalhousie University. He is best known for his research on various aspects of the development of social understanding in normally developing infants and preschoolers, as well as his theoretical work with John Barresi on the nature of social understanding. He has published on the development of joint attention, theory of mind, and future-oriented reasoning. He has also collaborated on work applying techniques for the study of joint attention to children with autism. He has edited seminal books on Theory of Mind and Joint Attention and in 2006 published his book, "The Development of Commonsense Psychology.". Through the Clinical Ph.D. program at Dalhousie, he has supervised graduate students who are now employed as clinical psychologists in
Nova Scotia.
Publications:
Garon, N., & Moore, C. (2004). Complex decision-making in early childhood. Brain and Cognition, 55(1); 158-70.
MacPherson, A. C., Klein, R. M., & Moore, C. (2003). Inhibition of return in children and adolescents. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 85; 337-51.
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Dr. Laurent
Mottron
Dr L. Mottron, M.D., Ph.D., is an full Professor of Psychiatry at Université de Montréal and is internationally recognized for his work on cognition in pervasive developmental disorders. He has been awarded of the Chaire Marcel et Rolande Gosselin en neurosciences cognitives de l'autisme in 2008. Since his seminal paper in 1993, which was the first to describe atypical perception of visual, local-global properties in autism, he is responsible for several innovative findings in visual and auditory perception in autism. These findings have contributed to modify the cognitive models of autism, by emphasizing the role of abnormal perception of non-social information in the symptoms of autism. L. Mottron is also the scientific director of the Centre d'excellence En Troubles Envahissants du Développement de l'Université de Montréal (CETEDUM), which associates clinicians and researchers of Rivière-des-Prairies and Saint justine hospitals in a common organisation. In addition, he is involved in genetic studies, provides expertise on autism to several parental associations and policy makers, and lectures throughout the world as an invited speaker.
Publications:
Soulières, I., Dawson, M., Samson, F., Barbeau, E. B., Sahyoun, C. P., Strangman, G. E., Zeffiro, T. A., Mottron, L. (2009). Enhanced visual processing contributes to matrix reasoning in autism. Human Brain Mapping, 30(12); 4082-107.
Dawson, M., Soulières, I., Gernsbacher, M. A., Mottron, L. (2007). Research report : The level and nature of autistic intelligence. Psychological Science, 18(8); 657-62.
Caron, M.-J., Mottron, L., Berthiaume, C., & Dawson, M. (2006). Cognitive mechanisms, specificity and neural underpinnings of visuospatial peaks in autism. Brain, 129; 1789-1802.
Mottron, L., Dawson, M., Soulières, I., Hubert, B., & Burack, J. (2006). Enhanced perceptual functioning in autism: An update, and eight principles of autistic perception. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1); 27-43
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Dr. Gina Muckle
Gina Muckle, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at Laval University. Researcher at the CHUQ Research Center in Québec City, she is also Member of the Advisory Board for the Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (IHDCYH) and Member of the Challenge Advisory Panel for Chemical Substances. Her area of expertise is behavioural and developmental teratology integrating epidemiological and toxicological based concepts. Her research is focused on the health, behaviour and development of infants and children. She is interested in the effects of prenatal exposure to teratogenic substances, such as tobacco, alcohol and environmental contaminants (mercury, lead, etc.). She is also interested in the determinants of the development of inuit children, determinants such as anemia, familial violence and maternal distress. Her work has been funded by NIH, CIHR, FRSQ, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Health Canada.
Recent publications :
Jacques, C., Levy, É., Muckle, G., Jacobson, S.W., Bastien, C.H., Dewailly, É., Ayotte, J.L., Saint-Amour, D. (Accepé 06/29, 2010). Long-term Effects of Prenatal Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake on Visual Function in School-Age Children. Journal of Pediatrics.
Boucher, O., Bastien, C. H., Muckle, G., Saint-Amour, D., Jacobson, S. W., & Jacobson, J. L. (2010). Behavioural correlates of the P3b event-related potential in 11-year-old children. International Journal of Psychophysiology. DOI:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2010.03.005.
Boucher, O., Bastien, C. H., Saint-Amour, D., Dewailly, E., Ayotte, P., Jacobson, J. L., Jacobson, S. W., & Muckle, G. (2010). Prenatal exposure to methylmercury and PCBs affects distinct stages of information processing: an event-related potential study with Inuit children. NeuroToxicology, 31:373-384.
Plusquellec, P., Muckle, G., Dewailly, E., Ayotte, P., +Begin, G., +Desrosiers, C., Després, C., Saint-Amour, D., Poitras, K. (2010). The Relation of Environmental Contaminants Exposure to Behavioral Indicators in Inuit Preschoolers in Arctic Quebec. NeuroToxicology, 31:17-25.
Verner, M.-A., Plusquellec, P., Muckle, G., Ayotte, P., Dewailly, É., Jacobson, S. W., Jacobson, J. L., Charbonneau, M., Haddad, S. (2010). Alteration of Infant Attention and Activity by Polychlorinated Biphenyls: Unravelling Critical Windows of Susceptibility Using Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling. NeuroToxicology, 31 doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2010.05.011
Gina Muckle, Ph.D.
Professor
École de psychologie,
Pavillon Félix-Antoine Savard
2325, rue des Bibliothèques
Université Laval, Québec (QC), G1V 0A6
Tel. : 418-656-2131 poste 4680
Fax : 418-656-3646
E-mail : Gina.Muckle@psy.ulaval.ca
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Dr. David Nicholas
Dr. David Nicholas, RSW, has a background in psychosocial outcome and intervention research related to children and families affected by illness and disability. Nicholas' experience ranges from qualitative and mixed method research approaches, to graduate-level teaching. He brings an extensive clinical and administrative background in the fields of social work and health.
Interests: Quality of life, social support, parenting, the use of advanced technology in fostering support, and knowledge translation and mobilization.
Associate Professor
Location: Edmonton
Telephone: 780.492.8094
Email: nicholas@ucalgary.ca
Degrees: PhD
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Dr. Rob Nicolson
Dr. Nicolson attended medical school at The University of Western Ontario and completed his residency in Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Following the completion of his residency in Psychiatry at The University of Toronto, he worked as a visiting scientist in the Child Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Nicolson is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Medical Biophysics at The University of Western Ontario. He is also Chair of the Division of Developmental Disabilities and co-director of the Autism Research Program at Western. Dr. Nicolson’s research focuses on brain imaging in autism using a variety of imaging modalities.
Selected publications:
Brun CC, Nicolson R, Leporé N, Chou YY, Vidal CN, Devito TJ, Drost DJ, Williamson PC, Rajakumar N, Toga AW, Thompson PM. Mapping brain abnormalities in boys with autism. Human Brain Mapping 2009;30:3887-3900.
Vidal CN, Nicolson R, DeVito T, Hayashi KM, Gaega J, Drost DJ, Williamson PC, Rajakumar N, Toga AW, Thompson PM. Three-dimensional mapping of the lateral ventricles in autism. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 2008;163:106-115.
DeVito TJ, Drost DJ, Neufeld RWJ, Rajakumar N, Pavlosky W, Williamson PC, Nicolson R. Evidence for cortical dysfunction in autism: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging study. Biological Psychiatry 2007;61:465-473.
Nicolson R, DeVito TJ, Vidal CN, Sui Y, Hayashi KM, Drost DJ, Williamson PC, Nagalingam R, Toga AW, Thompson PM. Detection and mapping of hippocampal abnormalities in autism. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 2006;148:11-21.
Vidal CN, Nicolson R, DeVito T, Hayashi KM, Gaega J, Drost DJ, Williamson PC, Rajakumar N, Sui Y, Dutton RA, Toga AW, Thompson PM. Mapping corpus callosum deficits in autism: an index of aberrant cortical connectivity. Biological Psychiatry 2006;60:218-225.
Hendry J, DeVito T, Gelman N, Rajakumar N, Williamson PC, Drost D, Nicolson R. Tissue abnormalities in autism detected through transverse relaxation time imaging. NeuroImage 2006;29:1049-1057.
Nicolson R, Craven-Thuss B, Smith J. A prospective, open-label trial of galantamine in autistic disorder. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology 2006;16:621-629.
Rob Nicolson
Department of Psychiatry,
The University of Western Ontario
800 Commissioners Road East,
B8-026,
London, Ontario.
N6A-5W9.
Phone: (519) 685-8427
Fax: (519) 685-8595
Email: Rnicolso@uwo.ca
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Dr. Andrew Paterson
Andrew Paterson is a Scientist in the Program
in Genetics and Genomic Biology, at The Hospital for Sick Children
Research Institute in Toronto. His main interests are in the genetic
mapping of simple and complex diseases including autism using linkage
and association analysis. In particular he is interested in the
application of methods which take use the presence of clinical
heterogeneity as a basis for locus heterogeneity - effectively
common diseases could be a collection of different diseases with
different genes involved. Some examples of potential clinical bases
for locus heterogeneity in complex diseases could be sex, parental-origin
of alleles and age of onset effects. However, any clinical feature
which demonstrates familial clustering could potentially form the
basis for locus. He has applied such approaches to genome-wide
linkage studies of type 1 diabetes.
The current focus of his research is a genetic study of type 1
diabetes in Newfoundland - we have recruited over 500 families
including an individual with type 1 diabetes and are fine-mapping
some of the susceptibility loci for type 1 diabetes using association
approaches. The advantage of populations like Newfoundland are
that the incidence of type 1 diabetes is one of the highest in
the world, that founder effects are well-documented for single
gene diseases and the relative environmental homogeneity. These
factors should all increase the power of association-mapping studies
compared to studies in admixed populations.
Paterson AD (2006) Genetic epidemiology of type 1 diabetes. Current
Diabetes Reports, 6, 139-46. (SRA)
James PD, Paterson AD, Notley C, Cameron C, Hegadorn C, Tinlin
S, Brown C, O’Brien L, Leggo J, Lillicrap D, Association
of Hemophilia Clinic Directors of Canada, (2006) Genetic Linkage
and Association Analysis in Type 1 von Willebrand Disease: Results
from the Canadian Type 1 VWD Study. Journal of Thrombosis and
Hemostasis 4, 783-792. (CPA)
Vincent JB, Horike SI, Choufani S, Paterson AD, Roberts W, Szatmari
P, Weksberg R, Fernandez BA, Scherer SW (2006) An Inversion inv
(4) (p12-p15.3) in Autistic Siblings Implicates the 4p GABA Receptor
Gene Cluster. Journal of Medical Genetics 43, 429-434.
Rafiq MA, Faiyaz-ul-Haque M, Amin ud Din M, Malik S, Sohail
M, Anwar M, Haque S, Paterson AD, Tsui L-C, Ahmad W (2005) A
novel locus of ectodermal dysplasia maps to chromosome 10q 24.32-q25.1.
Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 124, 338-342.
Lohi H, Young EJ, Fitzmaurice SN, Rusbridge C, Chan EM, Vervoort
M, Turnbull J, Zhao XC, Ianzano L, Paterson AD, Sutter NB, Ostrander
EA, Andre C, Shelton GD, Ackerley CA, Scherer SW, Minassian BA
(2005) Expanded repeat in canine epilepsy. Science, 307, 81.
Venken T, Claes S, Sluijs S, Paterson AD, van Duijn C, Adolfsson
R, Del-Favero J, Van Broeckhoven C (2005) Genomewide scan for
affective disorder susceptibility loci in families of a northern
Swedish isolated population. American Journal of Human Genetics,
76, 237–248.
Paterson AD, Magistroni R, He N, Wang K, Johnson A, Fain PR,
Dicks E, Parfrey P, St. George-Hyslop P, Pei Y (2005) Progressive
loss of renal function is an age-dependent heritable trait in
type 1 autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Journal
of the American Society of Nephrology, 16, 755-762.
Dr Andrew Paterson
Canada Research Chair in Genetics of Complex Diseases
Scientist, Program in Genetics and Genome Biology
The Hospital for Sick Children
TMDT Building East Tower, Rm 15-707
101 College Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1L7
Canada
Tel (416) 813 6994
Fax (416) 813 2150
andrew.paterson@utoronto.ca
http://www.sickkids.ca/research/custom/profiles/paterson.asp
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Dr. Wendy
Roberts
Dr. Roberts is
a Developmental Paediatrician who completed her MD training at
the University of
Toronto in 1972 and obtained her FRCP in Paediatrics in 1977. Currently,
she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics,
University of Toronto with an appointment as a Developmental Paediatrician,
Division of Neurology at The Hospital for Sick Children. She is
the Director of the Child Development Centre, Division of Neurology,
co-director of the Autism Research Unit and Project Director in
the Research Institute at The Hospital for Sick Children. Dr. Roberts
regularly provides workshops, including TeleHealth sessions, for
community paediatricians, family physicians, and colleagues from
other disciplines in large and small communities across Canada
and internationally. She received the Colin R. Woolf Award for
Teaching Excellence at the University of Toronto in 2004 primarily
for teaching “Seeing the Full Spectrum: Children with Autism,” courses
that are held at the University of Toronto Paediatric Updates each
Spring. She also received the 2001 Hospital for Sick Children Foundation
Claus Wirsig Humanitarian Award and the 2003 Paediatric Education
Resident Lecture Series [PERLS] Award.
Dr. Roberts research interests in Learning Disabilities, ADHD and
Autism have been accompanied by an interest in understanding more
about the techniques of effective communication: transfer of information
from parent to child, teacher to student, and physician to patient
as well as the translation of research into practice. Current areas
of active research include early identification, genetics and intervention
trials in Autism.
Dr. Roberts is an active member in the Child Development community.
She regularly reviews articles and grants for a variety of journals
and granting agencies. She also sits on the Resident Selection
and Continuing Medical Education Committees in the Department of
Paediatrics and is part of their Faculty Mentorship Program.
Publications:
Kennedy T, Regehr G, Rosenfield J, Roberts W, Lingard L: Degrees
of
gap between knowledge and behaviour: A qualitative study of
clinician action following an educational intervention. Academic
Medicine.
In press
Bryson S, Zwaigenbaum L, Roberts W: The Early Detection of
Autism in
Clinical Practice. Paediatrics & Child Health 9, No 4219: pp
219-221.
Kagan-Kushnir, T, Roberts W, Snead OC: Screening EEG's in Autism
Spectrum Disorder: An evidence-based guideline. Journal Child
Neurology. In Press
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Dr. Guy A. Rouleau
Dr. Guy A. Rouleau received his degree in Medicine from the University of Ottawa and a degree in Genetics from Harvard University. He is currently a professor in the Department of Medicine at the Université de Montréal. Over the past twenty years, Dr. Rouleau’s research projects have mainly focused on gaining understanding of brain and nervous system diseases. During this period he has identified over a dozen disease-causing genes, uncovered new mechanisms causing genetic diseases, and worked on a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to disease symptoms. His work focuses on a number of neurological and psychiatric diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, familial aneurysms, cavernous angiomas, epilepsy, spinocerebellar ataxias, spastic paraplegia, autism, Tourette Syndrome, Restless Legs Syndrome, and schizophrenia. Dr. Rouleau’s Laboratory hosts the Synapse-to-Disease (S2D) Project, a large-scale initiative aimed at identifying genes involved in autism, schizophrenia, and mental retardation. In addition to his research activities, Dr. Rouleau is Head of the CHU Ste-Justine Research Centre, he is Director of the Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal (CENUM), and Director of the Réseau de médecine génétique appliquée du Québec. Dr. Rouleau trained a large number of scientists and physicians who, today, work at universities across Canada, the United States, Japan, Brazil, Australia, and Europe. He has published 400 scientific papers, many of which in prestigious journals such as Nature, Nature Genetics and The American Journal of Human Genetics. Dr. Rouleau received numerous awards for his contributions to science and society. In 2007, he was nominated Officer of the Ordre National du Québec, the highest distinction given by the Quebec government.
Research Activities:
Investigation of the genetic basis of human brain tumours, human
neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric illnesses.
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Dr. Mel Rutherford
Dr. Mel Rutherford is associate professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, and Canada Research Chair in Social Perception. Dr. Rutherford graduated from Yale University and earned a Ph.D. in Psychology with an emphasis in Human Development from the University of California at Santa Barbara. A Fulbright Fellowship allowed Dr. Rutherford to study and collaborate with Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen in Cambridge, England. Dr. Rutherford also worked with Bruce Pennington and Sally Rogers at the University of Denver as a postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Rutherford’s research focusses on the questions of Social Perception and Social Perceptual Development. For example, he and his students study animacy perception, because discriminating what in the world is animate is the first developmental step in social cognition. Work in the lab examines face perception, the perception of emotional facial expressions, and the development of categorical perception of emotional expressions. Using eye tracking technology, in a longitudinal infant-siblings design Rutherford and his students are finding very early markers of autism spectrum disorders, specifically, how infants use motion information in animacy perception, the perception of faces, and the perception of emotional facial expressions, and how infants use facial eye gaze to direct their attention. Dr. Rutherford is known for research in the field of psychology and has been interviewed and quoted in The Globe and Mail, The London Times, The Chicago Times, CBC Radio, Quirks and Quarks, and The Discovery Channel as well as many AP newspapers around the world.
Representative Publications
McAleer, P., Jim W. Kay, Pollick, F.E. Rutherford, M.D., (2010). Intention Perception in High Functioning People with Autism Spectrum Disorders Using Animacy Displays Derived from Human Actions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. DOI 10.1007/s10803-010-1130-8.
Rutherford, M.D. and Darrien Ray, (2009). Cheater Detection is Preserved in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Social, Evolutionary and Cultural Psychology, 3 (2): 105- 117.
Kristen M. Krysko & M.D. Rutherford (2009). A Threat-detection advantage in those with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Brain and Cognition. 69 (3): 472-480.
Rutherford, M.D. and Kristen M. Krysko (2008). Eye Direction, not Movement, Predicts Attention Shifts in those with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 38 (10): 1958-1965.
Homer, M. and M.D. Rutherford. (2008) Individuals with autism can categorize facial expressions. Child Neuropsychology, 14 (5): 419-437.
Rutherford, M.D. and Ashley Towns, (2008). Scan Path differences and similarities during emotion perception in those with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38 (7): 1371-1381.
Nishimura, Mayu, Rutherford, M.D. and Maurer, D. (2007). Converging evidence of Configural processing of faces in High-Functioning Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Visual Cognition, 16 (7):859-891.
Rutherford, M.D, Eric D. Richards, Allison B. Sekuler and Vanessa Moldes, (2007). Evidence of Divided Attention Advantage in Autism. Cognitive Neuroscience, 24 (5):505-515.
Rutherford, M.D., Clements, K., and Sekuler, A.B. (2007). Differences in Discrimination of Eye and Mouth Displacement in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Vision Research, 47 (15): 2099-2110.
Golan, O., Baron-Cohen, S. Hill, J. & Rutherford, M.D. (2007). The “Reading the mind in the Voice” test - Revised: A study of Complex Emotion Recognition in adults with and without Autism Spectrum conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37 (6): 1096-1106.
Rutherford, M.D., Young, G.S., Hepburn, S., & Rogers, S. (2007). A Longitudinal Study of Pretend Play in Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37 (6): 1024-39.
Scambler, D. J., Rogers, S.J., Rutherford, M.D., Wehner, E.A. (2007). Emotional Responsivity in Children with Autism, Children with Other Developmental Disabilities, and Children with Typical Development. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37 (3):553-563.
Rutherford, M.D., & McIntosh, D. (2007). Rules versus Prototype Matching: Strategies of Perception of Emotional Facial Expressions in the Autism Spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37 (2): 187-196.
Rutherford, M.D. Pennington, B.F., & Rogers, S.J. (2006). The Perception of Animacy in Young Children with Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 36: 893-992.
Rutherford, M.D. (2005). A Retrospective Journal-Based Case Study of the Development of a Child With Autism and His Twin. Neurocase, vol. 11(2) pp. 1-9.
Rutherford, M.D. & Rogers, S.J. (2003). The cognitive underpinnings of pretend play in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 33(3) pp. 289-302.
Rutherford, M.D., Baron-Cohen, S. & Wheelwright, S. (2002). Reading the mind in the voice: A study with normal adults and adults with Asperger Syndrome and high functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 32(3) pp. 189-194.
Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Stone, V., & Rutherford, M. (1999). A mathematician, a physicist, and a computer scientist with Asperger Syndrome: Performance on folk psychology and folk physics tests. Neurocase, vol 5, pp.475-483.
Contact Information:
Mel Rutherford, Ph.D.
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON
905-525-9140
http://psych.mcmaster.ca/rutherford/
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Dr. Stephen W. Scherer
Prof. Stephen Scherer, PhD, FRSC
Director, The Centre for Applied Genomics
Associate Chief of Research
Hospital for Sick Children
and University of Toronto
Known for contributions to discovering the phenomena of global copy number variation (CNVs) of DNA and genes as the most abundant type of genetic variation in the human genome, Dr. Scherer leads one of Canada's busiest laboratories. His group has discovered numerous disease susceptibility genes and most recently has defined CNV and other genetic factors underlying autism spectrum disorder. He collaborated with Craig Venter's team to decode human chromosome 7 and to generate the first genome sequence of an individual. Over 250 peer-reviewed papers document his work (cited >15,000 times). Dr. Scherer has won numerous honors including the 2004 Steacie Prize in the Natural Sciences, an International Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scholarship, and the $5M- 2008 Premier Summit Award for Medical Research. In 2001 he accepted an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Windsor and in 2007 he was awarded the University of Waterloo's first Science Distinguished Alumni Award. He sits on the Scientific Advisory Board of Combimatrix Diagnostics and Autism Speaks, and he is on the Board of Trustees of Genome Canada and the Human Genome Organization (HUGO). He holds the GlaxoSmithKline-Canadian Institutes of Health Research Endowed Chair in Genetics and Genomics and is a Scholar of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.
http://www.tcag.ca/scherer/
Feuk, L., Carson, A.R. and Scherer, S.W. 2006. Structural variation
in the human genome. Nature Reviews Genetics 7, 85-97.
Carson, A.R., Feuk, L., Mohammed, M. and Scherer, S.W. 2006.
Strategies for the detection of copy number and other structural
variants in the human genome. Human Genomics 2, 403-414.
Osborne, L.R., Joseph-George, A.M. and Scherer, S.W. 2006. Williams-Beuren
syndrome diagnosis using fluorescence in situ hybridization.
Methods in Molecular Medicine 126, 113-128.
Andrade, D.M., Scherer, S.W. and Minassian, B.A. 2006. Protein
therapy for Unverricht-Lundborg disease using cystatin B transduction
by TAT-PTD Is it that simple? Epilepsy Research. 2006 Aug 21.
[Epub ahead of print]
Petek, E., Schwarzbraun, T., Noor, A., Patel, M., Nakabayashi,
K., Choufani, S., Windpassinger, C., Stamenkovic, M., Robertson,
M.M., Aschauer, H.N., Gurling, H.M., Kroisel, P.M., Wagner, K.,
Scherer, S.W., Vincent, J.B. 2006. Molecular and genomic studies
of IMMP2L and mutation screening in autism and Tourette syndrome.
Molecular Genetics and Genomics Oct 17. [Epub ahead of print]
Zhang, J., Feuk, L., Duggan, G.E., Khaja, R. and Scherer, S.W.
2006. Development of bioinformatics resources for display and
analysis of copy number and other structural variants in the
human genome. Cytogenetic and Genome Research.
Dr. Stephen W. Scherer
The Centre or Applied Genomics
The Hospital for Sick Children
14th Floor, Toronto Medical Discovery Tower/MaRS Discovery District
101 College St., Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L7, Canada
(416) 813-7613 (office)
(416) 813-8319 (fax)
E-mail: swscherer@sickkids.ca
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Dr. Isabel Smith
Isabel Smith, PhD is a Clinical-Developmental Psychologist with both research and clinical interests in developmental disorders, and autistic spectrum disorders in particular. She obtained a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Brown University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University, where she is now an Associate Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychology. She is co-Director, with Dr. Susan Bryson, of the Autism Research Centre based at the IWK Health Centre. Dr. Smith’s research interests span basic and applied studies relevant to children and youth with ASD, and their families. Her interest in atypical psychological development has centered on studies of the nature and implications of impaired imitation abilities in ASD. Another current major emphasis is on the evaluation of effectiveness of interventions for children with ASD and their families. In particular, Dr. Smith is leading a research program that examines the impact of Nova Scotia’s intervention program for preschoolers with ASD. She is involved in multi-site studies funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Pathways in ASD study, the Canadian Infant Sibling Study, NeuroDevNet), Autism Speaks Canada (Social ABCs toddler treatment study) and the National Institutes of Health (Face your Fears CBT for anxiety study) as well as by the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation (EIBI Follow-up study). Dr. Smith’s clinical work is focused on the diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders in children and youth, on the promotion of best practices in assessment and intervention for ASD, and on training other professionals within the Maritimes and beyond.
Selected publications:
Garon, N., Bryson, S.E., & Smith, I.M. (2008). Executive function in preschoolers: A review using an integrative framework. Psychological Bulletin, 134(1), 31-60.
Smith, I.M. & Bryson, S.E. (2007). Gesture imitation in autism II: Symbolic gestures and pantomimed object use. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 24(7), 679-700.
Bryson, S.E., Koegel, R.L., Koegel, L.K., Openden, D., Smith, I.M., & Nefdt, N. (2007). Large scale dissemination and community implementation of Pivotal Response Treatment: Program description and preliminary data. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 32, 142-153.
Smith, I.M., Lowe-Pearce, C. & Nichols, S. (2006). Assessment of imitation abilities: Conceptual and methodological issues. In S.J. Rogers and J. Williams (Eds.), Imitation and the social mind: Autism and typical development (pp. 377-398). NY: Guilford.
Isabel M. Smith, PhD
Associate Professor
Pediatrics & Psychology
Dalhousie University
Psychological Services, 4th floor Link
IWK Health Centre
5850 University Avenue
PO Box 9700
Halifax NS B3K 6R8
isabel.smith@iwk.nshealth.ca
Tel: 902-470-7271
Fax: 902-470-8736
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Dr. Veronica Smith
Dr. Veronica Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta. She is also a Speech and Language Pathologist and has several years experience supporting children in clinical and school settings. She teaches courses on autism, assistive technology, program evaluation, and child development. Her current research involves an investigation of the home language environments of infants and toddlers with autism and an evaluation of the patterns of change in parent-child interactions in response to a parent-training program. Other research interests include the language development of toddlers with autism, the language environments that contribute to optimal outcomes for children with autism, service supports for individuals with autism, and a critical analysis of the evidence for interventions supporting development and learning in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. She is currently co-authoring a book “Getting into the Game: Sports Programs for Children and Youth with Autism” which is due to be published in 2012.
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Dr. Peter Szatmari
Dr. Peter Szatmari has worked in the field of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) for more than 25 years. Dr Szatmari is Professor and Head, Division of Child Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University, where he holds the Chedoke Health Chair in Child Psychiatry. He is Director of the Offord Centre of Child Studies. He is a founding member of the Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network (CAIRN) a national network of parents, clinicians, policy makers and scientists dedicated to launching a research agenda in early intervention in autism. He is currently part of an international collaboration investigating the genetics of autism, a long-term study of autistic pre-schoolers that will try to identify factors that contribute to positive outcomes for these children and a study of infant siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He consults regularly to government agencies in Canada, the U.S. and internationally on research and on treatment services for children with ASD. He was co-editor of the journal Evidence Based Mental Health, has published more than 200 journal articles and presentations on autism and is the author of the book “A Mind Apart; Understanding Autism and Asperger Syndrome”.
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Dr. Jim Tanaka
Dr. Jim Tanaka is a professor of psychology from the University of Victoria, British Columbia. His research focuses on the role that perceptual experience plays in shaping the cognitive and brain mechanisms of human object and face recognition. Using psychophysical methods and event-related potentials, Jim studies the face processes of healthy adults and adults who have suffered brain damage. He also examines the development of face recognition in typically developing children as well as its dysfunction and rehabilitation in children with clinical disorders. With colleagues at the Yale Child Study Centre, Dr. Tanaka authored the Let's Face It! software, a program designed to improve the face processing skills of children with autism. Jim has served on the editorial boards for Psychological Science, Memory & Cognition and Cognitive Science and is currently the associate editor for Visual Cognition.
Tanaka, J.W. and Pierce, L.J. (2009). The neural plasticity of other-race face recognition. Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, 9, 122-131.
Wolf., J.M., Tanaka, J.W., Klaiman, C., Cockburn, J. Herlihy, L., Brown, C., South, M., McPartland, J., Kaiser, M. D., Phillips, R. and Schultz, R. T. (2008). Specific impairment of face processing abilities in children with autism spectrum disorder using the Let's Face It! Skills Battery, Autism Research, 1, 329-340.
Bukach, C.M., Le Grand, R., Kaiser, M., Bub, D. & Tanaka, J.W. (2008). Preservation of mouth region processing in two cases of prosopagnosia. Journal of Neuropsychology, 2, 227-244.
Tanaka, J.W., Curran, T, Porterfield, A., & Collins (2006). The activation of pre-existing and acquired face representations: The N250 ERP as an index of face familiarity. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 18, 1488-1497.
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Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt
Publications
Vaillancourt, T ., deCatanzaro, D., Duku, E., Muir, C. ( 2009). Androgen dynamics in the context of children's peer relations: An examination of the links between testosterone and peer-victimization. Aggressive Behavior, 35, 103-113.
Miller, J., & Vaillancourt, T. & Boyle, M. (2009). Examining the heterotypic continuity of aggression using teacher reports: Results from a national Canadian study . Social Development, 18, 164-180.
Vaillancourt, T ., McDougall, P., Krygsman, A., Hymel, S., Miller, J., Stiver, K., & Davis, C. (2008). Bullying: Are researchers and children/youth talking about the same thing? International Journal of Behavioral Development, 32, 486-495.
Vaillancourt, T ., Duku, E, deCatanzaro, D., MacMillan, H., & Muir, C., & Schmidt, L.A. (2008). Variation in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity among bullied and non-bullied children. Aggressive Behavior, 34, 294-305.
Miller, J.L., Schmidt, L.A., & Vaillancourt, T. (2008). Shyness, Sociability, and Eating Problems in a Non-clinical Sample of Female Undergraduates. Eating Behaviors, 9, 352-359.
Pagani, L.S., Japel, C., Vaillancourt, T. , Tremblay, R.E. & Cote, S. (2008). Links Between Life Course Trajectories of Family Dysfunction and Anxiety During Middle Childhood. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36 , 41-53.
Boylan, K., Vaillancourt, T., Boyle, M., Szatmari, P. ( 2007 ). Comorbidity of internalizing disorders in children with oppositional defiant disorder. European Journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 16(8), 484-494.
Vaillancourt, T ., Miller, J., Fagbemi, J, Cote, S., & Tremblay, R.E. (2007). What Predicts Early Indirect Aggression Trajectory Group Membership? A Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study of Canadian Children Aged 2 to 10. Aggressive Behavior , 33, 1-13.
Cote , S., Vaillancourt, T., Barker, T., Nagin, D., & Tremblay, R.E. (2007). The joint development of physical and indirect aggression: Predictors of continuity and change during childhood. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 37-55.
Miller, J. & Vaillancourt, T. (2007). The relation between childhood peer victimization and adult perfectionism: Are victims of indirect aggression more perfectionistic? Aggressive Behavior , 33, 1-12.
Maggi, S., Hertzman, C., & Vaillancourt, T. (2007). Changes in smoking behaviours from late childhood to adolescence. Health Psychology, 26, 232-240.
Research Interests
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Dr. Joanne
Volden
Dr.
Joanne Volden, Professor, is
a speech-language pathologist and educational psychologist,
affiliated with the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology
at the University of Alberta. Her research interests include development
of pragmatic language skills and social cognition, with a particular
interest in how these skills develop in children, adolescents and
adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In the long run, she
is interested both in determining the foundation for the social
communicative problems displayed by children with ASD and in developing
effective intervention strategies.
References:
Volden, J., Coolican, J., Garon, N., White, J. & Bryson, S. (2009). Brief Report: Pragmatic language in autism spectrum disorder: Relationships to measures of ability and disability. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 2, 388-393.
Volden, J., & Sorenson, A. (2009). Bossy and nice requests: Varying language register in speakers with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Communication Disorders, 42, 58-73.
Bennett TA, Szatmari P, Bryson SE, Volden J, Zwaigenbaum L, Vaccarella L, Duku E, Boyle MH. (2008). Differentiating autism and Asperger Syndrome on the basis of language delay or impairment. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 616-625.
Darrah, J., Magill-Evans, J., Volden, J., Hodge, M. &.Khembavi, G. (2007). Stability of developmental scores of typically developing children: Infancy to preschool assessments, Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 27, 3, 5-20.
Volden, J., Magill-Evans, J., Goulden, K. & Clarke, M. (2007). Varying language register according to listener needs in speakers with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders., 37, 6 ,1139-1154.
Joanne Volden, Ph.D., S-LP (C), R. SLP
Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research
Professor, Speech Pathology and Audiology
Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine
3-48 Corbett Hall
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G4
Phone: 492-0651
Fax: 492-1626
e-mail: joanne.volden@ualberta.ca
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Dr. Jonathan Weiss
Jonathan Weiss, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at York University, and Clinical Psychologist, who works with children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorders. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Dual Diagnosis Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and was a research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on the prevention and treatment of mental health problems in people with autism spectrum disorders or intellectual disabilities. Families play a critical role in the health of people with ASD by providing them with care and by working with the service system, and Dr. Weiss is currently focused on learning about the experience of family caregivers. He is interested in program development and evaluation, and in particular on the impact of Special Olympics on the psychological well-being of participants, and of cognitive-behavioural and social skill interventions to promote resilience and improve the mental health of children and adults with ASD. He holds a New Investigator Fellowship from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation.
Representative Publications:
Weiss, J.A., & Lunsky, Y. (in press). The family distress scale: A measure of crisis in caregivers of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child and Family Studies. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-010-9419-y
Cappadocia, M. C., & Weiss, J. A. (in press). Review of social skills training groups for youth with Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Weiss, J. A., & Lunsky, Y. (2010). Group cognitive behaviour therapy for adults with Asperger syndrome and anxiety or mood disorder: A case series. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 17, 438-446.
Weiss, J. A., Lunsky, Y. & Morin, D. (2010). Psychology graduate student training in developmental disability: A Canadian survey. Canadian Psychology, 51(3), 177 – 184.
Weiss, J. A., Lunsky, Y., Gracey, C., Canrinus, M., & Morris, S. (2009). Emergency psychiatric services for individuals with intellectual disabilities: Caregivers’ perspectives. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 22(4), 354-362.
Contact Information:
Jonathan Weiss, Ph.D., C. Psych
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology
York University
Behavioural Science Building
4700 Keele St.,
Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3
jonweiss@yorku.ca
Tel: 416-736-2100 ext. 22987
http://www.yorku.ca/jonweiss
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Dr. Rosanna Weksberg
Rosanna Weksberg, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto. She has over 100 publications in the areas of epigenetics, imprinting, growth control and neurodevelopment. Over the last 10 years her research has also on elucidating the biological basis and environmental contributors to neurodevelopmental disorders such as early onset psychosis and autism. She also studies the effects of environmental exposures (assisted reproduction, therapeutic agents) on epigenotype. Dr. Weksberg is currently funded by CIHR and CFI. She organized a Workshop on Genetic and Epigenetic Outcomes Following Assisted Reproductive Technology in Toronto in 2005. She is a Founding Member of the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences and has been on the Organizing Committee for their Annual Conferences held in Washington, New Orleans and Toronto in 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively. Dr. Weksberg is an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Medical Genetics and the Journal of Neurodevelopment.
R. Weksberg, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FCCMG, FACMG
Clinical Geneticist, Division of Clinical & Metabolic Genetics
Senior Associate Scientist, Research Institute
Hospital for Sick Children
Professor of Paediatrics and Genetics
Institute of Medical Science
University of Toronto
Journals:
Guo L, Choufani S, Ferreira J, Chitayat D, Shuman C, Uxa R, Keating S, Kingdom J, Weksberg R. Altered gene expression and methylation of human chromosome 11 imprinted region in small for gestational age (SGA) placentae. Developmental Biology.2008: 320 (1); 79-91.
Marshall C, Noor A, Vincent J, Lionel A, Feuk L, Skaug J, Shago M, Moessner R, Pinto D, Ren Y, Thiruvahindrapduram B, Fiebig A, Schreiber S, Friedman J, Ketelaars CEJ, Vos YJ, Ficicioglu C, Kirkpatrick S, Nicholson R, Sloman L, Summers A, Gibbons C, Teebi A, Chitayat D, Weksberg R, Thompson A, Vardy C, Crosbie V, Luscombe S, Baatjes R, Zwaigenbaum L, Roberts W, Fernandez B, Szatmari P, Scherer S. Structural variation of chromosomes in Autism spectrum disorder. American Journal of Human Genetics. Am J Hum Genet. 2008: 82(2):477-88. Epub 2008 Jan 17
Konen O, Armstrong D, Clarke H, Padfield N, Weksberg R, Blaser S. C1-2 vertebral anomalies in 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome. Pediatr Radiol. 2008: 38(7): 766-71.
Greer KJ, Kirkpatrick SJ, Weksberg R, Pauli RM. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome in adults: observations from one family and recommendations for care. Am J Med Genet A. 2008: 146A (13) 1707-12.
Buchanan J, Carson A, Chitayat D, Malkin D, Meyn S, Ray P, Shuman C, Weksberg R, Scherer S. The cycle of genome-directed medicine. Genome Medicine. 2009; 1(1); 1-7.
Ortiz-Neira C, Traubici J, Epelman M, Moineddin R, Shuman C, Weksberg R, Daneman A: Sonographic assessment of the renal growth of the kidneys of patients with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome: The Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome renal nomogram. Clinic. 2009 Feb; 64 (1):41-4.
Weksberg R, Shuman C, Beckwith B. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. European Journal of Human Genetics. 2009; 18: 8-14.
Fernandez BA, Roberts W, Chung B, Weksberg R, Meyn S, Szatmari P, Joseph-George AM, Mackay S, Whitten K, Noble B, Vardy C, Crosbie V, Luscombe S, Tucker E, Turner L, Marshall CR, Scherer SW. Phenotypic Spectrum Associated with De Novo and Inherited Deletions and Duplications at 16p11.2 in Individuals Ascertained for Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Medical Genetics. Epub. 2009 Sep.
Horike S, Ferreira J, Meguro-Horike M, Choufani S, Smith AC, Shuman C, Meschino W, Chitayat D, Zackai E, Scherer S, Weksberg R. Screening of DNA methylation at the H19 promoter or the distal region of its ICR1 ensures efficient detection of chromosome 11p15 epimutations in Russell-Silver syndrome. American Journal of Medical Genetics. 2009 Nov; 149A (11):2415-23.
Shuman C, Weksberg R. Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome in: GeneReviews at GeneTests: Medical genetics information resource [database online]. Copyright, University of Washington, Seattle, www.genetests.org. 2009. In Press.
Books:
Weksberg R, Shuman C. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and hemihypertrophy. In: Management of Genetic Syndromes (3rd ed. 2009) (Cassidy SB, Allanson JE, eds). John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New York 2009. In Press.
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Dr. Lonnie
Zwaigenbaum
Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum completed his pediatric training at Queen’s University, and his clinical fellowship in developmental pediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. He completed a research fellowship and Masters degree in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University. Dr. Zwaigenbaum’s research focuses on early behavioral and biological markers, and early developmental trajectories in children with autism and related disorders. He currently holds an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Health Research (AHFMR) Health Scholar and Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator Award. Dr. Zwaigenbaum is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the U of A, and the co-director of the Autism Research Centre based at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. He is also an editor of Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, and chairs an international research consortium studying early development in autism in high-risk infants.
Selected Publications:
Zwaigenbaum L, Bryson S, Roberts W, Brian J, Szatmari P. Behavioral
markers of autism in the first year of life (in press). International
Journal of Developmental Neurosciences.
Szatmari P., Zwaigenbaum L., Bryson S. (2004). Genetic epidemiology
of autism spectrum disorders: Issues in matching, Journal of
Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 34, 49-57.
Zwaigenbaum L., Szatmari P., Bryson S.E., MacLean J.E., Tuff
L., Bartolucci G., Mahoney W (2002). Pregnancy and birth complications
in autism and liability to the broader autism phenotype. Journal
of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41,
572-579.
Miller A.R., Zwaigenbaum L. (2001). New provincial initiatives
for childhood disabilities: the imperative for research. Canadian
Medical Association Journal, 164, 1704-5.
Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, MD, MSc
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital
10230 - 111 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5G 0B7
PH: (780) 735-8280
FAX: (780) 735-7907
lonnie.zwaigenbaum@capitalhealth.ca
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