BRIEF BIOGRAPHY.  

I obtained my B.Sc. from the University of Waterloo (1997) and my MA (2000) and PhD (2004) in Psychology from the University of Toronto.  After completing my doctoral training (with specialization in clinical neuropsychology, neuroscience, and toxicology), I pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute where I completed my clinical training in psychology (2006).  I am a registered psychologist in Ontario with an expertise in clinical neuropsychology in both children and adults. I joined the Faculty of Health at York University in 2007.

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Current areas of research interest include children’s environmental health, child neuropsychology, and  neurodegenerative disease in children.  Related to environmental health, I am specifically interested in the impact of prenatal and childhood exposure to fluoride on child behaviour where much controversy exists and high quality research is urgently needed.  My team and I have been building upon this area of high public health relevance by conducting a follow-up study of a large Canadian birth cohort (MIREC) to better understand how environmental chemicals are implicated as underlying risk factors for many emerging morbidities in childhood, including intellectual impairments, behavioural problems, and other health-related outcomes. 

 

Another aspect of my research program involves the study of childhood-onset neurologic disease on psychosocial and cognitive function.  This research is focused on understanding modifiable factors, such as physical activity, that may contribute to the health and well-being of children diagnosed with chronic, neurodegenerative disease.  

 

My program of research combines clinical, experimental, and neuroimaging methodologies to examine the neural basis of cognitive dysfunction in children and adolescents with acquired neurologic disorders and neurotoxic exposures. 

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APPOINTMENTS & AFFILIATIONS:

Adjunct Scientist, Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children

Faculty Member, Neuroscience Diploma Program at York University

Associate Member, Centre for Vision Research 

Associate Member, LaMarsh Centre for Child & Youth Research

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OTHER INTERESTS:  

I love sports that make me run, including squash, tennis, and ultimate frisbee. I also enjoy cycling and exploring new places (on a bike preferably). I like coffee and dark chocolate.

 

COURSES TAUGHT:

Graduate:

PSYC 6910   Psycho-educational Assessment of Children and Adolescents

PSYC 6920   Psychological Assessment of Children and Adolescents

PSYC 6945   Applied Pediatric Neuropsychology

PSYC 6905   Cognitive and Biological Bases of Behaviour

Undergraduate:

PSYC 4080  Neuropsychology of Abnormal Behaviour

PSYC 2020   Biological Basis of Behaviour