OUR RESEARCH
CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
One growing area of research focuses on children’s environmental health. This work applies epidemiologic and toxicologic approaches to address health risks associated with prenatal and postnatal exposures to environmental toxins. Current research is focused on the impact of early exposure to fluoride on children's cognitive and behavioural development. The goal of this work is to produce high quality data that can help guide health policy and practice decisions to improve human health in Canada and internationally. Past research focused on the impact of occupational exposure to chemicals during pregnancy on child visual development and behavioural outcomes. If you are interested in joining our team and training in environmental health, please contact me - we have more questions than answers at the current time! We work with a very collaborative team of scientists spanning diverse disciplines.
CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
Another longstanding area focuses on factors that play a role in limiting the clinical expression of demyelinating disease, such as multiple sclerosis, in childhood and adolescence. Our program links neuropsychological sequelae associated with demyelinating disease with structural and functional neuroimaging metrics, as well as factors that may promote brain health, such as physical activity. Our multi-disciplinary approach, which is enabled through collaborations with a large group of scientists and clinicians, allows us to characterize the functional impact of brain-related changes in children, adolescents, and young adults. The ultimate goal of this research is to support the development and enhancement of treatments to improve quality of life.