• Welcome to the MacART website!

    "MacART continues to play a leading role in bringing meaningful research to impact practice and policy. The Autism Alliance of Canada is delighted to be a collaborator and partner as we navigate the complexity of the push and pull of evidence into communities."
    Dr. Jonathan Lai // Director of Strategy and Operations // Autism Alliance of Canada

     

    MacART contributed to the 2020 Canadian Autism Leadership Summit.

    Read news article HERE.

     

  • Research informing public policy and programming

    "We are thrilled to work with the McMaster Autism Research Team, whose research helps to inform public policy and programs locally and provincially for the families of Autistic children and neurodevelopmental disorders."

    Marg Spoelstra // Executive Director // Autism Ontario

  • 2020 Pandemic Canadian Autism Needs Assessment

    MacART was proud to partner with Autism Speaks Canada and Autism Alliance of Canada to develop, implement, and analyze the Pandemic Canadian Autism Needs Assessment - a survey where respondents shared their experiences to help inform the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    "Through this partnership’s work, we expect to be a catalyst for meaningful enhancements to policy and programs across Canada, to better the quality of life for Autistic Canadians and their families during a time of uncertainty."

    Jill Farber // Executive Director // Autism Speaks Canada

     

    The Report results are now available!

    See the report HERE.

     

  • Collaboration is key

    "Through our partnership with the McMaster Autism Research Team, we are able to collaborate on meaningful research that can be used to inform the day to day clinical practice that supports children, youth, and families."

    Dr. Bruce Squires // President // McMaster Children's Hospital

  • Opportunities to share knowledge

    "We have a real opportunity to translate challenges into research, and research into practice that will support Autistic children and their families."

    Rob MacIsaac // President & CEO // Hamilton Health Sciences

Autism Care

Autism Care

Research
Education
Community
Policy

Research

“Future research needs to focus not only on the biological markers of autism but also include data about functioning, participation, and environmental barriers and facilitators.”

Dr. Olaf Kraus de Camargo  //  Developmental Pediatrician

 

MacART is laying the foundation for creating a systematic way of linking scientific research on autism at McMaster University to clinical practice at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

The physical proximity of McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences, and McMaster University has a number of characteristics that provides the rare opportunity for collaborative research. Taking advantage of existing university and clinical infrastructure and cross-appointments for clinicians at the university, autism experts from these organizations are coming together to integrate autism research into clinical practice.

The focus of MacART members’ research is in the areas of basic science, clinical practice, clinical research, epidemiology and statistical modelling, knowledge translation and exchange, and social science research. By promoting the collaboration of stakeholders across disciplines, MacART is reducing barriers to implementing research in clinical practice, with the goal of advancing autism care through meaningful research.

Learn more about our research HERE.

Education

MacART members are now supervising more than 50 research trainees at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels, and are engaged in the mentoring of junior and intermediate faculty members.

In the future, we intend to establish research and clinical training programs for students in McMaster’s undergraduate medical, health sciences, and psychology programs, and for residents and fellows in Pediatrics and Psychiatry.

By training and mentoring emerging researchers and practitioners, we will help to solidify their understanding of and commitment to using basic science to inform their clinical practice, and to use their clinical experience to help formulate research questions. It is our belief that involving these learners in MacART educational activities will promote their use of practices that advance autism care through meaningful research.

Community

“Our scientists are working collaboratively with local clinicians to generate the evidence needed to improve autism services. This symposium is a great example of McMaster’s community engagement efforts.”

Dr. Patrick Deane // President & Vice-Chancellor // McMaster University

 

The community engagement component of MacART strives to work with stakeholders and involve them as partners in every step of the research process.  By doing so, the questions that drive research begin to change. They become more meaningful because they address the real day-to-day challenges faced by children and their families, and the clinicians supporting them.

MacART aims to increase participation and involvement of members of the McMaster and Hamilton communities in the research process. With community members driving the research, new and relevant knowledge can be produced to bridge the research-to-practice gap in autism and advance autism care through meaningful research.

Policy

“People whose lives are connected to the challenge of autism can share knowledge – from clinicians to educators to parents – and what an amazing opportunity that is. We have a real opportunity to translate challenges into research, and research into practice that will help families living with autism.”

Rob MacIsaac  //  President & CEO // Hamilton Health Sciences

 

Policies should be created using the best available evidence that make positive impacts on the lives of Autistic individuals, along with their families.

MacART’s founder, Stelios Georgiades, serves on both federal and provincial advisory committees about autism supports/service funding. Along with the wide-ranging expertise of its many autism experts, MacART is set to act as a highly credible source of evidence-based information to influence and inform public policy about the provision and funding of autism diagnosis, services, and family supports.

MacART will continue to find ways to collaborate with policymakers to both learn more about the policymaking process, and to contribute our expertise and knowledge to inform policymaking, in order to advance autism care through meaningful research.

Recent News

MacART at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting - 2023

The International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) recently gathered in Stockholm, Sweden for the 2023 meeting. From May 3rd – 6th, scientists, researchers, clinicians, policy-makers, and self-advocates came together to share and learn about the latest scientific developments in autism research. This event – which included over 2,100 abstract submissions across 22 topic areas with authors from over 50 countries – exemplifies the international importance of advancement in autism care.

Dr. Mackenzie Salt Receiving Funding for a National Needs Assessment for Canadian Autistic Adults

We are excited to share the incredible news that at the 2023 Canadian Autism Leadership Summit the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health announced $214,883 in funding for a project to create and distribute a national needs assessment survey for Autistic adults!

This research project is led by MacART member Dr. Mackenzie Salt in collaboration with the Autism Alliance of Canada, and in partnership with the Sinneave Family Foundation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Azrieli Foundation, as well as MacART and the Canadian Journal of Autism Equity.

@Mac_Autism on Twitter