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 policy and practice 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 policy and practice 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 // Former President & Vice-Chancellor // McMaster University

The community engagement component of MacART endeavours to work with Autistic and community collaborators and involve them in 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 policy and practice 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 // Former 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, Dr. 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 policy and practice through meaningful research.

MacART at Children’s Healthcare Canada Annual Conference – 2025

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 policy and practice 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 policy and practice 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 // Former President & Vice-Chancellor // McMaster University

The community engagement component of MacART endeavours to work with Autistic and community collaborators and involve them in 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 policy and practice 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 // Former 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, Dr. 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 policy and practice through meaningful research.

From April 14-15, 2025, Children’s Healthcare Canada held their annual 2025 meeting in Ottawa, Ontario. Collaborators came together under the theme, ‘Right-Sizing Health Systems for Kids: Creating the Future Together’. This theme encouraged exploration of ‘right-sizing health systems’, meaning looking at the resources, policies, and actions we need in place to navigate the transformation of children’s healthcare systems. Current topics explored included political determinants of health, designing healthcare systems for children, sustaining leadership pipelines, and the role of AI, Precision Health, and Learning Health Systems in personalized care.

MacART members who extend their work to childhood disability as a whole were thrilled to attend the 2025 Children’s Healthcare Canada meeting, giving them a wonderful opportunity to share our research findings and exchange ideas. This year MacART members contributed to several oral presentations.

The following presentations include those with MacART members as contributors (you can view the full conference program HERE):

ORAL PRESENTATIONS:

Left in the Waiting Room: Making Space for Siblings in Family-Centred Care
- Including Dr. Linda Nguyen
Transforming Children’s Health through a Learning Systems Framework
- Including Dr. Terry Bennett, Dr. Irene Drmic, Dr. Kathy Georgiades, Dr. Stelios Georgiades, Dr. Magdalena Janus, Karen Margallo, and Dr. Elyse Rosa

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS:

Presenters of "Transforming Children's Health through a Learning Systems Framework" stand and smile with their PowerPoint on a big screen. From left to right: Dr. Irene Drmic, Dr. Karen Beattie, Jeremy Petch, Lindsay Bray, Dr. Jeremy Petch, Karen Margallo, Dr. Terry Bennett, Dr. Elyse Rosa, Bruce Squires, Dr. Magdalena Janus, and Dr. Stelios Georgiades. — Offord Centre core members and the Pediatric Learning Health System for Neurodevelopment team gave a joint presentation, including MacART members Dr. Irene Drmic, Karen Margallo, Dr. Terry Bennett, Dr. Elyse Rosa, Dr. Magdalena Janus, and Dr. Stelios Georgiades. The presentation was on transforming children’s health through a learning systems framework!

Dr. Stelios Georgiades stands at the lectern in a conference room filled with round tables and attendees. — Dr. Stelios Georgiades, Director of the Offord Centre & Co-Director of MacART started the presentation!

Dr. Magdalena Janus stands at the lectern in a conference room filled with round tables and attendees. — The baton was passed to Dr. Magdalena Janus, Offord Centre core member and MacART member, who spoke about a research program called Equity from the Start, and introduced a relevant issue, challenge, and solution.

Dr. Terry Bennett speaks at the lectern in a conference room. — Up next, Dr. Terry Bennett took the stand and talked about the Family Check-Up®! Dr. Bennett is an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University and Laidlaw Chair in Patient-Centered Care.

Dr. Jeremy Petch speaks at the lectern in a conference room. — Dr. Jeremy Petch then shared about the early efforts that focused on two challenges that often held back Learning Health System initiatives. Dr. Petch is the Director of the Centre for Data Science and Digital Health with Hamilton Health Sciences.

Dr. Karen Beattie and Karen Margallo stand at the lectern in a conference room filled with round tables and attendees. — Karen Margallo and Dr. Karen Beattie talked about the promotion of optimal care. Karen Margallo is the Director of the Child and Family Community Integrated Care at McMaster Children’s Hospital. Dr. Beattie is a Parent Partner at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Irene Drmic and Lindsay Bray stand at the lectern. — Lindsay Bray and Dr. Irene Drmic shared about the integration of clinical and family voices. Lindsay Bray is the Clinical Leader with Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation at Hamilton Health Sciences. Dr. Drmic is the Clinical Director of the MiCare Extensive Needs Service at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Elyse Rosa speaks at the lectern in a conference room. — Next, Dr. Elyse Rosa spoke about the Quintuple Aim Evaluation framework, an evaluation method by which the LHS will promote optimal care delivery and continuous improvement. Dr. Rosa is a Research Associate with McMaster University.

Bruce Squires stands at the lectern in a conference room filled with round tables and attendees. — Bruce Squires, President of McMaster Children’s Hospital, addressed the attendees at the end of the presentation.

Dr. Stelios Georgiades stands at the lectern in a conference room filled with round tables and attendees. — Finally, Dr. Stelios Georgiades closed out the presentation! Kudos to all who contributed to this important and timely presentation.