We would like to send congratulations to MacART co-director, Dr. Stelios Georgiades, on being appointed as the inaugural chairholder of the new McMaster Children’s Hospital Chair in Autism and Neurodevelopment.
This prestigious new position has been established through the support of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University, as well as with the support of our community collaborators – the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance, Autism Ontario, Autism Speaks Canada, and the Sinneave Family Foundation.
As Chair, Dr. Georgiades will continue and expand much of the work already underway including research into different facets of the course and presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), building partnerships and networks with community organizations who are working in this area, supporting individuals and their families living with ASD, and advocating at a provincial and national level for much needed changes that will benefit these populations.
“There are so many inequalities across Canada for children with autism and neurodevelopmental conditions, and what is available often depends on where you live and how much money you have to supplement public funds for intervention,” says Dr. Georgiades. “We are working collaboratively with families and stakeholders to change this, building regional, provincial, and national networks that integrate research, training, practice and policy.”
This is a well-deserved achievement for our colleague and an exciting opportunity for exponentially advancing autism research and collaboration!
An official statement can be found HERE.
The announcement event was also recorded, and can be found here: