“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.
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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
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.
“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.
“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.
Clinical research determines whether or not medications, devices, or diagnostic methods are effective and safe for humans. This includes research being carried out by MacART members who are testing medications that can be part of a care and support plan for some Autistic persons’ needs.
Alina Kislenko is an Autistic psychotherapist who runs The ADHD & Spectrum Centres in Guelph and Ottawa (with an all-neurodivergent practitioner team). She is also an Assistant Clinical Adjunct Professor at Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. Alina’s special interests are ADHD, Autism, Giftedness, and Psychopathy.
Dr. Julia Frei is a Developmental Pediatrician and Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University. Her clinical and research interests include dual diagnosis and disadvantaged populations. She is the Site Qualified Investigator for an international multi-site randomized controlled trial of Arbaclofen as part of a support and care plan for Autistic persons.
Dr. Irene Drmic is a Psychologist at the Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre in the Autism Program and Child and Youth Mental Health Program. Her clinical and research interests include mental health in individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities, phenotypic and genetic overlap of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders, predictors of treatment response and outcome, and program development
Dr. Stephen Gentles is a MacART trainee. He was a postdoctoral fellow with MacART, under the supervision of Dr. Stelios Georgiades. His research examines the social psychological needs and responses of parents of Autistic children as they navigate intervention. He is now a CIHR Health System Impact Fellow in a project that is a partership between
Dr. Stephanie Lavoie is a Neuropsychologist with the Pediatric Neurology Program and the Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic at McMaster Children’s Hospital. Stephanie’s clinical and research interests focus on mental health and neurological underpinnings of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Dr. Caroline Roncadin is the Co-Director of the McMaster Autism Research Team. She is the Clinical Director of Autism Services at McMaster Children’s Hospital. Her interests are in early detection and supports/care for Autistic children.
Dr. Noam Soreni’s clinical and research work focuses on the cognition and neurobiology of pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). As a member of the Anxiety Treatment and Research Center, he leads the pediatric OCD consultation team. The current foci of research are perfectionism, hoarding, and brain imaging of pediatric OCD. He is a co-investigator of the
Dr. Peter Rosenbaum is a developmental pediatrician and health services researcher, author of over 300 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and involved in research on childhood disability. He has worked with more than 50 graduate students and is currently a Professorial Fellow in Melbourne, Australia. His primary focus is creating and validating an autism function
Dr. Olaf Kraus de Camargo has a strong interest in interprofessional education and knowledge transfer and is the co-director of CanChild – Centre for Childhood Disability Research. His research interests focus on the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and its application to a variety of developmental disabilities and to
Dr. Nick Kates’ major interests are in social and community psychiatry, quality improvement and redesigning systems of care, global mental health, person- and family-centred care, and innovative approaches to education. He has been a national, provincial, and local leader in linking mental health and primary care services and is a quality improvement advisor to the
