Roles & Affiliations: Assistant Professor; Pediatrics at McMaster University;
Developmental Pediatrician at McMaster Children’s Hospital
Membership Type: Associate Member
Supervisorship Status: Is available for student supervision starting September 2026 for fourth year thesis students or graduate students.
“This is a student supervision opportunity focused on developing data analysis protocols for longitudinal cohort studies in autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Students will gain experience in research design, longitudinal data analysis planning, and collaborative clinical research. The opportunity is best suited for students with interests in epidemiology, biostatistics, neuroscience, psychology, health sciences, or medicine.”
If you are interested, please connect with Dr. Julia Frei.
Bio
Bio
Dr. Julia Frei is a Developmental Pediatrician and Associate Professor at McMaster University whose clinical and research work focuses on autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is co-lead for the McMaster site of the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders (POND) Network and co-medical lead for Autism Services at the Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre. Her work focuses on improving access to evidence-informed autism care, supporting community capacity building, and advancing collaborative research to improve outcomes for Autistic children and youth and their families.
Current Focus Areas
Current Focus Areas
- Dr. Frei’s current work focuses on autism and neurodevelopmental disability research, longitudinal outcomes, clinical trials, and improving access to evidence-informed care in real-world clinical and community settings.
- Current projects include:
- POND Network (McMaster Site Co-Lead): Multidisciplinary research focused on understanding neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, through longitudinal clinical and research data.
- Autism Longitudinal and Clinical Research Studies: Participation in studies examining developmental outcomes, anxiety, and treatment approaches in Autistic children and youth.
- Autism Service and Community Capacity Building: Initiatives focused on strengthening autism care through collaboration with community clinicians, educators, and Indigenous/community partners.
Career Highlights
Career Highlights
- Co-leading the McMaster site of the POND Network and supporting collaborative autism research across Ontario.
- Supporting community education and capacity-building initiatives to support clinicians and community partners working with Autistic children and youth.
Research areas: