91亚色 Biology Professor Kohitij Kar, in the Faculty of Science, will host the recipient of a prestigious (MSCA) Postdoctoral Global Fellowship in his lab for two years starting this November to advance cutting-edge work in artificial intelligence and visual tracking.  

The recipient, from the University of Udine in Italy, received a fellowship valued at C$340,000 from MSCA, which empowers researchers wishing to carry out their work abroad.

Dunnhofer is an award-winning researcher at the Machine Learning & Perception Lab in the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, & Physics of the University of Udine.

His fellowship project, titled 鈥淭owards primate-like artificial neural networks for visual object tracking,鈥� will focus on studying algorithms at the intersection of artificial intelligence and neuroscience in the field of visual object tracking. Visual object tracking is the use of algorithms in continuously recognizing objects, such as people and vehicles, and has applications in fields like autonomous driving, robotics and medicine.

The project will draw on Kar鈥檚 expertise as a Canada Research Chair in Visual Neuroscience and his experience leading the Visual Intelligence & Technological Advances Laboratory, which is a core part of the Vision: Science to Technology Application Program, the Centre for Integrative & Applied Neuroscience, and the Centre for Vision Research at 91亚色. His research lies at the intersection of neurophysiological investigations of visual intelligence in non-human primates and artificial intelligence systems. He is using his findings to develop artificial intelligence systems that mimic the primate brain in hopes of developing treatment strategies for neurological disorders.

As typically encouraged by the Marie Curie fellowships, Dunnhofer will augment his expertise in computer vision with Kar鈥檚 lab鈥檚 expertise in studying computations within biological vision systems like non-human primates.

For more information about the fellowship program, visit the .

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Four undergraduate students from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculties of Science and Health were among 17 individuals selected from across Canada to participate in the 2024 Ward Family Summer Student Research Program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

The 12-week program offers students an opportunity to work alongside leading scientists in the field of pediatric disability and developmental differences.

The 91亚色 students and their summer research projects are:

Vivien Ayllon-Kovacs

Ayllon-Kovacs is entering her third year in biomedical science (honours). Her research focuses on the relationship between brain activity and connectivity and language impairments across neurodevelopmental disorders. Her summer project explored the use of the Oral and Written Language Scales, 2nd edition (OWLS-II) tool to determine the relationship between oral language and brain measures in neurodivergent children compared to typically developing children.

The study found that the OWLS-II is effective for measuring language functionality, and that some brain regions may have a different influence on language functionality in both subject groups.

Huda Jirreh

Jirreh recently graduated with a BSc in biomedical science (honours) from 91亚色. She is interested in exploring the clinical applications of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology as a means to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. During the Ward research program, she designed a BCI-controlled music instrument in collaboration with other researchers, clinicians, and music therapists.

Following the completion of the summer program, Jirreh will conduct a case study to analyze the effectiveness of using the instrument in music therapy to improve attention in children with cerebral palsy.

Sajeela Rana

Rana is entering her third year of biomedical science, minoring in psychology. During the Ward summer program, she conducted a systematic chart review of patients from Holland Bloorview鈥檚 psychopharmacology clinic, allowing her to gain a deeper grasp on the holistic aspects of client and family care. This work inspired her research question examining the relationship between financial barriers to care and burnout for caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

She hopes that, in the near future, comprehensive care can consist of support for caregivers鈥� mental health, respite access and financial resource navigation to reduce caregiver strain.

Zahra Wakif

Wakif is a third-year student in psychology (specialized honours). She is interested in accessible care with a focus on mental health, and aspires to recognize and alleviate inequities in healthcare. Much of her work is around children鈥檚 health, development, resilience and social inclusion, with a focus on children with developmental delays or differences. Wakif鈥檚 summer research project focused on identifying the current diagnostic facilitators and barriers that community pediatricians across Ontario face in conducting autism assessments. The research aims to help develop toolkits for clinicians that would encourage more assessments and improve diagnosis and care access for families.

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Chantel Thompson, a student success and academic advisor at 91亚色's Lassonde School of Engineering, is this year's recipient of the prestigious Lynda Tam Guiding Light & Legacy Award from the Advising Community of Practice and Peer Leader Community of Practice. The award recognizes Thompson's unwavering commitment to students through her creativity and excellence in academic advising.

"Receiving the Lynda Tam Award is extremely meaningful to me," said Thompson. "It means that the work that we do as advisors is important and impactful. It means that advisors like myself can be recognized for the incredible work that we do in supporting student success."

The annual award was established to honour Lynda Tam, who served as the first assistant dean of students in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design. By shaping student services, advising and peer mentoring programs at 91亚色 U, Tam had a profound impact on student experience. She was also a founding co-chair of the Peer Leader Community of Practice. Through her creative and imaginative approach, Tam developed programs and initiatives that helped students excel and reach their academic, personal and professional goals. She exemplified student service excellence across the University and was a coach and a guiding light to students, staff and faculty.

Praised for her creativity and dedication, Thompson embodies many of Tam鈥檚 qualities. According to her nominators, she has significantly contributed to building an engaging and student-centred advising practice at Lassonde. She has been a driving force behind Lassonde鈥檚 innovative approach to University-wide pop-up advising fairs, incorporating activities such as trivia games, prizes and Faculty mascot appearances. The initiatives she has spearheaded, such as the student appreciation pancake breakfast and the new student handbook, have profoundly impacted students' academic journeys.

Thompson's nominators 鈥� all colleagues from Lassonde 鈥� feel strongly that this recognition is well deserved.

鈥淐hantel continuously demonstrates creativity and imagination in her work," said Caitlin Hicks, a student success and academic advisor at Lassonde. "Her passion and creativity are infectious, making her an inspiration to her colleagues and a valuable asset to our student community.鈥�

Althea Smikle-Brown, manager of student advising at Lassonde, had this to say: 鈥淐hantel鈥檚 dedication to student success is evident in her proactive approach and her ability to think outside the box. Her empathetic approach and genuine care have positively impacted countless students.鈥�

Lauren Hall, advising co-ordinator at Lassonde, added, 鈥淐hantel speaks up on behalf of students and her colleagues. She is committed to social justice and advocates for equality and inclusivity at every turn."鈥�

As part of the award, artwork was commissioned by Paria Shahverdi, a master鈥檚 student from the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design. The piece, named Path to Light, was inspired by Lynda鈥檚 essence 鈥� her warmth, grace and nurturing spirit 鈥� and symbolizes the tranquility she embodied and sought. 鈥淭his painting exemplifies the light, imagination and hope Lynda illuminated for those around her,鈥� said Karen MacKinnon, a member of the selection committee.

The award and accompanying artwork were presented to Thompson in a surprise meeting that included her colleagues, members of the selection committee and her nominators 鈥� Smikle-Brown, Hicks and Hall.

Reflecting on the importance of the award, and her role in student outcomes, Thompson had this to say: "The concept of 'student success' is complex and nuanced 鈥� encompassing more than just academic success," she said. "It's about a student's ability to put their mind to anything and see it through, regardless of the challenges and barriers they may encounter. This award shines a light on all those who contribute to transforming those complexities into all of the beautiful outcomes they may be."

Read more about .

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After 16 years of teaching Philippine folk dance to 91亚色 students in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, Professor Patrick Alcedo decided it was time to take students to the Southeast Asian nation to learn new dances in their original settings.

Alcedo鈥檚 Summer 2024 course, Philippine Folk Dance and Culture, immersed the students in the world of Philippine dance for three weeks, bringing them into contact with students and faculty from five universities, as well as a national dance troupe, as they learned new steps and movement sequences.

鈥淚t was time to offer a course in situ, and it鈥檚 especially meaningful this year because it鈥檚 the 75th anniversary of Canada-Philippines diplomatic relations,鈥� said Alcedo. 鈥�91亚色 has an agreement with a consortium of five universities, and we visited all of them in three weeks. It was a whirlwind.鈥�

The course provided the 11 student participants with a mixture of studio work, lectures and performance opportunities. They learned dances from teachers at each of the universities and put on three recitals. They also learned about the cultural context of the different styles of dance and how they related to the country鈥檚 colonial past.

鈥淭his experience allowed me to integrate with other students, to learn from world-renowned dancers, and to learn the cultural history of folk dance and the Philippines,鈥� said fourth-year student Anna Paddon.

Students began their adventure at Philippine Women鈥檚 University in Manila, home to the Bayanihan 鈥� the national dance company of the Philippines. There, they learned six new dances in one week and also took a day trip to Ateneo de Manila, one of the country鈥檚 oldest universities.

Next came a visit to Bulacan State University, one of the country鈥檚 fastest-growing post-secondary institutions. 91亚色 U students joined Bulacan students for a screening of Alcedo鈥檚 documentary film, , which focuses on underprivileged dancers and the power of movement to change their lives. After the screening, the two groups were led to the university鈥檚 performance hall to dance together.

After heading back to Manila for a visit to Eastern University, a private school known for its art deco-style architecture, 91亚色 U students learned a new dance from local instructors while Alcedo taught a group of local students.

The next stop was the Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation, home to the dance program for at-risk youth featured in Alcedo鈥檚 documentary. There, the 91亚色 U class enjoyed a student performance followed by an Indigenous music class.

鈥淥ur students were able to see the power of dance to lift people from poverty with skills for a better future,鈥� Alcedo said.

To close out the trip, the class visited the University of the Philippines in Diliman. In addition to being Alcedo鈥檚 alma mater, it is also home to the internationally touring Filipiniana Dance Group, headed by Alcedo鈥檚 brother, Peter Alcedo Jr., who is also a dancer. The 91亚色 U students learned four new dances, including a northern Philippines folk dance based on research done by the Alcedo brothers.

Overall, the 91亚色 U students learned 15 new dances in four different Philippine styles: Filipinized Spanish dance; lowland Christian dance, seen in agricultural areas; Muslim Philippine dance, prevalent in the south of the country; and Cordillera dances from the north.

鈥淭his was the heart of the course 鈥� really experiencing the different ways Philippine folk dance is practised in the country,鈥� explained Alcedo. 鈥淭he plurality of practices demonstrates how people respond to colonialism and modernity in different ways鈥�. this transnational work enriches our dance program.鈥�

This type of summer program also fulfils one of the goals of the 91亚色 Academic Plan, Advancing Global Engagement, and puts the University鈥檚 Global Engagement Strategy into practice.

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Thanks to new funding from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities, the Faculty of Science is launching a new micro-credential in Vaccine Production and Quality Assurance in Winter 2025 at 91亚色鈥檚 Markham Campus.

The provincial funding comprises $50,000 from the and $75,000 from the , which will go toward the creation of the new micro-credential that will prepare trainees for jobs in vaccine biomanufacturing and processing.

鈥淥ur new programs in vaccine production and biotechnology aim to bridge talent gaps in the pharmaceutical industry in Canada and to offer students and professionals a variety of training options for upskilling for industry jobs,鈥� says Hovig Kouyoumdjian, associate dean of curriculum and pedagogy in the Faculty of Science.

Spearheaded by Kouyoumdjian and faculty members Jade Atallah, the Markham biotechnology graduate program director, and Luz Adriana Puentes J谩come in the Department of Biology, the micro-credential in Vaccine Production and Quality Assurance will provide accelerated, experiential and industry-centred training on the fundamentals of vaccine production, including emerging technologies.

鈥淚t will be offered as an eight-week, blended program, shaped by input from a variety of industry partners,鈥� says J谩come. 鈥淭he micro-credential offers more rapid, vaccine-focused training relative to the new Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology and Master鈥檚 in Biotechnology Management programs, which are broader in scope and completed in one year or two, respectively.鈥�

With the new funding, the Faculty of Science will also purchase new equipment that will not only benefit student training in the micro-credential but also the Master鈥檚 in Biotechnology Management and Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology programs starting this fall at Markham Campus. The equipment will include cell culture tools for various expression systems (bacterial, yeast, insect and mammalian cells) and novel vaccine platform technologies (DNA, RNA and recombinant proteins) that are highly aligned with current advancements in the vaccine industry.

鈥淕iven the focus of these biotechnology postgraduate programs on applied training, the new equipment will support a curricular delivery that is hands-on and highly experiential in nature,鈥� says Atallah. 鈥淥ur students will complete their training with the knowledge and skills they need to secure in-demand jobs in the biotechnology and vaccine production industry.鈥�

鈥淲e are grateful to the Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities for supporting the creation and enhancement of these important programs at 91亚色,鈥� says Kouyoumdjian.

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Two groups of 91亚色 students travelled to Cuba this spring as part of a new Faculty of Health course exploring human rights, Cuban culture and the country鈥檚 health-care system. The course 鈥� Experience Cuba: Enacting the human right to health and health equity, taught by Jessica Vorstermans, an associate professor in the School of Health Policy & Management 鈥� marked the first simultaneous collaboration between 91亚色 U, the University of Holguin and the Medical University of Holguin. It is an offering the Faculty of Health hopes to strengthen and continue.

The 34 students in the Experience Cuba course were part of a cohort of more than 300 91亚色 students participating in faculty-led study abroad programs this spring and summer. They received funding support through 91亚色 International鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Action Program, which is funded by the Government of Canada鈥檚 Global Skills Opportunity.

The course provided a look at how the Cuban health-care system flourishes amidst a landscape of economic crisis. The country has been under a United States trade embargo since 1962, resulting in a scarcity of many goods 鈥� including medicines and modern medical equipment. Nonetheless, many Cuban indicators of health are comparable to those in Canada, said Vorstermans.

鈥淐uba is an example of everything we want an equitable and universal system to look like, but in an environment of great scarcity,鈥� Vorstermans said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a system that prioritizes preventive and primary care.鈥�

Developed by Vorstermans and supported by Julie Hard, director of global and community partnerships in the Faculty of Health, the new course attracted so much interest that the Faculty chose to run two sessions back to back to accommodate more students.

While in Cuba, the students attended lectures about the health-care system at the partner universities and visited the neighbourhood network of clinics 鈥� the first stop for patients. They toured the medical school and learned about the curriculum, which also includes dentistry and traditional medicine.

It was an eye-opening experience for the students, who were housed with Cuban families in a Holguin neighbourhood, took the university bus to campus, and visited many cultural sites during their visit.

鈥淚t was a two-week snapshot of Cuban life,鈥� Hard said. 鈥淢ost Canadians think of Cuban resorts and beaches, but living in a home in a country coping with scarcity was very different. It was an immersive cultural experience that went way beyond textbooks and the travel brochures.鈥�

They learned about navigating fuel shortages and gained an appreciation for how hard people work to put food on the table. 鈥淭he state makes sure there is enough,鈥� said Hard, 鈥渂ut there isn鈥檛 the same selection to which we鈥檙e accustomed.鈥�

The students were amazed by the efficiency of the Cuban health-care system, and couldn鈥檛 help but draw comparisons to Canada鈥檚.

鈥淭he health care in Cuba is inclusive; it accommodates all types of people,鈥� said El Salvador-born Alexa Rios, a first-year health studies student. 鈥淓verything is egalitarian, and everyone gets the same care鈥�. If people with so few resources can create a welcoming system, why can鈥檛 we 鈥� with all of our opportunities 鈥� do the same?鈥�

Sophia Desiri, another first-year health studies student, was very impressed by the strong emphasis on preventive care and the use of local clinics as the first line of defence against illness, rather than emergency rooms.

鈥淭his course opened my eyes to what health care really means, which is community,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he Cuban system looks at patients as people, with feelings and needs.鈥�

Gurher Sidhu, a fourth-year global health student, noted the emphasis the Cuban system places on primary care, with integrated health-care teams that serve the local community at polyclinics.

鈥淭he system was designed logically, with common sense,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he family physicians, for example, live in their communities 鈥� so their patients are also their neighbours. If someone doesn鈥檛 show up for an appointment, they worry. I wonder how we could foster that commitment to care here.鈥�

Sidhu hopes to take more time to reflect on what she experienced and to consider how lessons learned could be applied within the Canadian context. Looking back at her journal 鈥� which she was required to write in while abroad 鈥� might offer some insights. At a Knowledge Mobilization Fair held last month at 91亚色 U, the students shared their takeaways with their families and other invited guests.

鈥淲e were very glad to partner with and support the Faculty of Health with the launch of the Experience Cuba summer abroad course this year,鈥� said Helen Balderama, director of global engagement and partnerships at 91亚色 International. 鈥淭he insights and observations that were shared by the health students precisely demonstrate the whole point of global learning (and study abroad) programs: to be exposed to new ideas and experiences, reflect on them, and be moved to action or further reflection.鈥�

As for Vorstermans and Hard, they plan to run the course again in 2025 and deepen their partnership with the two Cuban institutions.

鈥淭his was a transformative learning experience that was amazing to witness,鈥� Vorstermans says. 鈥淲e view these connections as the beginning of a long-term partnership that we co-create so it is reciprocal.鈥�

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91亚色 neuroscientist Jeffrey Schall has been appointed a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Translating Neuroscience, alongside two renewals 鈥� Gillian Parekh and Joel Zylberberg 鈥� for existing CRCs, announced by the Government of Canada on June 14.

The CRC program is a major investment by the federal government (up to $300 million+ per year) to attract and retain world-class talent at Canadian universities. The program also provides training opportunities for the next generation of highly skilled personnel through research, teaching and learning.

The new and renewed CRCs at 91亚色 are:  

Jeffrey Schall is a newly appointed Tier I CRC in Translating Neuroscience and a professor in the Faculty of Science

Schall鈥檚 research aims to further understand the complexities of the brain and how it enables decision-making processes for actions and experiences: how people decide what to do, how people control when they do it and how people know if they did what they meant to do. Insights from Schall鈥檚 research could improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions like dementia and schizophrenia.  

Gillian Parekh is a renewed Tier II CRC in Disability Studies in Education and an associate professor in the Faculty of Education

Parekh is examining how schools respond to disability in order to improve student success. She and her research team are gathering and analyzing new data to develop strategies that will shed light on how 鈥渁bility鈥� is used to justify student organization within schools and the inequitable distribution of in-school resources and opportunities.

Joel Zylberberg is a renewed Tier II CRC in Computational Neuroscience and an associate professor in the Faculty of Science

Zylberberg and his research team train artificial intelligence (AI) to see and respond to images in the same way as the human brain. By teaching AI to process visual information like the brain鈥檚 visual cortex, deep learning algorithms could lead to the creation of devices that help visually impaired or blind people see again, in addition to potentially advancing technology for self-driving cars. 

91亚色鈥檚 Chairholders received $2,400,000 and are part of a $94,500,000 investment in 121 new and renewed CRCs at 39 institutions across Canada. For the full list, visit the .

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Professors Matthias Hoben, Tamara Daly and Liane Ginsburg from the 91亚色 Centre for Aging Research & Education (YU-CARE) have been awarded $750,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA) to support their study examining the impact of day programs on individuals living with dementia and their caregivers.

This funding opportunity, made possible through the CIHR-IA's Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging: Implementation Science Team Grants, is supporting 10 projects that plan to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs, services and models of care for those impacted by cognitive impairment and dementia, and to improve access to care and support.

According to the 91亚色 U research team, most individuals with dementia and their caregivers want the person in need of care to remain at home for as long as possible; however, doing so safely and well may become challenging as the affected person's needs increase. Adult day programs aim to maintain or improve older adults' health and well-being, while also providing respite to caregivers.

The researchers are setting out to address what they identify as a lack of robust Canadian research on the effects of day programs on older adults living with dementia and their caregivers, especially those of equity-deserving groups with multiple, intersecting vulnerabilities.

"Health systems have increasingly shifted care for people with dementia from institutions to the community," says Hoben, the Helen Carswell Chair in Dementia Care. "While care in the community is the preference of persons with dementia and their family/friend caregivers, most of the care is provided by caregivers who, in turn, receive little support."

The team believes supports are important for both the person needing care and their caregivers, so they are examining the effectiveness of adult day programs as a method of support.

"Adult day programs are among the few community supports that aim to meet these simultaneous needs," Hoben explains, "but we lack research on their effectiveness and on how and why they do or do not work."

By partnering with key experts across Canada 鈥� those in need of care, their caregivers, advocates, day program staff and health system policymakers 鈥� this project aims to reveal how and why day programs have positive, negative or no effects on people with dementia and their caregivers, uncovering important avenues for improving their effectiveness.

With the help of the CIHR-IA funding, and in collaboration with health systems and regional Alzheimer societies, the team will recruit individuals with dementia who have recently been admitted to day programs and their primary caregivers. The researchers will compare them to a group that is not using day programs. They will also assess how program characteristics and the social identities of participants are associated with study outcomes. To further contextualize the data, they will conduct semi-structured interviews and focus groups.

"I am passionate about supporting persons with dementia and their caregivers," says Hoben, "and this research will be an important step to build these supports."

For more information about the funding, visit the .

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The 91亚色 Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response & Governance Institute (Y-EMERGE) has established a partnership with the Research & Innovation Centre at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS-RIC) in Rwanda that will bring AIMS PhD students to 91亚色 to pursue their research in mathematical modelling as a tool for addressing climate change.

The project, called Human Capacity Building in Climate Change and Health in Africa, is being jointly funded by 91亚色 International (YI) and Global Affairs Canada's Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 program, marking the first external grant to Y-EMERGE. It is also the first time 91亚色 International has matched funds on this scale in support of an international research endeavour.

鈥�91亚色 International is delighted that our researchers were able to leverage C$25,000 in matching funds to secure a significantly larger external grant for an impactful international research collaboration,鈥� said Vinitha Gengatharan, assistant vice-president of global engagement at YI. 鈥淭he money will be used to top up scholarships for up to six female PhD students coming to 91亚色, as well as to provide emergency bursaries for any PhD student travelling to 91亚色 for this program.鈥� 

As part of the project, 10 PhD students from the AIMS Research & Innovation Centre will each spend a year at 91亚色 between 2025 and 2028 to advance their work with mathematical modelling and climate change. Y-EMERGE will be hosting the program, with 91亚色 International assisting in helping the students to feel at home. Participating students will have the opportunity to develop their research by working with experts in their areas of interest. 

AIMS is no stranger to 91亚色 U; the institutions have previously collaborated on infectious disease modelling for influenza and COVID-19.

For Professor Jude Kong, founder and director of the University鈥檚 Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence & Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC) and a native of Cameroon, this collaboration is a passion project. He believes a focus on climate change and health is imperative, as the African continent is already feeling the effects of climate change.

鈥淲e鈥檒l take the modelling experience present at 91亚色's Y-EMERGE, as well as ACADIC and AIMS, to ensure we build the capacity to model climate change in Africa,鈥� said Kong. 鈥淐limate change is coming and the situation is worsening in Africa. It will affect health in a way that has never happened before, and we鈥檒l be able to build responsible models with an understanding of the local dynamics. 鈥� We鈥檒l be using local expertise, so the results will be locally relevant, decolonized and intersectional.鈥�

Professor Jianhong Wu, director of Y-EMERGE, is equally committed to the project.

鈥淲e consider this to not just be the beginning of an intensive collaboration with the AIMS Research & Innovation Centre in particular, but AIMS in general,鈥� he said.

Professor Wilfred Ndifon, president of the AIMS Research & Innovation Centre, added, 鈥淔or us at the institutional level, we have achieved our successes thanks to partnerships like the one we have with 91亚色.鈥�

To help facilitate this long-term partnership, Y-EMERGE is forming a college of mentors to work with the AIMS students and establishing an advisory board to guide the growing Africa-Canada collaboration in mathematical modelling.

鈥淲e want the students to not only get excellent training but to grow their careers and begin to build up their own networks,鈥� Wu said. 鈥淭he students who come to 91亚色 to train will be ambassadors for collaboration between the African continent and Canada in mathematical sciences.鈥�

Kong is excited by the opportunity to build capacity on his home continent through a 鈥渢rain-the-trainers鈥� model.

鈥淲hen these students return home, they will be sent to other AIMS centres to make data actionable,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need homegrown talent, rather than people from the Global North, to teach others [in Africa]. 91亚色 is one of the many institutions that have reached out to help AIMS change the paradigm, and it is committing funding because they don鈥檛 view this as a one-off.鈥�

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A study by 91亚色 Faculty of Health Professor Farah Ahmad and her students Fariha Shafi and Amirtha Karunakaran, titled 鈥�,鈥� was recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

While existing evidence suggests early autism diagnosis and support results in positive outcomes for children and youth on the spectrum and their families, Ahmad believed the same might not be true for children of racialized families, who are often diagnosed at later ages and are more likely to be misdiagnosed and experience barriers to service access. She also identified a lack of research examining the experiences of parents in Canada from specific immigrant groups 鈥� many from racialized communities 鈥� who are caring for their children on the spectrum.

With funding from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health, through a Collaborative & Community-based Research Seed Grant, the 91亚色 U researchers set out to address this knowledge gap by looking at South Asian Canadian immigrant parents with children on the autism spectrum and examining their experiences with available care programs and supports, as well as their perceptions of social stigma.

鈥淒isability should not hinder people鈥檚 opportunities to reach their full potential,鈥� said Ahmad, 鈥渟o it鈥檚 a matter of human rights to bring forth hardship experienced by families caring for their children or adult family members on the autism spectrum. This is particularly relevant for racialized immigrant families, given the dearth of scholarly knowledge in Canada on their experiences.鈥�

The team worked with community collaborators, including the SAAAC Autism Centre and Health Access Thorncliffe Park, to find suitable study participants. Nine South Asian parents living in the Greater Toronto Area were selected and interviewed individually.

The study's findings confirmed barriers to an autism diagnosis and to service access. Additionally, parent participants reported that the stigma surrounding autism kept them from receiving a timely diagnosis, access to support services and guidance on health-promoting behaviours. The findings also revealed considerable caregiver stress and psychological distress.

鈥淚 believe in a proactive strategy," said Ahmad, "where we as researchers examine the 鈥榞round reality鈥� of caregivers鈥� challenges and ways to cope, with the aim to enhance equity in practice and policymaking for improving structural supports for them, including efforts to reduce societal negative attitudes towards disabilities."

Ahmad and her team expect the evidence revealed by their study to have wide-ranging impacts, including helping to inform equitable policy, programming, and practices that better support the needs of children on the spectrum and their immigrant families.

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