Dr. Carly McMorris
Principal investigator
Dr. Carly McMorris has a PhD in Clinical-Developmental Psychology from York University (Toronto, Ontario). She completed her clinical internship at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids; Toronto, Ontario), and is a registered psychologist in Alberta (#4997). In the fall of 2015, she moved to Calgary and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary and the Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Dr. McMorris joined the Werklund School of Education in 2016 as an Assistant Professor in the School and Applied Child Psychology program.Dr. McMorris’ program of research focuses on how to improve the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), such as autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and cerebral palsy. She is particularly interested in understanding the risk/protective factors for the development of mental health issues in NDDs. She also investigates the underlying neuropsychological, social, neurological, and physiological mechanisms of mental health issues in NDDs, and how such issues impact children and families. Additionally, she examines the service use patterns and needs, and barriers/facilitators to accessing services for families of individuals with NDDs and co-occurring mental health issues. Lastly, her research aims to determine the effectiveness of psychological (e.g., CBT) and pharmacological interventions for individuals with NDDs and mental health issues.Dr. Connor Kerns
Co-Investigator
Dr. Connor Kerns is an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology and Director of the Anxiety Stress and Autism Program (ASAP) at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests include assessment and treatment of ASD, childhood anxiety, and stress-related disorders (including trauma-related disorders) in children with and without ASD. Her work explores sources and manifestations of anxiety and stress in people on the autism spectrum with the aim of developing and testing new clinical assessment tools and psychotherapies. Dr. Kerns has received over a dozen federally or privately funded grants to support her research and has published and presented internationally on her findings. She earned her BA from Cornell University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from Temple University. Additionally, she completed specialized clinical training in ASD, anxiety disorders, OCD and pediatric psychology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, AI Dupont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE, the Department of Psychiatry at University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in Philadelphia PA.
Dr. Jonathan Weiss
co-investigator
Dr. Weiss is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology. He conducts research into ways of supporting the mental health and well-being of people with developmental disabilities and their families. Dr. Weiss research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, as well as from non-Tri-Agency sources, including the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, Kids Brain Health Network, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. He currently holds the York Research Chair in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disability Mental Health.Stephanie Howe
Study Coordinator
Stephanie graduated from the University of Calgary in April 2018 where she completed her Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Carly McMorris. Her research investigated the impact of anxiety disorders on autistic children and youth and their families. In the past she has worked as an Early Intervention Therapist with young children with autism and as the Health Coordinator of Special Olympics Alberta, working to provide free physical and mental health screenings to Special Olympics athletes. Stephanie will begin her Masters at the University of Calgary in the Fall of 2020. 
Dr. Kelly Harding
Dr. Kelly Harding has developed a strong interdisciplinary research background, including a PhD in Interdisciplinary Rural and Northern Health from Laurentian University (Sudbury, Ontario). She is currently a Research Associate for the Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network (CanFASD) and an Adjunct faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Laurentian University. Dr. Harding's program of research focuses on a variety of areas related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Living in Northern Ontario, her work is influenced by the intersection of rural and Northern living with the social determinants of health. Her current research focuses on health care professionals in training and their educational preparation regarding FASD, including their knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes. Dr. Harding's other areas of research include FASD prevention, specifically in the context of normalized alcohol use among women in Canada, as well as the lived experience of families with children with FASD and other developmental disabilities.Dr. Dorothy Badry
Dorothy Badry, PhD, RSW is a professor in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary. Her primary research interests focus on FASD and child welfare, women’s health and FASD, housing and homelessness, advancing knowledge on FASD, FASD – mental health, suicide and justice, loss and grief issues and she teaches an online course on FASD and child welfare for social work students across the Prairie Provinces in the summer session. Dorothy has been a member of the Canada FASD Research Network Action Team on the Prevention Network Action Team since 2008 and the Child Welfare Research Lead since 2017. She co-chaired the national conference: The Future of Child Welfare held in Calgary in 2018 in partnership Prairie Child Welfare Consortium (PCWC); Provincial and Territorial Directors of Child Welfare, and; Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary. Prior to working at the U of C in 2002, she worked for 16 years in various positions in child welfare with Alberta Children Services, sparking her interesting in FASD. She was the co-principal investigator on the Brightening Our Home Fires project in the NWT – an FASD prevention project funded by FNIHB (2010-2012). She has received numerous research grants on FASD from provincial and national funders including PolicyWise, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the First Nations & Inuit Health Branch of Canada and has many publications on FASD research.
Dr. Jacqueline Pei
(R.Psych)
Dr. Jacqueline Pei is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta. Also a practicing Registered Psychologist for the past eighteen years, Dr Pei began her career as a criminologist and forensic counselor working with incarcerated youth. Motivated by this early work, she returned to academia to study youth at risk, child development, and neuropsychology. Her current focus includes identification and evaluation of interventions for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Dr Pei has over 75 peer reviewed publications, but places the greatest value on her work with various community and government agencies. To this end, Dr Pei currently leads the Intervention Network Action Team (iNAT), and is Senior Research Lead for the Canada FASD Research Network a role that facilitates the link between research, policy, and practice.Dr. Laura Brunton
Dr. Laura Brunton is an Assistant Professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Western University and is a registered Physiotherapist. Laura’s current research focus is exploring and understanding fatigue and pain experienced by individuals with cerebral palsy and the possible relationships with physical activity, sleep, pain and mental health. Laura has an interest in developing novel approaches to increase and support the self-management skills for youth with cerebral palsy. A secondary interest of Laura’s involves the development and validation of clinical measures to support comprehensive assessment of clients in clinical practice. Laura's areas of focus include Cerebral palsy, fatigue, secondary impairments, measurement development, and self-management. 
Dr. Kaitlyn McLachlan
Dr. Kaitlyn McLachlan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a forensic specialization from Simon Fraser University, and is a member in good standing of both the College of Psychologists of Ontario (#5679) and the College of Psychologists of British Columbia (#2153, out of province status). Her current program of research includes a focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and neurodevelopmental disability across the lifespan, with the aim of understanding risk and protective factors associated with adverse and healthy outcomes. As a forensic psychologist, her work also has specific focus on understanding the experiences and needs of vulnerable individuals involved in the criminal justice system, including individuals with FASD, in order to improve outcomes. Dr. McLachlan’s research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, as well as from non-Tri-Agency sources, including the Canada FASD Research Network with whom she is the Justice Research Lead, and the Kids Brain Health Network.