Our Team
Co-Directors
Dr. Barbara Fallon, Ph.D.
Professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
barbara.fallon@utoronto.ca
Dr. Fallon’s research focuses on improving outcomes for children at risk of maltreatment by contributing to evidence-based policies and practices in child welfare. Her research interests include: comparisons of child protection systems; understanding the use of risk assessments in child protection investigations; and the collection and sharing of reliable data on the trajectories of children and families in the child welfare system.
Dr. Ashley Vandermorris, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Staff Physician, Division of Adolescent Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children; Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
ashley.vandermorris@sickkids.ca
Dr. Vandermorris’ research emphasizes participatory methods and working with intersectoral, multidisciplinary teams to examine adolescent-responsive, rights-based approaches to transforming health systems to promote improved health outcomes for youth navigating the intersections of structural and social determinants of health, in both the local and the global context.
Advisory Committee
Catherine S. Birken, MD, M.Sc., FRCPC
Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Staff Paediatrician, The Hospital for Sick Children; Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
Dr. Birken’s research relates to the prevention of overweight and obesity in early childhood through primary care practice and advancing care for children with severe obesity.
Eyal Cohen, MD, M.Sc., FRCPC
Program Head, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Staff Physician, The Hospital for Sick Children; Co-Director, Leong Centre for Healthy Children; Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
Dr. Cohen’s research focuses on improving health outcomes for children with medical complexity and their families and child health policy.
Avram Denburg, MD, M.Sc., Ph.D., FRCPC
Staff Oncologist and Clinical Scientist, The Hospital for Sick Children; Assistant Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto
Dr. Denburg’s research centres on the political, ethical and economic dimensions of child health policy in both local and global contexts, with a specific focus on pharmaceutical policy and drug coverage decisions for children.
Astrid Guttmann, MDCM, M.Sc., FRCPC
Staff Physician and Senior Scientist, The Hospital for Sick Children; Co-Director, Leong Centre for Healthy Children; Professor, Pediatrics, cross-appointment in Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
Dr. Guttman’s research aims to improve child health and well-being through population-based studies that inform health system programs and policies.
Jennifer Jenkins, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto
Dr. Jenkin’s main research area is understanding emotion processes in children with psychopathology to inform policies and programs that will improve the mental health of children.
Joel Levine, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Biology, University of Toronto
Dr. Levine’s research explores how biology contributes to social behaviour, with a focus on studying social interaction networks, mechanisms of behaviour in groups, and how the social environment influences individual behaviour.
Steven P. Miller, MDCM, MAS, FRCPC
Professor and Head, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia; Chief Pediatric Medicine, BC Children’s Hospital & Sunny Hill Health Centre
Dr. Miller’s research focuses on improving the clinical care of newborns at high-risk of brain injury through discoveries made with advanced brain MRI, and informing new strategies to promote optimal brain development and neurodevelopmental outcomes for children with brain-based developmental disabilities.
Faye Mishna, Ph.D.
Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Dr. Mishna’s research projects include bullying, cyber bullying and sexting among youth, and the use of information communication technologies in social work and clinical practice.
Marla B. Sokolowski, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
Dr. Sokolowski’s research examines how genes and the environment interact to influence behaviour, including the effects of the early environment on children’s health and development.
Suzanne Stewart, Ph.D.
Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto; Director of the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Dr. Stewart is committed to advancing research and policy in Indigenous health, with a focus on Indigenous mental health and healing in psychology, Indigenous pedagogies in higher education, and Indigenous ethics and research methodologies.
Charmaine C. Williams, Ph.D.
Interim Dean & Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Dr. Williams’ research bridges practice and equity issues affecting various populations, including racial minority women, LGBTQ communities, and individuals and families affected by mental illness.
Research Associate
Genevieve Sansone, MASc, Ph.D.