The beginning
In 2014, Dr. Stelios Georgiades, an epidemiologist at the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University, has an ambitious goal: to link scientific research on Autism at McMaster University to clinical practice at McMaster Children’s Hospital. He sees the need to move the laboratory into the clinic, and to bring clinical expertise to scientists working on different facets of Autism.
MacART is founded
By canvassing the McMaster University community, he “discovers” faculty members, and their students, from 10 different departments and 5 research centres, conducting Autism research. He recognizes that at McMaster Children’s Hospital, hundreds of children are diagnosed and treated by highly qualified and skilled clinicians, some of whom are also researchers. Through consultation with these researchers, clinicians, and clinician-scientists, the McMaster Autism Research Team (MacART) was founded.
Dr. Stelios Georgiades and Dr. Terry Bennett become inaugural co-directors
Dr. Stelios Georgiades joins forces with Dr. Terry Bennett, a clinician-scientist at McMaster University and McMaster Children’s Hospital, to serve as MacART’s inaugural co-directors. Through their studies on the genetics, diagnosis, and supports for Autistic children, and on Autistic children’s experiences, they and other MacART members bring a diversity of knowledge, insight, and perspectives to better understand and support Autistic individuals and their families.
Dr. Caroline Roncadin steps into role as co-director with Dr. Stelios Georgiades
In the spring of 2020, Dr. Bennett steps aside as Co-Director, and Dr. Caroline Roncadin steps into the role. Dr. Roncadin is Clinical Director of the McMaster Children’s Hospital Autism Program, and the clinical and research worlds complementing each other at the co-director level will surely lead to even closer collaborations between research and clinical practice.