Our National Training Program enhances training for the next generation of researchers and professionals. Together we develop and implement innovations that improve the lives of children living with neurodevelopmental disabilities, and their families.
To support, promote, and acknowledge those who have shown excellence and dedication within Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN), we are pleased to congratulate the winners of the annual Outstanding Awards for 2023-24.
Outstanding KBHN Trainee Member Award
This award recognizes a trainee’s outstanding contribution and commitment to the KBHN community. This person dedicates large amounts of time and energy to our Network activities—including conferences, webinars, workshops, and more.
Ann Yang is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of the field of neurodevelopmental disability and research trainee development along with her incredible PART Committee teammates.
Outstanding KBHN Promising Researcher Award
This award recognizes a trainee’s outstanding research achievements, for bench or bedside research.
Dr. Samantha Noyek, studied and conducted research focused on child and family health and well-being in diverse fields across multiple institutions and provinces.
Outstanding KBHN Mentor / Supervisor Award
This award is presented to a researcher or a professional who provided outstanding supervision or mentorship, with the ability to inspire KBHN trainees.
Dr. Michelle Phoenix works closely with a variety of partners that include disabled children and youth, caregivers, clinicians, organizational leaders, policy makers, and interdisciplinary researchers to conduct research that aligns with community priorities.
Michelle is grateful for the students, partners, and colleagues that she is fortunate to work with in a collective effort to make children’s rehabilitation services and research more equitable, thereby improving access and engagement in care.
Dr. Sarah Munce is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy with cross-appointments at the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute (RSI), and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto.
Outstanding KBHN Leadership Award in Family Engagement in Research
KBHN celebrates the important contributions of individuals with lived or living experience, and/or their caregivers in neurodevelopmental disability research.
Amanda Doherty-Kirby
PhD, parent partner & lived experience trainee
College of Nursing, Mount Royal University
Dr. Amanda Doherty-Kirby was thrilled to be accepted to the KBHN/CanChild/McMaster Family Engagement in Research (FER Course) and has actively been partnering in research since. She is a member of the first group to complete the FER Leadership Academy and is the administrator for the Youth Engagement in Research (@youth_in_research) account on Instagram which started as a group project for the FER Course.
She is committed to helping connect those with lived experience to respectful, meaningful, and authentic partnerships with researchers recognizing that each has knowledge that the other may not have. She is thankful to KBHN for funding and co-creating the FER Course that has enlarged her world and connected her to many engagement opportunities that she did not know existed a few short years ago.
In her professional role as Family Engagement in Research (FER) Co-ordinator for CAMH, Connie Putterman facilitates partnerships and create opportunities for families and researchers to engage as partners in mental health research in a large hospital based research setting.
Connie was part of the visionary team that co-designed the Family Engagement in Research (FER) course at McMaster University/Canchild Research Centre funded by Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN). Together, they have trained over 300 researchers and families and grown the program to include a newly created FER Leadership Academy for champions of FER.
