Newsletter – Summer edition 2023 – Kids Brain Health Network – Réseau pour la santé du cerveau des enfants

KBHN - Helping all children live their best lives

Dear Kids Brain Health Champions,

We’re gearing up for a summer full of promise and sharing some ways we’ve been working together to make Kids Brain Health Network a household name.

Our program researchers and teams are busy collaborating with families, trainees and partners to bring innovations and solutions into the community. We’re expanding our influence in thought leadership across Canada and internationally, while remaining committed to improving the lives of children, families and caregivers—through programming, political advocacy, and storytelling.

Here you’ll find some recent highlights—and lots of exciting opportunities to look forward to:

Prepare for our KBHN Annual Conference 2023: Fraser Mustard lecture, Speaker line-up and Travel Awards
Kids Brain Health Network and Autism Alliance of Canada lead a panel on national autism strategies this month, with experts from Europe and the United States
Have Your Say! How can KBHN improve on our National Training Program

KBHN Annual Conference 2023 - October 21-24 in Ottawa

Program at a Glance, Speakers, Travel Awards & MorePlease join us to celebrate the transformative work of our Network and the impact we have made on children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.

Find out who will be delivering our keynote at the KBHN Fraser Mustard Lecture this year and other prominent speakers at our conference.

Schedule
Take a look at our conference schedule, and plan to attend in-person or online. Early bird registration opens soon.

Plan to Attend

Travel Awards
If you’re a trainee, someone with lived experience, or a family member, we encourage you to apply for a travel award to help cover the costs of attending our conference in Ottawa. Learn about the eligibility requirements, and apply by June 30.

Learn More

Challenges, Best Practices, and a Way Forward - June 15 2023

Presenting at the UN – Kids Brain Health Network and Autism Alliance of Canada lead a panel on national autism strategies this month, with experts from Europe and the United States at COSP16

Alongside the United Nations 16th session of the Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), international panelists will share insights on human rights-based autism policies.

This event is a continued recognition of the collaborative work between KBHN and the Autism Alliance of Canada, both within Canada and internationally. Panelists included KBHN- Autism Alliance of Canada policy fellows Christiane Roth, Alexandra Minuk and Dr. Preeti Kar, alongside KBHN Deputy Scientific Officer Dr. Jennifer Zwickerand Yvonne Spicer, Ambassador of Autism Canada – person with lived experience.

Have your say! How can we improve our National Training Program?

To ensure we are meeting the diverse needs of our trainees, we are conducting a short anonymous survey to gain insights about KBHN’s National Training Program . We invite our Network members to provide us their feedback by taking this survey.

Please complete the survey by June 30. Participants may also participate in optional follow-up interviews or focus groups. Please contact training@kidsbrainhealth.ca with any questions.

Take the Survey

Canadian researchers help kids with autism “crack the code” of learning emotional health and social skills
Secret Agent Society is an evidence-based innovation that engages kids with Autism through spy-themed games and activities for mental health and social-emotional support. Last month, Dr. Vivian Lee presented on her team’s work to integrate digital and real-life solutions for small groups, at the Research Canada All Parliamentary Health Caucus Luncheon in Ottawa.

View photos from the event

Discover More

In photo: Nicola Lewis, CEO of Kids Brain Health Network, has been meeting with parliamentarians recently, including Conservative health critic Stephen Ellis.

Kids Brain Health Network Advocates to Ensure MPs ‘Don’t Forget About Children With Disabilities’

Nicola Lewis has visited Ottawa several times to discuss research that supports children with disabilities, families and caregivers. “The discussions have been very encouraging across parties,” she said. “There’s been a lot of interest in the work we’ve been doing.”

Three women actively engaged around an issue

Family Engagement in Research (FER) Course Fall Cohort Applications Are Now Open

Are you a researcher or family member interested in child health research and want to learn more about family engagement in research?

The Family Engagement in Research (FER) course might be right for you!

For more information, please visit KBHN website or the FER Course website or email fer@mcmaster.ca.

Apply Now

CIHR Awards $1.25 million for Early Childhood Mental Health Care Across Canada to Improve Outcomes for Vulnerable Children

Two KBHN investigators received $1.25 award through the Mental Health in the Early Years (MHITEY) Initiative of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This award provides a necessary boost for the community-based Infant and Early Mental Health (IEMH) Care Pathways project, Leading the Way. This initiative received foundational support from Kids Brain Health Network.

Find out More

Advocating for Disability Rights at Canada-Wide Conferences

Our Network sponsored the Disability Without Poverty conference on Mother’s Day Weekend this May. Hear from the conference organizers and Dr. Jennifer Zwicker, Deputy Scientific Officer for KBHN as one of the speakers.

Read the Guest Blog

In April, Kids Brain Health Network – Autism Alliance of Canada policy fellows presented their research on human rights-based approaches to national Autism strategies at the Canadian Autism Leadership Summit 2023.

Learn More

CHILD-BRIGHT Conference
It was an enriching experience participating at this year’s Child-Bright conference. We also sponsored an exhibitor booth at the conference in Toronto on June 8-9.

KBHN Joins Children’s Healthcare Canada as a Member
We are delighted to join as members of Children’s Healthcare Canada to build and leverage collaborations and connections.KBHN CEO Nicola Lewis said, “We’ve had many excellent opportunities to work in partnership with the CHC team over the years. Both our organizations align on our focus on children’s health. Our goal with this membership is to forge new partnerships and join forces for a collaborative approach to foster scientific innovation, improve healthcare systems and services for children and create positive change in the lives of all children including those with neurodevelopmental disabilities.”

Kids Brain Health Network, situated at Simon Fraser University (SFU) Burnaby, respectfully acknowledges the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, including the səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.