Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Infinite Possibilities 2007-2012: Strategic Plan

Goal 1: Centres for Leadership in Childhood disability

Research into autism brings Bloorview closer to strategic plan goals

Our strategic plan, Infinite Possibilities, outlines Bloorview Kids Rehab’s goal of establishing Centres for Leadership in Childhood Disability.  In a push forward to achieve this goal, Evdokia Anagnostou, a clinician scientist from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, has joined Bloorview to work with our child development clinical and research teams. 

Evdokia is working on two clinical research programs aimed at improving outcomes and quality of life for children with autism.

Her first research initiative is a clinical trial research program for children with autism.  The goal of the program is to identify appropriate medications and doses that either treat negative behaviour associated with autism, such as aggression, or elicit positive behaviour that can help lead to skill acquisition.

In partnership with SickKids, Evdokia is also working on a clinical imaging program for children with autism.  The goal of this program is to identify the biology of autism so that clinicians can make better informed decisions about treatments for each child. This will involve brain imaging, as well as imaging before and after treatment to identify changes in the brain that are responsible for improvements or side effects.

“Now is such a great time for autism research,” Evdokia says.  “We have a wealth of information, now the next logical step is to turn it into clinical practice.”

The research that Evdokia is undertaking will help Bloorview achieve the goal of becoming a centre for leadership in child development by leading the way in understanding autism and helping to set standards for treatment.

In addition to her position at Bloorview, Evdokia is currently assistant professor in developmental paediatrics at the University of Toronto, and cross appointed to the division of child neurology at SickKids.