About the Owerko Centre
The Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) is dedicated to studying neurodevelopmental conditions and the improvement of child mental health.
Understanding neurodevelopment, neurodevelopmental disorders and child mental health requires collaboration, coordination and a multidisciplinary team science approach. Since launching in 2015, the Owerko Centre has advanced knowledge from the cellular level to public policy, drawing upon a wide spectrum of research methods. Owerko members encompass a broad range of child neurodevelopment and mental health research in basic, clinical, health services and population health.
The Owerko Centre is based at the Child Development Centre on the University of Calgary’s campus and is housed in a purpose built 930 square-meter facility. Along with special testing and play-rooms with adjacent observation suites, the space also hosts a motor skills examination area and labs for the preparation and collection of biological samples.
How we started
Thanks to generous support from the community, Owerko Centre continues to create impact in research, education and community engagement.
The Owerko Centre Team
Dr. Susan Graham, PhD
Director, Owerko Centre
Scientific Director, Azrieli Accelerator
Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Arts
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Barbara Brownlee
Senior Administrator
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Helen Dunlop
Manager, Communications
Owerko Centre and Azrieli Accelerator
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Lisa Korolyk
Senior Events Specialist
Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and One Child Every Child
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Eva Paolucci
Cohort Research Data Analyst
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Jessica-Lynn Walsh, MB BCh BAO
Manager, Community Partnered Research and Engagement
Pacific Spirit Foundation Researcher in Residence, Little Red Reading House
Executive Committee
Dr. Susan Graham, PhD
Director, Owerko Centre
Scientific Director, Azrieli Accelerator
Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Arts
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Dr. Tamara Bodnar, PhD
Azrieli Accelerator Assistant Professor in Transdisciplinary Neurodevelopment Research, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science
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Dr. Gerald Giesbrecht, PhD
Professor, Pediatrics; Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine
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Dr. Catherine Lebel, PhD
Associate Professor, Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine
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Dr. Kara Murias, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics; Clinical Neurosciences; Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine
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Dr. Jane Shearer, PhD
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine
Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology
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Dr. Suzanne Tough, PhD
Professor, Pediatrics; Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine
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Dr. Courtney Gilchrist, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Bevin Whiley
Master of Science student