Children drawing

Our Research

The Owerko Centre plays an important role in meeting the research objectives positioned in the University of Calgary's Child Health and Wellness Strategy.

The Owerko Centre promotes a multidisciplinary and bio-psychological research agenda that strives to:

  • Advance our understanding of biological and psychosocial development of children and improve health outcomes through translational research
  • Determine prenatal and early childhood socio-environmental predictors of neurodevelopmental and behavioural disorders
  • Identify mechanisms (e.g., neural, endocrine, genetic, metabolic) underlying the relationships among antecedents, predictors and neurodevelopmental and behavioural disorders
  • Improve the early identification and diagnosis of child neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders using imaging, genomics, and metabolomic approaches; and
  • Evaluate and improve clinical, supportive and rehabilitative treatments for children and families at risk for, and affected by neurodevelopmental and behavioural disorders.