New Researcher Embarks on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Study at St. Joe’s
Dr. Kaitlyn McLachlan, Psychologist in the Forensic Psychiatry Program at St. Joe’s, has received the Dr. Sterling Clarren Research Award. Sponsored by the Canada FASD Research Network, the award recognizes Dr. McLachlan’s research accomplishments and provides her with the seed funding to embark on a new study at St. Joe’s.
“I’m really excited about being presented with this award from CanFASD,” says Dr. McLachlan. “It recognizes the important work done in this field, and highlights the importance of looking at environmental factors in the development of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.”
Dr. McLachlan plans on using this award funding to start a study that looks at the prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) at St. Joe’s. She hopes that this research will help to inform and tailor the way that we deliver care to individuals diagnosed with FASD.
The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that FASD affects approximately 1% of the Canadian population. Individuals diagnosed with FASD can be affected by a range of physical, cognitive and behavioural impairments. There is currently no cure for FASD.
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is a proud leader in mental health care, research and education. Researchers such as Dr. McLachlan strive to improve the quality of life for patients with mental illness, transforming care delivered within our institution and around the world.
We welcome Dr. McLachlan to our research community and we wish her the best in her clinical work and research endeavours.