Jill Zwicker
Dr. Jill Zwicker, Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy has received the Career Development Award from the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program.
This four-year salary award will support Dr. Zwicker’s research on developmental coordination disorder (DCD). DCD is one of the most common motor disorders in children, and significantly interferes with a child’s ability to learn motor skills and to perform everyday activities. As a result, children with DCD often experience secondary psychosocial difficulties, including poor self-esteem, depression, anxiety, loneliness and social isolation.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Tim Oberlander, Professor, Department of Pediatrics at Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, and Dr. Deborah Giaschi, Professor in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and Director of Operations for the Child and Family Research Imaging Facility, Dr. Zwicker’s research will aim to understand the neural basis of DCD and to use neuroimaging to assess the effectiveness of rehabilitation intervention for children with this disorder. Her research will also explore predictors of DCD by identifying children with this disorder in a longitudinal prospective cohort of premature newborns and examining associations with clinical risk factors and early brain development.