Dr. Donald Mabbott received his PhD in developmental psychology at the University of Alberta in 1998 and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in paediatric neuropsychology at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Dr. Mabbott initially worked as a clinical psychologist with the Northern Alberta Children’s Cancer Program at the Cross Cancer Institute/Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta before returning to SickKids in 2001, where he has held multiple roles.

Currently he is Head of the Neurosciences and Mental Health Program at the SickKids Research Institute. He is a psychologist with the Paediatric Brain Tumour Program in the Division of Haematology/Oncology and a Senior Scientist at SickKids. He is also a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Mabbott provides clinical neuropsychology services to children with brain tumours and their families and has a research program in developmental neuropsychology.

Education:

2021 – 2022: Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology, The Hospital for Sick Children

2020 – 2021: Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology, Harvard Medical School/Boston Children’s Hospital

2015 – 2020: Ph.D. in Clinical-Developmental Psychology, York University

2013 – 2015: M.Sc. in Clinical-Developmental Psychology, York University

2006 – 2011: H.B.Sc. in Psychology, University of Toronto

Research Interests:

My research interests center around optimizing care for underserved and marginalized communities, including medically complex and vulnerable individuals. Currently, my work is focused on assessing cognitive outcomes of children who have received proton versus photon radiation treatment. My previous projects have examined quality of life outcomes of children with severe developmental disabilities, factors contributing to positive versus negative outcomes among Zambian parents of children with developmental disabilities, and mental health and executive functioning in youth with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Other Interests:

I enjoy sewing, knitting, drawing, painting, reading, and travelling.

Education:

2017 – present: PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto

2016-2017: MA, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto

2014: B.Sc., Department of Psychology, University of Toronto

Research Interests:

Physical exercise has been shown to promote cognitive recovery and repair deficits in brain function. My research examines the feasibility and efficacy of aerobic exercise training to improve treatment-related deficits in executive functioning and functional connectivity in paediatric brain tumour survivors. I am also studying intrinsic influences on attention and motor performance.

Other Interests:

Outside of the lab, my hobby is my dog!

Education:

2020 – present: PhD, Dept. of Psychology, University of Toronto

2018 – 2020: MA, Dept. of Psychology, Ryerson University

2012 – 2017: Hons. B.Sc., Dept. of Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, University of Toronto

Research Interests:

Forty years ago, a childhood diagnosis of a malignant brain tumour was a terminal prognosis but recent advances in treatment have drastically risen the survival rate to 85%. However, with this new increase in life the long-term emotion related ramifications of these curative interventions, like facial emotion recognition deficits, have only just recently begun to be elucidated leaving the root neural causes of emotion related cognitive deficits mostly unknown.

My research focuses lie in establishing a needed and essential physical representation of how the brain changes in response to paediatric tumour treatments. Today, I investigate the effect of observed white matter damage on the ability to correctly recognize facial emotion recognition in paediatric brain tumour survivors.

This research will provide the crucial groundwork necessary for identifying specific neurophysiological points of interest linked to emotional deficits in paediatric brain tumour survivors as well as aid in creating targeted intervention plans to slow or halt further emotion processing declines essential for restoring survivors’ social-emotional development and quality of life.

Other Interests:

In my spare time, I enjoy curating recipes for my cooking themed Instagram page @WhatsCookinLiz, reading about the stock and cryptocurrency markets, drawing and painting, learning new languages on Duolingo, fundraising for amazing causes like the Canadian Cancer Society, and planning trips and events to spend time with friends and family.

Education:

2022-Present: PhD, Psychology, University of Toronto

2018-2022: HBSc, Psychology Research Specialist – Thesis and Neuroscience Major, University of Toronto

Research Interests:

I am broadly interested in research with the potential to inform educational practice and policy. My current research explores whether neural synchrony patterns in the developing brain enable broader attention and learning in childhood, addressing intriguing theoretical questions about how the nature of learning might change across development in ways that are adaptive. I am also interested in how cognitive and neural development vary based on contextual factors like socioeconomic status.

Other Interests:

Outside of the lab, I love to sing, play piano, draw, bake, and spend time running and biking outdoors!