Jessica Brian, PhD, CPsych
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Research
Research Focus:
Jessica Brian is a Psychologist and Senior Clinician Scientist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto in the department of Paediatrics. She co-leads the Autism Research Centre at Holland Bloorview. Dr. Brian received her Ph.D. from the clinical-developmental program at York University and received intensive training in Applied Behaviour Analysis during a full-year internship at the Princeton Child Development Institute in New Jersey. Jessica has been heavily involved in a range of multi-site research programs aimed at understanding the emergence of ASD, the behavioural phenotype, and genetic markers of ASD and related disorders. For over a decade, Dr. Brian has been involved in the Canadian Infant Siblings Study, and is a member of the international Baby Siblings Research Consortium. Jessica co-developed and led the evaluation of the Social ABCs, a very early parent-mediated intervention for infants and toddlers with emerging ASD or related social-communication challenges.
Click to see Dr. Jessica Brian's Publications on Google Scholar
Education & Profession
Education:
Ph.D., Psychology (Clinical-Developmental), York University
MA, Clinical Developmental Psychology, York University
BA (Hons), Psychology, Queen's University at Kingston
Professional Memberships:
College of Psychologists of Ontario
Canadian Psychological Association
Baby Sibling Research Consortium
University Positions / Affiliations:
Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
Adjunct Professor, OISE/UT, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto
Member, OISE/UT, School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto
Honours and Awards:
NATIONAL:
- Medical Research Council of Canada Studentship Award, York University, Toronto, ON (Academic years 1993-1997)
LOCAL:
York University Scholarship, York University, Toronto, ON (Academic year 1991 - 1992)
Senator Frank Carrell Upper Year Scholarship, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON (Academic years 1987-1990)
Thesis/Dissertation Award (nominee), York University, Toronto, ON (Dec 1999)
Innovation
Assessment Measures Developed:
- Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI; Bryson et al.) - currently available for use in research studies only.
- Co-developer of the Social ABCs, a parent-mediated early intervention for infants and toddlers with emerging ASD or related social-communication challenges. Led the pilot and RCT evaluation of this intervention program, a child-care model, and the development of an abbreviated, group-based model. Overseeing a large community implementation of the standard Social ABCs.
Current Projects
- Behavioural Intervention
- Evaluation of Social ABCs with Attention Training Intervention for Toddlers with Suspected Autism
- Group Social ABCs for toddlers with suspected or diagnosed Autism: Evaluation of a clinic-based behavioural intervention
- Social ABCs Training for Early Childhood Educators at Humber College
- Social ABCs for Toddlers with Suspected Autism: Evaluation of a Parent-Mediated Intervention
- Characterizing Autism
- The Role of Emotion Regulation and Arousal in Anxiety and Autism (Typically Developing)
- The Role of Emotion Regulation and Arousal in Anxiety and Autism (ASD)
- Infant Sibling Study: Attention and Emotional Regulation in Typical Development and Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders-Network (POND-Network)
- Understanding Early Development Trajectories in Autism: From Infancy to Middle Childhood
- Early Development in Infants at Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Identifying Early Bio-Behavioural Markers
- POND-Network: Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders Network (Typically developing)
- Medication Clinical Trials
- Intranasal Oxytocin for the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders
- A Pilot Dose Finding Study of Pioglitazone in Children with ASD
- A Pilot Study of Riluzole vs. Placebo in the Treatment of Children and Adolescents with ASD
- Intranasal Oxytocin for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Contact Info
Contact Information:
Bloorview Research Institute
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
150 Kilgour Road Toronto, Ontario M4G 1R8
T: 416-425-6220, Ext. 3716
F: 416-422-7045
Contact Email:
jbrian@hollandbloorview.ca
Media Expertise
autism spectrum disorder - early identification and intervention