Holland Bloorview’s research institute is proud to congratulate Dr. Krissy Doyle-Thomas – researcher and manager of research operations – for being chosen as one of Canada’s top 150 women who excel in their field and push for greater diversity. Dr. Doyle-Thomas will be featured in CBC’s HERstory in Black, an initiative launched in celebration of Black History Month and Canada’s 150th anniversary.
“I am honoured to have been recognized amidst a pool of admirable, passionate, and brilliant women. While this is a personal acknowledgement, it is first and foremost a collective celebration of all women who are doing incredible things for their communities and people around them every day,” says Dr. Doyle-Thomas. “These kinds of recognitions are so important for not only encouraging diversity, but empowering all people to celebrate their achievements and passions, no matter their background or field. It provided me and these women with a platform to showcase who we are as a person, the work that we do, and the impact that we have on a range of incredible projects and initiatives, such as those at Holland Bloorview. I am truly humbled to have had the opportunity to participate in this initiative, and look forward to the celebrations in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday!”
Dr. Doyle-Thomas is a research associate at the Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Holland Bloorview, working with Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou. She completed her Ph.D. in medical sciences at McMaster University. Dr. Doyle-Thomas’ research focuses on brain development and social emotion processing in autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Most recently, Dr. Doyle-Thomas received a Centres for Leadership (CfL) grant to examine the feasibility of using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), an inexpensive, portable, non-invasive imaging tool, to detect the cortical pain response in children with ASD. With her team, she hopes to explore the feasibility of a clinical application to assist in the detection of pain in non-verbal children with ASD, as a proxy for patient self-report.
HERstory in Black recognizes women like Dr. Doyle-Thomas who help shape vibrant communities with their leadership and brilliance in their respective fields. Participants vary from the first black woman to become an elected Law Society of Upper Canada bencher for Toronto, to a dedicated volunteer who works with nonprofit organizations. All come from a diverse range of backgrounds including health, arts, media, science, engineering, and law.
View Dr. Doyle-Thomas' full CBC’s HERstory in Black interview. For the full list of women who made a place in Canadian history, click here.
Congratulations, Dr. Doyle-Thomas!
