2025 Conference Program at a Glance
The tentative program for the 2025 Canada FASD Conference has been released! All presentations and times listed within are tentative and may be subject to change. Please check back in October for the full conference program. Check out the conference website for presentation descriptions and speaker bios.
Last updated June 19, 2025
Conference Schedule
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Morning
7:30-8:30 Light Breakfast
8:30-10:00 Opening Remarks & Plenary
10:00-10:30 Coffee Break
10:30-12:00 Concurrent Session A
Afternoon
12:00-13:15 Lunch
13:15-14:45 Concurrent Session B
14:45-15:15 Coffee Break
15:15-16:45 Concurrent Session C
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Morning
7:30-8:30 Light Breakfast
8:30-10:00 Morning Meeting & Plenary
10:00-10:30 Coffee Break
10:30-12:00 Concurrent Session D
Afternoon
12:00-13:15 Lunch
13:15-14:45 Concurrent Session E
14:45-15:15 Coffee Break
15:15-16:45 Concurrent Session F
Evening
17:00-19:00 Mocktail Networking Event
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Morning
7:30-8:30 Light Breakfast
8:30-10:00 Concurrent Session G
10:00-10:30 Coffee Break
10:30-12:30 Plenary & Closing Remarks
Registration is now open for the 2025 Canada FASD Conference!
Conference Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Navigating Self-Care and Recovery with the Pinkifying of Alcohol Marketing
Understanding the factors that contribute to alcohol use in pregnancy is important. While some factors associated with prenatal alcohol use include histories of substance use, trauma, or violence, other factors point to peer pressure, the normalization of alcohol and the ways in which the alcohol industry has increasingly targeted new products and marketing towards women. In this plenary presentation, internationally recognized researchers and women’s health advocates will speak to how the alcohol industry has ‘pinkified’ products and how women have responded and even rejected these marketing tactics with their own movements that push towards low- or no-alcohol use or sobriety. The presenters will share empowering strategies for health promotion and self-care that support healthy pregnancies and healthy beginnings.
Dr. Kelly Harding
Dr. Kelly Harding (she/her) is an interdisciplinary feminist women’s health and disability scholar. She received her PhD in Interdisciplinary Rural and Northern Health from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Kelly is the Director of Research Administration and a Research Associate with the Canada FASD Research Network. She is also an Adjunct Faculty member in the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at Laurentian University. She has worked in the field of FASD since 2010 and is involved in diverse research projects in the areas of FASD prevention and women’s health, FASD assessment and diagnosis, family well-being, social media, mental health, and human rights.
Dr. Dawn Nickel
Dr. Dawn Nickel is a healthcare policy expert, consultant, and thought leader in the North American recovery movement. With over 30 years of experience in research, policy development, and systems change—focused on mental health, addiction, intimate partner violence, and trauma-informed care—she brings a deep understanding of how to build meaningful, sustainable support systems for people in recovery. Dawn holds a PhD in health policy and has advised governments, corporations and nonprofit organizations across North America. She is also a Certified Professional Recovery Coach and the founder of the SHE RECOVERS® Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women in or seeking recovery. A sought-after speaker, Dawn blends professional expertise with lived experience to offer practical, compassionate insight into how individuals and workplaces can promote better mental health, reduce stigma, and build cultures of resilience.
Affiliations: She Recovers Foundation
