Category Archive

As a Caregiver, I am very aware of the importance of taking care of oneself and connecting with others experiencing the same challenges. For me, the personal connections I make are just as important as any information or education. My first observation, though, was the result of self-reflection. After spending 2 days in workshops where I had to really think … Read More

I had the great fortune to attend 3 days of the International FASD Conference, Vancouver at the beginning of March thanks to the generous sponsorship of CanFASD.  With this support, I was blessed to learn what’s happening around the world with regards to FASD and feeling connected to a greater community. First, being with the 800+ researchers, clinicians, service providers, … Read More

Children with FASD are very social; they tend to seek out social interaction with others and start conversations. However, once engaged in a conversation, they struggle with understanding social cues and facial expressions. This study examined the deficits in social cognition among children ages 8-12 with FASD. In particular, this study identified how recognizing facial expressions and showing empathy can … Read More

Prepared by John Aspler, at the IRCM’s Pragmatic Health Ethics Research Unit and McGill University’s Integrated Program in Neuroscience John graduated with a BSc in Neuroscience from McGill University in 2012, where exposure to a stream of problematic neuroscience-related news publications both cultivated and cemented in him an interest in improving science communication. John is currently pursuing a PhD at … Read More

Eric Harding is a graduate student in the History Department at Laurentian University. He is also an Academic Writing Coach and a Research Assistant contributing to several projects on FASD and FASD prevention. There are a variety of reasons why women may drink while pregnant. Misinformation or a lack of access to information, as well as the cultural norms of … Read More

There are a number of reasons people may use alcohol in excess, including previous trauma, genetic susceptibility to alcohol use disorder, or to alleviate psychological distress. We often criticize people in the public eye (i.e. celebrities) for their alcohol use, and women tend to be scrutinized to a greater extent. The voices of celebrities are a very powerful influence on … Read More

Chelsea Pike is a Master’s in Science Communication student at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. Previously, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences program with a minor in biology and her Bachelor of Education at Queen’s University. Her research is focused on describing attitudes of Canadians towards FASD as identified in the … Read More

CanFASD Connect is introducing ‘Media Week’ this week, from April 15-19. We will be posting daily on a new topic surrounding the influence of media on the perception of FASD, including guest posts from individuals who are well versed in the field of FASD. Topics covered this week will include celebrities who have publicly spoken about refraining from alcohol use, … Read More

The 2019 recipient of the CanFASD Sterling Clarren Research Award is Dr. Tamara Bodnar. Dr. Tamara Bodnar is a Research Associate in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences at The University of British Columbia (UBC), supervised by Dr. Joanne Weinberg. Her research examines the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure and other early-life environmental manipulations on immune function across development. … Read More

Research evidence is clear that maternal prenatal alcohol exposure may lead to the child developing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). However, less research and discussion has focused on the potential contribution of paternal alcohol exposure on FASD. Our latest issue paper examines the current research on the potential genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to the fathers’ role in FASD. … Read More