We suggest the following sources for your holiday stories:

Spirituality

Ellen Aitken
Dean, Faculty of Religious Studies
Expertise: The spiritual meaning of the holiday season beneath the commercialism

Grieving during the Holidays

Estelle Hopmeyer
Director, McGill Centre for Loss and Bereavement
Expertise: How to deal with the loss of a loved one despite constant reminders of holidays past

The Tradition of gift giving

Shirley Steinberg
Professor, Department of Integrated Studies in Education
Expertise: The culture of "re-gifting"

Conrad Graham
Curator, Visual Arts Collection, McCord Museum of Canadian History
Expertise: History of gift giving, historic gifts

Donating to Charity Rewards the Brain

Dr. Alain Dagher
Neurologist, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital; Professor, McGill Dept. of Neuroscience
Expertise: The function of dopamine
Contact via Sandra McPherson, Communications Officer, MNI

"Over-gifting"/Appropriate gifts for the holidays

Jeffrey Derevensky
Professor, Faculty of Education, Co-Director, International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems & High-Risk Behavior
Expertise: Child development, developmental psychopathology, addiction, gambling

Toy safety/recalls

Joe Schwarcz
Professor, Department of Chemistry; Director, McGill Office for Science and Society
Expertise: Health issues and the application of chemistry in everyday life

Consumer/Shopping

Robert Soroka
Professor, Desautels Faculty of Management
Expertise: Retailing, marketing and consumer behaviour, cross-border shopping

Holiday weight gain

Laurette Dubé
Professor, Desautels Faculty of Management; internationally respected professor in consumer and lifestyle psychology and marketing, food and health specialist
Expertise: The role of comfort foods in alleviating negative emotions; which ones men choose, which ones women choose and why

Catherine Sabiston
Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education
Expertise: Body image, popular culture, physical activity, body image/self-esteem

Food chemistry

Ariel Fenster
Professor, Department of Chemistry
Expertise: The chemistry behind alcoholic hangovers and "turkey hangovers"; the effect of eating chocolate on mood; the safe way to "snack" over the holidays

McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) experts:

Winter weather safety and the ER

Dr. Joe Nemeth
Director of MGH Emergency Department, MUHC

Expertise: What symptoms warrant a visit to the ER and are there other options? How does the ER prioritize their patients and what are the expected waiting times? Tips on avoiding this unwanted experience, including: avoiding injury when enjoying winter sports, avoiding slips and falls on the ice, frostbite, shoveling snow safely, etc.
Contact via Rebecca Burns, Communications Coordinator, MUHC
(514) 934-1934 ext. 71443

Eating right over the holidays

Jonathan DiTomasso
Clinical Nutritionist, MUHC
Expertise: Healthy food choices during the holidays, holiday weight gain, food safety
Contact via Rebecca Burns

Holiday Depression/Suicide rates

Dr. Karine Igartua
Psychiatrist, and Director of Emergency Psychiatric Services, MUHC
Contact via Rebecca Burns

Keeping kids safe over the holidays

Debbie Friedman
Director, Montreal Children's Hospital (MCH) Trauma

Carlo Galli
Coordinator, MCH Trauma
Expertise: keeping kids safe over the holidays - including avoidable injuries such as ingestion of small objects, sport-related injuries, eye injuries, cranial traumas (bumps on the head), and frostbite.

Contact via Lisa Dutton, Communications Manager, MCH