Mayada Elsabbagh, PhD

Mayada Elsabbagh, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, where she has been a faculty member since 2011. She is also an Associate Member of the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, a role she has held since 2014. Dr. Elsabbagh’s research is centered on neurodevelopment, particularly autism, where she has contributed to the discovery of early brain markers that can precede behavioural signs of the condition.

As the Principal Investigator of the Resilience and Neurodevelopment Laboratory at The Neuro, Dr. Elsabbagh leads research aimed at uncovering the root causes of autism and understanding its developmental pathways. Her work bridges integrated clinical research with practical outcomes, aiming to accelerate the impact of scientific findings on community health and well-being.

Dr. Elsabbagh plays a key role in fostering collaboration across research and care networks. As Director of the Transforming Autism Care Consortium (TACC), she supports several joint initiatives, including Partners for Change, Quebec 1000 Families, and the Canadian Neurodevelopmental Research Training Platform. Through these and other efforts, she brings together researchers, clinicians, and autistic individuals to improve quality of life for autistic people and individuals with other neurodevelopmental conditions. From 2016 to 2022, she served as the Associate Director of Clinical Research at the Azrieli Centre for Autism Research (ACAR), where she helped shape its clinical research programs.

Dr. Elsabbagh is also committed to community engagement and global outreach, with a focus on supporting evidence-based practices and capacity building in underserved groups in Canada and in low- and middle-income countries. Her work has earned recognition through awards such as the Neville Butler Memorial Prize and the British Psychological Society Neil O’Conner Prize, underscoring the societal impact of her research.