Our staff and collaborators
Clinic leader
Dr. Anne S. Bassett, MD, FRCPC
Director, The Dalglish Family 22q Clinic
Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto
Associate Staff, Division of Cardiology and Department of Psychiatry, University Health Network
Associate Member, Canadian College of Medical Geneticists
Director, Clinical Genetics Research Program,
Centre for Addiction & Mental Health
Senior Scientist, Toronto General Research Institute
Dr. Anne Bassett is the Director of the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic and the Dalglish Chair in 22q Deletion Syndrome. She is a world renowned expert in the genetics of complex conditions - especially 22q. Dr. Bassett is also the Director of the Clinical Genetics Research Program at CAMH and a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She is a leader in international studies of 22q, and is the Medical Director for the International 22q Foundation. Dr. Bassett has been providing exemplary care to adults with 22q, their families and caregivers for over 25 years.
Medical Staff
Dr. Maria R. Corral, MD, FRCPC
Consultant Psychiatrist
University Health Network
Dr. Maria Corral completed her medical studies at the University of British Columbia. She worked for 30 years as a psychiatrist, educator and administrator until her retirement as Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Director of Medical Education at St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care in June of 2014. She was also Vice-Chair of the Psychiatry Examination Board for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada from 2011-2014.
Now living in Toronto, Dr. Corral is a key member of the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic and its multidisciplinary team of clinicians.
Clinic Team Members
Lisa Palmer, BEd, MSW, RSW
Registered Social Worker
Lisa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 2010 and a Bachelor of Education degree in 2012. She completed a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Toronto in 2015. In 2019, she was appointed as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Factor-Inwetash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto.
Working with the Clinic team, Lisa assists patients and their families in examining challenges and concerns and in helping to find the best available resources. She also has her own clinical research studies to help us learn more about 22q and improve the services we provide.
Samantha D’Arcy, MHSc, RD
Registered Dietitian
As a Registered Dietitian at the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic, Samantha works collaboratively with patients and their families to create nutrition plans that fit their needs and lifestyle. In addition to one-to-one patient care, Samantha is involved with group facilitation and patient and caregiver education as requested. She has also led several 22q educational initiatives.
Samantha is temporarily on leave from mid-February 2020.
Radhika Sivanandan, PhD
Patient Flow Coordinator
Radhika is likely the first person you will encounter when you come to the clinic. She coordinates all appointments and ensures that all necessary documents are available. Please feel free to contact her at the Clinic's main number (416) 340-5145 if you have any questions or concerns regarding your appointments.
Research Associate / Former Dalglish Fellow
Dr. Erik Boot, MD, PhD
Physician for people with intellectual disability
Dr. Boot is a Dutch physician, specialized in intellectual disability medicine. In 2010 he completed his PhD thesis on adults with 22q11.2DS and neurotransmitter systems, and he has been the lead author or co-author of multiple publications related to 22q11.2DS.
Dr. Boot was the Dalglish Fellow at the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic from September 2014 to August 2016. Even though he has returned to the Netherlands, he continues to work closely with our Clinic.
Dr. Boot has received a grant from The Physicians' Services Inc. Foundation to conduct a study called "Moving beyond Parkinson’s disease in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: a study on movement disorders in adults". In December 2018, he received a Travel Grant from the Society for the Study of Behavioural Phenotypes. He will be using the grant to travel to Toronto to follow up his original movement disorder study with the same patient group.
Dr. Boot is also the recipient of multiple awards:
From the University Health Network – Centre for Mental Health:
- the 2015-2016 Fellow Research Award
- the 2015-2016 Fellowship Travel Award
- the 2014-2015 Fellow Research Award
From the the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto:
- the 2015-2016 Max Alexandroff Award
From the University of Toronto McLaughlin Centre:
- a McLaughlin Early Career Investigator Award for the 2015 World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics in Toronto, Canada from October 16-20, 2015.
See also: Our interview with Dr. Boot on pages 1-2 of our 2019 newsletter.
Graduate Student
Ania Fiksinski, MSc
PhD Candidate
Ania is a PhD graduate student from the Netherlands who obtained her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Utrecht in 2013. Since then she has been working as a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University Medical Center in Utrecht, specializing in psychological assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with 22q. She has also been actively involved in academic research regarding the cognitive and psychiatric features of 22q.
Ania is currently pursuing a PhD degree with Dr. Bassett in a collaboration between the University of Toronto and its international partner university, the University of Utrecht. She was one of the two recipients of the Junior Investigator Award in 2016. In 2019, Ania received the UMC Utrecht Internationalization Committee Grant for Strategic Network Development. This €4,500 award supports her PhD research in intellectual functioning in individuals with 22q and visits to Toronto.
Research and Other Staff
Gladys Wong
Coordinator/Research Analyst
Joanne Ha
Clinical Research Analyst
Tracy Heung
Clinical Research Analyst
She was one of the two recipients of the Junior Investigator Award in 2018.
Joanne Loo
Patient and Family Educational Tool Developer and Website Manager
Residents and Students
Dr. Greg Costain
Senior Resident in Medical Genetics
Dr. Lily Van
Resident in Psychiatry
Clinician Scientist Program
Dr. Sarah (Voll) Malecki
Resident in Internal Medicine
Dr. Spencer Van Mil
Medical Student
Christina Blagojevic Medical student
Brigid Conroy Medical student
Administrative Staff
Dr. Susan Abbey, MD, FRCPC
Psychiatrist-in-Chief
Sandra Grgas, RRT, BA, M.HSM
Clinical Director
Farha Kassam, RN, MGP(C)
Interim Manager
The Toronto Congenital Cardiac Centre for Adults at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
Our Clinic is affiliated with the Toronto Congenital Cardiac Centre for Adults at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.
Dr. Erwin Oechslin Medical Director
Dr. Candice Silversides Research Director
Cardiologists:
- Rafael Alonso-Gonzalez
- Lee Benson
- Jack Colman
- Andrew Crean
- Eric Horlick
- Luc Mertens
- Erwin Oechslin
- Mark Osten
- Lucy Roche
- Candice Silversides
- Lorna Swan
- Rachel Wald
Collaborating doctors and researchers
Along with the CGRP Team, there are many collaborating doctors and researchers who work with us locally and internationally on 22q and related research. They include:
Ontario
Dr. Candice Silversides Cardiologist Toronto General Hospital
Dr. Erwin Oechslin Cardiologist Toronto General Hospital
Dr. Hanna Faghfoury and Dr. Chantal Morel Medical Geneticists Toronto General Hospital
Dr. Jacob Vorstman Child Psychiatrist Hospital for Sick Children
Christian Marshall, PhD and Stephen Scherer, PhD Geneticists Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Susan George Endocrinologist Toronto General Hospital
Dr. Danielle Andrade Neurologist Toronto Western Hospital
Dr. Connie Marras Neurologist Toronto Western Hospital
Dr. Anthony Lang Neurologist Toronto Western Hospital
Atlantic Canada
Dr. Sarah Dyack Medical Geneticist Halifax, NS
Kathleen Hodgkinson, PhD Geneticist St. John’s, NF
Asia
Dr. Brian Chung Medical Geneticist Hong Kong SAR, China
Europe
Ann Swillen, PhD Child psychologist Leuven, Belgium
Dr. Therese van Amelsvoort Psychiatrist Maastricht, Netherlands
Peter Scambler, PhD Geneticist London, UK
USA
Donna McDonald-McGinn, MS, LCGC Genetic Counselor Clinical Professor of Pediatrics Director 22q Clinic Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Linda Brzustowicz Geneticist New Brunswick, NJ
Bernice Morrow, PhD Geneticist New York, NY
South America
Dr. Gabriela Repetto Medical Geneticist Santiago, Chile
Australia
Linda Campbell, PhD Psychologist Newcastle, Australia