Kim Marie Cornish

MNI - Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery

Department of Pediatrics

Affiliation

Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, MNI

Teaching and Research Areas

Dr Cornish is a developmental neuroscientist with a research focus on neurodevelopmental disorders. Her current work aims to elucidate the early trajectories of inattentive behaviors in typically and atypically developing toddlers and children (e.g. ADHD, fragile X syndrome, autism). Using a longitudinal perspective, Dr Cornish examines the impact of inattention "signatures" on later academic and cognitive functioning. Her work is strongly interdisciplinary drawing on expertises from molecular genetics, child psychiatry and pediatrics, and educational psychology.In addition to being the Director of the McGill Child Laboratory for Research & Education in Developmental Disorders, Dr. Cornish also directs the new Building Links Virtual Resource Initiative that aims to bridge the gap between the wealth of new research discoveries about developmental disorders and the application of these findings to the wider community of educators, allied professionals and families.

Current Research Interests

The identification of cognitive and academic trajectories that distinguish children with differing developmental disabilities from each other and from typically developing children is a potentially powerful tool for establishing early intervention programs and services that target unique profiles of strengths and challenges. In recent years, an increasing number of developmental disabilities have been identified; some with a single known cause (e.g. Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome), and others with possible multiple causes (e.g. autism, ADHD). My main research focus is to trace the early cognitive 'signatures' across a range of developmental disabilities in order to provide more detailed information to clinicians, educators and families about the unique academic trajectories associated withs specific disabilities. This research is highly interdsicplinary drawing on the disciplines of developmental neuroscience, education, child psychiatry and neurobiology.

Current Research Grants

My research is well funded at both the federal and provincial levels. Current grants include:

- Canada Research Chair (Tier 1 funding)- to build an international infnat and child laboratory for research in developmental disabilities

- Canada Foundation for Innovation - to provide state of the art infrastructure and computer soft and hardware

- SSHRC - to examine the trajectory of numerical and sequential processing deficits in children with fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome

- CIHR - 1. to examine the trajectory early visual and attentions 'signatures' in children with fragile X syndrome and typically developing children; 2; to compare the perceptual signature of children with fragile X syndrome and children with aitism- FQRSC - todevelop a unique research informed and practical resource tool devoted to facilitating the education of students with differing developmental disabilities in regular classrooms in Quebec and Canada.

International Projects: I am also a senior collaborator on a funded NIH project based in China and on a Wellcome Trust project based at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Research Student Funded projects: My students currently receive funding from SSHRC (both students having received the prestigious Canada Graduate Scholarships; FQRSC doctoral awards; and CIHR doctoral awards. Projects range from elucidating the language and social cognition development in children with autism versus children with pragmatic language impairment; early inhibitory and attention trajectories in typical and atypical children (ADHD and fragile X syndrome); teachers and parents understanding and perceptions of educating children with developmental disabilities in regular classroom; autism and and early interventions; ADHD subtypes and cognitive signatures.

Supervision

I welcome inquiries from all students who are interested in typical and atypical child development. We are based at Duggan House in state of the art training and lab facilities so each students undergoes extensive training across a variety of developmental and cognitive measures. The lab has a strong mentorship policy and we have a large number of junior research volunteers (undergraduates) each year that help with current projects in the lab. I am a strong believer in students presenting their findings at international conferences and writing scientific papers, research chapters and reviews as related to their research. In my lab you become part of a dynamic research team with students across a range of disciplines: educational psychology. neurological science, psychology and counselling psychology. The ability to innovate, be motivated, and complete your research in a timely manner is critical.