Mary Lou Smith

Area of Research

My research examines the behavioural and neuropsychological consequences of a variety of disorders of the central nervous system in children. My colleagues and I are longitudinally following children with epilepsy treated with surgical excision or medication, children with high funcitoning autism, and children born preternm.  Many of these studies involve examining the cognitive, academic, social, emotional, and behavioural effects of these disorders and the evaluation of their structural and functional neuroimaging correlates. We are also interested in the long-term effects of surgery on children and its outcomes in young adulthood. In another line of research focused on determining the nature, frequency, and correlates of psychological impairment arising from infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), we are monitoring the developmental, behavioural and cognitive status of children born with HIV or exposed to HIV in utero.

Profile

Dr. Smith did her graduate training at McGill University and the Montreal Neurological Institute. She is a Senior Associate Scientist in the Neurosciences and Mental Health Program in the Research Institute of the Hospital for Sick Children. She conducts research in the epilepsy surgery program, the HIV program and Diagnostic Imaging and Neurology at the Hospital for Sick Children.  She has held a number of administrative positions, including Chair of the Psychology Department at UTM, Acting Graduate Chair in the Psychology Department, Chair of the Social Sciences and Humanities Ethics Board, and Secretary of the Neuropsychology subcommission of the Diagnostic Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy.

Publications

Click here to read Dr. Smith’s publications

Other

Education: 

B.Sc. (Psychology, St. Francis Xavier University)

M.Sc. (Psychology, McGill University)

Ph.D. (Psychology, McGill University)