Saifa Koonar
Courtesy Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation
July 12, 2024
Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation commits $9.9M to support next chapter of Owerko Centre
Positioned within Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute at UCalgary, Owerko Centre has been advancing research in neurodevelopment and child mental health since 2015
The Owerko Centre, located at the Child Development Centre on UCalgary’s campus.
Ewan Nicholson, University of Calgary
The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation (ACHF) has committed $9.9 million to see the Owerko Centre — a multi-faculty research collaboration in neurodevelopment and child mental health — through its next phase of growth and development.
A generous $10-million gift from Stan and Marge Owerko to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation led to the creation of the Owerko Centre in 2015. Wanting to help children and families affected by neurodevelopmental conditions, the Owerko family envisioned a place that would link researchers from across the University of Calgary campus to facilitate unique collaborations focused on neurodevelopmental research.
ACHF is building on that legacy with a renewed commitment to support the Owerko Centre over the next five years.
“Thanks to continued donor support, the Owerko Centre has become a national leader in research that unlocks innovative thinking in neurodevelopment, neurodevelopmental disorders and youth mental health,” says Saifa Koonar, president and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“Thanks to that generosity, children and young people in our community are the first to benefit from new understanding and new therapies to help them live their best lives.”
What began with eight researchers in 2015 has grown to more than 50 experts across the university along with 200 graduate and undergraduate research trainees, and over 100 postdoctoral fellows and research associates. Owerko members represent almost every UCalgary faculty, including the Cumming School of Medicine, Werklund School of Education, Schulich School of Engineering and the faculties of Arts, Kinesiology, Law, Nursing, Public Policy, Science, and Social Work.
“UCalgary has a wealth of expertise in neurodevelopment and child health across campus,” says Owerko Centre director, Dr. Susan Graham, PhD. “The Owerko Centre brings that thought leadership together and creates a platform to share ideas and move important research along.”
As many as 17 per cent of Canadian children are affected by neurodevelopmental conditions, like attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Conditions like these often affect behaviour, cognition and motor skills and can co-occur with social, emotional, and mental health challenges.
Neurodevelopmental conditions persist across the lifespan, and research continues to help diagnose and support people living with these conditions and disorders. The Owerko Centre leverages UCalgary’s expertise in child health, brain science and mental health to explore the underlying mechanisms of neurodevelopment and improve care, reduce stigma, raise awareness, influence policy development, and support families.
The Owerko Centre has been at the epicentre of some of UCalgary’s biggest milestones in health research including the launch of the Child Health and Wellness Strategy, the Azrieli Accelerator, the One Child Every Child initiative and the Summit: Marian and Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience.
Susan Graham
Mark Agius
Amongst these significant milestones, the centre has propelled cutting-edge research, engaged its community in unique ways and empowered the next generation of researchers and leaders through funding and educational opportunities. The next wave of the Owerko Centre will see these opportunities grow along with new initiatives including a collaborative platform to elevate cohort research, new funding to enhance ADHD research, and community-focused research events.
This renewed commitment from the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation ensures the Owerko Centre will continue to advance research, provide innovative therapies, and help children, young adults, families and communities thrive. Graham adds, “I’m proud to see how much we’ve accomplished and look forward the next five years.”
Read more about the Owerko Centre’s five-year strategic plan.
Susan Graham is a professor in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts. She is director of the Owerko Centre for Neurodevelopment and Child Mental Health and a member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine. She is scientific director of the Azrieli Accelerator and a co-leader of the Vulnerable to Thriving research theme of One Child Every Child.
One Child Every Child
A Canada-first research and translation initiative funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, with a vision for all Canadian children to be the healthiest, most empowered and thriving in the world. Led by the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute at the University of Calgary, One Child Every Child brings together Indigenous partners, Canada’s child health research institutes, equity-deserving communities, local and national partners as well as global collaborators to dramatically improve the lives of children across Canada and beyond.
Child Health and Wellness
The University of Calgary is driving science and innovation to transform the health and well-being of children and families. Led by the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, top scientists across the campus are partnering with Alberta Health Services, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, and our community to create a better future for children through research.
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