FULBRIGHT CANADA-PALIX FOUNDATION DISTINGUISHED VISITING RESEARCH CHAIRS
In 2015, the Palix Foundation partnered with Fulbright Canada to create and sustain a binational research program. The product of this partnership—the Fulbright Canada-Palix Foundation Distinguished Visiting Research Chairs program—has been bringing distinguished U.S. scholars to Alberta since the fall of 2015. The program is designed to build capacity, open the lines of communication, and advance research in the areas of early childhood development, mental health, and addiction.
WELCOMING SCHOLARS
Through the program, exceptional American scholars and researchers spend a semester working in an area of targeted research at one of Alberta’s top-tier research universities: the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, or the University of Lethbridge. Fulbright candidates are researchers who work across disciplines and sectors; they are engaged in research based on current brain science about the effects of toxic stress on children and families, and lifelong health and wellness outcomes.
SHARING KNOWLEDGE
As visiting research chairs explore new directions in their work, they’re invited to share their findings through guest lectures, panel discussions, and presentations. Through the program, research chairs learn about communities in Alberta, find opportunities to engage in collaborative research projects, and develop professional connections that encourage new findings and knowledge exchange for years to come.
A PARTNERSHIP FOR POSITIVE OUTCOMES
Fulbright Canada is a not-for-profit organization that facilitates education exchange between Canada and the United States. Its aims—to grow intellectual capacity and to assist in the shaping of future leaders—complement the Palix Foundation’s goal of catalyzing, supporting, and disseminating scientific knowledge about the Brain Story. The goal of the partnership is to make a direct impact on health and wellness outcomes in Alberta and beyond.
DISTINGUISHED VISITING RESEARCH CHAIRS, PAST AND PRESENT
DR. LLOYD “CHIP” A. TAYLOR, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, CITADEL, THE MILITARY COLLEGE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
University of Calgary, 2016–2017
Dr. Taylor’s research, entitled “Knowledge and Resilience as Protective Factors for Bullying and Ostracism among Children and Adolescents with ADHD,” explores the relationship between chronic illness in pediatric populations and incidences of ostracism and bullying. He is particularly interested in the risk and resilience factors that might ameliorate bullying and ostracism among children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
DR. JOHN P. ZIKER, PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY, BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
University of Lethbridge, 2016–2017
Dr. Ziker’s research project, “Childhood Trauma and Addiction and Mental Health Outcomes in the NLSCY: Direct Epigenetic Effects or Behavioral Responses to Compromised Phenotypes,” explores pathways to mental health disparities with the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). His analysis considers how maternal conditions, traumatic social events, and childhood social relationships affect brain development—in particular, addictions and depression. The goal is to discover whether or not such behavioural responses are adaptive or if they are best seen as pathological or constrained outcomes.
DIANA DOW-EDWARDS, PHD, PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY/PHARMACOLOGY, ANATOMY/CELL BIOLOGY AND NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, SUNY DOWNSTATE MEDICAL CENTER
University of Lethbridge, Fall 2015–2016
Dr. Dow-Edwards worked with scientists at the University of Lethbridge on the effects of early stress and pre-pubertal cannabinoid administration on cellular morphology of the pre-frontal cortex of the rat. She examined whether or not these alterations could be normalized by enrichment or other potential therapeutic interventions.
W. WARREN H. BINFORD, JD, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF LAW AND DIRECTOR OF THE CLINICAL LAW PROGRAM, WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW
University of Calgary, Fall 2015–2016
Professor Binford conducted research entitled “The Impact of Digitization on Child Trauma,” in which she studied the effects of child pornography on the victim. She focused on cases where a child's sex abuse images are distributed on the Internet and continue to be consumed indefinitely, creating an experience of "continuing victimization" that significantly affects victim recovery. Binford’s research was designed to support the advancement of brain research that can be used to support the development of laws, policies, and programs that will end—or at least impede—the continuing victimization of children in the digital age, while analyzing Canada's current legal framework.
NICOLETTE TEUFEL-SHONE, PHD, PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, FAMILY AND CHILD HEALTH SECTION OF THE HEALTH PROMOTION SCIENCES DIVISION; AFFILIATED FACULTY MEMBER OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
University of Alberta, 2015–2016
Dr. Teufel-Shone conducted a research project entitled “Fostering Strategies to Build Indigenous Youth Resilience,” the objective of which was to recognize and leverage community assets to develop action plans to foster indigenous youth resilience and health.