CHHD | Child Health and Human Development Program
Leadership and Management
| The Child Health and Human Development Program has a management committee composed of the program leadership, representatives from the Centre for Translational Biology (CTB) and Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE), external members and trainees. This committee meets four times a year to discuss program-related concerns, problems, and strategy. Committee members include: | ||
 Daniel Dufort, PhD Program Leader |  Dr. Meranda Nakhla Associate Program Leader |  Fanny Toussaint, PhD Program Manager |
 Dr. Indra Gupta CTB Representative |  Dr. Evelyn Constantin CORE Representative |  Ciriaco Piccirillo, PhD External Member |
 TBA Postdoctoral Representative |  Heather Duncan Graduate Student Representative | TBA External Member |
| Program Leaders and Manager | ||
Daniel Dufort, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Medicine at McGill University. His research interests focus on elucidating the embryo-uterine communication that is required for successful implantation of the embryo. His laboratory uses molecular, embryological and genetic approaches to identify the signaling pathways and their roles in the implantation process. Currently funded by research operating grants from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Foundation of Stars, his work has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and featured in the mainstream press. He supervises numerous graduate students and has delivered invited lectures around the world. Meranda Nakhla, MD, M.Sc., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. Her research program focuses on the organization and delivery of healthcare services to children and youth with type 1 diabetes. She also conducts studies to better understand the transition process from pediatric to adult diabetes care. These studies aim to identify the healthcare needs of children and youth with type 1 diabetes and ultimately help to inform care providers and policy-makers how best to deliver diabetes services for young adults, including transition care. Her work has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and her research is currently supported by operating grants from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Fonds de recherche du Québec─Santé and Canadian Diabetes Association. Fanny Toussaint, PhD, obtained her doctorate in physiology from the Université de Montréal. She accumulated seven years of biomedical research experience at the Montreal Heart Institute Research Centre and developed a strong expertise in microscopy and imaging. Her studies focused on endothelium physiology and its calcium dynamics as well as arterial pressure regulation mechanisms. Following her graduate studies, Fanny Toussaint provided overall operational leadership in a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop a taste for science during elementary and secondary studies. Thus, in addition to her scientific background, she acquired various expertise in project management, human and financial resources management and events coordination. | ||