FASD Conference 2024 Committees

The 2024 Vancouver Conference committees are dedicated groups of FASD-informed individuals. Learn more about these wonderful people below.

Program Planning Committee

Heather Carmichael Olson, Ph.D., Clinical Professor, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA

Michael Charness, MD, Chief of Staff, VA Boston Healthcare System; Faculty Associate Dean, Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School; Associate Dean, Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, West Roxbury, MA, USA

Peter W. Choate, PhD, RCSW, Clinical Social Worker, Professor, Social Work, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB, Canada

Dan Dubovsky, MSW, FASD Specialist, Independent Contractor, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Bill Dunty, PhD, FASD Research Coordinator and Program Director, Division of Metabolism and Health Effects, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

Brenda Knight, Registered Psychologist, Private Practice, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Christine Loock, MD, FRCPC, FAAP, Developmental and Social Pediatrician, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, BC Children’s Hospital & Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Jan Lutke, Conference Chair, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Rajesh C. Miranda, PhD, Professor, Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA

Christie Petrenko, PhD, Research Associate Professor, Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

Edward Riley, PhD, Distinguished Research Professor, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

Jo Votolato, Conference Director, FASD United, Washington, DC, USA

Joanne Weinberg, PhD, Professor and Distinguished University Scholar, Emerita, Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Local Planning Committee

Allison D. Brooks, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, University of Washington Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network; Clinic Director, Brooks Powers Group, Seattle, WA

Paul Connor, Ph.D., Clinical Neuropsychologist/Licensed Psychologist Private Practice, Des Moines, WA, USA; Courtesy Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Washington, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit, Seattle, WA, USA

Carolyn Hartness, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders/Reentry Consultant/Trainer, Seattle, WA, USA

Susan (Astley) Hemingway, PhD, Professor of Epidemiology and Pediatrics, Schools of Public Health and Medicine, University of Washington, Director WA State Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic & Prevention Network, Seattle WA, USA

Tracy Jirikowic, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Professor | Department of Rehabilitation Medicine; Program Director, Division of Occupational Therapy; Co-Director, Program in Rehabilitation Science, UW Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

Kay Kelly, Project Director, FASD Legal Issues Resource Center; Research Coordinator, Multisite Study of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Effects of Inflammation and Endocrine Dysfunction in Adulthood Brain Maturation in Adults with FASD, Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI)/Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit (FADU), University of Washington/ School of Medicine/Psychiatry, Seattle, WA

Michelle Kuhn, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington Medical School; Attending Psychologist, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA

Annette Kunzman, MBA, President, FASD Network of Southern California, member of FASDNow! Alliance Member, Manhattan Beach, CA

Jan Lutke, Conference Chair, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Natalie Novick Brown, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

Erin Olson, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine; Psychologist,Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic & Prevention Network, Institute on Human Development and Disability University of Washington; Attending Psychologist, Autism Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA

Joanne Sparrow, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Private Practice (Redmond, WA) and Special Projects Coordinator – Families Moving Forward Program (Seattle Childrens Research Institute), WA, USA

Karen A Steele, Attorney, Salem, OR, USA

Susan Stoner, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, Ann Streissguth Ph.D. Professor of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA

Jo Votolato, Conference Director, FASD United, Washington, DC, USA

Jennifer Wisdahl, Chief Operating Officer, FASD United, Washington, DC, USA

International Advisory Committee

Sabrina Agnihotri, Trainee Representative; MD/Ph.D.,PGY-5, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Dorothy Badry, Ph.D., RSW, Professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

Tatiana Balachova, Ph.D., Health Scientist Administrator/Program Director, Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research (DEPR); Scientific Coordinator and Executive Secretary, Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (ICCFASD), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

Claire Coles, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Director, Maternal Substance Abuse and Child Development Program (MSACD), Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

Paul Connor, Ph.D., Neuropsychologist, Licensed Psychologist, Private Practice and Courtesy Clinical Assistant Professor, Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit, University of Washington, Normandy Park, WA, USA

Lori Vitale Cox, Ph.D., Director Elsipogtog Eastern Door Centre; Adjunct Professor UBC Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Rexton, NB, Canada

Julian Davies, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network, Seattle, WA, USA

Elizabeth Elliott, Professor Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Sydney; and Consultant Paediatrician, The Sydney Children’s, Hospitals Network, Westmead, Australia

Carmen Enache, MD, PhD, Senior Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergency Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania

Erikson, Furtado, MD, Ph.D., University of Sao Paulo, School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, Alcohol & Drugs Program – PAI-PAD

Mary Kate Harvie, Judge, Provincial Court of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB, Canada

Susan (Astley) Hemingway, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology and Pediatrics, Schools of Public Health and Medicine, University of Washington, Director WA State Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic & Prevention Network, Seattle WA, USA

Heike Hoff-Emden, Leader, FASD Centre, Central Germany/Leipzig Leipzig, Germany

Parker Holman, Senior Lab Demonstrator, Anatomy, Department of Kinesiology; Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada

Hon. Michael I. Jeffery, Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska. Superior Court Judge (Ret.) Alaska Court System; Board member, Alaska Center for FASD, Barrow, AK

Denis Lamblin, MD, Developmental Pediatrician, President SAF FRANCE; President and Delegate Director, Local & Regional Networks, International SAFTHON (FASTHON), Reunion Island, France

Philip May, Ph.D., Research Professor, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill-Nutrition Research Institute Kannapolis, NC, USA

Valerie McGinn, Ph.D., Clinical Neuropsychologist, Department of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Kathleen Mitchell, Senior Vice President of FASD Prevention and Recovery Services, FASD United Washington, DC, USA

Raja Mukherjee, MBE,MBBS, FRCPsych, PGDIP EPP, PhD, Consultant Psychiatrist, Clinical Lead Adult Neurodevelopmental Services, FASD Specialist Clinic and Adult Autism Diagnostic Services, SABP NHS Foundation Trust, Surrey, UK

Leana Olivier, Chief Executive Officer, Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR), Cape Town, South Africa

Moira Plant, Professor Emeritus Alcohol & Health Research Unit, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK; Adjunct Professor, Curtin University, Edinburgh, UK

Svetlana (Lana) Popova, Senior Scientist, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Associate Professor, Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Associate Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto; Graduate Faculty Associate Member, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Jon Skranes, Professor, Child Neurology and Rehabilitation, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim; Head of Child Habilitation Unit and Senior Consultant, Regional Competence Center for Children with Prenatal Alcohol/Drug Exposure, Dept. of Pediatrics, Sørlandet Hospital Lillesand, Norway

Paula Stanghetta, Facilitator, Coach, Trainer, Paula Stanghetta & Associates Inc., Kitchener, ON

FASD Leadership Committee: International Adult Leadership Collaborative (ALC), FASD Changemakers

Myles Himmelreich, ALC FASD Changemakers, Nanaimo, BC

CJ Lutke, ALC FASD Changemakers, Vancouver, BC

Katrina Griffin, ALC FASD Changemakers, Vancouver, BC

Emily Hargrove, ALC FASD Changemakers, Paducah, KY

Justin Mitchell, ALC FASD Changemakers, Vancouver, BC

Anique Lutke, ALC FASD Changemakers, Vancouver, BC

Maggie May, ALC FASD Changemakers, Ireland

Jacob Dedman, ALC FASD Changemakers, Australia

Jessica Birch, ALC FASD Changemakers, Australia

Nury van Beers, ALC FASD Changemakers, Netherlands

Kim Dokter, ALC FASD Changemakers, Netherlands

Byron Jones, ALC FASD Changemakers, New Zealand

Gina Schumaker, ALC FASD Changemakers, AK

Shannon Butt, ALC FASD Changemakers, Ottawa, ON

Justin Shepherd, ALC FASD Changemakers, CO

Tonje Hognerud, ALC FASD Changemakers, Norway

More information on the Adult Leadership Collaborative here