Our staff and collaborators

Clinic leader

Anne Bassett

Dr. Anne S. Bassett, CM, MD, FRCPC
Director, The Dalglish Family 22q Clinic

Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto
Associate Staff, Division of Cardiology and Department of Psychiatry, University Health Network
Associate Member, Canadian College of Medical Geneticists
Director, Clinical Genetics Research Program, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health
Senior Scientist, Toronto General Research Institute

Dr. Anne Bassett is the Director of the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic and the Dalglish Chair in 22q Deletion Syndrome. She is a world renowned expert in the genetics of complex health conditions - especially 22q. Dr. Bassett is also the Director of the Clinical Genetics Research Program at CAMH and a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She is a leader in international studies of 22q, the Medical Director for the International 22q Foundation, and the Treasurer of the 22q11.2 Society. Dr. Bassett has been providing exemplary care to adults with 22q, their families and caregivers for over 25 years.

Dr. Bassett is the 2020 winner of the Lieber Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Schizophrenia Research. She was named to the Order of Canada in 2023. Please see our Awards and Honours page.

See also: Clinical genetics of schizophrenia and related neuropsychiatric disorders: Dr. Anne Bassett provides a commentary on her most significant contributions to schizophrenia genetics research.

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Medical Staff

Maria Corral



Dr. Maria R. Corral, MD, FRCPC
Consultant Psychiatrist
University Health Network

Dr. Maria Corral completed her medical studies at the University of British Columbia. She worked for 30 years as a psychiatrist, educator and administrator until her retirement as Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Director of Medical Education at St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care in June of 2014. She was also Vice-Chair of the Psychiatry Examination Board for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada from 2011-2014.

Dr. Corral has been a key member of the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic and its multidisciplinary team of clinicians since 2016. She provides care in English and Spanish. She will be retiring at the end of June 2024.

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Clinic Team Members

Lisa Palmer

Lisa Palmer, BEd, MSW, RSW
Registered Social Worker

Lisa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 2010 and a Bachelor of Education degree in 2012. She completed a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Toronto in 2015. In 2019, she was appointed as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Factor-Inwetash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto.

Working with the Clinic team, Lisa assists patients and their families in examining challenges and concerns and in helping to find the best available resources. She also has her own clinical research studies to help us learn more about 22q and improve the services we provide.

Samantha D'Arcy

Samantha D’Arcy, MHSc, RD
Registered Dietitian

As a Registered Dietitian at the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic, Samantha works collaboratively with patients and their families to create nutrition plans that fit their needs and lifestyle. In addition to one-to-one patient care, Samantha is involved with group facilitation and patient and caregiver education as requested. She has also led several 22q educational initiatives.



Radhika Sivanandan

Radhika Sivanandan, PhD
Patient Care Coordinator


Radhika is our front desk leader and is likely the first person you will encounter when you come to the clinic. She plans all appointments and follow ups, and she prepares all documents for staff and patients. Please feel free to contact her at the Clinic’s main number (416) 340-5145 if you have any questions or concerns regarding your appointments.

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Research Associates

Dr. Erik Boot, MD, PhD
Physician for people with intellectual disability

Former Dalglish Fellow
Check out our interview with Dr. Boot on pages 1-2 of our 2019 newsletter.

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Research and Other Staff

Tracy Heung, MClinPsych (Aus)
Clinical Research Analyst
Currently on leave

  • Junior Investigator Award recipient (2018)
  • Co-ordinates 22q-related research projects locally and internationally
  • Ensures that the data are complete and runs statistical analyses
  • Key contributor to work in the International Brain and Behaviour Consortium

Joanne Ha
Clinical Research Analyst

  • Invites families to take part in intiatives offered at our Clinic
  • Organizes the logistics of research projects and clinical care

Joanne Loo, PhD
Education and Communication Officer

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Graduate Students

Nikolai Reyes, MD
MSc Candidate

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Residents and Medical Students

Dr. Sarah (Voll) Malecki, MD
Resident in General Internal Medicine

Dr. Christina Blagojevic, MD
Resident in Internal Medicine

Sabrina Cancelliere, HBSc
Medical student

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Administrative Staff

Dr. Susan Abbey, MD, FRCPC
Psychiatrist-in-Chief

Marla Kaye, M.A., RP
Senior Clinical Manager

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The Toronto Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program

Our Clinic is affiliated with the The Toronto Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program (formerly The Toronto Congenital Cardiac Centre for Adults) at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.

ACHD

Dr. Rafael Alonso-Gonzalez, MD, MSc, FESC
Medical Director and Fellowship Director

Dr. Rachel Wald, MD, FRCPC
Research Director

Cardiologists:

  • Dr. Erwin Oechslin, MD, FRCPC
  • Dr. Candice Silversides, MD, FRCPC
  • Dr. Rafael Alonso-Gonzalez, MD, MSc, FESC
  • Dr. Lee Benson, MD, FRCPC, FACC, FSCAI
  • Dr. Jack Colman, MD, FRCPC, FACC
  • Dr. Eric Horlick, MDCM, FRCPC, FSCAI
  • Dr. Danielle Massarella, MD, MSc
  • Dr. Luc Mertens, MD, PhD
  • Dr. Krishnakumar Nair, MD, FRCPC
  • Dr. Mark Osten, MD, FRCPC
  • Dr. Lucy Roche, MD, MBChB, MRCPCH(UK)
  • Dr. Sarah Thorne, MBBS, MD, FRCP
  • Dr. Rachel Wald, MD, FRCPC

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Collaborating doctors and researchers

Along with the CGRP Team, there are many collaborating doctors and researchers who work with us locally and internationally on 22q and related research. They include:

Ontario

Dr. Danielle Andrade, MD, FRCPC
Neurologist
Toronto Western Hospital

Dr. Anthony Lang, MD, FRCPC
Neurologist
Toronto Western Hospital

Dr. Connie Marras, MD, PhD
Neurologist
Toronto Western Hospital

Dr. Erwin Oechslin, MD, FRCPC
Cardiologist
Toronto General Hospital

Dr. Candice Silversides, MD, FRCPC
Cardiologist
Toronto General Hospital

Satya Dash, MD, PhD, FRCP (Edin), FRCPC
Endocrinologist
Toronto General Hospital

Dr. Christine Cserti-Gazdewich, MD, FRCPC
Hematologist
Toronto General Hospital

Dr. Jacob Vorstman, MD, PhD
Child Psychiatrist
Hospital for Sick Children

Andrea Shugar, MS, CGC,
Cheryl Cytrynbaum, MS, CGC,
Simone Fischbach, MHSc, S-LP (C), Reg. CASLPO, and
Paula Klaiman, M.Cl.Sc., CAGS, Reg. CASLPO
22q Clinic & Cleft Palate Clinic
Hospital for Sick Children

Ryan Yuen, PhD,
Christian Marshall, PhD, FACMG, FCCMG, and
Stephen Scherer, PhD
Geneticists
Hospital for Sick Children

Dr. Greg Costain, MD, PhD
Medical Geneticist
Hospital for Sick Children

Atlantic Canada

Dr. Sarah Dyack, MD, FRCPC
Medical Geneticist
Halifax, NS

Kathleen Hodgkinson, PhD
Geneticist
St. John’s, NF

Asia

Dr. Brian Chung, MBBS, MSc, MD, DCH, MRCPCH, FHKAM, FRCPCH, FCCMG
Medical Geneticist
Hong Kong SAR, China

Europe

Ann Swillen, PhD
Child psychologist
Leuven, Belgium

Joris Vermeesch, PhD
Geneticist
Leuven, Belgium

Dr. Therese van Amelsvoort, MD, PhD
Psychiatrist
Maastricht, Netherlands

USA

Donna McDonald-McGinn, MS, LCGC
Genetic Counselor
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics
Director
22q Clinic
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
Philadelphia, PA

Dr. Linda Brzustowicz, MD
Geneticist
New Brunswick, NJ

Bernice Morrow, PhD
Geneticist
New York, NY

South America

Dr. Gabriela Repetto, MD
Medical Geneticist
Santiago, Chile

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