Dr. Azadeh Kushki's lab

Please come back for latest news from Dr. Azadeh Kushki's lab.

Research Focus:

Dr. Kushki's research focuses on development of novel pattern recognition and machine learning techniques for analysis of biological and behavioural data in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental conditions. The goal of this research is to improve our understanding of the neurobiological correlates ASD, and better characterize the variability in the spectrum.

Dr. Kushki also designs technologies that improve the quality of life and care for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), respect the uniqueness of children with ASD, and make evidence-based treatments accessible to a larger and more diverse population.

Characterizing Autism

• The Role of Emotion Regulation and Arousal in Anxiety and Autism (Typically Developing) (Not Recruiting)
• The Role of Emotion Regulation and Arousal in Anxiety and Autism (ASD) (Not Recruiting)

Meet the staff and students

Scientist

Dr. Azadeh Kushki's research focuses on development of novel pattern recognition and machine learning techniques for analysis of biological and behavioural data in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental conditions. The goal of this research is to improve our understanding of the neurobiological correlates ASD, and better characterize the variability in the spectrum.

Dr. Kushki also designs technologies that improve the quality of life and care for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), respect the uniqueness of children with ASD, and make evidence-based treatments accessible to a larger and more diverse population.

Links:

• Please click here to learn more about Dr. Azadeh Kushki's education background and more.
• Azadeh Kushki, Associate Professor, University of Toronto - Institute of Biomedical Engineering Faculty

Research Staff

• Tithi Paul, Research Coordinator
• Harshit Bokadia, Research Engineer
• Julia Carbone, Research Assistant
• Aleena Walji, Project Coordinator
• Souraiya Kassam, Research Assistant

Current Trainees

• Marlee Vandewouw, PhD Candidate
• Younes Sadat-Nejad, PhD Candidate
• Eric Wan, PhD Candidate
• Azadeh Aghamohammadi Sereshki, PhD Candidate
• Sara Alatrash, MASc Candidate

Below are some of our publications.

Find more of our published work with Dr. Kushki on Google Scholar.

* denotes trainees.

• Y. Sadat-Nejad*, M. M. Vandewouw*, R. E. Cardy*, J. Lerch, M. Taylor, A. Iaboni, C. Hammill, B. Syed, J. A. Brian, E. Kelley, M. Ayub, J. Crosbie, R. Schachar, S. Georgiades, R. Nicolson, E. Anagnostou, and A. Kushki. - 2023 - Investigating heterogeneity across ASD, ADHD, and Typically Development Using Measures of Cortical Thickness, Surface Area, Cortical/Subcortical Volume, and Structural Covariance. Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• M. Susko, V. L. Armstrong, J. A. Brian, S. E. Bryson, A. Kushki, L. R. Sacrey, L. Zwaigenbaum, I. M. Smith - 2023 - Behavioural Reactions to an Emotion-Evoking Task in Infants at Increased Likelihood for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Infant Behavior and Development
• M. M. Vandewouw*, J. Brian, J. Crosbie, R. J. Schachar, A. Iaboni, S. Georgiades, R. Nicolson, E. Kelley, M. Ayub, J. Jones, M. J. Taylor, J. P. Lerch, E. Anagnostou, and A. Kushki. - 2023 - Identifying replicable subgroups in ASD, ADHD and OCD: resting-state fMRI data from the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental and Healthy Brain Networks. JAMA Open Network
• R. Cardy*, C. Smith*, H. Suganthan*, Z. Jiang*, B. Wang*, M. Malihi*, E. Anagnostou, A. Kushki. - 2023 - Patterns and Impact of Technology Use in Autistic Children. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
• B. Trost, B. Thiruvahindrapuram, A.J.S. Chan, W. Engchuan, E. J. Higginbotham, J. L Howe, L. O. Loureiro, M. S. Reuter et. al - 2022 - Genomic architecture of Autism Spectrum Disorder from comprehensive whole-genome sequence annotation Cell
• L. R. Sacrey, S. Raza, V. Armstrong, J. A. Brian, A, Kushki, I. M. Smith, L. Zwaigenbaum - 2021 - Physiological Measurement of Emotion from Infancy to Preschool: A Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis Brain and Behaviour
• J. Nguyen*, R. E. Cardy*, E. Anagnostou, J. Brian & A. Kushki - 2021 - Examining the effect of a wearable, anxiety detection technology on improving the awareness of anxiety signs in autism spectrum disorder: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Molecular Autism
• A.Kushki, R. Cardy*, S. Panahandeh*, M. Malihi*, C. Hammill, J. Brian, A. Iaboni, M. Taylor, R. Schachar, J. Crosbie, P. Arnold, E. Kelley, M. Ayub, R. Nicolson, S. Georgiades, J. Lerch, E. Anagnostou.- 2021 - Cross-Diagnosis Structural Correlates of Social Communication Difficulties in ASD, ADHD, and OCD: Data- Driven Analysis of POND Network Data. Cerebral Cortex

Project: Enhancing the quality and depth of Ontario’s pediatric care through the use of smart textiles and integrated remote monitoring

Researchers: J Andrysek (PI), T. Chau (PI), A. Kushki, E. Biddiss

Agency: Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence Program ($1,601,575, 2023 - 2028)

Project: Sensory Phenotypes in Autism

Researchers: K. M. Lyons (PI), R. Stevenson (PI), B. Stojanoski (PI), A. Kushki, E. Anagnostou

Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research ($504,900, 2023 - 2028)

Project: Enhancing Accuracy and Fairness in Mobile Applications Using Wearable Physiological Sensors

Researchers: A. Kushki (PI)

Agency: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada ($295,000, 2023 - 2028)

Project: Creating an Evidence-Informed, Accessible, Clinically Useful and Personalized Virtual Mental Health Support Framework for School-Age Children on the Autism Spectrum: Building from Pandemic e-Support Experiences

Researchers: M. Lai (PI), A. Kushki, J. A. Weiss, O. Golan

Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research ($860,000, 2022 – 2026)

Project: Treatment on the Go

Researchers: A. Kushki (PI)

Agency: TD ($1,005,500, 2020 – 2025)

Project: Responsible AI for Predicting Medication Response in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Researchers: D. Baribeau (PI), A. Kushki, E. Anagnostou, G. King, M. McCradden, M. Penner, S. Sharif

Agency: New Frontiers in Research Fund ($25,000, 2023 – 2025)

Project: Mobilizing environments to improve psychological and physiological experiences of thriving in Autistic people

Researchers: J. Weiss (PI), A. Kushki, H. Brown, S. Desai, S. Flicker, K. Gray, M, Lai, P. Langdon, Y. Lunsky, G. Monette, P. Ritvo, K. Tilleczek, A. Tint, N. Khanlou, C. McMorris

Agency: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada ($484,172, 2023 – 2025)

Project: Implementation of holly^TM at Holland Bloorview’s Psychopharmacology Clinic

Researchers: A. Kushki (PI)

Agency: Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital - Innovation for System Partnerships, Implementation and Evaluation (INSPIRE) ($25,000, 2023 – 2024)

Project: Treatment of Anxiety in Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Researchers: E. Anagnostou (PI), A. Kushki, I. Smith; J. Veenstra-Vanderweele; K. Thorpe; L. Zwaigenbaum; M. Ayub; O. Kraus De Camargo; R. Nicolson; S. Shea, J. Brian; L. Propper

Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research ($761,176, 2019 – 2024)

Project: Smart Textiles for Telerehabilitation

Researchers: J. Andrysek (PI), A. Kushki, V. Wright

Agency: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada ($396,371, 2023 – 2024)

Project: Examining the correlates of adaptive functioning in neurodevelopmental conditions: data from the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Network

Researchers: A. Kushki (PI), D. Baribeau; M. Penner; B. Trost, M. Vandewouw

Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research ($75,000, 2023 – 2024)

Project: A Wearable Technology Approach to Managing Challenging Behaviors in Children with ASD

Researchers: A. Kushki (PI), S. Wong, J. Brian, M. Penner, S. Monga

Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research ($485,774, 2020 – 2023)

Project: Characterizing Physiological Correlates of Emotional Dysregulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Researchers: A. Kushki (PI)

Agency: Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science ($150,000, 2018 – 2023)

Project: Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders (POND) Network

Researchers: E. Anagnostou (PI), J. Lerch (PI), A. Kushki, E. Kelley; J. Crosbie; P. Arnold; P. Szatmari; R. Nicolson; R. Schachar; S. Georgiades, S. Scherer, X. Liu

Agency: Ontario Brain Institute ($13,000,000, 2018 – 2023)