NAZRA REMTULLA is an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Science studying Genetics and Political Science.
Registration Is Now Open!
Child Health Symposium
Date:
Time: –
Location: Kenny Theatre, Kings University College
Theme for the 2026 Symposium
Learning Together: Stories, Research, and Action
Keynote Address
Why Collaboration Matters for Inclusion: Lessons from School-Based Research
This keynote explores why collaboration is essential to supporting children’s and youths’ inclusion, participation, and well-being in everyday contexts. Grounded in school-based research representing the voices of clinicians, educators, families, and children and youth, the presentation examines how collaboration functions in everyday practice, why it matters, and the relational and contextual conditions that allow it to thrive. The session will connect research insights to practical strategies and resources to support clinicians in working collaboratively with educators, children, youth, and families, and will invite attendees to reflect on how lessons from school-based collaboration can be applied to collaborative practice beyond the school setting—opening up new possibilities for how we work together to support all children and youth.
Dr. Wenonah Campbell
Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University
Biography
DR. WENONAH CAMPBELL is the John and Margaret Lillie Chair in Childhood Disability Research and an Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. A Scientist at CanChild Centre for Childhood-Onset Disability Research, Dr. Campbell leads an interdisciplinary research team dedicated to optimizing health support services in schools to enhance inclusion, participation, and engagement in learning for all children. Her work prioritizes building partnerships across education and health sectors, employing varied research methods to create inclusive, effective service delivery models, with a strong commitment to knowledge mobilization to ensure impacts on practice and policy.
Spotlight Session
Storyhouse—Knowledge Meets Narrative
Creative Storytelling to Connect People with New Knowledge They Can Put Into Action
THE STORYHOUSE increases the reach and impact of research. We craft accessible, engaging narratives to communicate new information with people who can implement, inform, or act upon it – such as policymakers, collaborators, practitioners, professional associations, study participants, and educators. To connect research with relevant audiences, we provide an interdisciplinary professional development opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students. This unique narrative performance training program fuses together core concepts from knowledge mobilization, science communication, narrative theory, and performance studies. The stories we tell, in turn, support research programs and networks.
Nazra Remtulla, Tiyas Jasu, Kieran Waitschies, Frishta Akbar Kamal
TIYAS JASU is a fourth-year Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences student and Web Content Editor in the Irwin Lab, bridging science and art to translate complex health research into impactful storytelling.
KIERAN WAITSCHIES is a Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator in the Faculty of Health Sciences, specializing in research impact strategy and community-engaged research, supporting the meaningful translation of research findings into policy, practice, and real-world impact.
FRISHTA AKBAR KAMAL is a Knowledge Mobilization Specialist in the Faculty of Health Sciences, supporting research translation, grant development, and equity-informed knowledge sharing to bridge research and practice.
Featured Speaker
Before, After, and During a Therapy Session: A Family’s Point-of-View
Pediatric rehabilitation research and clinical practice are heavily based on evidence, protocols, and years of validation, yet the families of children with disabilities going through this journey may still feel a disconnect. Whether it is before, in between, or after sessions.
In this talk, I will share a parent’s perspective on the everyday realities of navigating disability, therapy, and care across home, school, and clinical settings. Drawing from personal experience, I will highlight common barriers families face, including time burden, motivation challenges, fragmented care, and emotional and physical labour. I then trace how these lived experiences shaped my research questions and led to the development of a game-based therapeutic approach designed to make movement engaging, accessible, and sustainable at home.
By the end of this talk, I hope to provide student clinicians, researchers, and practitioners with a fresh insight into how their practice affects real life and daily routines of families, and how partnering with families can lead to more meaningful, impactful, and human-centred innovation.
Tamer Shahin
TAMER SHAHIN is a parent, researcher, and technology entrepreneur based in Waterloo Region. He is the co-founder and CEO of Hiro, a digital health startup developing game-based experiences that make pediatric rehabilitation more engaging and accessible for children and families. Tamer brings over 17 years of experience in engineering, product development, and startup mentorship, and is currently a Master’s student in Computer Science at the University of Waterloo, conducting research in Human–Computer Interaction. His work is deeply informed by lived experience as a parent of a child with a physical disability, which drives his commitment to family-centred research, inclusive design, and translating research into real-world impact.
Break-out Oral Presentation Sessions
Over 20 presenters will give you a snapshot of some of the research and best practices work that is being done in child and youth health and well-being.
Sessions include
- Pathways to Wellness
- Fighting Misinformation: Evidence Based Health Information
- Tiered Service and Universal Design
- Fostering Meaningful Participation
- Family Voice and Engagement
- Advancing Child and Youth Rights
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