U of T Engineering alumna Azadeh Kushki (ElecE 0T2, MASc 0T3, PhD 0T8) is making significant strides at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to improve the quality of care for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

In a recent Toronto Star article, Kushki credits her background in electrical engineering as the foundation for her work. As a graduate student at U of T Engineering, her work focused on wireless communications and signal processing.

But it wasn’t until she began to volunteer at Holland Bloorview that she realized how her engineering experience could improve the lives of those struggling with autism.

Inspired by the children she met through her volunteer role and concerned about issues they faced, she contacted Holland Bloorview’s vice-president of research, Professor Tom Chau (IBBME) to find out about how she could apply her engineering and technical knowledge to help increase access to therapy. He encouraged her to apply for funding, which led to a postdoctoral fellowship at the Pediatric Rehabilitation Intelligent Systems Multidisciplinary (PRISM) lab.

Now a scientist at Holland Bloorview’s Autism Research Centre, Kushki and her team are developing prototypes that can enhance treatment for children with ASD, including applications that deliver interactive service to patients through an iPad or wearable technology. While these developments are results from her vision to make evidence-based treatments accessible to more patients, Kushki hopes they will eventually encourage and support children with autism to overcome barriers and fulfill their dreams.

Read the full Toronto Star article about Kushki and learn more about her work on the Holland Bloorview website.