PRISMA
PRECISION MEDICINE IN AUTISM
Our Mission: Precision Medicine in Autism
.PRISMA is a multidisciplinary initiative at the University of Alberta integrating research, education, clinical care, and community engagement to advance precision medicine in autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Our mission is to understand the unique and diverse worlds of individuals on the autism spectrum and with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Through this work, we aim to improve health outcomes and support more personalized approaches to care.
Provides strategic leadership for PRISMA’s research, clinical, educational, and community initiatives in autism genetics and precision medicine.
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Director & Principal Investigator
Adult-Child Psychiatry
OUR
TEAM
Meet the PRISMA team advancing precision medicine for autism and neurodevelopmental conditions through education, research, community engagement, and clinical care at the University of Alberta.
Supports PRISMA’s research and community initiatives as a genetic counselor, with a focus on healthcare delivery and quality improvement.
Molly Goldman, MS, CGC
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Genetic Counselor
Julia Heaton
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Genetic Counselor
Provides clinical care through the Psychiatric Genetic Counseling Consult service led by Dr. Moreno De Luca and supports PRISMA quality improvement initiatives.
Supports research operations, participant recruitment, and study logistics to ensure effective project implementation
Carrie Best, MPH
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Project Coordinator
Supports research operations, participant recruitment, and study logistics to help ensure successful project implementation.
Dener Cardoso Melo, PhD
Oversees PRISMA’s implementation studies in autism and genetic testing under the direction of Dr. Moreno De Luca, with a focus on recruitment, data analysis, and sharing research findings.
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Postdoctoral Fellow
Keely Vachon
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Research Assistant
Supports the 17q12 research project through participant recruitment, study coordination, and community engagement initiatives.
Silvana M Guerrero
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Research Assistant
Leads media strategy and develops educational and communications materials to support PRISMA’s research, community engagement, and clinical initiatives.
Kathya Díaz García
Supports research recruitment, study assessments, and community engagement with Spanish-speaking communities.
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Master Student
VIRTUAL PRISMA TEAM
Bo & Dina run the PRISMA Library of Life. Bo loves fixing things and collecting old clocks, while Dina enjoys learning about dinosaurs and discovering new things through books.
These two new members help us explore genetics and genetic testing in the context of autism spectrum disorders in a fun and engaging way.
Their participation is part of an important implementation strategy that uses media to help bridge science and community, making information about genomics more accessible to children, adults, and families through engaging materials available in multiple languages. We hope these resources help start conversations with clinicians and empower families to take an active role in their healthcare.
