Donald Mabbott

Psychologist
Paediatric Brain Tumour Program
Division of Haematology/Oncology

Dr. Donald Mabbott received his PhD in developmental psychology at the University of Alberta in 1998 and then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in paediatric neuropsychology at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). He initially worked as a clinical psychologist with the Northern Alberta Children’s Cancer Program at the Cross Cancer Institute/Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, before returning to SickKids in 2001, where he has held multiple roles.

Research

Situated at the intersection between clinical neuroscience, developmental neuropsychology and regenerative medicine, Dr. Mabbott seeks to understand how perturbed brain development manifests as cognitive impairment in children – particularly in survivors of paediatric brain tumour, and to discover how neuroplasticity in the developing brain can be harnessed for neural recovery and cognitive restoration in children with acquired brain injury.

Education

• 2004: Diplomate in Clinical Neuropsychology, American Board of Professional Psychology
• 2002: Registered Psychologist, College of Psychologists of Ontario, Toronto, ON
• 1998: PhD, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Subject: Psychology
• 1997: Chartered Psychologist, College of Alberta Psychologists, Edmonton, Alberta
  Non Practicing Psychologist
• 1993: MA, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Subject: Psychology
• 1988: BA, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg
  Subject: Religious Studies

Experience

• January 2018–Present: Program Head, Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• January 2015–Present: Senior Scientist, Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• March 2014–Dec 2017: Associate Chief of Academic & Professional Practice, Department of Professional Practice, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• Feb 2011–Dec 2014: Senior Associate Scientist, Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• Aug 2006–Feb 2014: Academic Program Director, Department of Psychology, The  Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• Feb 2004–Jan 2011: Associate Scientist, Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• May 2002–Feb 2004: Project Director, Brain and Behavior Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• Sep 2001–Present: Psychologist, Paediatric Brain Tumour Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON

Achievements

• 2019: Paul Grundy (2018) Visiting Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta
• 2015: Ninth Riley Church Guest Professor in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, Stanford University, Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital
• 2014: Award for Excellence in Pediatric Quality of Life Research, The Society for Neuro-Oncology

1. Decker, AL, Duncan, K, Finn, A, Mabbott, DJ. Children’s family income is associated with cognitive function and volume of anterior not posterior hippocampus. Nature Communications, Accepted
2. Ayoub, R, Ruddy, R, Cox, E, Oyefiade, A, Derkach, D, Laughlin, S, Ades-aron, B, Shirzadi, Z, Fieremans, E, MacIntosh, B, de Medeiros, CB, Skocic, J, Bouffet, E, Miller, F, Morshead, C, Mabbott, DJ. Assessment of cognitive and neural recovery in survivors of paediatric brain tumours in a pilot clinical trial using Metformin. Nature Medicine, In press.
3. Kahalley LS, Peterson R, Ris,MD, Janzen L, Okcu MF, Grosshans DR, Ramaswamy V, Paulin, AC, Hodgson D, Mahajan A, Tsang DS, Laperriere N, Whitehead WE, Dauser RC, Taylor MD, Chintagumpala M, Bouffet E, Mabbott DJ. Superior Intellectual Outcomes after Proton Radiotherapy Compared With Photon Radiotherapy for Pediatric Medulloblastoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2019 Nov 27:JCO1901706. doi: 10.1200/JCO.19.01706.
4. Oyefiade A, Ameis S, Lerch, JP, Rockel, C, Szulc KU, Scantlebury N, Decker, A, Jefferson, J, Spichak, S, and Mabbott DJ. Development of short-range white matter tracts in healthy children and adolescents. Human Brain Mapping. 2018 Jan; 39(1): 204-217.
5. Bells, S, Lefebvre, J, Prescott, S Bouffet E, Skocic, J, Laughlin, S, Dockstader, C, Mabbott DJ. Changes in white matter microstructure impact cognition by disrupting the ability of neural assemblies to synchronize. Journal of Neuroscience. 2017 Aug 23;37(34): 8227-8238.

See a full list of Don Mabbott's publications