Susan Graham

Dr. Susan Graham

PhD, RPsych
Pronouns: she/her

Positions

Director

Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Owerko Centre

Scientific Director

Azrieli Accelerator

Child Health & Wellness Researcher

Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Owerko Centre

Full Member

Hotchkiss Brain Institute

One Child Every Child Vulnerable to Thriving Co-lead

University of Calgary

Contact information

Phone number

Office: 403.441.8413

Location

Office: CDC377

For media enquiries, contact

Helen Dunlop, Senior Specialist, Marketing and Communications, helen.dunlop@ucalgary.ca, 403.441.8455

Preferred method of communication

Executive Assistant: Barbara Brownlee, 403.441.2814,  barbara.brownlee@ucalgary.ca

Background

Educational Background

Bachelor of Arts Honours Psychology, The University of Manitoba, 1988

Master of Arts Applied Psychology, Concordia University, 1990

PhD Clinical Psychology, Concordia University, 1996

Research

Areas of Research

Cognitive Development
Speech/Language Development
Summary

Dr. Susan Graham's research covers a range of topics in language and cognitive development during the infancy and preschool years. In Canada, 25% of kindergarten children have difficulty in at least one of five key developmental domains prior to entering Grade 1. These early-emerging developmental issues are often long-lasting and have cascading effects over development. Dr. Graham's research program examines child development with specific focus on delineating the interactive trajectories of early language, cognitive, and social-cognitive development. Her research program examines how young children form and use concepts to organize their worlds.Another core line of research examines how children become effective communicators, taking other speakers’ perspectives and emotions into account.

Participation in university strategic initiatives

Awards

  • Peak Scholar, University of Calgary, The University of Calgary. 2018
  • University of Calgary Nomination for Canadian Association of Graduate Studies Outstanding Graduate Mentorship Award, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies. 2018
  • GREAT Supervisor Award, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Calgary, The University of Calgary. 2017
  • Killam Research Excellence Award, The University of Calgary. 2017
  • Faculty of Arts Established Researcher Award, 2015
  • Faculty of Arts Outstanding Researcher Award (Established Scholar), The University of Calgary. 2015
  • Killam Annual Professor, The University of Calgary. 2016
  • Killam Award for Graduate Supervision and Mentoring, The University of Calgary. 2015
  • Nominee for Excellence in Graduate Supervision Award, 2015
  • Canada Research Chair, Tier 2, Canada Research Chairs. 2015