World-renowned autism expert joins Capital Health and the University

It's too bad he wasn't moving to Calgary...

World-renowned autism expert joins Capital Health and the University
of Alberta Source

May 12, 2006

Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum will join the Stollery Children's Hospital

Edmonton, Canada – Capital Health has recruited one of the world's
leading experts in autism. Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum will join the
Stollery Children's Hospital and the University of Alberta in August.
He is currently at McMaster Children's Hospital and McMaster
University in Hamilton. Dr. Zwaigenbaum will see patients and families
at his new centre to be located at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.

"Capital Health is committed to exploring and applying new treatment
methods for autism, the most common neurological disorder among
Canadian children," says Dr. Terry Klassen, Chair of the University of
Alberta's Department of Pediatrics and Regional Clinical Program
Director of Capital Health's Child Health Program. "Dr. Zwaigenbaum's
cutting-edge research will continue to improve the lives of thousands
of children and families and add to the Stollery's role as a leader in
complex care and a resource for all Canadians."

Dr. Zwaigenbaum is known internationally as the author of a 2005
breakthrough study that made him the first to pinpoint specific
behavioural signs in infants as young as 12 months that can predict,
with remarkable accuracy, whether a child will develop autism.

His work with Capital Health's Stollery Children's Hospital as
Director of the Center for Excellence in Autism Research and as
Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta will
include studying the unique differences in early brain development in
these infants who are subsequently diagnosed with autism. His research
program will help to understand the origins of autism.

"Our clinical team is currently treating almost 800 autism patients
from across Western Canada," says Deb Gordon, Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer for the University of Alberta Hospital and Stollery
Children's Hospital. "The addition of Dr. Zwaigenbaum allows Capital
Health to enhance its strong clinical team at the Autism Spectrum
Disorder Follow-up Clinic at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital."

Autism Spectrum Disorder is estimated to affect approximately 190,000
Canadians.

About Capital Health

Capital Health in Edmonton is Canada's largest health region and is
affiliated with the University of Alberta, providing integrated health
services to one million residents in Edmonton and the surrounding
area. Capital Health acts as a referral centre to central and northern
Alberta, the North and the Prairies, providing specialized services
such as trauma and burn treatment, organ transplants and high-risk
obstetrics.

About The University of Alberta
The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of Canada's premier
teaching and research universities serving more than 36,500 students
with some 9,000 faculty and staff. It is internationally recognized
for its diabetes treatment breakthrough, advanced nanotechnology
research, innovative technology transfer, environmental studies and
English literature.