The Faculty of Medicine is pleased to announce that Dr. Magdalena Janus, an internationally-renowned developmental scientist, has joined UBC as the Sunny Hill BC Leadership Chair in Child Development.
The appointment is made possible through a partnership between the UBC Faculty of Medicine, Sunny Hill Health Centre and the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), with support from the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Leading Edge Endowment Fund (LEEF), managed by Innovate BC on behalf of the Government of British Columbia.
Recognized for co-developing the Early Development Instrument (EDI) — a population-level measure of children’s developmental health used globally — Dr. Janus’ research focuses on the social and contextual determinants of early child development, including family, neighbourhood and health system influences, particularly for children with special needs.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Magdalena Janus to UBC as professor and Sunny Hill BC Leadership Chair in Child Development,” said Dr. Wyeth Wasserman, vice dean, research, UBC Faculty of Medicine. “Dr. Janus brings a remarkable record of advancing our understanding of early child development. Her leadership will strengthen our collective ability to foster healthier futures for all children — here in British Columbia and around the world.”
Dr. Janus is also appointed professor in the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics. She joins UBC from McMaster University, where she was a professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences in the Offord Centre for Child Studies and held the Ontario Chair in Early Child Development.
Strengthening B.C.’s leadership in child development
Dr. Janus collaborates widely with international organizations such as UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the World Bank to advance global measurement tools for early childhood development. She is known for bridging research, policy and practice to promote equitable, evidence-informed approaches to child health and well-being.
“I hope to contribute to an even stronger program of research and community engagement that will ultimately lead to tangible improvements in supporting development of children across the spectrum of abilities.”
Dr. Magdalena Janus
“I am thrilled to have this opportunity to expand my connections with existing and emerging researchers at UBC, HELP, Sunny Hill and BC Children’s Hospital,” said Dr. Janus. “Among the things I am really excited about is the mandate to expand research for children with disabilities. As the Sunny Hill BC Leadership Chair in Child Development, I hope to contribute to building an even stronger program of research and community engagement — in B.C., nationally and internationally — that will ultimately lead to tangible improvements in supporting development of children across the spectrum of abilities.”
The BC Leadership Chair program was established in 2002 to attract world-class researchers and strengthen the province’s position as a centre of excellence in research and innovation.
As the Sunny Hill BC Leadership Chair in Child Development, Dr. Janus will further strengthen and advance the positions of UBC, BC Children and Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, and Sunny Hill as global leaders in child development. Her research program will investigate how neighbourhood, family and community contexts influence children’s health and development through an equity-focused, interdisciplinary approach.
“As a long-time HELP affiliate faculty member, Dr. Janus has worked with us to build and mobilize knowledge across disciplines and sectors to improve the health and well-being of children,” said Dr. Mariana Brussoni, director of HELP and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and School of Population and Public Health at UBC. “We are excited at the opportunities her appointment opens up and the deepening of our collaboration with Sunny Hill Health Centre.”
Bridging research, policy and practice
By integrating large-scale population data with clinical and community research, Dr. Janus’s research will deepen understanding of the factors that shape optimal early child development, examining the role of community supports for children with disabilities and identifying barriers and facilitators to mental health among children with complex care needs.
Through local, national and international collaborations, Dr. Janus will inform evidence-based policy, promote inclusive practices, and strengthen interdisciplinary mentorship and community engagement.
“Dr. Janus brings a wealth of expertise in population-level measurement, developmental vulnerability, and the social determinants of health,” said Dr. Sharon Smile, division head of developmental pediatrics for the UBC Department of Pediatrics and BC Children’s Hospital. “Her leadership will strengthen research at Sunny Hill and BC Children’s Hospital — enhancing data-driven care and the connection between developmental research and clinical care.”
Dr. Janus holds an MSc from Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. She completed her postdoctoral work at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Throughout her 30-year career, Dr. Janus has been guided by the principle of “Equity from the Start” — using rigorous, interdisciplinary research grounded in partnerships with families and communities to break down barriers and ensure every child can thrive.