Discover CanChild

Dr. Jan Willem Gorter

Scientist

A middle-aged man with short hair and glasses smiles at the camera. He is wearing a plaid button-up shirt and is photographed against a plain background.

Biography

Jan Willem Gorter, MD, PhD, has training in rehabilitation medicine (physiatry) and is the inaugural Chair and Head of Pediatric Rehabilitation at the University Medical Center Utrecht, location Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, and Princess Maxima Center (pediatric oncology) in Utrecht, The Netherlands.  He also holds a position as Professor of Pediatrics (Part-Time) at McMaster University in Canada. Jan Willem completed his postdoctoral training at CanChild in 2002, has been appointed a Scientist at CanChild in 2008, and served as CanChild Director (2013-2021). He draws on his clinical experiences to conduct studies and to develop healthcare interventions that will have a direct impact on patients, their families and those working in the healthcare system. Therefore, he is a strong advocate of patient and family engagement in research. To make sure youth with disabilities are on a healthy trajectory, he and his team of clinicians and researchers focus on Physical Health, Family Empowerment, and Cognition (autonomy and adaptive functioning) in children and youth with disabilities. Jan Willem’s goals are to further integrate research and clinical care through a lifecourse health development approach, to ensure optimal outcomes for children with disabilities as they grow up.

Dr. Jan Willem Gorter is currently accepting student trainees (Master's, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow).

Listen in as Jan Willem discusses the findings of the MyStory Project at CP-NET's Science and Family Day.

Area of Focus

Disability, f-words, transition, lifecourse, family engagement in research

Resources

Meet Jessica (Video)

In this video, Jessica (a community advisor on cerebral palsy research and person with lived experience) and Jan Willem (a clinician researcher studying cerebral palsy) tell us about cerebral palsy, some of the misconceptions that surround it and what we can do to tackle them. Produced by the Ontario Brain Institute for Brain Awareness Week 2017.
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Growing up with CP: Mental health & well-being

CP-NET is excited to present “Growing up with CP: Mental Health & Well-being,” a webinar initiated and led by young adults for young adults. Highlighting both lived experience and recent research from the CP-NET MyStory project, this webinar will explore the intersection of mental health and CP, and discuss how we can better support young people in developing positive outcomes in mental health and well-being.
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