Dear all,
Kind reminder that there will be no CRAM session today due to the Hebb lecture this afternoon. McGill’s own Dr. Frances Aboud will be delivering the Homecoming Hebb lecture at 3:30 PM in the McIntyre Medical Building (Room 522). The abstract for her talk is included below, and additional information about the lecture series can be found herehttps://www.mcgill.ca/psychology/events-colloquia-0/hebb-lecture-series.
The CRAM sessions will recommence next week.
—————————————————————————————— The McGill Ethiopia Salt Project: effects of iodizing salt on children’s cognitive functioning
Abstract: Insufficient iodine in one’s diet is thought to be the main cause of preventable cognitive delay around the world. Most countries lack environmental iodine; some add it to salt, though many people still buy un-iodized salt. What impact is this having on children’s ability to learn and think? Ethiopia did not produce iodized salt until 2011 when legislation was passed to make all salt iodized. This provided an opportunity to conduct a cluster randomized effectiveness study to examine the effects on cognitive development of introducing iodized salt to infants and to children 4 to 6 years of age in Ethiopia, where there were reportedly high levels of iodine deficiency. The challenges of randomizing villages, monitoring the gradual fortification and distribution of iodized salt, measuring cognitive development in infants and preschool-aged children, transporting a team of local research assistants across the mountains of Amhara, and reporting results back to the government were managed. Findings show that even in a resource-poor setting, where children lack adequate nutrition and psychosocial stimulation, iodized salt benefits children’s cognitive functioning.
___________________________________ Mehrgol Tiv Ph.D. Student, Psychology, McGill University Language and Multilingualism Lab *mehrgoltiv.comhttp://mehrgoltiv.com