Skip to Main Content
SickKids

Busi Zapparoli

Title:
Neuropsychologist, Department of Psychology
Designations:
B.Sc., MA, PhD, C.Psych
Pronouns:
She/Her
Alternate Contact Name:
Priya Odedra
Alternate Email:
priya.odedra@sickkids.ca

Hospital Positions

Neuropsychologist, Department of Psychology

Research Positions

Associate Scientist Track Investigator, Neurosciences and Mental Health

Biography

Dr. Busi Zapparoli completed a PhD in Clinical Developmental Psychology at York University, followed by postdoctoral fellowship training in clinical neuropsychology at Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School and SickKids. She leads the Neuropsychology Assessment Service for patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) in the SickKids Paediatric NF1 Clinic. Her research focuses on improving outcomes for children with genetic conditions such as NF1.

Research

Dr. Zapparoli's research focuses on optimizing cognitive and health outcomes of neurogenetic patients – particularly those with neurofibromatosis, type 1 (NF1) – who disproportionately face complex, multifaceted challenges that can impact development, health, learning, and quality of life. Individual projects focus on exploring underlying mechanisms that contribute to different cognitive and health outcomes and developing and evaluating treatment interventions.

Education and experience

  • 2021–2022: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Clinical Neuropsychology, SickKids, Toronto, ON, Canada
  • 2020–2021: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Clinical Neuropsychology, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
  • 2015–2020: PhD, Clinical Developmental Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
  • 2013–2015: MA, Clinical Developmental Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
  • 2006–2011: B.Sc., Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Publications

  1. Nguyen, C. M., Rampa, S., Staios, M., Nielsen, R., Zapparoli, B. L., Zhou, E., Mbakile-Mahlanza, Colon, J., Hammond, A., Hendriks, M., Kgolo, T., Serrano, Y., Marquine, M., Dutt, A., Evans, J., M., L., Judd, T. (2024) Neuropsychological Application of the International Testing Commission Guidelines for Translating and Adapting Tests. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.
  2. Bebko M., J., Porthukaran, A., Yusupov, I., Segers, M., Konanur, S., & Zapparoli, B. L. (2022). Autism Summer Employment Program: A Two Cohort Evaluation of Community-Based Pilot Program. Journal on Developmental Disabilities.
  3. Stevenson, R. A., Ruppel, J., Sun, S., Segers, M., Zapparoli, B. L., Bebko, J. M., Barense, M., & Ferber, S. (2021). Visual working memory and sensory processing in autistic children. Scientific Reports.
  4. Segers, M., Bebko, J. M., Zapparoli, B. L., & Stevenson, R. A. (2020). A pupillometry study of multisensory social and linguistic processing in autism and typical development. Developmental Psychology, 56(11), 2080-2094. doi: 10.1037/dev0001090
  5. Perry, A., Charles, M. K., Zapparoli, B. & Weiss, J. A. (2020). The GO4KIDDS school satisfaction scale. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 32(2), 471-474. doi: 10.1111/jar.12532
Back to Top