Dr. Stephanie Atkinson is Professor and Associate Chair, Research, for the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University. She is also an Associate Member of the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, and serves as Special Professional Staff in McMaster Children's Hospital.

Dr. Atkinson's research program explores the concept that nutrition and disease (or drug) exposures during fetal, neonatal and early childhood life program metabolic regulation that can alter growth and development and risk of adult-onset disease. Current research focuses on determinants of maternal health in pregnancy and the post-partum and the early determinants of obesity, diabetes, and risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis in children through a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort study. Clinical research in prematurely born infants, obese children and survivors of pediatric cancers, cystic fibrosis or epilepsy, investigate the effects of disease and/or drug therapy on growth, bone and body composition and how these might be attenuated with nutritional intervention.

Current professional activities include serving as Chair of the Institute Advisory Board for the Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and McMaster Centre Leader for the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program - a strategic research training program funded by CIHR. Dr. Atkinson also co-leads the Canadian Birth Cohort Research Network initiative through the Maternal, Infant, Child and Youth Research Network (MICYRN).