Dr. Chaya Kulkarni
Director, Infant Mental Health Promotion
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto

Dr. Chaya Kulkarni is currently the Director, Infant Mental Health Promotion (IMP), Hospital for Sick Children Toronto.  Infant Mental Health Promotion is a coalition of individuals and professional agencies dedicated to promoting optimal mental health outcomes for infants in the first three years of life.  Dr. Kulkarni provides leadership to research, professional education and public awareness activities at IMP.  In addition to her work at IMP, Chaya Kulkarni is a Parent and Professional Education Expert with Invest in Kids.  Until recently, she was Vice President, Professional Education, and led the development and implementation of curricula and materials to support professionals working with families of young children.

Dr. Kulkarni has also served as the Senior Policy Analyst and Researcher for the Office of the Official Opposition at Queen’s Park where she was able to influence and inform practices surrounding early childhood care and education. She has also worked directly with children and families in the childcare sector.
Dr. Kulkarni has lectured with Ryerson University and the Canadian Mothercraft Society, an organization that provides educational and support programs for mothers and their children. She is an effective and fervent facilitator for numerous training seminars and has served on a variety of boards and associations in the children’s services sector. Dr. Kulkarni also sits on the selection committee for the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence.

Dr. Kulkarni received her B.A.A. from Ryerson University and attained her Masters and Doctorate in Education from the University of Toronto.