Selamenesh Tsige Legas
Developmental Paediatrics
Phone: 519-685-8500 ext. 74942
Dr. Selamenesh Tsige Legas, Developmental Pediatrician at Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, is a passionate international advocate for children with disabilities and their families. She completed her developmental Pediatrics clinical fellowship training at Holland Bloor view Kids Rehabilitation Hospital (2021 - 2024) and is now proud to be an integral part of the dynamic team of Developmental Pediatricians at Children's Hospital.
Dr Legas is 2022/2023 University of Toronto Postgraduate Leadership Program alumna and has, in 2025, been selected for the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) Emerging Leaders Program. She is affiliated with multiple international organizations including the International Alliance Academies of Childhood Disabilities (IAACD), Global Professional Educational Consortium (GPEC), International Developmental Pediatrics Association (IDPA), Physicians of Ontario Neuro-Developmental Advocacy group (PONDA), AACPDM International Affairs Committee, AACPDM Scientific Committee and the Eastern African Academy of Childhood Disability (EAACD). She is an alumna of the 2020/2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship and Professional Developmental Experience program in the USA. She was also a team lead in the ECD curriculum development for Pediatrics residents through the Eastern Central and Southern Africa College of Pediatrics and Child Health (ECSAPACH).
Dr Legas established the first developmental pediatrics clinic in Ethiopia in 2019, running it independently through self and residents' teaching and subsequently received full scholarship at the University of Toronto in 2021 and is the first Ethiopian Developmental Pediatrician!
Dr Legas's research interest continues to focus on knowledge translation in childhood disability within low-resource settings. Recently, she has been working on the adoption, translation, and clinical integration of early identification and developmental coaching tools for childhood onset disabilities. She is also an advocate of family centered care, showcased through her PONDA podcast (Function vs. Diagnosis) and the organization she founded, Gojo Accommodation and Temporary Shelter for Patients in Need NGO in Ethiopia.
