Anesthesia & Pain Medicine

The Acute Pain Service (APS) is a consultative service that is called by a patient's primary care team to help manage pain while the patient is in hospital. Many patients seen by the Acute Pain Service have postoperative pain. The team is also consulted by paediatricians to assist with patients who suffer from pain related to their medical conditions. Common examples are sickle cell disease, mucositis from chemotherapy, cancer pain and major burn injuries. 

The Transitional Pain Clinic provides pain management care to children, teens and their families whose pain is difficult to manage at home. This includes before or after a painful procedure such as an operation or intervention, as well as before being discharged from hospital. 

The Chronic Pain Clinic at SickKids is a specialized service for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with chronic pain. It is made up of an experienced team of anesthesiologists, advanced practice nurses, a psychologist, psychiatrist and physiotherapists. They provide family-centred care and offer treatments and therapies based on the best evidence.

The physicians in the Cardiac Anesthesia division have specific expertise in the care of neonates and children with congenital and acquired heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery and cardiac catheterization.  

They also take care of patients with cardiovascular disease undergoing other procedures requiring sedation or general anesthesia. They are involved in evaluation, pre-operative assessment and consultation, before heart surgery and non-surgical cardiac procedures. They coordinate care especially for patients requiring multiples procedures. The objective of the cardiac division is to develop and refine strategies, equipment, drugs and techniques for ensuring patients' safety and providing the best quality of care before, during and after a procedure.  

Several members of the group are involved in translational and clinical research, including cardiovascular physiology, new technology, regional anesthesia and pain management, perioperative outcome, as well as transfusion and hemostasis.

Our division also includes experts in education and quality and safety. We are one of the major training centers for Canadian and international cardiac anesthesiologists who wish to specialize in the care of children with heart disease.

Certain members of the Department are designated clinical teachers with the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Staff anesthesiologists engaged in clinical and basic science are cross-appointed to the SickKids Research Institute. All full-time staff are members of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 

Learn more about our research activities below, which includes some of the following areas: 

• Anesthesia action and mechanism 
• Drug design and toxicity 
• Stem cells as models for drug toxicity and action 
• Systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and randomized trials with particular emphasis on advancing methods for the measurement, interpretation and dissemination of pain and other quality of life data 
• Simulation and anesthesia education 
• Pain medicine and treatment in paediatric medicine 

Kazuyoshi Aoyama, MD, PhD, EDIC, Associate Professor 
Email: kazuyoshi.aoyama@sickkids.ca 

Ross Barlow, MD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor 
Email: ross.barlow@sickkids.ca  

Stephen Brown, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor 
Email: stephen.brown@sickkids.ca 

Fiona Campbell, MD, FRCA, Professor 
Email: fiona.campbell@sickkids.ca   

Vannessa Chin, MBBS, DM, Assistant Professor 
Email: vannessa.chin@sickkids.ca 

Mark Crawford, MBBS, FRCPC Professor
Email: mark.crawford@sickkids.ca

Jason Denis (JD) Cyr, MD, FRCPC                                                                    Pediatric Anesthesiologist                                                             JD.Cyr@sickkids.ca

Joost de Ruiter, MBBCh, FRCPC, Assistant Professor 
Email:  joost.deruiter@sickkids.ca 

Tara Der, M.Sc., MD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor      
Email: tara.der@sickkids.ca 

Lynsey Downing, Assistant Professor
Email: lynsey.downing@sickkids.ca

Tobias Everett, MBChB, M.Sc., EDRA, FRCA, Associate Professor              Associate Chief, Clinical
Director of Satellite Anesthesia and Procedural Sedation 
Email: tobias.everett@sickkids.ca

Nan Gai, MD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor
Email: nan.gai@sickkids.ca 

Neil Goldenberg, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor 
Email: neil.goldenberg@sickkids.ca 

David Goodick, MD, FRCPC, Lecturer 
Email: david.goodick@sickkids.ca 

Eric Greenwood, MD, Assistant Professor
Email: eric.greenwood@sickkids.ca 

Rebecca Hamilton, MD, M.Sc., Assistant Professor
Email: rebecca.hamilton@sickkids.ca

Jason Hayes, MD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor 
Email: jason.hayes@sickkids.ca

Lisa Isaac, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor 
Email:  lisa.isaac@sickkids.ca

Cengiz Karsli, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor 
Email:  cengiz.karsli@sickkids.ca  

Deepa Kattail, MD, MHS, FAAP                                                                          Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
Email: deepa.kattail@sickkids.ca

Sheelagh Kemp, MD, FRCPC, Lecturer 
Email: sheelagh.kemp@sickkids.ca 

Mandy Lam, MD, FRCPC, Lecturer 
Email: mandy.lam@sickkids.ca 

David Levin, MD, M.Sc., BESc (Mech), FRCPC, Assistant Professor
Email: david.levin@sickkids.ca 

Mark Levine, MBBCh, DA, FRCPC, Associate Professor   
Associate Chief, Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
Email:  mark.levine@sickkids.ca 

Igor Luginbuehl, MD, Associate Professor 
Email: igor.luginbuehl@sickkids.ca 

Bruce Macpherson, MD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor                                              
Email: bruce.macpherson@sickkids.ca

Clyde Matava, MB ChB, MMed, Associate Professor  
Email: clyde.matava@sickkids.ca 

Jason Maynes, PhD/MD
Chief, Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
Curtis Joseph and Harold Groves Chair in Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
Associate Chief of Perioperative Services, Research
Scientist, Division of Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Email: jason.maynes@sickkids.ca

Conor McDonnell, MB MD, FFARCSI, Associate Professor 
Email: conor.mcdonnell@sickkids.ca 

Mark McVey, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor 
Email: mark.mcvey@sickkids.ca 

Ahmed Mesbah, MB BCh, FCAI, FRCA, Assistant Professor 
Email: ahmed.mesbah@sickkids.ca

Farrukh Munshey, MD, FRCPC , Assistant Professor 
Email: farrukh.munshey@sickkids.ca  

Basem Naser, Associate Professor
Email: basem.naser@sickkids.ca

Elaine Ng, MD, FRCPC, MSHPE, Associate Professor 
Email: elaine.ng@sickkids.ca 

Yoji Otsuka, MD, Assistant Professor
Email: yoji.otsuka@sickkids.ca

Evelina Pankiv, MD, FRCPC
Email: evelina.pankiv@sickkids.ca

Arie Peliowski, MD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor 
Email: arie.peliowski@sickkids.ca 

Guy Petroz, MD, Associate Professor 
Email:  guy.petroz@sickkids.ca 

James Robertson, MD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor 
Email: james.robertson@sickkids.ca 

David Rosen, MD, FRCPC                                                                                      Head, Division of Cardiac Anesthesia
Email: david.rosen@sickkids.ca

Minako Sano, MD, Assistant Professor 
Email: minako.sano@sickkids.ca

Richa Sharma, B.M.Sc. (Hons) MD, Med, FRCPC 
Email: richa.sharma@sickkids.ca 

Asad Siddiqui, B.H.Sc., MD, M.Ed., FRCPC 
Email: asad.siddiqui@sickkids.ca 

Ilavajady Srinivasan, MD, FRCA, FRCPC, Assistant Professor 
Email: Ilavajady.srinivasan@sickkids.ca 

Benjamin Steinberg, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor
Email: benjamin.steinberg@sickkids.ca 

Naiyi Sun, MD, Assistant Professor 
Email: naiyi.sun@sickkids.ca 

Katherine Taylor, B.Med., M.Med., PG Dip Echo, FANZCA 
Professor 
Email: katherine.taylor@sickkids.ca 

Maisie Tsang, MD, Lecturer 
Email: maisie.tsang@sickkids.ca 

Julie Yu, MD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor
Email: julie.yu@sickkids.ca

Christian Zaarour, MD, Assistant Professor 
Email: christian.zaarour@sickkids.ca 

Basic science

• Anesthesia action and mechanism 
• Drug design and toxicity 
• Mitochondrial dynamics and function 
• Stem cells as models for drug toxicity and action 
• Cardiac ion channels and congenital dysrhythmias 
• Drug pharmacology 

Clinical

• Simulation and anesthesia education 
• Outcome measures in paediatric anesthesia and quality control 
• Pain medicine and treatment in paediatric medicine 
• Systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and randomized trials with particular emphasis on advancing methods for the measurement, interpretation and dissemination of pain and other quality of life data 

Recent papers from our staff physicians’ can be found on PubMed. Customize your search for full listings and papers by typing in the first and last name of the physician. 

The Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at SickKids oversees the perioperative care of 20,000 infants and children per year. There are 35 full time paediatric anesthesiologists, 10 paediatric anesthesia fellows, 10 residents, six nurse practitioners and one clinical psychologist who deliver clinical care to patients at SickKids.  

Our case load includes the subspecialty areas of:

• Cardiac
• Thoracic
• Craniofacial
• Neurosurgical
• Orthopaedic
• Organ transplantation anesthesia in neonates, infants and children.

SickKids is the regional centre for the management of pain in the paediatric patient. The Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine maintains venues in procedural pain management, acute pain management and chronic pain management.

Fellowships

Our fellowship is a one-year program consisting of four days per week of clinical anesthesia including exposure to all of the above named areas.

Fellows are allocated one day a week of non-clinical (academic) time. It is expected that this non-clinical time will be used to participate in research within the department. Research findings are presented at an annual University of Toronto Department of Anaesthesia research symposium, in the form of a poster and/or oral presentation. Submission of research findings to national and international anesthesia meetings is encouraged and supported. Additional protected time is available and dependent on the needs, goals and performances of individual fellows. A structured educational program for fellows consists of seminars in general paediatric anesthesia and pain management, paediatric cardiac anesthesia, and research methods/statistics. Other educational activities include weekly departmental rounds, Telehealth conferences and simulation sessions.

Accommodation

Accommodation may be arranged at the Alan Brown building, a hospital apartment residence adjacent to SickKids. Options include bachelor suites, one bedroom and two bedroom apartments.

Further information

• Total number of positions available annually: 10 
• Duration of available training: 1 year
• Minimum requirements for admission into program: Board-eligible in Anaesthesia (CA-3 completed or fellowship qualification outside of North America)
• Deadline: Applications are accepted online 15-24 months prior to the start of the fellowship. The application process is open yearly from January to April. Applications for fellowships commencing July 2025 and January 2026 will be accepted until April 30, 2024.

See Paediatric Anesthesia Fellowship Information (PDF) for further details.

If you are interested in a fellowship, please complete the Paediatric Anesthesia Fellowship Application Form.

Contact our Fellowship Program:

Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
The Hospital for Sick Children
Fax: 416-813-7543
Email: anesthesia.fellowship@sickkids.ca

For information on Advanced Fellowships in Research, Cardiac Anesthesia and Pain, see the next section. 

There are three advanced fellowships available at SickKids' Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine. Find details below on our Paediatric Pain Medicine fellowship, Cardiac Anaesthesia fellowship and Research fellowship, respectively.

Paediatric Pain Medicine Fellowship

The SickKids Fellowship in Paediatric Pain is a one-year postgraduate clinical and research training program in the management of paediatric pain under the direction of the Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine. 

The program builds on the CanMeds roles recommended by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The goal of the pain fellowship program is to mentor clinicians in paediatric pain management and research.

The one-year pain fellowship position will be offered to candidates who have the potential to become future clinical and academic leaders in pediatric pain management. At the end of the fellowship, the candidate is expected to:

• Manage acute pain in children in inpatient settings
• Manage postoperative pain
• Manage acute exacerbation of chronic pain in admitted patients
• Provide in-house consultation on chronic pain patients
• Manage chronic pain in outpatient settings
• Manage pain in complex medical conditions
• Perform major neuraxial and regional blocks
• Manage continuous epidural and regional blocks
• Initiate a paediatric pain service
• •  

Fellowship format

The pain fellowship program has three components: education, research, and clinical rotations in specialized areas such as acute pain, chronic pain, palliative pain, sedation and procedural pain, regional anaesthesia, pain in complex medical conditions, and diagnostic imaging.

Core and elective rotations

• Acute Pain Service
• Chronic Pain Program
• Transitional Pain Service
• Procedural Pain and Sedation
• Paediatric Palliative Pain Team
• Bloorview Kids Rehab
• Sunnybrook Regional Anaesthesia Program
• Mount Sinai Adult Chronic Pain Program

Further information

Applications are accepted online 12–15 months prior to the start of the fellowship. The application process is open yearly from January to April. Applications for a fellowship commencing July 2025 will be accepted until April 30, 2024.

For a more detailed description of the program, see the Paediatric Pain Medicine Fellowship Information (PDF).

If you are interested in the Paediatric Pain Medicine Fellowship 2024–2025, please complete the Paediatric Pain Medicine Application Form. 

Paediatric Cardiac Anaesthesia Fellowship

The Labatt Family Heart Centre provides health-care services for over 600 children who undergo cardiovascular surgery at SickKids each year. The Division of Cardiac Anaesthesia provides perioperative care for children with congenital heart defects and acquired heart diseases undergoing surgery (cardiac and non-cardiac), interventional cardiology/radiology, and diagnostic imaging under general anaesthesia. 

The fellowship offered in paediatric cardiac anaesthesia is considered an advanced specialty training program, and is intended for anaesthetists with prior specialist training in paediatric anaesthesia. The fellowship program aims to further develop clinical subspecialty knowledge and critical skills necessary for the practice of paediatric cardiac anaesthesia. In addition to medical expertise, the fellowship also aims to develop important non-clinical abilities (e.g., academic, educational, leadership, professional) that physicians require to effectively meet the health-care needs of the people they serve. 

The fellowship is typically 12 months in duration, and consists of a framework of structured clinical exposure and educational seminars. In addition to gaining comprehensive clinical exposure in cardiovascular surgery, interventional cardiology/radiology, and non-cardiac surgery for children with congenital heart defects, fellows will have the opportunity to rotate through the departments of echocardiography and critical care medicine. 

The fellowship is structured with an emphasis on advancing clinical expertise, and consists of four days per week of clinical anaesthesia exposure and one day of non-clinical (academic) time. Non-clinical time can be adapted to meet the career goals and academic interests of individual fellows. 

Applications

Applications for fellowships commencing in July 2025 will be accepted from January to April 2024.

If you have also applied to the U.S match through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), please be advised that the University of Toronto is a participating institution and adheres to the match policy. The policy states that "Applicants who have matched to a program or have accepted a position during the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), shall not apply for, discuss, interview for, or accept a concurrent year position in another program prior to the NRMP granting the requested waiver".  For more information visit the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) website.

If you are interested in a fellowship, please complete the Paediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Application Form.  

Research Fellowship

The Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) offers a Research Fellowship to candidates who intend to pursue a career in academic anaesthesia. This program provides an opportunity for fellows to conduct clinical and/or basic science research in areas related to paediatric anaesthesia and pain medicine while working under the guidance of a research mentor.

It is expected that the fellow will participate in the design, planning, and conduct of the research. While past research experience is not a requirement, it is desirable.

The didactic component of the program includes attendance at research seminars, lectures, and departmental Grand Rounds. Topics covered include bibliographic software management systems, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, clinical trial design, biostatistics, issues related to research integrity, and basic science teaching tailored to the fellow’s needs.

Fellows are expected to present the results of their research at departmental research-in-progress rounds, and at one or more local, national, or international meetings. At least one scientific manuscript must be written by the completion of the training.

Fellows will also participate in clinic work, and up to 20 per cent of their time may be devoted to patient care activities to help maintain their clinical skills. Therefore, only candidates who have already been trained at SickKids in paediatric anesthesia will be considered.

If you are interested in a research fellowship, please contact anesthesia.fellowship@sickkids.ca

Contact

Fellowship Program
Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Fax: 416-813-7543
Email: anesthesia.fellowship@sickkids.ca

Subject to availability, observerships are available within the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. This is a temporary, unfunded appointment which does not allow direct patient contact. Observers will not receive educational credit or certification from SickKids for time spent observing, and only individuals with a medical degree and board eligible/certified in anesthesia will be considered. The applicant will be responsible for all administrative and registration costs.

An observer is not considered an employee of SickKids for any purpose and therefore is not entitled to salary, benefits, reimbursement of expenses or other forms of compensation. Observers at SickKids are not covered under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and are not covered under the hospital's liability insurance. Observers release the hospital and its affiliates from any responsibility or liability for personal injury, and/or damage to, or loss of property.

For more information, please contact:

Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
The Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Ave.
Toronto ON M5G 1X8
Canada
Phone: 416-813-7445
Fax: 416-813-7543
Email: anesthesia.office@sickkids.ca

High fidelity simulation engages learners in experiential learning.  

In the OR simulation site, this technology is used to provide learning opportunities in the management of critical events in paediatric anesthesia and crisis resource management skills for anesthesia residents and fellows. 

The focus on teamwork skills is emphasized in the in-situ interprofessional simulation program, which is active in various units in perioperative services including the cardiology catheterization unit, in the post-anesthesia care unit, in  interventional radiology and in the operating room. An outreach program is under development.

A simulation elective for anesthesia fellows can be arranged through the Simulation program at the SickKids Learning Institute. Joint events can be arranged with other simulation centres in the Department of Anesthesia at the University of Toronto.

For more information, please contact anesthesia.office@sickkids.ca.

Useful links:

Simulation program, SickKids Learning Institute
Simulation, Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto

The Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children is pleased to host the SickKids Paediatric Anesthesia Conference at the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning (PGCRL) in Toronto from Dec. 1 to 3, 2023.

Our lineup of international speakers will lead us through compelling topics and discussions. Conference sessions, featuring lectures and interactive panel discussions will review current issues in paediatric anesthesia practice, update clinicians on new management strategies and provide a forum to exchange views on clinical challenges in paediatric anesthesia. 

Register and view the agenda and speaker lineup