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Department of Paediatrics
Dr. Meredith Irwin, MD
Paediatrician-in-Chief
The Department of Paediatrics consists of multifaceted programs of national and international significance and supports the mission and goals of SickKids. Our goal is to continuously evolve as one of the world's leading academic departments of paediatrics, focusing on excellence in clinical care, training the next generation of paediatric health care professionals, and generating new knowledge through cutting edge research and creative professional activities.
Learn more about the many accomplishments within the Department of Paediatrics by viewing our latest Annual Report.
We share the SickKids vision, Healthier Children, A Better World. Information regarding the many areas of focus within the Department of Paediatrics can be found by accessing the links below.
The Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto plays a major role in the organization of the learning experiences in paediatrics for medical students.
Awards Day 2023
We are now accepting nominations for the Department of Paediatrics 2023 Awards Day. Nominations are due by April 19, 2023. Visit the Awards section below for more information about each award.
Executive Director, Paediatric Operations
Associate Chair, Clinical
Associate Chair, Research
Associate Chair, Faculty Development and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Associate Chair, Outpatient
Associate Chair, Education
Associate Chief, Clinical Research, RI
Strategic Plan
As the Department of Paediatrics looks ahead to the next five years, one of the most essential ingredients to ensure we realize positive impact and remain
vigilantly focused will be our strategic plan.
This committee, under the direction Dr. Indra Narang, supports faculty members through the areas of career development in:
- Teaching/education skills
- Research and clinical care skills
- Mentorship
- Work life balance
- Assistance with CDCP/triennial review
- Career counseling
- Academic leave/retirement planning and promotions
Terms of Reference
- To enhance excellence in teaching and educational endeavours.
- To increase recognition of educational activities.
- To develop and subsequently review core competencies on an annual basis core competencies and outcome measures for the teaching and educational components of the clinician-teacher and clinician-educator job activity profiles.
- To develop an appropriate mechanism whereby members of the Department of Paediatrics will be evaluated according to the criteria developed under number 3 on an annual basis.
- To assist in developing individual faculty member's roles as clinician-teachers and clinician-educators including maintaining a mentoring process.
- To encourage, promote and coordinate faculty development for all aspects of teaching in the Department of Paediatrics.
- To work collaboratively to promote educational research in the Department.
- To foster liaisons with other groups with shared educational interests.
- To make recommendations to the Chair with regard to necessary educational infrastructure and the resources required for this infrastructure development.
- To advise the Chair on matters pertinent to education within the Department.
- To develop from time to time as required a task force/ad hoc groups to review specific issues and report to the committee.
Members
- Adelle Atkinson
- Mark Feldman
- Karen Leslie
- Tina Martimianakis
- Jonathan Pirie
- Angela Punnett
- Lisa Robinson
- Rayfel Schneider
- Michelle Shouldice
- Victoria Snell
- Catharine Walsh
- Shelly Weiss
- Brie Yama
Subcommittee
Faculty Development is a subcommittee of the MEAC.
Global Objectives
To develop an innovative and dynamic academic workforce by identifying and cultivating and supporting talent in research.
Responsibilities
The role of all Research Advisory Council (RAC) members is to serve in an advisory capacity to the Department of Paediatrics Chair on strategies and ideas focused on building and sustaining an innovative and dynamic research agenda in the Department of Paediatrics. These include strategies to train, retain, and recruit investigators/scientists in areas of gap and in emerging areas of clinical and bio-medical science that are aligned and responsive to strategies priorities at The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto.
Members
Creative Professional Activity Grant
The Creative Professional Activity grant competition was introduced in 2005 to encourage and promote the clinical academic scholarship activity and careers of the members of the Department of Paediatrics at SickKids.
The competition is open to all clinical departmental faculty, priority being given to junior faculty whose roles involve a significant amount of clinical time. Faculty are encouraged to submit innovative research approaches to improving the scholarly care of patients, as well as clinically relevant projects that will have a direct impact on better care for our patients and families.
Successful grant winners over the last decade have a strong record of publishing their work in high impact peer-reviewed journals, presenting nationally and internationally and leading to external funding for further work in the area of study. Importantly these projects have also resulted in many rapid innovations in models of care and advances in practice with a direct impact on children at SickKids and elsewhere.
Clinical awards
These awards have been established to recognize and honour the contributions of individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and a commitment to clinical excellence at various career stages. Expand the sections below for more details regarding the awards and the nomination process.
The Richard Rowe Award is named for Dr. Richard Rowe, Head of the Division of Cardiology from 1973 until 1986. Dr. Rowe demonstrated the very finest attributes of a clinical scholar. In his honour, The Richard Rowe Award honours a physician in the Department for sustained clinical excellence. The award is aimed at physicians who have demonstrated excellence in the delivery of clinical care in its broadest sense over a significant period of time.
The Clinical Excellence Award is for physicians within the first five to 10 years of appointment to an academic health science centre. While the qualities of the recipient of this award should be similar to those for the Richard Rowe Award, sustained levels of excellence and international presence will be less critical.
The Outstanding Clinical Contribution Award was introduced in 2012 to recognize the important work being done every year by clinicians to improve the quality and outcomes of the lives of our patients and their families on a daily basis. This award will recognize a paediatrician who has led an initiative in innovative care delivery systems, quality improvement, patient safety, advocacy or other clinical endeavours.
This award is open to all physicians who are members of the Department of Paediatrics, full and part-time, junior and senior who have made an outstanding clinical contribution over the last few years. Nominate a colleague who, in the last few years, has for example, led an outstanding high-quality initiative, or built a successful new clinical service or program that has enhanced patient care.
All clinicians involved in activities within the Department of Pediatrics are eligible for the awards. Members of the faculty are eligible to receive the award once in a five-year period.
Nominees for the awards should demonstrate many of the following characteristics:
- Exemplary and well-rounded clinician
- Consistent, durable, and continuous high standard of clinical care
- Team leader facilitates collaboration locally and nationally
- National/international presence
- Leads in the application of clinical evaluative methods to activities of divisions/department
- Develops new clinical techniques
- Excellent mentor
- Leadership role in the department/national development of clinical standards
- Practices in a collegial manner
Nomination packages must include:
- Nomination letter
- Minimum two (2) letters for support
- Additional documentation (if applicable)
- Dr. Richard Rowe Award: Shelly Weiss (2022), Elizabeth Harvey & Vicky Ng (2021), Carolyn Beck (2020)
- Outstanding Clinical Contribution: Olivia Ostrow (2022), Thomas Walters (2021), Michelle Science (2020)
- Clinical Excellence: Chia Wei Teoh (2022), Reshma Amin (2021), Vann Chau (2020)
- Saunder's Prize: Ziyad Alrajhi (2022)
Education awards
These awards have been established to recognize and honour the contributions of individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and a commitment to education and faculty/trainee development at various career stages. Nominations are sought from residents and fellows enrolled within the subspecialty of the faculty being nominated.
The Excellence in Continuing Medical Education Award is in recognition of continuing education initiatives in the Department of Paediatrics. There are three potential areas for recognition of excellence.
The Department of Paediatrics established an annual Faculty Mentorship Award in 2013 to recognize excellence in the mentorship of faculty. Please consider nominating a colleague for this award that has provided mentorship to you and/or others.
This award was established in honour of the educational legacy of Dr. Susan Tallett, who worked at SickKids for almost 40 years. Dr. Tallett is recognized as one of the most enthusiastic proponents of teaching and learning in the Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, an exceptional paediatrician, a compassionate leader and mentor, and a strong and effective advocate for education and equity at all levels.
Dr. Tallett has been a pioneer in many ways, designing and implementing innovative educational initiatives that are now considered core to our practice, and a strong supporter of work-life balance. She has inspired countless students, residents, fellows and staff to reach their potential and so many attribute successes in their career trajectories to her compassionate mentorship and support.
The Dr. Michael (Mickey) Lester Award for enhancing the patient and family experience in Paediatrics (demonstrating excellent communication skills, humour and congeniality).
The award will recognize outstanding performance in enhancing the patient and/or family experience in Paediatric care:
- by a core paediatric resident; or
- by a subspecialty paediatric resident or clinical fellow.
- Subspecialty Teaching: Bonny Jasani (2022), Jabeen Fayyaz (2021), Indra Narang (2020)
- Excellence in Continuing Medical Education: Ian Kitai (2022), Not awarded (2021), Not awarded (2020), Not awarded (2019)
- Faculty Mentorship: Jillian Baker (2022), Not awarded (2021), Jonathan Pirie (2020)
- Dr. Susan Tallett: Angela Punnett (2022), Rayfel Schneider (2021)
- Dr. Mickey Lester (Resident): Jaimie Bird (2022), Harry Chandrakumaran (2021)
- Dr. Mickey Lester (Fellow): Ahmed Abushama (2022), Catherine Proulx (2021)
Recognizes trainees who have advanced equity, diversity & inclusion within SickKids Department of Paediatrics and/or the greater community.
*New* Trainee Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Award Terms of Reference (PDF)
Research awards
These awards have been established to recognize and honour the contributions of individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and a commitment to research excellence at various career stages.
The Emerging Research Leadership Award (formerly Junior Physician Researcher Award) recognizes outstanding achievements and progress in research by a physician during the first ten (10) years after the initial appointment to the faculty of an academic health sciences centre.
The Research Impact Award (formerly Physician Researcher Award for Scientific Accomplishment) recognizes the accomplishments of a physician within 10-20 years of appointment to an academic health sciences centre, who has generated a body of research that is exerting a major impact in a field of study.
The Sustained Research Excellence Award (formerly Physician Researcher Award for Career Excellence) recognizes sustained excellence in research by a physician with more than 20 years of appointment to an academic health sciences center, who has demonstrated far-reaching impact through innovation and/or leadership.
- Emerging Research Leadership Award (formerly Junior Physician Researcher Award): Daniel Morgenstern (2022), Sumit Gupta (2021), Vijay Ramaswamy (2020)
- Research Impact Award (formerly Physician Researcher Award for Scientific Accomplishment): Evdokia Anagnostou (2022), Steven Miller (2021), Yaron Finkelstein (2020)
- Sustained Research Excellence Award (formerly Physician Researcher Award for Career Excellence): Rae Yeung (2022), Not awarded (2021), Brian McCrindle (2020)
Departmental Awards
The Paediatric Administrative Award was first awarded in 2007 to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Department of Paediatrics administrative staff throughout the year. Nominees are selected based on their individual accomplishments, not only in their day-to-day activities, but also based on their contribution to their division, the Department of Paediatrics, and/or hospital-wide. Nominees are individuals that go above and beyond their job profile and live the SickKids values. There are two awards available based on job profile:
- Administrative Assistant
- Coordinator (Administrative Coordinator/Education Administrative Coordinator/Divisional Administrative Lead)
The Advocacy, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award recognizes and profiles the outstanding contributions of employees within the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. This award recognizes recipients who develop and/or implement activities, programs, or research related to social justice and health equity that advance anti-racism initiatives and manifest our shared commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion into action.
- Administrative Award: Jennifer Hyde (2022), Kelly Sobie (2021), Brittany Marshman (2020)
- Administrative Award - Coordinator: Christina Cesareo & Mary Antonopoulos (2022)
- Advocacy, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award: Ripudaman Minhas (2022), Lisa Robinson (2021)
Faculty Promotions
Each year the Department of Paediatrics celebrates the promotion of our faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in one or more research, creative professional activity (CPA), or teaching and service. Through these activities, faculty members are recognized for the impact of their work as national (in the case of Associate Professor) and international (in the case of Full Professor) experts in their field.
This year, nineteen distinguished faculty members were approved for Promotion by the University of Toronto Decanal Committee.
Full Professor
Dr. Kuang-Yueh Chiang
Division of Haematology/Oncology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Chiang is an internationally recognized expert in Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation. As a Clinical Inspector for the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), he has helped multiple institutions around the world meet accreditation standards for the conduct of blood/marrow transplantation. He is a leader in the field of Blood and Marrow Transplantation for patients with hemoglobinopathies, including the development of novel approaches for transplantation of patients with high-risk thalassemia.
Dr. Mark Feldman
Community Paediatrics and Continuing Education
The Hospital for Sick Children
St. Joseph's Health Centre, Unity Health Toronto
Dr. Feldman is a multiple award-winning community-based pediatrician and clinician-educator whose vision for improving care and teaching in the community has led to multiple innovations. As a recognized expert, he has become a national voice for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder with guideline development and international presentations.
Dr. Abha Gupta
Haematology/Oncology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Gupta is an international expert in the field of soft tissue sarcomas in children, adolescents, and young adults (AYA), and has transformed patient care through the leadership of the AYA Program across the city that includes clinical care, education, and research; this program has been recognized internationally. She is playing a leading international role in the Children’s Oncology Group including the development of a research agenda related to soft tissue sarcomas as well as being the PI on an innovative clinical trial.
Dr. Elizabeth Harvey
Nephrology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Harvey is an award-winning teacher and clinician who has dedicated her career to the care of infants, children, and adolescents with chronic kidney disease. As a world expert in renal replacement therapy (peritoneal and hemodialysis), she has developed and implemented new approaches to care that have not only benefited children locally but around the world, both through her expert care and training of nephrologists who have developed their programs.
Dr. Tina Martimianakis
Medical Education
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Martimianakis has become a world authority on the subject of how discourse affects the education of health professionals, thereby impacting learners not only locally through her direct interactions, but globally through her presentations and publications. She is a highly respected collaborator and mentor around the world and is regularly consulted by leaders of other programs and departments.
Dr. Neil Sweezey
Respiratory Medicine
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Sweezey is an academic clinician who has made a major contribution to clinician-scientist training through the development and implementation of several programs. As a long-standing leader in cystic fibrosis, he has provided outstanding clinical leadership and has also made important research discoveries.
Associate Professor
Dr. Alejandro Floh
Critical Care Medicine
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Floh is a Cardiac Critical Care Medicine academic clinician. He is internationally known for his scholarly contributions to the care of children with rare congenital cardiac abnormalities, studies of inflammation associated with cardiac bypass surgery and nutritional care of babies with congenital heart disease. Locally, through quality improvement initiatives, he has made a major impact on resource utilization. He also plays a key role in the training of the next generation of paediatric cardiac intensive care specialists.
Dr. Linda Hiraki
Rheumatology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Hiraki is a clinician-scientist whose work on the genetics of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE), and other rare systemic inflammatory disorders, has had an international impact. Similarly, her translational work has led to a better understanding of many of the clinical manifestations of cSLE. She has also had a significant impact through international collaborations and leadership activities.
Dr. Michal Inbar-Feigenberg
Clinical & Metabolic Genetics
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Inbar-Feigenberg is an academic clinician who is leading national initiatives to better understand rare metabolic disorders. As a recognized expert in these rare diseases, she has been able to participate in and lead clinical trials, providing opportunities for improved outcomes for her patients.
Dr. Joerg Krueger
Haematology/Oncology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Krueger is a clinician-investigator who leads the largest paediatric cellular therapy program in the country, attracting patients from across Canada. He has developed novel methods for approaching transplantation in children with malignancies and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). He has played a pivotal role in several clinical trials, leading to the regulatory approval of a new agent. His expertise is sought by numerous provincial and national agencies.
Dr. Linh Ly
Neonatology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Ly is an academic clinician who leads the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Follow-up programs at The Hospital for Sick Children. She is breaking new ground in the care of children in the neonatal intensive care unit with leadership in the treatment of care for post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation (PHVD), resulting in changes in practice. Through her creative professional activity, she has led the development of an educational hub on AboutKidsHealth (an online health information website) that is utilized internationally. She plays a large role in multiple national and international neurodevelopmental outcome studies.
Dr. Mina Matsuda-Abedini
Nephrology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Matsuda-Abedini is an academic clinician whose work on the transition of care has been incorporated into practice nationally. Her quality improvement work has resulted in more efficient, cost-effective care for a unique population of children with chronic renal disease.
Dr. Trent Mizzi
Emergency Medicine
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Mizzi is an outstanding academic clinician administrator whose work as Medical Director of the Emergency Department has resulted in reduced practice variation through the development of multiple clinical practice guidelines that have been shared across the country. Through his leadership of a camp for children with diabetes, he has provided a safe environment for thousands of children to have safe and enjoyable times away from home.
Dr. Michael-Alice Moga
Critical Care Medicine
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Moga is an academic clinician whose scholarly work is focused on quality improvement. Through multiple and varying initiatives, she has not only improved care locally and inspired others to follow in her path, but she has also had a strong influence on international organizations in advancing their quality agendas.
Dr. Daniel Morgenstern
Haematology/Oncology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Morgenstern is a clinician-investigator who has become the go-to person for difficult-to-treat neuroblastoma. He plays a leadership role in the development of international clinical trials. As the Head of the New Agents and Innovative Therapies program at SickKids, he is providing new therapeutic options for patients and leading in the application of precision medicine for children and developing concepts for new clinical trials.
Dr. Vijay Ramaswamy
Haematology/Oncology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Ramaswamy is a clinician-scientist neuro-oncologist who epitomizes the bed-to-bench-to-bedside researcher. His pivotal discoveries in paediatric brain tumours are changing the way patients are being evaluated and treated and are paving the way toward a true precision medicine approach to care.
Dr. Rayzel Shulman
Endocrinology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Shulman is a clinician-scientist whose work in Health Services Research aims to optimize the delivery of care to children, adolescents, and young adults with type one diabetes. Her work has provided new information on factors determining complications that are amenable to intervention and can result in improved outcomes for this vulnerable population.
Dr. Sharon Smile
Developmental Paediatrics
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Dr. Smile is an academic clinician who has contributed significantly to improving health care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have an eating disturbance. She is a leader in psychopharmacologic management in children with ASD. She has made significant contributions to anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Dr. Dany Weisz
Neonatology
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Dr. Weisz is an academic clinician Neonatologist who is pioneering and enhancing significant contributions to clinical care, quality improvement, clinical research, education, and training in the burgeoning subspecialty field of Neonatal Hemodynamics and Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography. He is the primary national driver behind the formal accreditation of Neonatal Hemodynamics and Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography as an Area of Focused Competence (Diploma) specialty by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. His leadership as the Director of the Neonatal Hemodynamics and Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography program at Sunnybrook has been accompanied by the formulation of national clinical guidelines, creation of a collaborative global education curriculum, coauthoring national guidelines on the management of hemodynamics-related topics such as patent ductus arteriosus and disseminating the principles and practice of TNE to centers around the world.
Career Development and Compensation Program
The Career Development and Compensation Program (CDCP) uses a peer-review process to:
- enhance the career development of its physicians
- assess the performance of its physicians
- improve the link between a physician’s work and the Department’s overall plan and goals
- link rewards/recognition to the assessment process
References
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Ongoing equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives
- Coffee Chats: Coffee Chats is an informal virtual space to connect, share ideas and provide support to one another in an informal setting. There is no agenda, simply grab your coffee/tea and sign in to the Coffee Chats Teams group to connect. Coffee Chat is offered on a monthly basis.
- Allyship Workshop: Unlocking the Power of Allyship - Becoming an EDI Champion
- Implicit Bias Training
- Process for Inclusive Recruitment
Our EDI team
Dr. Indra Narang, BMEDSci, MBBCH, MD
Associate Chair, Faculty Development and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Victoria Moreno (Pronouns: She/Her)
Program Coordinator, Faculty Development and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Research activities
Research activities in the Department of Paediatrics are led by the Associate Chair of Paediatrics (Research), Dr. Annie Huang and the Research Advisory Committee and leads for Department Research Programs. Research by departmental members is performed within one of 8 disciplinary and interdisciplinary research programs within the Research Institute at SickKids.
All department members who conduct research are cross-appointed to the Research Institute as either a Senior Scientist, Scientist, Senior Associate Scientist, Associate Scientist or Project Investigator.
Information on research activities in the Department of Paediatrics Divisions can be found on each Division’s page.