Yaron Finkelstein

Staff Physician
Divisions of Paediatric Emergency Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology

Dr. Finkelstein is a Professor of Paediatrics, Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto.

He graduated from Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel, with thesis honors and completed paediatrics residency at Schneider Children’s Medical Center, where he then served as Associate Department Chief. Following Medical Toxicology training at the Chicago Toxikon, University of Illinois (2002) and a fellowship in Paediatric Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (2004-2007) and Emergency Medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children, he joined on the hospital’s staff. He is board-certified in Clinical Pharmacology (American Board of Clinical Pharmacology, 2007), and is an appointed Senior Associate Scientist in the Research Institute (Child Health Evaluative Sciences). Between 2008 & 2010, he was appointed an adjunct/visiting Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Boston.

Education and experience

• 2007: Physician, Pediatric Emergency Medicine (primary) and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2007: Specialist Certification, Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2007: Specialist in Clinical Pharmacology Certification, American Board of Clinical Pharmacology (ABCP), USA
• 2002: Visiting Scholar, Medical Toxicology, Chicago Toxikon University, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL, USA
• 1986–1994: Doctor of Medicine, (M.D), Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
• 1986–1993: Bachelor of Sciences, Medicine (BSc. Medicine), Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
• 1984–1985: Human Genetics, Department of Genetics, Tel Aviv Open University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Completed with honors

Research

Dr. Finkelstein’s main research focus is in paediatric therapeutics in acute-care settings. His long-term goal is optimization of drug safety, especially of highly toxic drugs and poisoning management and prevention in children.

Using cutting-edge methodologies in pharmacometrics, adverse drug-reaction analysis, translational research, pharmacogenetics and epidemiological/toxico-surveillance tools, he strives to enhance effective and safe drug delivery to children with an emphasis on emergency and acute care settings. Dr. Finkelstein has also made significant contributions to the understanding and prevention of pediatric poisonings, both accidental and deliberate.

Achievements

• 2020: Physician Researcher Award for Scientific Accomplishment, The Hospital for Sick Children 
• 2017–2020: “Thought Leader” NIH’s Pediatric Trials Network- “Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act” studies 
• 2019: Chief Medical Officer for National Institute of Health (NIH) Pediatric Trials Network to Health Canada, U.S.  
• 2018: American Pediatric Associations (APA) Presidential Plenary Award- Senior Investigator, Pediatric Academic Societies 
• 2018: Member, National Task Force on Paediatric Drugs and Therapeutics, Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) 
• 2018: Invited member, Canadian Paediatric Society & Goodman Family Center for Pediatric Formulations National Task Force on Medications and Formulations. 
• 2017: Member, Federal Ministerial roundtable task force on prescription opioids in Canada, by Hon. Federal Minister of Health, Jane Philpott; National Health Leadership Conference, Vancouver, BC 
• 2015: Best Pediatric Academic Societies Abstract Award, American Academy of Pediatrics  
• 2015: Fellowship, American College of Medical Toxicology (FACMT)  
• 2013: American College of Medical Toxicology Service Award for Outstanding Contribution in Medical Toxicology Research, American College of Medical Toxicology 
• 2013: Junior Faculty Research Award, University of Toronto 
• 2013: Award for Scholarship/Evidence-based practice, The Hospital for Sick Children 
• 2012: Ronald D. Mann Award, International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) and Wiley-Blackwell 
• 2012: House of Delegates-SickKids Medical Staff Association (MSA) representative, Physicians’ Services Incorporated (P.S.I.) 
• 2009: Excellence in Research Award, The Hospital for Sick Children 

1. A Randomized Trial Evaluating Virus-Specific Effects of a Combination Probiotic in Children with Acute Gastroenteritis. S.B. Freedman, J Xie, A Nettel-Aguirre, X Pang, L Chui, S Williamson-Urquhart, D Schnadower, S Schuh, P Sherman, B Lee, S Gouin, K.J. Farion, N Poonai, K Hurley, Y Qiu, B Ghandi, C Lloyd, Y Finkelstein. Nat Commun. 2020 May 21;11(1):2533. 
   
2. Multicenter Trial of a Combination Probiotic for Children with Gastroenteritis. Freedman SB, Williamson-Urquhart S, Farion KJ, Gouin S, Willan AR, Poonai N, Hurley K, Sherman PM, Finkelstein Y, Lee BE, Pang XL, Chui L, Schnadower D, Xie J, Gorelick M, Schuh S; PERC PROGUT Trial Group. New England Journal of Medicine. 2018 Nov 22;379(21):2015-2026.
3. Long-term outcomes following self-poisoning in adolescents: A population-based cohort study. Y. Finkelstein, EM. Macdonald, S. Hollands, ML. Sivilotti, JR. Hutson, MM. Mamdani, G. Koren, DN. Juurlink; Canadian Drug Safety and Effectiveness Research Network CDSERN). Lancet Psychiatry 2015 June; 2(6), 532-539.
4. Risk of Suicide Following Deliberate Self-poisoning. Y. Finkelstein, EM. Macdonald, S. Hollands, ML. Sivilotti, JR. Hutson, MM. Mamdani, G. Koren, DN. Juurlink; Canadian Drug Safety and Effectiveness Research Network (CDSERN). JAMA Psychiatry. 2015 Jun; 72 (6):570-5.
5. Recurrence and mortality following severe cutaneous adverse reactions. Finkelstein Y, Macdonald EM, Li P, Hutson JR, Juurlink DN. JAMA- Journal of the American Medical Association. 2014 Jun 4; 311(21): pp 2231-2.   

See a full list of Yaron Finklestein's publications