Ronald Laxer

Project Director

Dr. Ronald Laxer is an active staff physician in the Division of Rheumatology, and was an inaugural Division Head. He is internationally recognized in the field of autoinflammatory disease, and has been a part of genetic discoveries of several new autoinflammatory diseases.

He is a co-editor of the Textbook of Autoinflammation and the Textbook of Paediatric Rheumatology. He has received many prestigious accolades from his patients, students, and colleagues in recognition of his clinical and teaching excellence, and his compassion and caring for patients.

Education

• 1972: Diploma, Collegiate Studies, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
• 1977: M.D., C.M., McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

Experience

• 1984–2016: Paediatric Consultant, The Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1984–present: Staff Rheumatologist, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1984–1989: Acting Head, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1990–1996: Head, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1996–2002: Associate Paediatrician-in-Chief, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Vice-chair (clinical), Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
• 2003–2006: Vice-President, Clinical and Academic Affairs, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2006– 2007: Vice-President, Education and Quality, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2008–2009: Vice-President, Medical and Academic Affairs, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2008–2016: Temporary Courtesy Privileges, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2016–present: Consultant, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada

Achievements

• 1986: Harry Bain Award (excellence in Clinical Teaching), The University of Toronto Department of Paediatrics
• 1994: Harry Bain Award (excellence in Clinical Teaching), The University of Toronto Department of Paediatrics
• 1998: Humanitarian Claus Wirsig Award of the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2000: Richard Rowe Award for Clinical Excellence from The University of Toronto Department of Paediatrics and The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2009: American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Clinician-Scholar Award, Atlanta, GA, USA
• 2001: College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario Council Award
• 2010: American Academy of Pediatrics James T. Cassidy Award. USA.
• 2011: POWER Teaching Award, University of Toronto, Department of Paediatrics, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2016: Distinguished Rheumatologist Award, Canadian Rheumatology Association, Canada
• 2016: POWER Teaching Award, University of Toronto, Department of Paediatrics, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2017: Dafna Gladman Award, University of Toronto, Department of Paediatrics, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2018: Janet Rossant Award
• 2018: Chair, Paediatrics Committee, Canadian Rheumatology Association
• 2019: American College of Rheumatology Master Designation Award, American College of Rheumatology, Atlanta, GA, USA
• 2020: CRA Master Award, Canadian Rheumatology Association, Canada
• 2020: Appointed to Covid-19 Government of Canada Task Force addressing gaps related to Care for Children
• 2023: POWER Teaching Award, University of Toronto, Department of Paediatrics, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2023: Dr. Denis Daneman Faculty Mentorship Award, University of Toronto, Department of Paediatrics, Toronto, ON, Canada

1. Canna SW, de Jesus AA, Gouni S, Brooks SR, Marrero B, Liu Y, DiMattia MA, Zaal KJ, Sanchez GA, Kim H, Chapelle D, Plass N, Huang Y,Villarino AV, Biancotto A, Fleisher TA, Duncan JA, O'Shea JJ, Benseler S, Grom A, Deng Z, Laxer RM, Goldbach-Mansky R. An activating NLRC4 inflammasome mutation causes autoinflammation with recurrent macrophage activation syndrome. Nat Genet. 2014 Oct; 46(10):1140-6 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28403691/
2. Zhou Q, Wang H, Schwartz DM, Stoffels M, Park YH, Zhang Y, Yang D, Demirkaya E, Takeuchi m, Tsai WL, Lyons JJ, Yu X, Ouyang C, Chen C, Chin DT, Zaal K, Chandrasekharappa SC, Hanson E, Yu Z, Mullikin JC, Hasni SA, Wertz IE, Ombrello AK, Stone DL, Hoffmann P, Jones A, Barham MK, Leavis HL, van Royen-Kerkof A, Sibley C, Batu ED, Gul A, Siegel RM, Boehm M, Milner JD, Ozen S, Gadina M, Chae J, Laxer RM, Kastner Dl, Aksentijevich I. Loss-of-function mutations in TNFAIP3 leading to A20 haploinsufficiency cause an early-onset autoinflammatory disease. Nat Genet. 2016 Jan;48(1): pp 67-73
3. Zhao Y, Wu EY, Oliver MS, Cooper AM, Basiaga ML, Vora SS, Lee TC, Fox E, Amarilya G, Stern SM, Dvergsten JA, Haines KA, Rouster-Stevens KA, Onel KB, Cherian J, Hausmann JS, Miettunen P, Cellucci T, Nuruzzaman F, Taneja A, Barron KS, Hollander MC, Lapidus SK, Li SC, Ozen S, Girshick H, Laxer RM, Dedeoglu F, Hedrich CM, Ferguson PJ, The CNO/CRMO study group and the CARRA SVARD subcommittee. Consensus Treatment Plans for Chronic Nonbacterial Osteomyelitis Refractory to Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and/or with Active Spinal Lesions. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018 Aug;70(8):1228-1237
4. Ravelli A, Consolaro A, Horneff G, Laxer R, Lovell DJ, Wulffraat N, Akikusa J, Al-Mayouf S, Antón J, Avcin T, Berard RA, Beresford MW, Burgos-Vargas R, Cimaz R, De Benedetti F, Demirkaya E, Foell D, Lahdenne P, Morgan E, Quartier P, Ruperto N, Russo R, Magalhães CS, Sawhney S, Scott C, Shenoi S, Swart J, Uziel Y, Vastert B, Yasuhiko I, Smolen JS. Treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis to target: recommendations of an International task force. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018 Jun;77(6):819-828
5. Aeschlimann FA, Batu ED, Canna SW, Go E, Gul A, Hoffmann P, Leavis HL, Ozen S, Schwartz DM, Stone DL, van Royen-Kerkof, Aksentijevich I, Kastner D, Laxer RM. A20 haploinsufficiency (HA20): Clinical phenotypes and disease course of patients with a newly recognized NF-kB mediated autoinflammatory disease. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018 May;77(5):728-735.