Mark Palmert

Title: Associate Chair, Outpatient, Department of Paediatrics

Designations: MD, PhD

Phone: 416-813-6188

Fax: 416-813-6304

Alternate Contact Name: Hanna Stackhouse

Alternate Email: hanna.stackhouse@sickkids.ca

U of T Positions: Professor, Departments of Paediatrics and Physiology

Other Positions: Staff Physician, Division of Endocrinology

Research Positions

Senior Associate Scientist
Genetics and Genome Biology

Biography

Dr. Mark R. Palmert joined the Department of Paediatrics as Head of the Division of Endocrinology in September 2007 and held the role until March 2018, when he assumed the role of Associate Chair of Paediatrics for Ambulatory Care. Palmert graduated the Medical Scientist Training Program at Case Western Reserve University with an MD and PhD in 1992.

He trained in paediatrics and paediatric endocrinology at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Palmert provides care for children with diabetes mellitus and general endocrine disorders, with a particular interest in reproductive endocrinology including disorders of pubertal development and care of transgender youth.

Research

Dr. Palmert has a long-standing interest in the regulation and disorders of pubertal timing. He has conducted clinical studies of precocious and delayed puberty and in parallel has directed a laboratory-based program designed to identify and understand genetic factors that regulate the onset of puberty.

His interest in the regulation of pubertal timing and in male-female differences in its onset has led to the expansion of his laboratory-based program to include investigation of the bases of sex differences in the brain, including examination of the effects of sex steroids and sex chromosomes on brain structure and function.

In the clinical realm, Dr. Palmert has conducted research focused on improving outcomes of youth with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, improving the care of transgender adolescents, and optimizing the use of resources and diagnostic tests within the endocrine clinics.

Education and experience

1985–1992: MD and PhD, Case Western Reserve University of Medicine, Cleveland, U.S.
1992–1995: Resident, Paediatric Training Program, Children’s Hospital, Boston, U.S.
1995–1996: Chief Resident, Paediatric Training Program, Children’s Hospital, Boston, U.S.
1996–1999: Fellow, Paediatric Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital, Boston, U.S.
1999–2001: Attending in Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital, Boston, U.S.
2001–2007: Attending in Paediatric Endocrinology, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, U.S.
2007–Present: Staff Physician, Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario
2007–Present: Senior Associate Scientist, Research Institute Genetics & Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario
2007–Present: Professor, Paediatrics & Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
2007–2018: Head, Division of Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario
2017–Present: Associate Chair of Paediatrics, Ambulatory Care, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario

Achievements

2011–2013: Elected President, Canadian Paediatric Endocrine Group, Canada
2012–2015: Elected to Board of Directors, Paediatric Endocrine Society (formerly LWPES), USA
2014: Choice Awards: Service Provider of the Year from Planned Parenthood Toronto awarded to the Transgender Youth Clinic, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2014: 8th Annual Dr. Noni MacDonald Award, Canadian Pediatrics Society, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Given to one article published each year by Paediatrics & Child Health that made an important contribution to paediatric practice; awarded to collaborative group for work on new growth charts for Canada

Publications

See a full list of Mark Palmert's publications

Oct. 2018–Sept. 2023: Co-Investigator. Brain Function and Connectomics Following Sex Hormone Treatment in Adolescents Experiencing Gender Dysphoria. Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). Principal Applicants: VanderLaan DP and Lai M-C. Co-Investigators: Palmert MR, Cantor J, Chakravarty M, Lobaugh N, Skorska M. $650,250 CAD over 5 years.
April 2018–March 2020: Co-Investigator. Sex-dependent effects of cranial radiation in the developing brain. Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). Catalyst Grant. Sex as a Variable in Biomedical or Translational Research. Principal Applicant: Nieman BJ. Co-Investigators: Lerch J, Palmert MR, Wong S. $149,950 CAD over two years.
April 2018–March 2023: Co-Lead of Endocrine Platform. Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders Network (POND). Ontario Brain Institute. Principal Applicant: Anagnostou E. Executive Committee: Crosbie J, Georgiades S, Kelley E, Lerch JP, Liu X, Nicolson R, Schachar R, Scherer S, Szatmari P. Co-Applicant: Lai MC, Palmert MR, Weksberg R, Foster J. Total $13,000,000 CAD over five years; Endocrine Platform $200,000 CAD over five years.
April 2018–March 2021: Co-Investigator. The impact of gestational diabetes on offspring epigenome, adiposity, and cardiometabolic risk factors. The Heart and Stroke Foundation. Principal Applicant: Hamilton JK. Co-Investigators: Butcher D, Weksberg R, Retnakarna R, Hanley A, Palmert MR, Connelly P. $289,917 CAD
Oct. 2017–Sept. 2020: Co-Investigator. Bridging the gap to prevent adverse events between pediatric and adult diabetes care. Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator Grant in Maternal, Reproductive, Child and Youth Health. Principal Applicants: Shulman R, Shah B, Ivers N. Co-Investigators: Palmert MR, Sultan R. Collaborators: Landry A, Clarson C, Punthakee Z, Harrington J, Zenlea I. $225,000 CAD over four years.
Aug. 2017–Aug. 2020: Principal Investigator. iSpy: A carbohydrate counting smartphone app for youth with type 1 diabetes. Physician’s Services Incorporated (PSI) Foundation. Principal Investigator: Palmert MR. Co-Principal Investigator: Stinson J. Co-Investigators: Alfonsi J, Choi E, Pais V. $106,000 CAD
April 2017–March 2028: Lead, Child Reproductive/Endocrine Component of Full Study; Study Site Co-Principal Investigator. Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals: Pubertal Timing, Endocrine and Metabolic Function (MIREC-ENDO). Health Canada. Nine Centre Collaborative Trial. Principal Investigators: Arbuckle T, Fraser W. Full budget through March 2028 $15,569,109 CAD. Phase 1 budget, April 2017-March 2021, $6,686,856 CAD; Phase 1 funds to HSC $408,024 CAD.
July 2016–June 2021: Co-Investigator. Transgender youth in clinical care: A pan-Canadian cohort study of medical, social, and family outcomes. Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). Principal Applicants: Bauer GR, Lawson ML. Co-Investigators: Bonifacio HJ, Couch R, Ducharme JL, Feder SH, Ghosh S, Gillis L, Holmes CL, Johnson NI, Carys M, Metzger DL, Mokashi AS, Pacaud D, Palmert MR, Pullen S, Annie M, Pyne J, Raiche J, Speechley KN, Susset F, Vandermeulen JA, Vandermorris A. $1,170,000 CAD over 5 years.

Division of Endocrinology

We're a strong interdisciplinary team specializing in endocrinology and diabetes.