Benjamin Steinberg

Scientist-track Investigator
Neurosciences and Mental Health

Dr. Steinberg is a paediatric anesthesiologist and neuroscientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). His research aims to understand how the nervous system and immune system interact to control inflammation and pain responses. This work forms the basis for developing diagnostic and therapeutic tools that target the nervous system to treat inflammatory diseases. His clinical research interests include advanced patient monitoring and perioperative outcomes. 

Research

The Steinberg Lab investigates fundamental interactions between the nervous system and immune system. This work aims to better understand how the body’s nervous system monitors and controls inflammation. Direct cellular communication between neurons and immune cells allows the nervous system to modify how the immune system behaves in diseases such as sepsis, pain, and heart failure.

A better understanding of the interaction between the nervous and immune systems can help start to build therapeutics that target the nervous system to diagnose and treat inflammation-driven illnesses. This bioelectronic approach has the potential to impact on a variety of clinically important diseases in both adult and pediatric populations.  

Education and experience

• 2018–Present: Physician, Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2018–Present: Scientist-track Investigator, Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2017–2018: Clinical fellow, Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2013–2015: Post-doctoral research fellow, Clinician Investigator Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2013–2014: Visiting scientist, Department of Biomedical Research, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
• 2005–2009: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2003–2011: Medical Doctor (MD), Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON

1. Goldenberg NM, Rabinovitch M &Steinberg BE. The inflammatory basis of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Anesthesiology. 2019; 131(4):898-907. 
2. Goldenberg NM, Hu Y, Hu X,VolchukA, Zhao YD, de Perrot M, Tracey KJ, Al-Abed Y, Steinberg BE* & Kuebler WM*. Therapeutic targeting of high mobility group box-1 in pulmonary arterial hypertension. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2019; 199(12):1566-1569.
3. Cox MA, Duncan GS, Lin GHY,Steinberg BE, Yu LX, Brenner D, Buckler LN, Elia AJ,Wakeham AC, Neiman B, Dominguez-Brauer C, Elford AR, Gill KT, Kubli SP, Haight J, Berger T, Ohashi PS, Tracey KJ, Olofsson PS & Mak   Choline acetyltransferase-expressing T cells are required to control chronic viral infection. Science. 2019; 363(6427):639-644. 
4. Steinberg BE*, Silverman HA*.Robbiati S*, Gunasekaran MK, Tsaava T, Battinelli E, Stiegler A, Bouton C, Chavan SS, Tracey KJ & Huerta PT.  Cytokine-specific neurograms in the sensory vagus nerve. Bioelectronic Medicine. 2016; 7-17. 
5. OlofssonPS, Steinberg BE, Sobbi R, Cox MA, Ahmed MN, Oswald O Szekeres F, Hanes WM, Introini A, Liu SF, Holodick NE, Rothstein TL, Lövdahl C, Chavan SS, Yang H, Pavlov VA, Broliden K, Andersson U, Diamond B, Miller EJ, Arner A, Gregersen PK, Backx PH, Mak TW & Tracey KJ. Blood pressure regulation by CD4+ lymphocytes expressing choline acetyltransferase. Nature Biotechnology. 2016; 34(10):1066-1071.