Thomas Walters

After completing his Paediatrics training in Perth, Western Australia, Dr. Walters moved to Toronto, Canada where he completed his training in Clinical Paediatric Gastroenterology at The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, along with an additional fellowship in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease and post-graduate training in Clinical Epidemiology, Measurement Methodology, Trial Design, Genetic and Bio-Statistics. In 2010 Walters was promoted to Full Faculty. He spends the majority of his day engaged in the clinical care of children and adolescents with IBD. He has a broad range of clinical research interests related to the aetiology, manifestations and outcomes in children and adolescents with IBD. He has also developed and directed the data management and collection platforms for numerous National and International Paediatric IBD Clinical research groups, most recently the Canadian Children IBD Network: A Joint Partnership of CIHR and the Ch.I.L.D Foundation (CIDsCaNN).

Walters has authored numerous manuscripts and book chapters on a variety of IBD specific topics, and he regularly leads educational programs throughout the world related to improving the clinical care of children and adolescents with IBD.

Research

Walters has a broad range of clinical research interests related to phenotyping, genetics and longitudinal therapeutic outcomes in children and adolescents with IBD. He is a recognized expert in the analysis of growth impairment related to IBD. Walters also has extensive experience in developing data management systems and collection platforms; and is the founding Director of the Data Co-ordinating Centre for PRO-KIIDS, a multi-centre Paediatric IBD Research Network fully funded by the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America; NEOPICS - an international collaborative originating from SickKids Toronto investigating IBD in the very young; IMAGEKIDS - an international multi-centre study developing standardized reporting tools for MR enterography in Paediatric IBD, and the Canadian Children IBD network: a joint partnership of CIHR and the CH.I.L.D. Foundation – a national network involving 12 paediatric IBD centers across Canada supporting clinical and research endeavors on paediatric IBD (CIDsCaNN).

Walters’ combined background in clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, database design and management has resulted in him leading the development of a number of data platforms in North America and internationally that support numerous ongoing multicenter clinical research endeavors in Paediatric IBD. Walters brings a unique combination of clinical, analytical and software expertise to the group, along with an extensive personal experience in successfully designing and implementing Data management systems across multicenter clinical research networks. He is the Director of our National Co-ordinating Centre, and a member of the National Management Committee.

Education

• 2005–2011: M.Sc. in Clinical Epidemiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2004–2010: Clinical Research Fellow in Paediatric IBD, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2003–2004: Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Gastroenterology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2002–2003: Fellow in Paediatric Gastroenterology, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, WA, Australia
• 1996–2002: Paediatric Residency, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, WA, Australia & RHSC, Yorkhill, Glasgow, Scotland (1997-1998)
• 1987–1992: MBBS, University of Western Australia, WA, Australia

Experience

• 2019: Invited MSA Representative, General Surgery Review, Medical Staff Association, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2018–present: Associate Professor, Status-Only Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2018–present: Invited Physician Epic Physician Advisory Committee (PAC), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2018: Invited Staff Editor, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Chapter, The Hospital for Sick Children Handbook of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2017: Invited Member, Grant Review Committee, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada (CCC), Canada
• 2016: Invited Member (Reviewer), Stage 1 1st Live Pilot Competition, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada
• 2016–present: Founding Member, Data Safety and Monitoring Board, Pediatric Fecal Transplant for Ulcerative Colitis (PediFETCh)
• 2016–present: Member, Quality Steering Committee, Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (PIBD)
• 2016–present: Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, ON
• 2015–present: Associate (Restricted) Member, School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2015–2018: Assistant Professor, Status-Only, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2014–present: Invited Member, AbbVie IBD Scholarship Selection Committee, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada, Toronto, ON
• 2013–present: Director, National Data Co-ordinating Centre, The Canadian Children Inflammatory Bowel Disease Network: A Joint Partnership of CIHR and the CH.I.L.D. Foundation (CIDsCaNN)
• 2013–present: Founding Member, National Management Committee, The Canadian Children Inflammatory Bowel Disease Network: A Joint Partnership of CIHR and the C.H.I.L.D. Foundation (CIDsCaNN)
• 2011–present: Project Investigator, Clinical Research Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2010–2016: Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, ON
• 2010–present: Staff Gastroenterologist, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2010–present: Physician Director GI Endoscopy Program, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON

Achievements

• 2018: Citizen of the Year Award for outstanding leadership of the GHN EPIC Project, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2017: The Fellows Award for Teaching and Mentorship, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2016: Continuing Medical Education Award for Excellence in Course Co-ordination, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2014: Best Clinical Research Paper 2013, Principal Author, Second Annual Discovery Forum, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2014: Dr. R.H.A. Haslam Preclerkship Teaching Award for Excellence in Preclerkship Teaching, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2013: The Fellows Award for Teaching and Mentorship, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2012: Sub-specialty Teaching Award, Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON
• 2009: Richard Hamilton Award, Inaugural Recipient, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2007: Claire Bombardier Award, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON

1. Crowley E, Warner N, Pan J, Khalouei S, Elkadri A, Fiedler K, Foong J, Turnisky AL, Bronte-Tinkew D, Zahang S, Hu J, Tian D, Li D, regeneron Genetics Center, Horowitz J, Siddiqui I, Upton J, Roifman CM, Church PC, Wall DA, Ramani AK, Kotlarz D, Klein C, Hulig H, Snapper SB, Gonzaga-Jauregui C, Paterson A, McGovern DPB, Brudno M, Walters TD, Griffiths AM, Muise AM. Prevalence and clinical features of inflammatory bowel diseases associated with monogenic variants, identified by whole-exome sequencing in 1000 children at a single centre.  Gastroenterology. June 2020:158(8): 2208-2220. 
2. Marigorta UM, Denson LA, Hyams JS, Mondal K, Prince J, Walters TD, Griffiths AM, Noe JD, Crandall WV, Rosh JR, Mack DR, Kellermayer R, Heyman MB, Baker SS, Stephens MC, Baldassano RN, Markowitz JF, Kim MO, Dubinsky MC, Cho K, Aronow BJ, Kugathasan S, Gibson G. Transcriptional risk scores link GWAS to eQTLS and predict complications in Crohn’s disease. Nature Genetics. Oct 2017: 49(10): 1517-1521.
3. Kugathasan S*, Denson LA*, Walters TD*, Kim M-O, Marigorta UM, Schirmer M, Mondal K, Liu C, Griffiths A, Noe JD, Crandall WV, Snapper S, Rabizadeh S, Rosh JR, Shapiro JM, Guthery S, Mack DR, Kellermayer R, Kappelman MD, Steiner S, Moulton DE, Keljo D, Cohen S, Olivar-Hemker M, Heyman MB, Otley AR, Baker SS, Evans JS, Kirshner BS, Patel AS, Ziring D, Trapnell BC, Sylvester FA, Stephens MC, Baldassano RN, Markowitz JF, Cho J, Xavier R, Huttenhower C, Aronow BJ, Gibson G, Hyams JS, Dubinsky M. Prediction of complicated disease course for children newly diagnosed with Crohn’s disease: a multicenter inception cohort study. Lancet. Apr 2017: 389(10080): 1710-1718. (* equally contributed)
4. Walters TD, Kim M, Denson LA, Griffiths AM, Dubinsky M, Markowitz J, Baldassano R, Crandall W, Rosh J, Pfefferkorn M, Otley A, Heyman MB, Leleiko N, Baker S, Guthery SL, Evans J, Ziring D, Kellermayer R, Stephens M, Mack D, Oliva-Hemker M, Patel AS, Kirschner B, Moulton D, Cohen S, Kim S, Liu C, Essers J, Kugathasan S, Hyams JS. Increased effectiveness of early therapy with anti-tumor necrosis factor-α vs an immunomodulator in children with Crohn's disease. Gastroenterology Feb 2014: 146(2): 383-391. 
5. Haberman Y, Tickle TL, Dexheimer PJ, Kim MO, Tang D, Karns R, Baldassano RN, Noe JD, Rosh J, Markowitz J, Heyman MB, Griffiths AM, Crandall WV, Mack DR, Baker SS, Huttenhower C, Keljo DJ, Hyams JS, Kugathasan S, Walters TD, Aronow B, Xavier RJ, Gevers D, Denson LA. Pediatric Crohn disease patients exhibit specific ileal transcriptome and microbiome signature. Journal of Clinical Investigation Aug 2014: 124(8): 3617-3633. Corrigendum, Mar 2015: 125(3): 1363. 

View a full list of Thomas Walters' publications