Yaron Avitzur

Director, Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT)
Medical Director, Joint Program in Intestine Transplantation (UHN and SickKids)
Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Centre

Professor of Paediatrics, University of Toronto

Dr. Yaron Avitzur is a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto and the Medical Director, Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplantation in the Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Centre, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). He is also the Medical Director of the Joint Program in Intestinal Transplantation at University Health Network and SickKids. Dr. Avitzur graduated in medicine from Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University, Israel and completed Paediatric residency at Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel. He was licensed as a Paediatric Gastroenterologist in 2005 after a dual fellowship in Paediatric Gastroenterology and Paediatric Academic Multi-Organ Transplantation (PAMOT) at SickKids.

Dr. Avitzur's clinical and research interest is within the fields of Intestinal Failure and Intestine and Liver Transplantation. His work is focused on the improvement of outcomes and quality of life of his patients through clinical innovation, policy making and international collaborations. Dr. Avitzur is an active contributor and a leader in national and international organizations that lead and develop guidelines and policy in relation to intestinal failure and liver and intestine transplantation.

Research

Dr. Avitzur conducts clinical and translational research in his areas of interest – Intestinal failure and liver and intestine transplantation. He studies long term patient outcomes and innovative treatment approaches in these fields as well as the genotype-phenotype correlations in congenital diarrheas.

Dr. Avitzur established in 2018 and currently leads on behalf of the Intestine Rehabilitation and Transplant Association (IRTA) the International Intestinal Failure Registry, a collaborative worldwide effort to improve the outcome of children with intestinal failure. He is also the Chair of the Clinical Steering committee of an NIH funded North American consortium, PediCODE, that studies Congenital Diarrheas and Enteropathies, promoting the understanding and care of these rare diseases.

Education and experience

• 2020–Present: Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2011–Present: Medical Director, Joint Program in Intestine Transplantation, University Health Network and Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2011–Present: Associate Staff, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Multi-Organ Transplantation Program, University Health network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 2009–Present: Medical Director, Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplantation, Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Centre, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2009–Present: Project Investigator, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2009–Present: Staff Gastroenterologist, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2014–2019: Training Program Director, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2007–2009: Staff, Institute of Gastroenterology, Liver Diseases and Nutrition, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah-Tikva, Israel
• 2005–2007: Staff, Institute of Gastroenterology, Liver Diseases and Nutrition, and Department of Pediatrics “C”, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah-Tikva, Israel
• 2004–2005: Locum Staff, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2001–2004: Clinical Fellow (chief fellow – 2003-2004), Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2000–2001: Staff, Department of Pediatrics “C”, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah-Tikva, Israel
• 1995–2000: Resident, Pediatrics (Chief resident - 1999-2000), Department of Pediatrics “C”, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah-Tikva, Israel
• 1987–1994: MD, Sackler Medical School, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel

Achievements 

• 2021–Present: President-elect, Canadian Liver Transplant Network 
• 2020–Present: Co-Chair, Organizing committee, 12^th International Pediatric Intestinal Failure and Rehabilitation Symposium, Toronto 2022 
• 2020–Present: Member, Editorial Board, Pediatric Transplantation journal
• 2019–Present: Member, Steering committee, Trillium Gift of Life Network, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ontario, Canada 
• 2017–Present: Co-chair, Liver and Small Bowel Transplant Working Group, Trillium Gift of Life Network, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ontario, Canada 
• 2017–Present: Director, International Intestinal Failure Registry, Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplant Association 
• 2015–Present: Member, Board of directors, Ronald McDonald house Charities Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2017–Present: Member, Council, Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplant Association 
• 2015–2018: Chair, Leading Clinical Practices committee, Canadian Society of Transplantation, Canada
• 2013: Subspecialty Teaching Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2012: Junior Faculty Award for Clinical Excellence in Paediatric Medical Care, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

Dr. Avitzur has published more than a 120 peer reviewed papers and book chapters in prominent medical journals and textbooks.

1. Schmidt ML, Wendel D, Horslen SP, Lane ER, Brandão LR, Gottschalk E, Belza C, Courtney-Martin G, Wales PW, Avitzur Y. Secondary Anticoagulation Prophylaxis for Catheter-Related Thrombosis in Pediatric Intestinal Failure: Comparison of Short- Vs Long-Term Treatment Protocols. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2020 Dec 6. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 33616995
2. Avitzur Y, Sandy N. Pediatric Intestine Transplantation – Are We Ready for the Prime Time? Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2020 Nov; 71(5): 584-585. PMID: 33093362 (commentary)
   
3. Kaufman SS, Avitzur Y, Beath SV, Ceulemans LJ Gondolesi GE, Mazariegos GV, Pironi L. New insights into the indications for intestinal transplantation – consensus in the year 2019. Transplantation. 2020 May; 104(4): pp 937-946. PMID: 31815899 
4. Thiagarajah J, Kamin D, Acra S, Goldsmith J, Roland J, Lencer W, Muise A, Goldenring J, Avitzur Y*, Martin, M*, PediCODE consortium.  Advances in evaluation of chronic diarrhea in infants. Gastroenterology. 2018 June; 154(8): pp 2045 -2059. PMID: 29654747
5. Marcus N, Amir AZ, Grunebaum E, Dipchand A, Hebert D, Ng VL, Walters T, Avitzur Y. De Novo allergy and immune-mediated disorders following solid-organ transplantation-prevalence, natural history, and risk factors. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2018 May; 196: pp 154 – 60.  PMID: 29395171  

See a full list of Dr. Avitzur's publications

Funding

• 2019–2024: Co-Investigator (Chair – Clinical Steering Committee). Congenital Diarrhea and Enteropathy (PediCODE) Consortium and BioRepository. NIDDK RC2, PI’s: Goldenring J, Lencer W, Martin M, Muise A. $8,778,093 USD (Grant # 1RC2DK118640-01A1; Sept 15, 2019)
  Description: Multi-center, multi-national consortium to study the phenotype, genotype and biology of congenital diarrheas.
• 2019–2023: Co-Applicant. Defining and targeting autoimmune liver disease. CIHR team grant, PI’s: MacParland S, Bader G, Feld J, McGilvray I. $1,600,000 CAD (Grant #424494), November 28, 2019.
  Description: Team grant to study the immune landscape of autoimmune liver disease