Michael Zappitelli

Staff Physician
Division of Nephrology

Chair Positions

Co-Chair, SPOR Can-SOLVE CKD Pediatrics Committee

Co-Chair, Safety Review Board Eloxx Pharmaceuticals

Chair, Data Safety Monitoring Board, Cytopheryx Inc.

Co-Chair, Scholarly Activities Committee of the Faculty Development Committee (SickKids)

Dr. Zappitelli trained in Paediatrics at the University of Alberta and McGill University. He completed his Pediatric Nephrology training and Master’s in Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University, followed by post-doctoral research fellowship (funded by KRESCENT) at Texas Children’s Hospital (USA). He was Assistant and then Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Dialysis and Apheresis at the Montreal Children’s Hospital from 2007-2017. During this time, Michael was funded for research salary support by the Fonds de Recherche du Quebec-Sante and by the KRESCENT New Investigator award. In 2018, he transferred to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) to continue his research program. He has a lab of 15 staff, has had continuous grant funding throughout his career, is involved in national and international speaking and committee work and particularly enjoys supervising early and advanced trainees in research.

Research

Dr. Zappitelli’s research includes acute kidney injury (AKI) in children. AKI mostly occurs in hospitalized patients and must be better understood to detect the disease earlier, lessen the most serious risks and improve patients’ long-term health. His clinical research laboratory is characterizing this disease by evaluating definitions and performing studies to assess the effect of AKI on various outcomes in several diagnostic populations. Included are patients on nephrotoxic medications, patients undergoing cardiac surgery and critically ill patients. Recent studies examine the long-term outcomes of AKI in cardiac and non-cardiac critically ill patients and in children treated for cancer with cisplatin. The overarching aim is to evaluate whether AKI is a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and whether new AKI biomarkers of renal tubular damage can be used to better diagnose patients at risk of CKD. Other ongoing projects include pediatric hypertension, cardiovascular disease and using administrative healthcare data to study paediatric kidney disease

Education

• 2005–2007: Post-doctorate, post-graduate medical fellowship, Pediatric Critical Care, Baylor College of Medicine, USA 
• 2005–2007: Post-doctorate, Nephrology, Baylor College of Medicine, USA 
• 2003–2006: Masters, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, QC 
• 2003–2005: Post-doctorate, post-graduate medical education, Pediatric Nephrology, McGill University, Montreal, QC 
• 2000–2003: Post-doctorate, post-graduate medical education, General Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, QC 
• 1995–2000: Doctorate, Undergraduate medical education, McGill University, Montreal, QC 

Experience 

• 2018–Present: Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids, Toronto, ON 
• 2018–Present: Staff Nephrologist, Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON 
• 2018–Present: Associate Professor, Paediatrics, Medicine, University of Toronto, ON 
• 2018–Present: Adjunct Professor, Paediatrics, Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC

1. McMahon K, Zappitelli M, et al. Epidemiologic Characteristics of Acute Kidney Injury During Cisplatin Infusions in Children Treated for Cancer. JAMA Network Open. 2020 May 1;3(5):e203639. 
2. Benisty K, Zappitelli M, et al. Kidney and blood pressure abnormalities 6 years after acute kidney injury in critically ill children: a prospective cohort study. Pediatr Res. 2020 Jan 2. 
3. Hessey E, Zappitelli M, et al. Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Children and Subsequent Chronic Kidney Disease. Can J Kidney Health Dis. 2019 Oct 14;6:2054358119880188. 
4. Hessey E, Zappitelli M, et al. Healthcare Utilization After Acute Kidney Injury in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Clin J Am Soc. 2018 May 7;13(5):685-692. 
5. Greenberg J, Zappitelli M, et al. Kidney Injury Biomarkers 5 Years after AKI due to Pediatric Cardiac Surgery. Pediatr Nephrol. 2018 Jun: 33(6): 1069-1077. 

Funding

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) 
• National Institute of Health (NIH) 
• Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC)  
• Fonds de recherche du Quebec (FRQS)