Department of Paediatrics
Dr. Meredith Irwin, MD
Paediatrician-in-Chief
The Department of Paediatrics consists of multifaceted programs of national and international significance and supports the mission and goals of SickKids. Our goal is to continuously evolve as one of the world's leading academic departments of paediatrics, focusing on excellence in clinical care, training the next generation of paediatric health care professionals, and generating new knowledge through cutting edge research and creative professional activities.
Learn more about the many accomplishments within the Department of Paediatrics by viewing our latest Annual Report.
We share the SickKids vision, Healthier Children, A Better World. Information regarding the many areas of focus within the Department of Paediatrics can be found by accessing the links below.
The Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto plays a major role in the organization of the learning experiences in paediatrics for medical students.
Executive Director, Paediatric Operations
Associate Chair, Clinical
Associate Chair, Research
Associate Chair, Faculty Development and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Associate Chair, Outpatient
Associate Chair, Education
Associate Chief, Clinical Research, RI
Strategic Plan
As the Department of Paediatrics looks ahead to the next five years, one of the most essential ingredients to ensure we realize positive impact and remain
vigilantly focused will be our strategic plan.
This committee, under the direction Dr. Indra Narang, supports faculty members through the areas of career development in:
- Teaching/education skills
- Research and clinical care skills
- Mentorship
- Work life balance
- Assistance with CDCP/triennial review
- Career counseling
- Academic leave/retirement planning and promotions
Terms of Reference
- To enhance excellence in teaching and educational endeavours.
- To increase recognition of educational activities.
- To develop and subsequently review core competencies on an annual basis core competencies and outcome measures for the teaching and educational components of the clinician-teacher and clinician-educator job activity profiles.
- To develop an appropriate mechanism whereby members of the Department of Paediatrics will be evaluated according to the criteria developed under number 3 on an annual basis.
- To assist in developing individual faculty member's roles as clinician-teachers and clinician-educators including maintaining a mentoring process.
- To encourage, promote and coordinate faculty development for all aspects of teaching in the Department of Paediatrics.
- To work collaboratively to promote educational research in the Department.
- To foster liaisons with other groups with shared educational interests.
- To make recommendations to the Chair with regard to necessary educational infrastructure and the resources required for this infrastructure development.
- To advise the Chair on matters pertinent to education within the Department.
- To develop from time to time as required a task force/ad hoc groups to review specific issues and report to the committee.
Members
- Adelle Atkinson
- Mark Feldman
- Karen Leslie
- Tina Martimianakis
- Jonathan Pirie
- Angela Punnett
- Lisa Robinson
- Rayfel Schneider
- Michelle Shouldice
- Victoria Snell
- Catharine Walsh
- Shelly Weiss
- Brie Yama
Subcommittee
Faculty Development is a subcommittee of the MEAC.
Global Objectives
To develop an innovative and dynamic academic workforce by identifying and cultivating and supporting talent in research.
Responsibilities
The role of all Research Advisory Council (RAC) members is to serve in an advisory capacity to the Department of Paediatrics Chair on strategies and ideas focused on building and sustaining an innovative and dynamic research agenda in the Department of Paediatrics. These include strategies to train, retain, and recruit investigators/scientists in areas of gap and in emerging areas of clinical and bio-medical science that are aligned and responsive to strategies priorities at The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto.
Members
Grants
Creative Professional Activity Grant
The Creative Professional Activity grant competition was introduced in 2005 to encourage and promote the clinical academic scholarship activity and careers of the members of the Department of Paediatrics at SickKids.
The competition is open to all clinical departmental faculty, priority being given to junior faculty whose roles involve a significant amount of clinical time. Faculty are encouraged to submit innovative research approaches to improving the scholarly care of patients, as well as clinically relevant projects that will have a direct impact on better care for our patients and families.
Successful grant winners over the last decade have a strong record of publishing their work in high impact peer-reviewed journals, presenting nationally and internationally and leading to external funding for further work in the area of study. Importantly these projects have also resulted in many rapid innovations in models of care and advances in practice with a direct impact on children at SickKids and elsewhere.
Paediatrics Consultants Education Grant
Dr. Tina Martimianakis, Director of Medical Education and Scholarship, together with the ESEC committee oversee internal educational grant competitions, including the Paediatric Consultants Medical Education Research & Innovation Grants. All applications undergo a rigorous adjudication process that includes formative feedback and optional resubmission. This approach strengthens proposal quality and aligns with the department’s mentorship priorities by offering coaching and consultation throughout the grant development process.
The Paeds Consultants Education Grant offers two streams:
Education Research Grant:
This grant supports educational research projects related to child health within the Department of Paediatrics. It aims to foster research productivity, including pilot studies that can lead to external funding. Projects must have a defined objective and an educational focus. Maximum funding per project is $10,000.
The grant competition typically opens in late April and closes in late May (timeline subject to change).
Now Open!
2026 Education Research Grant form
Learn about the requirements and how to apply [Education Research Grant] (PDF)
Educational Innovation & Development Grant:
This grant supports the creation and advancement of innovative educational initiatives in child health. It is intended to enhance scholarly activity through pilot or development-focused projects with clear objectives. Maximum funding per project is $10,000.
The grant competition typically opens in late April and closes in late May (timeline subject to change).
Now Open!
2026 Educational Innovation & Development Grant form
Learn about the requirements and how to apply [Educational Innovation & Development] (PDF)
Awards and recognition
Faculty Promotions
Academic promotion in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine recognizes the notable achievements of faculty in their discipline and contributions to the University of Toronto.
For information and guidance regarding university requirements for promotion from the rank of Associate Professor to Full Professor, please see the U of T Promotions Manual (PDF) and Academic Promotions Dossier FAQ (PDF).
Each year the Department of Paediatrics celebrates the promotion of our faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in one or more research areas, creative professional activities (CPA), or teaching and service. Through these activities, faculty members are recognized for the impact of their work as national (in the case of Associate Professor) and international (in the case of Full Professor) experts in their field.
In 2026, 24 distinguished faculty members were approved for Promotion by the University of Toronto Decanal Committee.
Career Development and Compensation Program
The Career Development and Compensation Program (CDCP) uses a peer-review process to:
- enhance the career development of its physicians
- assess the performance of its physicians
- improve the link between a physician’s work and the Department’s overall plan and goals
- link rewards/recognition to the assessment process
References
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Ongoing equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives
- Coffee Chats: Coffee Chats is an informal virtual space to connect, share ideas and provide support to one another in an informal setting. There is no agenda, simply grab your coffee/tea and sign in to the Coffee Chats Teams group to connect. Coffee Chat is offered on a monthly basis.
- Allyship Workshop: Unlocking the Power of Allyship - Becoming an EDI Champion
- Implicit Bias Training
- Process for Inclusive Recruitment
Our EDI team
Dr. Indra Narang, BMEDSci, MBBCH, MD
Associate Chair, Faculty Development and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Victoria Moreno (Pronouns: She/Her)
Program Coordinator, Faculty Development and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Research activities
Research activities in the Department of Paediatrics are led by the Associate Chair of Paediatrics (Research), Dr. Annie Huang and the Research Advisory Committee and leads for Department Research Programs. Research by departmental members is performed within one of 8 disciplinary and interdisciplinary research programs within the Research Institute at SickKids.
All department members who conduct research are cross-appointed to the Research Institute as either a Senior Scientist, Scientist, Senior Associate Scientist, Associate Scientist or Project Investigator.
Information on research activities in the Department of Paediatrics Divisions can be found on each Division’s page.