2023 Speakers
Christoph Licht
PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGIST
Toronto, ON
Complement and ANCA Associated Vasculitis
Dr. Christoph Licht’s is Professor of Paediatrics and Medicine at the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada and Head of the Division of Nephrology at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). He also holds positions as Senior Scientist in the SickKids Research Institute Cell Biology Program; Professor at the University of Toronto in the Departments of Paediatrics, IMS, LMP, and Medicine; and Associate Staff Physician in Medicine at UHN Toronto General Hospital. He is Guest Professor at the University of Ghent, Belgium.
He completed a Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany, in 1992 and a Doctorate in Medicine (Dr. med) in Internal Medicine/Nephrology at the Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, Germany, in 1995. He completed his postgraduate training in Paediatrics (1992-1998) and Paediatric Nephrology (1998-1999; 2002-2005) at the Children's Hospital of the University of Cologne, Germany.
From 1999-2002, Dr. Licht relocated to the USA for a postdoctoral research fellowship in Nephrology at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. He returned to Cologne where he completed his “Habilitation” in 2005. In 2006, he accepted his position as Staff Nephrologist at SickKids.
Dr. Licht is an international expert on complement-mediated kidney diseases. His work has advanced the understanding of the pathogenesis and management of aHUS and C3G. His laboratory has made significant contributions to the knowledge of the consequences of complement activation on platelets, neutrophils and endothelial/epithelial cells. In current research projects the Licht lab explores the role of complement in tissue homeostasis beyond the kidneys, and of intracellular complement.
Dr. Licht established and is Co-Director of the University of Toronto “Complement Fellowship” and launched the annual international “Toronto Complement Conference”.
Dr. Licht has authored over 145 peer-reviewed publications and multiple book chapters.
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Michael Walsh
NEPHROLOGIST
Hamilton, ON
New Treatments in ANCA Associated Vasculitis
Dr. Walsh obtained his MD in 2001, completed internal medicine in 2005, Nephrology training in 2006 and a MSc in Community Health Science in 2008 all at the University of Calgary. He then trained in lupus and vasculitis in Cambridge, UK as KRESCENT fellow until 2009, followed by a PhD in Health Research Methods at McMaster University until 2014 under a RCT Mentorship Award from CIHR. He is now an Associate Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) and Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact at McMaster University, medical director of the Glomerulonephritis Clinic and the director of the Clinical Nephrology Research Group at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, and Scientist at the Population Health Research Institute where he leads research investigating treatments for patients with kidney diseases.
May Choi
RHEUMATOLOGIST
Calgary, AB
Biomarkers in Vasculitides
Dr. May Choi is a rheumatologist, clinician scientist, and Associate Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. She is a Member of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health. As an early career investigator, her research is focused on biomarker discovery and validation for prediction of clinical outcomes in autoimmune rheumatic diseases, and the prevention of autoimmune disease development and disease-related complications. She leads a research laboratory and biobank for local, national, and international collaborators. Her background and training include a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at Harvard University and a lupus fellowship at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, MA). Dr. Choi is also the Associate Director of MitogenDx Laboratory for novel autoantibody and biomarker testing for autoimmune diseases and the Associate Director of Research for the University of Calgary Lupus Centre of Excellence.
Tony Truong
PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGIST
CALGARY, AB
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cells; is there a role in Vasculitis?
Dr. Tony Truong is a pediatric oncologist and stem cell transplant physician at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor on Oncology at the University of Calgary. His clinical and research interests are in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation for leukemia and non-malignant disorder such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia.
James Brookes
PEDIATRIC OTOLARYNGOLOGIST
Calgary, AB
Bronchial and tracheal involvement in ANCA Associated Vasculitis
Dr. James Brookes is a Pediatric Otolaryngologist – Head and Neck Surgeon at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and an assistant clinical professor within the University of Calgary Department of Surgery. His residency training was at the University of Alberta followed by a pediatric otolaryngology fellowship at the University of Iowa. He is teaching faculty for the University of Calgary Otolaryngology Residency Training Program and former program director.