EMU Faculty
Adrian Heller MD (he/him)
Dr. Adrian Heller is a staff physician at North York General Hospital, where he also acts as the Emergency Department Simulation Co-Lead. He enjoys teaching in many forms and was recently awarded the Excellence in Specialty Teaching award by family medicine residents, as well as the Excellence in Teaching in Emergency Medicine (Early Career) award by the University of Toronto DFCM. Particular areas of interest include patient education and quality improvement. Outside of the department, he spends plenty of time playing sports, attempting to relive glory days that debatably ever existed.
Adrian Wu MD (he/him)
Dr. Adrian Wu is an emergency physician at North York General and St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. He completed his emergency medicine residency and ultrasound fellowship in Toronto. Clinically, he enjoys POCUS teaching and administration. In his leisure time, he enjoys shooting hoops, playing golf, and being a foodie.
Alice Chan MD (she/her)
Dr. Alice Chan is an emergency physician at North York General Hospital in Toronto and Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga. She received her medical degree at McMaster University and completed her family medicine residency and emergency medicine fellowship at the University of Toronto. She then went on to do an additional point-of-care ultrasound fellowship and has not been able to put the probe down since. She is actively involved in medical education and enjoys teaching learners at all levels.
Amal Mattu MD (he/him)
Dr. Amal Mattu completed an emergency medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, after which he completed a teaching fellowship with a special focus on emergency cardiology. Since joining the faculty at the University of Maryland in 1996, he has developed an academic niche in emergency cardiology and electrocardiography, and he also enjoys teaching and writing about other topics such as emergency geriatrics, faculty development, and risk management. He currently is a tenured professor and Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He lives near Annapolis, Maryland with his wife and three kids.
Andrea Ennis RN (she/her)
Andrea has spent the past 24 years working in the Emergency Department where she has held a variety of different positions; Nurse, Educator, and Manager and her current role as the Director of the Emergency Services Program, Nursing Resource Team, and Co-Chair of Emergency Preparedness at North York General Emergency Department. Andrea has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master’s in Nursing Administration. Over the last few years, Andrea has collaborated with various Paramedic Programs and Emergency Departments in Ontario to improve Ambulance Offload Time and general ED flow. In her spare time Andrea is also part of the Toronto Maple Leaf’s Sports Medical Team providing medical care and support for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto FC and Toronto Blue Jays.
Angelo Mikrogianakis MD (he/him)
Dr. Angelo Mikrogianakis is currently appointed as Chair of the Department of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University, and Chief of Pediatrics at McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences, and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Prior to his relocation to McMaster in December 2018, Dr. Mikrogianakis was appointed Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, where he also served as Section Chief and Medical Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Alberta Children’s Hospital since 2009. Dr. Mikrogianakis earned his medical degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1997 and completed his pediatric residency in 2001, followed by fellowships in pediatric emergency medicine and trauma in 2003 at the University of Ottawa at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
Dr. Mikrogianakis’ clinical and teaching skills have established him nationally as an expert in pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric critical care transport, pediatric trauma management, and pediatric disaster response. He has also made ongoing contributions to research as a principal investigator, co-investigator, collaborator, enabler, and builder of research teams and infrastructure within the emergency department of Alberta Children’s Hospital and continues this in his role at McMaster University / McMaster Children’s Hospital.
Anton Helman MD (he/him)
Dr. Anton Helman is an Emergency Physician at North York General in Toronto. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, Division of Emergency Medicine and the Education Innovation Lead at the Schwartz-Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute. He is the founder, host and chief editor of The Emergency Medicine Cases podcast and learning system.
Arun Sayal MD (he/him)
Dr. Arun Sayal is an Emergency Physician at North York General Hospital in Toronto. For the last several years, he has added weekly work managing patients in the Minor Fracture Clinic and assisting on ortho trauma cases. These led him to create CASTED, an ED orthopedics course which he has taught over 600 times in 10 countries to over 15,000 colleagues. He has won over 20 teaching awards and has written book chapters, ACEP Now articles, appeared on multiple podcasts, and given over 100 international lectures, all focused on ED orthopedics.
Barbara Haas MD (she/her)
Dr. Barbara Haas is a graduate of the General Surgery residency program of the University of Toronto. During her residency, Dr. Haas also obtained a PhD focused on trauma health services research. Following her residency, Dr. Haas completed a fellowship in Adult Critical Care Medicine at the University of Toronto, as well as a fellowship in Trauma Surgery at the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to her position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Dr. Haas is a Scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, and an Adjunct Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).
Dr. Haas’ research program focuses on trauma and emergency surgery in the elderly. Her work aims to optimize long-term outcomes in this patient population, as well as to improve inter-specialty communication regarding these complex patients.
Blair Fearon MD (he/him)
Dr. S. Blair Fearon is an Ophthalmologist in the North York area.
Bourke Tillmann MD (he/him)
Dr. Bourke Tillmann, MD PhD, is a critical care physician at Toronto Western Hospital, a burn intensivist at the Ross Tilley Burn Centre, and a Trauma Team Leader at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. He is an Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care at the University of Toronto. His clinical interests include acute resuscitation and management of severe neurologic injuries. Dr. Tillmann’s research focuses on equity in access to critical care. His work aims to optimize short- and long-term outcomes among critically ill adults, as well as develop interventions to improve outcomes after severe injury.
Brittany Cameron MD (she/her)
Dr. Brittany Cameron is a staff physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine (EM) at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto, ON. Her special interests include physician wellness and medical education. Brittany is an executive member on CAEP’s Wellness Executive and a representative of Toronto Women in Emergency Medicine’s (TWEM) executive. She acts as the Wellness Co-Lead in EM at MGH and as a part of the University of Toronto’s Tri-Divisional EM Academic Wellness Collaboration. Dr. Cameron recently finished a Masters of Science in Community Health (MScCH) at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Outside of medicine, she enjoys ocean swims, trail running and design.
Catherine Varner MD (she/her)
After completing her residency and fellowship at the University of Toronto, Dr. Varner joined Mount Sinai in July 2011. She is the Deputy Director and a Clinician Scientist of the Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital and the Deputy Editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Her research focus is pregnancy and postpartum care in the emergency department.
Charles Mize MD (he/him)
Dr. Charles Haviland Mize is an emergency medicine specialist for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Recently deployed to Bangladesh, Dr. Mize introduced advanced trauma resuscitation and emergency burr hole placement to the Emergency Department of Sadar Hospital near the border with Myanmar. He has extensive experience establishing and improving the delivery of emergency care in multiple countries and is a leading expert on the retrieval of critically ill and injured patients from austere environments. He has led numerous helicopter rescue operations throughout the Eastern Himalayas. He founded and led the Kingdom of Bhutan’s critical care helicopter rescue and mountain rescue programs which was recently awarded the Druk Thuksey medal from the King of Bhutan. In addition to his clinical work, he is active as a consultant in medical airframe configuration, prehospital retrieval medicine and helicopter rescue for several international clients. He has won multiple awards both domestically and internationally for his teaching and clinical work.
Born and raised in Virginia, Dr. Mize received his undergraduate degree at Yale, and his medical degree at Columbia. He is professionally fluent in French and Spanish. When not deployed with the ICRC, he and his finacée Yui reside in Palmer, Alaska and Washington, D.C.
Chelsea Billinkoff MD (she/her)
Dr. Chelsea Billinkoff is an Emergency Physician at North York General Hospital and serves as the Paediatric Emergency Medicine Lead for the ED. She completed her FRCPC training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto and a clinical Paediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship at McMaster Children’s Hospital. Prior to her medical career, she obtained a Master’s Degree in Community, Health and Development at the London School of Economics and worked in the non-profit sector. Outside of the emergency room, she enjoys travelling the world with her two sons and husband.
Christopher Tsoutsoulas MD (he/him)
Dr. Chris Tsoutsoulas is an Emergency Physician at North York General Hospital. He completed his FRCPC training in emergency medicine at the University of Toronto and an acute-care POCUS fellowship at the University of Western Ontario. He is also a Testamur of the National Board of Echocardiography and has a special interest in resuscitative transesophageal echocardiography. Chris is a passionate clinical teacher who has instructed several POCUS courses across Canada.
Constance LeBlanc MD (she/her)
Dr. Constance LeBlanc is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie University; holds a Master of Arts in Education in Curriculum Studies, with a focus on the Hidden Curriculum, an EMBA in Business and Technology. She is a recent recipient of a certification in Diversity as a Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional. Her areas for scholarship focus on Equity Diversity Inclusivity and Accessibility, medical education, and leadership.is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie University; holds a Master of Arts in Education in Curriculum Studies, with a focus on the Hidden Curriculum, an EMBA in Business and Technology. She is a recent recipient of a certification in Diversity as a Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional. Her areas for scholarship focus on Equity Diversity Inclusivity and Accessibility, medical education, and leadership.is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie University; holds a Master of Arts in Education in Curriculum Studies, with a focus on the Hidden Curriculum, an EMBA in Business and Technology. Her areas for scholarship focus on Equity Diversity Inclusivity and Accessibility, medical education, and leadership.
Dr. LeBlanc is francophone, has a mixed-race family, and was the first woman Emergency Physician at the Charles V. Keating Emergency and Trauma Center in Halifax Nova Scotia. Connie still practices clinically, mentors, and supports women in her environment and produces scholarship on EDIA. She was recognized for her work as the recipient of the CAEP Emergency Physician of the year in 2019 and the CAEP President’s award in 2022. Since July 2023, she has served as president and CEO of the AFMC.
In her spare time, she plays piano, is working on her third degree black belt in Shotokan karate, and travels.
Cori Atlin MD (she/her)
Dr. Cori Atlin is an emergency physician at North York General Hospital and Trauma Team Leader at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. She completed her medical school and emergency medicine residency at the University of Toronto, as well as a master’s degree in System Leadership and Innovation through the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. She is a lecturer with the Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, at the University of Toronto. Her academic interests are quality improvement and system innovation, with a focus on virtual care.
David Carr MD (he/him)
Dr. David Carr is a Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine and Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is an Emergency Physician and Clinical Investigator at the University Health Network and Mackenzie Health Hospital. He is also the Continuing Professional Development Lead in the Tri-Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Carr has lectured Internationally over 50 times in 25 different countries. He has been the recipient of multiple Undergraduate and Post Graduate Clinical Teaching awards and in 2023 and 2024, was recognized in the list of Toronto’s top emergency physicians. During the Baseball season, he works at the Roger’s Centre as the Medical Director of Stadium Medicine for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2010, he pursued his passions serving as an ER physician in the Athletes Village for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Since 2010, He has co-authored the chapter on Occlusive Arterial Disease in the 7-9th editions of Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine.
David Pare MD (he/him)
Dr. David Pare is an emergency physician who works at the Heart and Lung Institute in Quebec City. Besides his fellow with the Resuscitation Leadership Academy and his interest in Wilderness Medicine, he mainly focuses his time on acute cardiology care. He is co-director at ECG-u Course, editor for TopMU and finally actively teaching to residents at Laval University. Finally, his only conflict of interest that some might consider a real issue… is the fact he doesn’t own a cellphone and is absent from every social network!
Elisha Targonsky MD (he/him)
Dr. Elisha Targonsky is an emergency physician at North York General Hospital and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. Elisha has a passion for teaching at all levels including medical students, residents and peers. His main academic interests include the ED management of atrial fibrillation and vertigo. He is also a contributing editor for the Emergency Medicine Cases podcast. At the hospital, Elisha strives to standardize and optimize care in the ED. Outside of clinical and teaching duties, Elisha enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, and sipping his morning coffee while solving the daily Wordle and Squardle puzzles.
Emily Austin MD (she/her)
Dr. Emily Austin is an Emergency Physician at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. She completed the Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology subspecialty program at the University of Toronto.
Eric Letovsky MD (he/him)
Dr. Eric Letovsky is an emergency physician and Chief Emeritus at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, Ontario. He was formerly the Chief of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Trillium Health Partners for 26 years, and formerly the Head of the Division of Emergency Medicine in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is a Full Professor in the Faculty of Medicine. He has over 30 years experience as a medical legal expert.
Greg Hall MD (he/him)
Dr. Greg Hall is an assistant clinical professor with McMaster University, has been an emergency physician for almost 30 years and a POCUS educator for almost 20 years. He is the vice president of the Canadian Point of Care Ultrasound Society, an international speaker, helped develop multiple courses and co-author a textbook on POCUS. He is passionate about breaking down barriers to absolutely anyone learning how to add ultrasound to their practice and improve patient care.
Hania Bielawska MD (she/her)
Dr. Hania Bielawska is a full time Emergency Physician practicing at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, Ontario. She completed medical school, Family Medicine residency, and an Emergency Medicine fellowship at the University of Toronto. She has been a presenter at local, national, and international conferences. Her academic interests are varied, but in particular she has a keen interest in women’s health as it intersects with emergency medicine, as well as exploring any subjects that don’t traditionally get as much attention in medical education. Her other full time job, arguably the toughest but most rewarding, is raising two young boys, ages 10 and 7.
Hayley Wickenheiser MD (she/her)
Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser is regarded as one of the best female hockey players in the world. With seven world championships, six Olympic appearances, and five Olympic medals, she is a titan of sport and a leader both on and off the ice.
Hayley is trailblazer on and off the ice earning her a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame and the prestigious Order of Canada. She made hockey history as the first female player to notch a point in a men’s professional game, and as the first woman to have played in or coached at four NHL development camps with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hayley retired from hockey in 2017 and the IOC in 2022. She is currently serving as the Assistant GM of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs and is a practicing Family and Emergency medicine doctor.
Herb Tanzer MD (he/him)
Dr. Herb Tanzer is an Ophthalmologist and Surgeon – Medical Ophthalmology
Hugh McGowan MD (he/him)
Dr. Hugh McGowan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science at the University of Toronto. He obtained a BSc and MD from Toronto and FRCSC in Ophthalmology and has held staff positions at NYGH and UHN specializing in ocular oncology.
Dr. McGowan has published in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and abstracts in the areas of ocular melanoma diagnosis and treatment, UBM imaging of anterior segment tumours, conjunctival melanoma and enucleation surgeries. He has presented at scientific meetings in Canada, USA, and Europe.
Dr. McGowan has been involved in preparation of written examinations in Clinical Sciences in Ophthalmology set each year by the International Council of Ophthalmology. He also has collaborated internationally regarding the TNM classification of ocular tumours of the conjunctiva for the American Joint Committee on Cancer.
Hyoung Lho MD (he/him)
Dr. Hyoung Lho is ER physician at North York General Hospital and assistant professor in the DFCM at University of Toronto. He trained at NYGH and liked the place so much that he came back as a staff. He loves to travel and tries to explore different parts of the globe every chance he gets with his wife and four young children.
Isaac Bogoch MD (he/him)
Dr. Isaac Bogoch is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Medicine and is an Infectious Diseases consultant and General Internist at the Toronto General Hospital with a focus on tropical diseases, HIV, and general infectious diseases. He completed medical school and Internal Medicine residency training at the University of Toronto, and then specialised in Infectious Diseases at Harvard University. He holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health and has completed fellowships in both Tropical Infectious Diseases and HIV care. Dr. Bogoch divides his clinical and research time between Toronto and several countries in Africa and Asia.
Jamie Blicker MD (he/him)
Dr. Jamie Blicker is an Emergency Physician at North York General Hospital in Toronto. He completed his Emergency Medicine training at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Jesse McLaren MD (he/him)
Dr. Jesse McLaren (@ECGcases) is an emergency physician at the University Health Network with a passion for learning and teaching ECGs. He writes the monthly ECG Cases blog for Emergency Medicine Cases, is an associate editor of Dr. Smith’s ECG Blog, and has launched a series of ECG courses at heartsECGcourse.com.
Julie Samson MD (she/her)
Dr. Julie Samson graduated from Ottawa University Medical School in 1995 and completed her family medicine residency and her emergency medicine certification in 1998 at Northern Ontario School of Medicine University.
She began her family practice in Timmins, Ontario in 1999 where she also works in the emergency department and as a hospitalist. She also works part time at the local shelter primary care clinic. She is actively involved with the opiate crisis in her city advocating for better access and improved care for people living with addictions. As co-lead of the addiction program at her hospital she works with the acute medical withdrawal management service, addiction medicine consult team and community withdrawal management service. She also works in outreach addiction clinics in communities along the James Bay Coast.
Along with Dr. Louisa Marion-Bellemare and Seamus Murphy, Deputy Chief of Standards and Community Services for Cochrane District Paramedic Service, they developed a program that offers treatment of opioid poisoning with buprenorphine/naloxone at the scene by paramedics in our district which started in May 1st, 2023 and it was first of its kind in Canada.
Justin Morgenstern MD (he/him)
Dr. Justin Morgenstern is an emergency physician and the director of simulation education at Markham Stouffville Hospital. He loves skepticism, education, and medical ethics. He is the founder of the medical education blog First10EM.com and is an associate editor of Emergency Medicine Cases.
Katie Lin MD (she/her)
Dr. Katie Lin is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Calgary, a Stroke Attending with the Calgary Stroke Program and a Flight Transport Physician with STARS Air Ambulance in Alberta. She completed her residency training and stroke fellowship in Calgary alongside a parallel Master of Public Health through Harvard. She loves med ed, brains, interdisciplinary collaboration and all things sci-fi. Outside the hospital and helicopter base, you’ll find her reading, painting, travelling, hiking, wreck diving, and mountain biking.
Kevin Wasko MD (he/him)
Dr. Kevin Wasko is the Chief of Emergency Medicine and Program Medical Director at North York General Hospital in Toronto, ON.
Prior to joining NYGH, he was a practicing emergency physician with Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, ON. Before focusing on emergency medicine, he practiced as a rural family physician in Saskatchewan. Dr. Wasko was the physician co-lead on the Saskatchewan Health System Transition Team in 2017, leading work in physician engagement, medical governance and the academic mandate when a new provincial health authority was launched in the province. He served as the Physician Executive for Integrated Rural Health with the Saskatchewan Health Authority from December 2017 until June 2022, holding joint responsibility for the delivery of healthcare services across rural Saskatchewan.
Kevin was the Executive Sponsor for the development of Health Networks across Saskatchewan, advancing the vision of an infrastructure that will serve as the organizational unit for the Saskatchewan Health Authority while simultaneously serving as a tool to enable interdisciplinary team-based care in the community. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Dr. Wasko co-sponsored the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s COVID-19 Immunization rollout, co-chaired the Clinical Expert Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Immunization, and was a member of the Joint Management Team of the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre for COVID-19 response.
Kirby Ding MD (he/him)
Dr. Kirby Ding is an Emergency Physician at North York General Hospital. He completed his FRCPC training in emergency medicine at the University of Toronto and a POCUS fellowship at Sunnybrook Hospital. He spends his free time playing beach volleyball or rehabilitating from various volleyball-related injuries.
Kishore Visvanathan MD (he/him)
Dr. Kishore Visvanathan is a graduate of the College of Medicine at University of Saskatchewan, where he is now Clinical Professor of Surgery. Since 1992, he has practiced urology in Saskatoon. Kishore’s interests are quality improvement and clinical practice redesign. He leads Saskatoon Urology Associates’ Advanced Access project – an initiative to improve access to specialist consultation.
Kishore chairs Saskatchewan’s Prostate Assessment Pathway, which expedites diagnosis and treatment for men suspected of having prostate cancer. He is clinical lead for Saskatchewan’s Improving Access to Specialist and Diagnostic care, a provincial initiative reducing wait times for specialty care. As a faculty member of the CMA’s Physician Leadership Institute, Kishore teaches the principles and application of healthcare quality improvement to healthcare students and professionals across Canada.
Leeor Sommer MD (he/him)
Dr. Leeor Sommer is an emergency physician at Southlake and North York General Hospital in Toronto. He did his undergraduate and residency training at the University of Toronto. He has an interest in learning and teaching about ENT emergencies for the past 20 years. He believes that all ER physician can provide excellent care of head and neck emergencies when they are well trained to do so!
He has done extensive teaching at the undergraduate, postgraduate and CME levels.
Louisa Marion-Bellemare MD (she/her)
Dr. Louisa Marion-Bellemare graduated from and completed her residency at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. She works at the Timmins and District Hospital in the Paediatric Mental Health Department and as the co-lead for the addiction medicine program which includes the Acute Withdrawal Medical Unit, addiction medicine consult service and the community withdrawal management service. She also works in the addiction clinics in communities along the James Bay Coast. Dr Marion-Bellemare can also be found working at the Indigenous Health Care Centre and in provincial corrections. She is actively involved in her community by promoting barrier free access to addiction treatment with the ultimate goal to save lives and improve quality of life.
Matt DiStefano MD (he/him)
Dr. Matt Distefano is an Emergency Physician at Gray Bruce Health Services. He has been CASTED faculty since 2014. He is a motorsport coach, ski coach and a pasta aficionado.
Meeta Patel MD (she/her)
Dr. Meeta Patel is an emergency physician at North York General Hospital. She is the Assistant Director of Learner Experience in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, the faculty development lead, and an assistant professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Patel has held several educational leadership roles supporting learners across the continuum and is the recipient of a national mentorship award from the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, as well as multiple Temerty Medicine & university departmental awards for Excellence in Professional Values, Teaching, Continuing Professional Development, and Faculty Development.
Michael Mak MD (he/him)
Dr. Michael Mak MD FRCPC DRCPSC FCPA FAASM is a sleep medicine specialist and staff psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Dr. Mak is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He was inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Psychiatric Association in 2022. Dr. Mak was elected Vice President, Clinical of the Canadian Sleep Society in 2023. He was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2024. He is a standing member of the Royal College AFC Committee in Sleep Disorder Medicine. He is the President-Elect for the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Mike Betzner MD (he/him)
Dr Mike Betzner is a graduate of University of Alberta Medical School in 1991 followed by a Royal College Residency in Emergency Medicine which was completed in 1996. Full time Emergency Physician and Clinical Lecturer for U of C in the Calgary Health Region since then. Voted by the residents FRCPC preceptor of the year for Emergency Medicine at U of C in 1997, 1999, 2002, & 2013. Heavy involvement in pre-hospital emergency care air transport within Alberta as Medical Director of STARS Air Ambulance in Calgary for >20 yrs. Still an active flight physician for STARS and involved in Pre-hospital, rural, and residency Emergency Medicine Education and Human Patient Simulation.
Nadia Primiani MD (she/her)
Dr. Nadia Primiani works as a full-time Emergency Physician at Sinai Health System and Michael Garron Hospitals. She completed her medical degree at McGill University in Montreal and her residency program at the University of British Columbia. She is involved in medical education as the associate program director for the Mount Sinai Emergency Medicine Fellowship and past chair of the 2SLGBTQIA+ committee for CAEP (Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians). She is interested in learning through simulation and is working to develop complex simulation cases for curriculae. She co-developed an in-situ simulation program at Mount Sinai and Michael Garron Hospitals in which she worked with multidisciplinary teams running cases such as perimortem hysterotomies, code whites and massive upper GI bleeds. She has become an advocate for marginalized patients and has an interest in increasing awareness of their health needs, while promoting non-violent communication between physicians and patients. She has been an invited speaker nationally and internationally to advocate for trans and non-binary patients.
Navpreet Sahsi MD (he/him)
Dr. Navpreet Sahsi MD, DTMH. Navpreet has extensive experience working in some of the world’s most challenging contexts with the world’s largest humanitarian organizations. He has worked with MSF/Doctors Without Borders in Ad Dhale, Yemen, in an active conflict zone, and in Bentiu, South Sudan in a UNHCR IDP camp. He has also worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Other projects have taken him to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Moshi, Tanzania. Navpreet holds a Diploma in Tropical Medicine from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and is a member of Global Health Emergency Medicine (GHEM) at the University of Toronto. His work has been featured on the NPR podcast Embedded and he has spoken publicly for MSF’s Forced From Home US tour. He has travelled to over 60 countries and counting.
Osman Kahiye MD (he/him)
Dr. Osman Kahiye is an emergency physician at North York General Hospital and St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. He completed his family medicine and emergency medicine fellowship at the University of Toronto.
Peter Brindley MD (he/him)
Dr. Peter Brindley is a full-time Critical Care Doc at the University of Alberta Hospital; Professor of Critical Care Medicine, Anaesthesiology, and Medical Ethics. Over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 25 book chapters, 50 lesser manuscripts, and a handbook. Over 400 invited presentations in 12 countries, and over 40 plenaries.
A founding member of the Canadian Resuscitation Institute; and previous Medical-Lead for Simulation, Residency Program Director, and Education Lead at the UofA. Has advised the Royal College of Canada, and Edinburgh Royal College of Physicians and helps organize a bunch of national and international conferences. Is proudest of two “feral” children, and still very much in love with his long suffering wife. Is convinced happiness is about finding meaning and showing gratitude- he occasionally succeeds.
Raj Rathee MD (he/him)
Dr. Raj Rathee attended medical school at Dalhousie University and then specialized in Ophthalmology at Queen’s University with a primary focus on cataract and refractive surgery. He is currently a staff ophthalmic surgeon at North York General Hospital and the Herzig Eye Institute, and a lecturer at the University of Toronto. Although born and raised in Nova Scotia, Dr. Rathee takes pride in communicating with our diverse patient population and speaks fluent French, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, as well as some Tamil, Cantonese, Mandarin, Italian, and Farsi.
Rajani Vairavanathan MD (she/her)
Dr. Rajani Vairavanathan is in emergency and family medicine at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH). She obtained her medical degree, completed her family medicine residency, and did enhanced skills training in low-risk obstetrics at the University of Toronto. She completed a fellowship in emergency medicine at McGill University For over 15 years, Dr. Vairavanathan has provided comprehensive care in community medicine, obstetrics and emergency medicine in Thorncliffe Park and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Dr. Vairavanathan currently is the co-site program director for the family medicine residency program and the director of the simulation program for family medicine residents at MGH. She has a passion for teaching and inspiring her learners and colleagues to do their best. She has received teaching and leadership awards at the local and national level. She is a dedicated mother of four children who values her time with her family and friends. Her hobbies include travelling, exercising and watching crime TV.
Rob Simard MD (he/him)
Dr. Robert Simard is an emergency physician who has interests in medical education, Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS), and Advanced Life Support. He completed a Bachelor of Science in his home-town of Sudbury at Laurentian University in the chemistry and biochemistry program. With his body unsuitable for mining or farming, he went on to complete medical school at the University of Ottawa, residency at the University of Toronto, and a POCUS fellowship at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He enjoys teaching weekend ACLS, PALS and POCUS courses. In his leisure time, Rob is a baseball fanatic and can be found cheering for his beloved Toronto Blue Jays.
Roberta Hood MD (she/her)
Dr. Roberta Hood is an Emergency Medicine Physician at Markham Stouffville Hospital.
She is also an Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Toronto.
Robyn Shafer MD (she/her)
Dr. Robyn Shafer is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto. She is an Emergency Medicine physician at North York General Hospital where she also serves as a Medical Director for Advanced Cardiac Life Support. She is actively involved in teaching and has received Undergraduate and Postgraduate teaching awards.
Rohit Mohindra MD (he/him)
Dr. Rohit Mohindra is the associate chief of research for the ED at NYGH, as well as a researcher at the Schwartz Reisman Medicine Institute and Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He also holds positions at the Li Ka Shin Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital and is faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Toronto Metropolitan University. His research and academic interests include cardiac arrest care, refugee health, and artificial intelligence. Outside of work he enjoys training for triathlons, music, and books.
Sara Gray MD (she/her)
Dr. Sara Gray is cross-trained in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care. She works in both areas at St. Michael’s Hospital and is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. She is also the Medical Director for Emergency Preparedness at St Mike’s. Her academic interests include patient safety and knowledge translation; specifically how to optimize the care of critically ill patients in the ED.
Saswata Deb MD (he/him)
Dr. Saswata Deb is an emergency physician and clinician scientist at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. His research is focused on cardiovascular emergencies and identifying racial disparities in healthcare delivery. In addition to research, he enjoys teaching trainees. Saswata was born in India and moved to Canada when he was 10. He did his medical training and completed a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto. In his leisure time, he loves trying new restaurants, going on hikes, and watching Master Chef and Hell’s Kitchen.
Sean Caine MD (he/him)
After graduating medical school at the University of Toronto, Dr. Sean Caine spent 4 years in Calgary where he completed his residency in Family Medicine and a third year of training in Emergency Medicine. During his final year in Calgary he worked in the emergency departments of both the regional trauma centre at Foothills Hospital and Peter Lougheed Hospital. He returned to Toronto in July 2010 and worked both the UHN and North York General Hospital. He currently is working at Woodstock General Hospital.
Shawn Segeren MD (he/him)
Dr. Shawn Segeren is an Emergency Medicine Physician at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA), where he also serves as the Emergency Medicine Site Director through Western University. He holds the role of Adjunct Professor at Western University and is dedicated to enhancing team-based care and clinical education in rural and regional emergency and critical care settings. As the Founder and Director of Dynamic Simulation (www.dynamicsimulation.ca), Dr. Segeren has led the development of a mobile resuscitation simulation program that has delivered hundreds of hands-on, interdisciplinary training sessions to more than 20 hospitals across Ontario. His work focuses on bridging the gap between hands-on education and community hospitals, improving clinical outcomes through tailored, team-centered simulations.
Outside of medicine, Shawn enjoys running, cycling, weightlifting, following Formula 1, experimenting with new technology, and spending quality time with his wife and their 3-year-old son.
Steve Socransky MD (he/him)
Dr. Steve Socransky is an emergency physician at Health Sciences North and an Associate Professor at NOSM in Sudbury. Credits include: Started the CAEP Ultrasound Committee, Director of Canada’s first emergency ultrasound fellowship, Director of the EDE 2 Course (www.ede2course.com), Editor of Essentials of Point-of-Care Ultrasound, print and iBook. Steve has also presented and published research both nationally and internationally. He lives in the bush just outside Sudbury with his wife, 2 sons, Harper the dog and Peaches the cat.
Toylin Musewe MD (she/her)
Dr. Toylin Musewe is a comprehensive ophthalmologist at North York General Hospital.
Walter Himmel MD (he/him)
Dr. Walter Himmel is an Emergency Physician at North York General, Scarborough General and Toronto East General Hospitals. He is a world-renowned speaker in Emergency Medicine on the topics of stroke, anticoagulants, transfusions and drug interactions and the recipient of multiple teaching awards.
Yashi Yathindra MD (she/her)
Dr. Yashi Yathindra is the Associate Chief of Wellness and Engagement in the North York General Hospital Emergency Department and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about medical education and teaching, and has been a part of EMU in some way, shape or form since she was a Family Medicine resident at NYGH in 2009. When not at work, she enjoys playing and watching all sports and being a mother to her two young children.
Yatin Chadha MD (he/him)
Dr. Yatin Chadha is radiologist with 9 years of clinical experience. He is the MSK lead & MRI co-lead at North York General Hospital (NYGH), where he has practiced since 2017.
Yatin loves to teach & empower others with knowledge. He is the director of radiology education at NYGH, has received teaching awards, and is currently building out radiology education for both Emergency physicians & community radiologists.
The desire to learn & pursue new adventures led Yatin to launch the beyond MD podcast in 2020. The pod has reached as high as #23 on the Canadian business charts & focuses on financial literacy for Canadian professionals. The pod can be found on all major platforms.
Outside of work, Yatin is usually found spending quality time with his wife & 2 boys (10 & 7). He loves sports (especially hockey & golf) & enjoys learning about the world through travel & food.
