Dr. Ronald Laxer

2016 Distinguished Rheumatologist Award

Dr. Ronald Laxer, a graduate of McGill University, has been an Academic Physician and Physician Administrator at The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto since 1984. In 1990, he became Head of the Division of Rheumatology and in 1995, a full professor of Paediatrics and Medicine.

In 1996, he was named Associate Paediatrician-in-Chief of The Hospital for Sick Children and Associate Chair, Department of Paediatrics, followed in 2002 by his appointment as Vice-President where he was responsible for the Departments of Quality and Risk Management, Education and Medical Affairs. In 2009, he returned full-time to the Division of Rheumatology.

As a member of the Division of Rheumatology, Dr. Laxer has continued his practice as an academic paediatric Rheumatologist. He has received many awards from his patients, students, and colleagues, in recognition of his clinical and teaching excellence, and his compassion and caring for patients. Some of these include the Claus Wirsig Humanitarian Award from The Hospital for Sick Children, The Clinical Council Award from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Distinguished Clinical Scholar Award from the American College of Rheumatology and the James T. Cassidy Award from the American Academy of Paediatrics.

Ron has contributed to the publication of over 200 papers in prestigious journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, Nature Genetics and the New England Journal of Medicine. He has edited 5 monographs and 3 textbooks, including The Textbook of Paediatric Rheumatology. His major clinical and research interests include localized scleroderma, the auto-inflammatory diseases and the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.