Dr. Katherine Siminovitch, FRSC, is an acclaimed leader in genomic medicine. Her discoveries have cast light on molecular pathways that underpin several autoimmune conditions, uncovering therapeutic targets to improve care and outcomes for people with immunologic disease.
Dr. Siminovitch investigates the biological underpinnings of autoimmune diseases. Focusing on genetic characterization of rheumatoid arthritis, primary biliary cirrhosis and vasculitis, Dr. Siminovitch and her collaborators have identified stunning interconnectedness of the genetic determinants underlying conditions that have traditionally been defined and treated as distinct diseases.
The Siminovitch lab has also pinpointed molecular pathways linking disease-associated gene variants to impaired immunity and autoimmune disease. One such example is her discovery of the WAVE2-mTOR pathway as a critical regulatory of immunity, revealing how an imbalance in the activities of these proteins puts the immune system into overdrive and leads to immune cell exhaustion and disease. Casting new light on immune system function at the time when medical experts were grappling with ways to manage the devastating effects of the “cytokine storm” experienced by some COVID-19 patients, this discovery was published in top-tier medical journal, Science. The significance of the discovery extends well beyond autoimmune disease, with potential therapeutic relevance to a wide spectrum of inflammatory conditions including infectious and neurodegenerative conditions.
With a stronger understanding of the genetic and molecular underpinnings of immune-driven diseases, this research could lead to new strategies for disease prevention, earlier detection and intervention, as well as increased efficacy and safety of drug treatments by using a person’s genetic make-up to more precisely guide treatment decisions.
Dr. Siminovtich’s ground-breaking discoveries have been published in top-tier journals such as Nature, Nature Genetics, Science and The New England Journal of Medicine (over 11,200 citations; h-index: 57) and recognized with the RCPSC/CSCI Henry Friesen award in Medical Research, the Jeanne Manery Fisher Memorial Lectureship award, a CIHR Senior Scientist Award, a Canada Research Chair and her appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Dr. Siminovitch investigates the biological underpinnings of autoimmune diseases. Focusing on genetic characterization of rheumatoid arthritis, primary biliary cirrhosis and vasculitis, Dr. Siminovitch and her collaborators have identified stunning interconnectedness of the genetic determinants underlying conditions that have traditionally been defined and treated as distinct diseases.
The Siminovitch lab has also pinpointed molecular pathways linking disease-associated gene variants to impaired immunity and autoimmune disease. One such example is her discovery of the WAVE2-mTOR pathway as a critical regulatory of immunity, revealing how an imbalance in the activities of these proteins puts the immune system into overdrive and leads to immune cell exhaustion and disease. Casting new light on immune system function at the time when medical experts were grappling with ways to manage the devastating effects of the “cytokine storm” experienced by some COVID-19 patients, this discovery was published in top-tier medical journal, Science. The significance of the discovery extends well beyond autoimmune disease, with potential therapeutic relevance to a wide spectrum of inflammatory conditions including infectious and neurodegenerative conditions.
With a stronger understanding of the genetic and molecular underpinnings of immune-driven diseases, this research could lead to new strategies for disease prevention, earlier detection and intervention, as well as increased efficacy and safety of drug treatments by using a person’s genetic make-up to more precisely guide treatment decisions.
Dr. Siminovtich’s ground-breaking discoveries have been published in top-tier journals such as Nature, Nature Genetics, Science and The New England Journal of Medicine (over 11,200 citations; h-index: 57) and recognized with the RCPSC/CSCI Henry Friesen award in Medical Research, the Jeanne Manery Fisher Memorial Lectureship award, a CIHR Senior Scientist Award, a Canada Research Chair and her appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Dr. Siminovitch investigates the biological underpinnings of autoimmune diseases. Focusing on genetic characterization of rheumatoid arthritis, primary biliary cirrhosis and vasculitis, Dr. Siminovitch and her collaborators have identified stunning interconnectedness of the genetic determinants underlying conditions that have traditionally been defined and treated as distinct diseases.
The Siminovitch lab has also pinpointed molecular pathways linking disease-associated gene variants to impaired immunity and autoimmune disease. One such example is her discovery of the WAVE2-mTOR pathway as a critical regulatory of immunity, revealing how an imbalance in the activities of these proteins puts the immune system into overdrive and leads to immune cell exhaustion and disease. Casting new light on immune system function at the time when medical experts were grappling with ways to manage the devastating effects of the “cytokine storm” experienced by some COVID-19 patients, this discovery was published in top-tier medical journal, Science. The significance of the discovery extends well beyond autoimmune disease, with potential therapeutic relevance to a wide spectrum of inflammatory conditions including infectious and neurodegenerative conditions.
With a stronger understanding of the genetic and molecular underpinnings of immune-driven diseases, this research could lead to new strategies for disease prevention, earlier detection and intervention, as well as increased efficacy and safety of drug treatments by using a person’s genetic make-up to more precisely guide treatment decisions.
Dr. Siminovtich’s ground-breaking discoveries have been published in top-tier journals such as Nature, Nature Genetics, Science and The New England Journal of Medicine (over 11,200 citations; h-index: 57) and recognized with the RCPSC/CSCI Henry Friesen award in Medical Research, the Jeanne Manery Fisher Memorial Lectureship award, a CIHR Senior Scientist Award, a Canada Research Chair and her appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Precision genomics is the future of healthcare, with untold potential to transform our understanding and treatment of autoimmune and other diseases. Kathy Siminovitch is the trailblazer whose pioneering leadership set Sinai Health on course to lead in this area over the next century.
Dr. Jim Woodgett, Director of Research, LTRI (2005-2020)
About Mount Sinai 100 Chairs
In 2023, Mount Sinai Hospital will mark its 100th anniversary. To honour the physicians and scientists who have made breakthrough discoveries and whose achievements have elevated Sinai Health’s reputation for world-class care, we are pleased to introduce our Mount Sinai 100 Chairs. These legacy chairs carry the names of Sinai Health’s most eminent trailblazers and will help recruit and fund the work of a new generation of clinicians and scientists, securing the next century of caring at Sinai Health. We invite you to help us imagine the next 100 years.
About Mount Sinai 100 Chairs
In 2023, Mount Sinai Hospital will mark its 100th anniversary. To honour the physicians and scientists who have made breakthrough discoveries and whose achievements have elevated Sinai Health’s reputation for world-class care, we are pleased to introduce our Mount Sinai 100 Chairs. These legacy chairs carry the names of Sinai Health’s most eminent trailblazers and will help recruit and fund the work of a new generation of clinicians and scientists, securing the next century of caring at Sinai Health. We invite you to help us imagine the next 100 years.
About Mount Sinai 100 Chairs
In 2023, Mount Sinai Hospital will mark its 100th anniversary. To honour the physicians and scientists who have made breakthrough discoveries and whose achievements have elevated Sinai Health’s reputation for world-class care, we are pleased to introduce our Mount Sinai 100 Chairs. These legacy chairs carry the names of Sinai Health’s most eminent trailblazers and will help recruit and fund the work of a new generation of clinicians and scientists, securing the next century of caring at Sinai Health. We invite you to help us imagine the next 100 years.
