Celebrating 40 years of the Lupus Clinic and Databank Research

Program at the Toronto Western Hospital and Honouring Dr. Murray Urowitz

View Biography of Dr. Murray Urowitz

This scientific symposium event celebrates 40 years of the Lupus Clinic and Databank Research Program at the Toronto Western Hospital and recognizes the contributions and accomplishments of Dr. Murray Urowitz to the field of lupus research and education. Dr. Urowitz established the University of Toronto Lupus Clinic and Lupus Databank Research Program in 1970. This extensive longitudinal database is one of the largest such databanks in the world, with more than 1,500 patients and over 38,000 clinic visits. The Clinic has allowed for numerous findings which have changed the way lupus is diagnosed and managed.

The scientific symposium will attract academic and community rheumatologists and will feature nine international guest speakers who have trained at the Lupus Clinic. These world renowned specialists will present research related to SLE and discuss how their training and research has been impacted by the Clinic and the teachings of Dr. Urowitz. Their current speakers include: Dr. Mahmoud Abu-Shakra (Ben-Gurion University, Israel); Dr. John Esdaile (University of British Columbia, Canada); Dr. John Hanley (Dalhousie University, Canada); Dr. Lai-Shan Tam (Chinese University of Hong Kong, China); Dr. Christian Pineau (McGill University, Canada); Dr. Ian Bruce (Manchester University, United Kingdom); Dr. Zahi Touma (University of Toronto, Canada); Dr. Mandana Nikpour (University of Melbourne, Australia); and Dr. Proton Rahman (Memorial University, Canada).

Keynote speaker, Dr. Bevra Hahn, is a Professor of Medicine, the Vice-Chair of the Department of Medicine and Chief of Rheumatology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles. She was the first recipient of the Evelyn V. Hess Research Award – a prestigious award presented to a medical researcher whose body of work has advanced the understanding of lupus. In addition to the guest speakers, a poster session will feature current research from select trainees of the clinic.