Team | Feldman Lab

Dr. Brian Feldman, MD, M.Sc., FRCPC

Division Head, Rheumatology, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)

Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute

Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Medicine, Health Policy Management & Evaluation, and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

Dr. Brian Feldman graduated from the University of Western Ontario (MD, 1985) and he did further graduate training in clinical epidemiology at the University of Toronto (M.Sc., 1994). He interned at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and went on to do a core paediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Dr. Feldman returned to Toronto as the associate chief resident at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). There, he completed a fellowship in paediatric rheumatology.

Dr. Feldman is a member of the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group, the Canadian Alliance of Pediatric Rheumatology Investigators, the International Myositis Assessment Criteria study group, and other collaborative organizations. He was one of the founding members of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), and was the head of the protocol evaluation subcommittee and chair of the Juvenile Dermatomyositis subcommittee.

Team Photo - July 14 2022 — Feldman Lab July 2022

Research Staff

Audrey Abad

Senior Project Manager

HBSc - Kinesiology and Health Science & Psychology - York University

Audrey has worked at SickKids for over a decade. She has been involved in the management and coordination of international multi-centre research initiatives focused on the development and testing of outcome measures in chronic illnesses and inherited bleeding disorders, preventative therapies for hemophilia, and capacity-building in resource constrained countries.  Her passion is to contribute to innovative research and projects that focus on the overall improvement of health outcomes in chronic illnesses globally.

In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, spending time with family, and a fun shopping trip.

Kayla Baker

Clinical Research Project Coordinator

HBSc – Biology (Psychology Minor) – McMaster University
Graduate Certificate – Clinical Research – Humber College

Kayla started at SickKids in 2020 as a Clinical Research Intern in Dr. Feldman’s lab and officially joined the team in 2021. Prior to this, she had a diverse history working in both diagnostic and research labs for both humans and animals. In her current position, Kayla coordinates several registries and biorepositories for kids with JIA, JDM and autoinflammatory conditions.

When she’s not entering data, you will find her biking along the Toronto waterfront or enjoying some friendly competitive card games.

Hayyah Clairman

Clinical Research Project Manager

HBSc – Cell and Molecular Biology & Human Biology (Anthropology minor) – University of Toronto
MSc – Medical Science – University of Toronto

Hayyah has been involved with SickKids since 2010 when she was a summer research student. Since then she has been involved in several research projects across a number of departments. Hayyah joined the Feldman team in 2017 where she now coordinates all of the juvenile dermatomyositis studies. Her favorite thing about SickKids is the robust collaborative network among physicians and researchers.

She is also a chocolate lover, and likes difficult sudoku and jigsaw puzzles.

Amanda De Filippo

Registered Dietician

BA – Psychology (Italian Culture minor) – York University
BASc – Nutrition and Food – Toronto Metropolitan University
MSc – Human Development and Food Security – Roma Tre University
PMDip, Dietetics – Toronto Metropolitan University

Amanda joined SickKids in November 2024 as a research dietitian for the DIGEST-JA study, where she supports participating families in adopting the Mediterranean Diet to explore its potential benefits for JIA. She completed her clinical nutrition training at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Having worked in global food security research since 2019, Amanda is passionate about improving access to healthy diets through sustainable food systems and food and nutrition policy. She recently began teaching Population Health Promotion in the Master’s in Nutrition Communication program at Toronto Metropolitan University.

In her spare time, Amanda enjoys nature walks with her dog, cooking, baking, travelling, and dancing.

Ingrid Goh

Senior Research Associate (PM)

HBSc – University of Toronto
MScQIPS – University of Toronto
PhD – University of Toronto

Ingrid has been involved with SickKids in various capacities, including as a student, volunteer, and employee. She oversees a portfolio of studies within the Division of Rheumatology. Her interests lie in patient engagement, quality improvement, digital technology, and knowledge translation research.

In her free time, Ingrid dedicates herself to volunteering with numerous organizations.

Natasha Naraidoo

Clinical Research Project Coordinator

HBSc – Psychology – York University

Natasha has been working at SickKids since 2016, and has been part of the Feldman team since 2018. She is currently coordinating and assisting with projects in rheumatology and haematology. Prior to this, she worked at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

She has always held a special interest in paediatric mental health, working as an instructional therapist helping children with developmental disabilities and behavioural difficulties. She is also a member of the Peer Support and Trauma Response Team at SickKids. In her free time, Natasha loves to spend time with her family which generally involves lots of food!

Samantha Stephens

Research Associate

PhD – University of Toronto

Graduate Students

(If you are interested in a master’s, PhD or volunteer position with the Feldman Lab, please visit Get Involved)

Yvonne Lee
MSc –
MScPT –

Yvonne is a PhD student in the Institute of Medical Science program at the University of Toronto. As a physiotherapist, she is interested in studying exercise interventions and is currently studying this in the context of pediatric rheumatic diseases. Her research interests include clinical trial designs, applications, and outcome measurement.

Yvonne likes travelling and visiting cafes around the city.

Katherine Sawicka

MD – University of Saskatchewan

Katherine is a PhD student in Clinical Epidemiology at the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto. She has been working on her PhD at SickKids since July 2020. She completed her MD at the University of Saskatchewan and is also currently in postgraduate neurology training at the University of Toronto. Her research interests are: self-management in adolescents and young adults with multiple sclerosis, long term outcomes of people with paediatric onset multiple sclerosis in adulthood, and transition from pediatric to adult care. Katherine is a member of the Neurology Pediatric-Adult Transition Working Group (University of Toronto), and the Health Hub inTransition (Children’s Healthcare Canada).

In her spare time she plays tennis and makes pasta by hand.

Lizabeth Teshler

BArtsSc – McMaster University

Lizabeth is a PhD student in the Institute of Medical Science program at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate studies in the Honours Arts and Science program at McMaster University where she received a broad-based science and humanities education. Lizabeth has actively engaged in various research opportunities at Mount Sinai Hospital and at the McMaster Rehabilitation Science department since 2019. Lizabeth’s research interests and passions include improving child health outcomes, quality of life and hematology research. Most recently, she has worked at Bayer Pharmaceuticals Canada in their medical research department collaborating and contributing to study management in various therapeutic areas.

Lizabeth loves road biking, spending time outdoors and volunteering for various community initiatives.

Ben Traubici

BSc – Queen’s University

Ben is a MSc student in the Institute of Medical Science program at the University of Toronto. He completed his undergraduate education at Queen’s University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Life Sciences. Ben has previously been involved in different research areas at SickKids, in Child Health Evaluative Science and Cell Biology, through the SickKids Summer Research (SSuRe) Program. His research interests include quality of life measurements, complex care of the paediatric patient and the role of T cells in tissue injury.

Ben is volunteering at the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital as a Therapeutic Recreation volunteer with Complex Continuing Care patients. He is also involved with the IMS Magazine as a photographer and copy-editor. Ben enjoys hockey, travelling and hiking.

Zainab Imam

MD – University College Hospital
MSc – Tropical Paediatrics – Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Zainab is pursuing a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto. She earned her medical degree and completed her residency in Paediatrics at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Additionally, she holds an MSc with Merit in Tropical Paediatrics from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK. Currently, she serves as a consultant paediatrician and neonatologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Her research focuses on improving access to exclusive human breastmilk feeding for hospitalized small and vulnerable newborns (SVNs) in Nigeria.

In her leisure time, Zainab enjoys watching movies, recreational reading, and gardening.

Research Fellows

Anwar Alkandari

Childhood Myositis Clinical Research Fellow

MB BCh BAO – Royal College of Surgeons Ireland

Dr. Alkandari, a pediatric rheumatologist, completed her studies at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Following her pediatric residency in Kuwait, she undertook additional fellowship training in Ireland. She is currently honing her expertise in a myositis fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children, with plans to integrate ultrasound into pediatric rheumatology.

Beyond her medical career, Dr. Alkandari is an avid photographer, capturing the beauty of the world through her lens.

Hamada Natour

Childhood Myositis Clinical Research Fellow

Former Graduate Students and Trainees

Dr. Luisine Abrahamyan, PhD
Dr. Laura Avila, PhD
Dr. Susanne Benseler, MSc
Dr. Hermine Brunner, MSc
Dr. Manuel Carcao, MSc
Aubrey Chiu, MSc
Dr. Peter Church, MSc
Dr. Ivan Diamond, PhD
Dr. Andrea Doria, MSc
Dr. Grace Gong, Post-doctoral
Rachel Goren, MSc
Dr. Marissa Hang, MSc
Dr. Diane Hebert, MSc
Dr. Adam Huber, MSc
Dr. Sindhu Johnson, PhD
Dr. Jennifer Lee, MSc
Dr. Lily Siok Hoon Lim, PhD
Dr. Jayne MacMahon, MB Bch BAO
Dr. Tomo Nozawa, Post-Doc
Dr. Irena Nulman, PhD
Dr. Moaath Saggaf, PhD
Dr. Samantha Stephens, PhD
Dr. Elizabeth Stringer, MSc
Dr. Lillian Sung, PhD
Dr. Andrea Taddio, Post-doc
Dr. Simon Tian, PhD
Dr. Pamela Valentino, MSc
Dr. Andréanne Zizzo (Benidir), MSc