2025-2026
PICNIC Executive committee
Dr. Shaun Morris
MD, MPH, DTM&H, FRCPC
PICNIC Chair
Clinician-Scientist, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital for Sick Children Senior Scientist,
Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute
Chair, Paediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada Co-Director, SickKids Centre for Global Child Health
Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Temerty School of Medicine, University of Toronto
Dr. Shaun Morris is Chair of the Paediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC). He is a Clinician-Scientist in the Division of Infectious Diseases, a Senior Scientist in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, and is the Co-Director of the Centre for Global Child Health at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). He is an Professor of Paediatrics is cross appointed to the Division of Clinical Public Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Morris completed his medical degree at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, and his Master’s in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA. His clinical training in paediatrics and infectious diseases was at SickKids and his training in tropical medicine was at the Gorgas Memorial Institute in Peru.
Dr. Morris’ research portfolio has several complimentary areas of focus and is conducted in Canada and internationally. Major research pillars include reducing childhood mortality and morbidity from sepsis, COVID-19, and other infectious diseases, establishing burden and risk factors for severe infections in different populations and hosts, and tropical infections and tuberculosis in international families and travelers. Internationally, he has led randomized trials and studies in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Kenya and he collaborates with researchers throughout Asia and Africa. He is the Co-Primary Investigator of Canada’s Immunization Program Active (IMPACT, vaccine preventable diseases), is the SickKids Lead Investigator for the GeoSentinel network (travel acquired infections) and the Co-Lead of the SickKids Special Immunization Clinic (vaccine safety and immunization in special hosts).
Dr. Jesse Papenburg
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Montreal Children’s Hospital, McGill University Health Centre
jesse.papenburg@mail.mcgill.ca
Dr. Jesse Papenburg practices Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology at the Montreal Children’s Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre, and is an Associate Member of the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University. As a clinician scientist, he works primarily on the epidemiology of viral respiratory infections and has over 130 peer-reviewed publications. He actively contributes to national and provincial guidelines on RSV immunoprophylaxis, influenza antiviral treatment and SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics and treatment. Dr. Papenburg is also a member of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and is the chair of NACI’s influenza working group.
Dr. Joan Robinson
MD, FRCPC
Stollery Children’s Hospital, University of Alberta
Joan grew up on a cattle farm in central Alberta. She did medical school in Edmonton, her paediatric residency in Vancouver, and a paediatric ID residency back in Edmonton where she has been on staff since 1991. She was Chair of PICNIC 2012-2023. She is Editor-in-Chief of Paediatrics & Child Health (the official journal of the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS)). Her favorite part of her job is working with trainees as unlike her own four grown-up children, they occasionally listen to her advice.
Andra Banete
PhD
Member-in-Training
Clinical Microbiology Resident, PGY2
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology (LMP), University of Toronto
Andra is currently a second year Clinical Microbiology resident at the University of Toronto, in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology (LMP). Before joining LMP, she completed a Doctorate in Microbes, Immunity, and Inflammation from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, studying innate immune responses to LCMV infection, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Sunnybrook Research Institute studying SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and MPOX at the Toronto High Containment Facility. Her research interests include host–microbe interactions and mechanisms of infectious disease in pediatric populations, and development and evaluation of rapid diagnostic tools.
Dr. Sarah Silverberg
MD, FRCPC
PICNIC Executive Committee Member-In-Training
Paediatric Infectious Disease Fellow
Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital for Sick Children
Department of Paediatrics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Dr. Sarah Silverberg is a paediatric infectious diseases fellow at the University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, ON. She completed her medical school at the University of Toronto, pediatric residency at the University of British Columbia and her training in tropical medicine at the Gorgas Memorial Institute in Peru. Her clinical and research interests include pediatric tuberculosis as well as vaccine preventable diseases and infectious diseases epidemiology and will be starting her MSc. in clinical epidemiology at the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluations at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Michelle Barton
MBBS, MSc, FIDSA
PICNIC Executive Committee Member
Associate Professor – Department of Paediatrics
Associate Scientist – Lawson Research Institute
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
The University of Western Ontario
Dr. Michelle Barton is a University of the West Indies medical school graduate. She completed training at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, inclusive of a research fellowship. She is the division chief for Infectious Diseases at the Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre.
She is currently actively involved in the management and prevention of infection in Canadian Children through her involvement with AMMI_PICNIC and through her work with Canadian Paediatric Society’s Infectious Disease and Immunization Committee (current Chair).
Dr. Barton believes in the value of collaborative research and has been actively involved in PICNIC-related research since her fellowship. She has contributed to several important multicentre studies that have expanded knowledge around epidemiology of congenital /neonatal infections, vaccine-preventable, COVID-19, CNS infections in children. She is also involved in research in the Black community and is a site lead on COVID-19 vaccine and disease-related research in this population.
Dr. Joanna Merckx
MD, MSc, PhD
Assistant Professor,
Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health,
McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Joanna Merckx is an assistant professor at the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University and a Medical Advisor at the Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections Surveillance division at the Public Health Agency of Canada. She is an epidemiologist, pediatrician, and infectious diseases subspecialist. Joanna obtained her medical degree and certificate in pediatrics from the University of Louvain, as well as a post-graduate certificate in Tropical Medicine from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. She completed her fellowship in the subspecialty of pediatric infectious diseases at the McGill University Health Centre and pursued a master’s degree in epidemiology from McGill University. She holds a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Her expertise and research interests include infectious disease epidemiology, diagnostic methods for disease (surveillance), public health and pediatrics/perinatology.
Dr. Jeffrey Pernica
MD, MSc, FRCPC, DTMH
Division Head, Division of Infectious Disease, McMaster Children’s Hospital
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University
Dr. Pernica is the Head of the Division of Infectious Disease and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University. His clinical interests, aside from infectious disease in general, also include immunization (he is the co-chair of the Ontario Immunization Advisory Committee) and tropical medicine (he is a member of the Canadian Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel). His research interests relate to the optimization of the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infections, enteric infections, and sepsis, for children living in both resource-rich as well as resource-limited settings.
Dr. Manish Sadarangani
BM, BCh, FRCPC, DPhil
IMPACT Liaison
BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia
Dr. Manish Sadarangani is Director of the Vaccine Evaluation Center at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and an Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, UBC Department of Pediatrics. He completed his undergraduate medical training and paediatric residency in Cambridge, Oxford and London in the UK. He then completed his DPhil with the Oxford Vaccine Group in the UK, developing novel vaccine candidates for protection against capsular group B meningococcal disease, and completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases in Vancouver in 2013 before returning to Oxford to work as a Paediatric Infectious Diseases physician. He has worked in paediatrics throughout the world, including in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Australia, North America and Europe. His research links clinical trials with basic microbiology, immunology and epidemiology to address clinically relevant problems related to immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases. Specific research interests include bacterial vaccines, understanding vaccine-induced immunity, maternal immunization, antibiotic resistance and CNS infections.
Dr. Mohamed Eltorki
MBChB, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor, Full Time Faculty, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Specialist, Alberta Children’s Hospital
Part Time Faculty, McMaster University
Dr. Eltorki is a paediatric emergency medicine specialist at Alberta Children’s Hospital and an associate professor of paediatrics at the University of Calgary. He completed his general paediatric training at the Hospital for Sick Children, the University of Toronto and subspeciality training in emergency medicine at Alberta Children’s Hospital. Subsequently, he worked at McMaster Children’s Hospital while also obtaining a graduate degree in Health Research Methodology at the prestigious Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact. As a researcher, Dr. Eltorki contributed to numerous studies and randomized controlled trials in the Emergency Department pertaining to paediatric pneumonia, bronchiolitis, paediatric mental health studies, Shiga-Toxin E. coli infection, COVID-19 surveillance, applications of machine-learning in skin conditions and paediatric pain trials. Currently he is CIHR-funded to conduct a multi-centre trial comparing two commonly used analgesics for children with appendicitis. Dr. Eltorki serves as an associate editor for the journal of Pilot and Feasibility Studies.
Dr. Srinivas Murthy
MD, FRCPC
CCCTG Liaison
BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia
Dr. Srinivas Murthy is co-chair of the World Health Organization’s clinical research committee on COVID-19. He is an associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, as well as a critical care and infectious diseases physician at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. His research focuses on infectious disease, clinical practice and clinical trials, and global health.
Dr. Murthy grew up in St. John’s, NL, attended Prince of Wales Collegiate, and completed his undergraduate degree at Memorial University. He was awarded the University Medal for Academic Excellence in Biochemistry. Dr. Murthy completed his Doctor of Medicine at McGill University in Montreal and his residency at Boston Children’s Hospital through Harvard Medical School. He has also worked on the frontlines for a number of infectious disease outbreaks, including work on Ebola in Liberia, West Africa.
Infections in children are still a major cause of early morbidity and mortality throughout the world, despite the advances made in preventive care. Infections are often a reason for children to become critically ill, and often occur in the critically ill child. Dr. Murthy’s research focuses upon stemming this burden through optimizing their management in a variety of settings. Additionally, the ability of various settings and healthcare systems to cost-effectively manage critically ill children, especially those with infection, is an area of focus.
Dr. Peter Gill
MD, DPhil, MSc, FRCPC
The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
Dr. Peter Gill is a general paediatrician and a Scientist at the SickKids Research Institute, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, and a Senior Associate at the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, University of Oxford. His patient-oriented research program focuses on improving the care and outcomes for hospitalized children on the general paediatric ward. Dr. Gill is the Co-Founder and Vice-Chair of the Canadian Paediatric Inpatient Research Network (PIRN – https://www.pirncanada.com/), a network of children’s hospitals and several large community hospitals.
Dr. Olivier Drouin
MD, MSc, MPH, FRCPC
(POPCORN) Liaison
Associate Clinical Professor, Faculty of Medicine – Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal
Researcher, Centre de recherche Azrieli du CHU Sainte-Justine
General pediatrician, CHU Sainte-Justine
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Social and Preventative Medicine, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal
Olivier Drouin is a general pediatrician and clinician scientist at CHU Sainte Justine. He completed his MD at McGill, residency at the Montreal Children’s and CHU Sainte-Justine, and an MPH from Harvard. His CIHR funded research focuses on reducing the burden, reducing inequities, and improve the quality of care and outcomes of children with prevalent pediatric conditions. He plays key leadership roles as a co vice chair of the Canadian Paediatric Inpatient Research Network (PIRN) and a director for POPCORN, a network of research network dedicated to advancing multidisciplinary and multicenter collaborations that address pressing child health questions across the country.
Dr. Nisha Thampi
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP)
Medical Director, Infection Prevention and Control Program
Division of Infectious Diseases, Immunology and Allergy
Children’s Hospital of Eastern of Ontario
Associate Professor, University of Ottawa
Dr. Nisha Thampi is a pediatric infectious disease physician at CHEO in Ottawa and Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa. She has been the Medical Director of the CHEO Infection Prevention and Control Program since 2013. She completed her medical degree and residency training in pediatrics and infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and Masters of Science in Public Health (Health Economics) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She currently serves as co-chair of the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program and is a member of provincial, national and international infection prevention and control advisory committees. Her interests are in infectious diseases surveillance and pediatric respiratory infection prevention and control.
Rohini Datta
MPH
PICNIC Coordinator and Analyst
Data Analyst and Clinical Research Project Coordinator
Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children
Rohini Datta is a Data Analyst and Clinical Research Project Coordinator at the Centre for Global Child Health at The Hospital for Sick Children. She completed a Bachelor of Science at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and a Master of Public Health with a specialization in Epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. During her time at the Centre for Global Child Health, Rohini has served as the lead analyst for pediatric research conducted in Canada and internationally. Her previous work has focused on identifying key risk factors for various severe pediatric infectious diseases, using a range of analytic methods.
Dr. Alison Lopez
MD, FRCPC, DTM&H
Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics
Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Western University
Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases
Children’s Hospital, LHSC
Executive Committee Member
Dr Alison Lopez originally hails from Malaysia but currently practices at Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre. She completed her General Paediatric residency at Memorial University of Newfoundland, her Infectious Diseases fellowship at the University of Manitoba and her tropical medicine training through the Gorgas Diploma Course in Lima, Peru. Along with her clinical work, she is the Medical Lead for Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at her hospital. Her interests include tropical medicine, antimicrobial stewardship and medical education.