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SickKids

E. Ann Yeh

Title: Staff Physician, Division of Neurology
Designations: MA, MD, FRCPC, Dip ABPN
Email: ann.yeh@sickkids.ca
Alternate Contact Name: Laurie Carvalho
Alternate Phone: 416-813-7353
Alternate Email: laurie.carvalho@sickkids.ca
U of T Positions: Professor, Faculty of Medicine

Research Positions

Senior Scientist, Neurosciences & Mental Health Program

Biography

Dr. E. Ann Yeh is currently a Professor of Paediatrics (Neurology) at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, where she is the director of the MS and Neuroinflammatory Disorders Program and Fellowship Program at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and Senior Scientist and co-director of Clinical Trials at the SickKids Research Institute. Her research program focuses on visual outcomes in paediatric demyelinating/neuroinflammatory conditions, rehabilitative interventions for this population, especially in relation to physical activity, as well as therapies for paediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neuroinflammatory conditions. She has led interventional trials in these areas and multiple multi-institutional observational studies focused on neuroinflammatory disorders. She is the winner of multiple awards, including the Pediatric Chairs of Canada Academic Leadership Clinician Practitioner award. She sits on the editorial boards of Neurology and Multiple Sclerosis Journal and is co-editor in chief of MSARD. She has authored over 225 publications.

Research

The neuroinflammatory program at SickKids has made important advances in changing the trajectory of outcomes in children with MS and other neuroinflammatory disorders. Together with a team of scientists, Dr. Yeh's team is investigating pharmacological agents and lifestyle factors such as physical activity that can repair the brains of youth with MS. 

In 2019, we showed longitudinal associations between levels of physical activity and depression and fatigue in youth with MS.  We also developed and piloted a new app and program to improve physical activity, named ATOMIC. We developed this app in response to novel findings linking physical activity and outcomes in these youth, and new opportunities to overcome barriers to improving physical activity in teens. We recently received a grant from the National MS Society to perform a multi-centre trial of the effect of this intervention on physical activity in youth with MS. We are also performing work on strategies that can repair myelin in patients with MS and other demyelinating syndromes. To this end, we have initiated a pilot feasibility trial evaluating the use of an agent, metformin, in youth with MS, which has been funded by the Ontario Institute of Regenerative Medicine.  

Education

  • 1989: AB Harvard University. Graduated Cum Laude in East Asian Languages and Civilizations. Cambridge, Massachusetts. United States of America. 
  • 1992: MA McGill University. Departments of Social Studies of Medicine and Anthropology. Montréal, Québec, Canada. 
  • 1992–1996: PhD studies (ABD). McGill UniversityDepartments of Social Studies of Medicine and Anthropology. Montréal, Québec, Canada.
  • 1996–1999: MD McMaster University Medical School.  Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. 

Experience

  • 2005–2012: Assistant Professor. Division of Pediatric Neurology. State University of New York. Buffalo, New York. 
  • 2006–2012: Co-Program Director, Child Neurology Residency. State University of New York. Buffalo, New York. 
  • 2006–2012: Co-director, Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center of the JNI. A joint effort of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Jacobs Neurological Institute, The State University of New York and the Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.  Buffalo, New York. 
  • 2011–2012: Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics Royal College Specialty Residency Program Developer.  McMaster University.  Hamilton, Ontario. 
  • 2013–2018/4: Associate Member, Institute of Medical Science (IMS). University of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario.
  • 2012/07–2017/06: Education Director. Paediatric Neurology Training Program, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario. 
  • 2012/07–2019/01: Associate Scientist, Neurosciences and Mental Health, Research Institute. SickKids, Toronto, Ontario. 
  • 2012/04–2019/05: Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics (Neurology), University of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario. 
  • 2021/04–present: Fellowship and Education Director, Pediatric Neuroinflammatory Disorders Program. 
  • 2012/04–Present: Director, Paediatric Demyelinating Disorders Program, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario. 
  • 2012/04–Present: Paediatric Neurologist, Division of Neurology, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario. 
  • 2018/05–2023/06: Member, Institute of Medical Science (IMS). University of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario. 
  • 2019/01–Present: Senior Associate Scientist, Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario. 
  • 2019/06–Present: Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics (Neurology), University of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario.

Achievements

  • 2019: Best scientific platform presentation.  Longoni G, Ciftci-Kavaklioglu B, Yea C, Feltham T, Brown RA, Grover SA, Albassam F, Iruthayanathan R, Yeh EA. Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centre (CMSC). Seattle, WA USA. 
  • 2018: Excellence in Course Coordination, Department of Paediatrics, SickKids, Toronto, ON, Canada.
  • 2017: Best scientific poster. O’Driscoll T*, Stephens S, Grover SA, Berenbaum T, Finlayson M, Motl RM, Yeh EA. Physical activity, fatigue, depression in Pediatric NMOSD and RON. Neuroinflammatory symposium: NMOSD. Toronto, ON.
  • 2017: Best scientific platform presentation. Stephens S*, Shams S, Longoni G, Grover S, Lee JD, Berenbaum T, Finlayson M, Motl R, and Yeh EA. Longitudinal Relationships Between Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity, Fatigue and Depression in Pediatric MS.  CMSC.  New Orleans, LA
  • 2013: CanMEDS award. Department of Neurology, SickKids

Editorial boards

  • 2018–Present: Academic Editor. Public Library of Science (PLOS) ONE.
  • 2017–present: Associate Editor. BMC Neurology.  
  • 2016–Present: Editorial board. Multiple Sclerosis Journal.
  • 2016–Present: Steering Committee: (CNS) LCH. NACHOS.
  • 2015–Present: Apheresis steering committee. SickKids, Toronto, ON.
  • 2015–Present: Steering committee. International Pediatric Anti-Phospholipid Antibody Syndrome Committee.
  • 2013–Present: Editorial board. Neurology. 
  • 2009–Present: Special Advisor on Multiple Sclerosis. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee.
  • 2009–Present: Special Government Employee. US FDA (Food and Drug Administration), scientific advisor for Multiple Sclerosis. Committee on Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs. Reappointment 2014.

Publications

  1. Senior Responsible Author. Yea C, Bitnun A, Branson HM, Ciftci-Kavaklioglu B, Rafay MF, Fortin O, Moresoli P, Sébire G, Srour M, Decaluwe H, Marois L, Pelletier F, Barton M, Nouri MN, Brophy J, Venkateswaran S, Pohl D, Selby K, Jones K, Robinson J, Mineyko A, Licht C, Ertl-Wager B, Yeh EA. Associations of outcomes in Acute Flaccid Myelitis with identification of enterovirus at presentation: A Canadian nationwide longitudinal study. Neurology 2020 May (In press). 
  2. Senior Responsible Author. Stephens S*, Shams S, Longoni G, Grover S, Lee JD, Berembaum, T, Finlayson M, Motl R, Yeh EABenefits of Physical Activity for Depression and Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis: A Longitudinal AnalysisThe Journal of Pediatrics 2019 Jun; 209: 226-232.e2. 
  3. Senior Responsible AuthorAlbassam F, Longoni G, Yea C, Wilbur C, Grover SA, Yeh EARituximab in children with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody and relapsing neuroinflammatory disease. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2020 Mar; 62 (3): 390-395  
  4. Senior Responsible AuthorWilbur C, Reginald AY, Longoni G, Grover SA, Wong AM, Mabbott D, Arnold DL , Marrie RA, Bar-Or A, Banwell B, Costello F, Yeh EA on behalf of The Canadian Pediatric Demyelinating Disease.  Early neuroaxonal injury is seen in the acute phase of pediatric optic neuritis. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders 2019 Nov; 36: 101387  
  5. Senior Responsible AuthorLongoni G*, Brown RA, Aubert-Broche B, Grover SA, Branson HM, Fetco D, Bar-Or A, Marrie RA, Motl RW, Collins DL, Narayanan S, Arnold DL, Banwell B, Yeh EA on behalf of The Canadian Pediatric Demyelinating Disease Network.  Physical activity and dentate gyrus volume in pediatric acquired demyelinating syndromes. Neurology® Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation. 2018 September 6; 5 (6): e499
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