Chaim Roifman

Director
Clinical Fellowship Training Program
Division of Immunology and Allergy

Director
Immunology Service Laboratory
Division of Immunology and Allergy 

Senior Scientist
Molecular Medicine

Dr. Chaim M. Roifman has been a paediatrician and scientist at SickKids for over 35 years. He has made ground-breaking discoveries in understanding the molecular and genetic basis of inherited immune defects, including deficiencies in Zap70, CD25, CD3d and Roifman syndrome. Dr. Roifman pioneered the use of matched unrelated transplants for patients without a suitable donor in the family and advanced therapies for patients affected by these life-threatening diseases. He continues to mentor the next generation of trainees with his bench-to-bedside approach to patient care.

Research

Dr. Roifman’s translational research program focuses on unravelling the underlying causes of primary immunodeficiency. Using state-of-the-art next generation sequencing technologies, as well as molecular and cellular techniques, his team explores the functional impact of novel genetic aberrations on key components of the immune signalling pathways. These discoveries play an important role in guiding precision treatment options. 

Education and experience

• 2011–Present: Director, Fellowship Training Program, Division of Immunology/Allergy, Pediatrics, SickKids, Toronto, ON
• 2001–Present: Director, Canadian Centre for Primary Immunodeficiency, SickKids, Toronto, ON
• 1997–Present: Professor of Paediatrics and Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 1997–2001: Head of Infection, Immunity, Injury and Repair Program, Research Institute, SickKids Toronto, ON
• 1996–Present: Senior scientist, Research Institute,The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 1996–2012: Director, Clinical Immunology & Allergy Training Program, Division of Immunology/Allergy, Pediatrics, SickKids, Toronto, ON
• 1992–1994: Post-doctorate: Clinical Biochemistry, Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists
• 1992–1994: Post-doctorate, Clinical Chemistry, Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemistry
• 1991–2012: Head, Division of Immunology/Allergy, Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 1987–Present: Director, Immunology Service Laboratory, Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, SickKids, Toronto, ON
• 1986–Present: Staff immunologist, Division of Immunology/Allergy, Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 1970–1975: Doctor of Medicine (MD), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Achievements

• 2019: Member, Order of Canada 
• 2018: Exceptional Mentor Award, Israeli Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 
• 2018: Inaugural Janet Rossant Research Innovation Prize, SickKids
• 2014: Editor-in-chief, LymphoSign Journal 
• 2011: Physician research Award for Career Excellence, SickKids
• 1991–2012: Chair, Donald and Audrey Campbell Chair in Immunology 

1. Nahum A, Sharfe N, Broides A, Dadi H, Naghdi Z, Mandola AB, Vong L, Arbiv A, Dalal I, Brami I, Wormser O, Levy J, Roifman CM: Defining the biological responses of IL-6 by the study of a novel IL-6 receptor chain immunodeficiency. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2019 Nov 26. pii: S0091-6749(19)31597-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2019.11.015. 
2. Sharfe N, Karanxha A, Dadi H, Merico D, Herbrick J, Freeman S, Grinstein S, Roifman CM: Dual loss of p110delta PI3-kinase and SKAP (KNSTRN) expression leads to combined immunodeficiency and multisystem syndromic features. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2018: 142: pp 618-29. 
3. Dadi H, Jones TA, Merico D, Sharfe N, Ovadia A, Schejter Y, Reid B, Sun M, Vong L, Atkinson A, Lavi S, Pomerantz JL, Roifman CM: Combined immunodeficiency and atopy caused by a dominant negative mutation in caspase activation and recruitment domain family member 11 (CARD11). Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2017: 17: pp 1818-1830. 
4. de la Morena MT, Leonard D, Torgerson TR, Cabral-Marques O, Slatter M, Aghamohammadi A, Chandra S, Murguia-Favela L, Bonilla FA, Kanariou M, Damrongwatanasuk R, Kuo CY, Dvorak CC, Meyts I, Chen K, Kobrynski L, Kapoor N, Richter D, DiGiovanni D, Dhalla F, Farmaki E, Speckmann C, Español T, Shcherbina A, Hanson IC, Litzman J, Routes JM, Wong M, Fuleihan R, Seneviratne SL, Small TN, Janda A, Bezrodnik L, Seger R, Raccio AG, Edgar JD, Chou J, Abbott JK, van Montfrans J, González-Granado LI, Bunin N, Kutukculer N, Gray P, Seminario G, Pasic S, Aquino V, Wysocki C, Abolhassani H, Dorsey M, Cunningham-Rundles C, Knutsen AP, Sleasman J, Costa Carvalho BT, Condino-Neto A, Grunebaum E, Chapel H, Ochs HD, Filipovich A, Cowan M, Gennery A, Cant A, Notarangelo LD, Roifman CM. Long-term outcomes of 176 patients with X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome treated with or without hematopoietic cell transplantation. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2017;139(4):1282-1292. 
5. Merico D, Roifman M, Braunschwerg, Yuen RKC, Alexandrova R, Bates A, Reid B, Nalpathamkalam T, Wang Z, Thiruvahindrapuram B, Gray P, Kakakios A, Peake J, Hogarth S, Manson D, Buncic R, Pereira SL, Herbrick JA, Blencowe, Roifman CM, Scherer SW: Compound heterozygous mutations in the noncoding RNU4ATAC gene cause Roifman Syndrome by disrupting minor intron splicing. Nature Communications. 2015: 6: pp 8718.

See a full list of Chaim Roifman's publications