Dr. Varsha Thakur MD, FRCPC
Staff Cardiologist, Fetal Cardiac Program
Assistant Professor of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Thakur graduated from medical school at the University of Western Ontario and complete her pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario. She started her pediatric cardiology training at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta and continued at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, before joining SickKids in 2013 as a staff cardiologist in fetal echocardiography. In addition, she provided pediatric and fetal cardiology services at Trillium Health Partners from 2014 to 2020. She is also a staff cardiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Dr. Thakur’s research focuses on the clinical impact and quality improvement of fetal diagnosis in congenital heart disease.
Dr. Vitor Guerra MD, PhD
Staff Cardiologist, Echocardiography & Fetal Cardiac Program
Assistant Professor of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Guerra graduated from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in 1992 and started his paediatric specialty training at the Heart Institute of the University of Sao Paulo, the largest heart centre in Latin America. In 2003 he came to SickKids as a fellow in Cardiology specializing in paediatric echocardiography. In 2020 Dr. Guerra obtained his PhD in tridimensional echocardiography from the University of Sao Paulo. Before joining SickKids as staff in March 2016 as a Clinician Specialist with a clinical, research and educational focus within the Echocardiography and Fetal Echocardiography, he worked as associate professor in New Orleans’ Tulane University. As an echocardiography laboratory staff, he is a co-investigator in various research projects, many of which focus on vascular laboratory research.
Dr. Lindsay Freud MD, FASE
Associate Director, Fetal Cardiac Program
Staff Cardiologist, Fetal and Echocardiography
Associate Professor of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Freud recently joined the Hospital for Sick Children as the Associate Director of Fetal Cardiology and an Associate Professor of Paediatrics. She graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed cardiology training at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and advanced cardiac imaging and research fellowships at Boston Children’s Hospital. She was previously on the faculty at Columbia University Medical Center where she began exploring novel applications for fetal cardiac therapy and helped develop a fetal cardiac intervention program. Her research has centered on understanding the natural history of cardiac disease in utero and investigating both percutaneous and pharmacologic therapies to improve outcomes by the time of birth. In addition, she is working to understand the impact of a prenatal diagnosis of copy number variants and genetic syndromes, particularly 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome, on perinatal outcome.
Nick Arbic
Paediatric Fetal Cardiac Sonographer III
Division of Cardiology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Nick has been a Paediatric Fetal Cardiac Sonographer III at The Hospital for Sick Children since 2007. The complexity of congenital heart disease and the joy of working with children are two of the many reasons he loves his job. He is an avid golfer, a 3 time SickKids employee golf tournament long drive champion and loves being a dad.
Robert Khan, BA, RDCS (AE, PE, FE)
Paediatric Fetal Cardiac Sonographer
Division of Cardiology
The Hospital for Sick Children
In 2002, Robert graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. Since then, Robert has been awarded credentials from the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) in Adult Echocardiography, Pediatric Echocardiography and Fetal Echocardiography specialties. Robert started working in the Fetal Echo Lab in 2013 and was promoted to Fetal Educator and outreach point person in 2014. Robert is dedicated to SickKids and his outstanding scanning skills, combined with his in-depth clinical knowledge and attention to detail, make him a unique asset to SickKids. Along with training fellows and imparting knowledge to observers, Robert also takes part in presenting cases for the monthly perinatal rounds and actively participates and contributes to SickKids’ annual Fetal Echocardiography Symposiums.
Nathalie Dutil, RN, BScN
Clinical Nurse Coordinator
Fetal Cardiac Program
The Hospital for Sick Children
Nathalie obtained her BScN from McGill University in 1990. She began her nursing career at the Montreal Children’s Hospital in paediatric cardiology and neurology and at the Montreal Neurological Institute as a nurse manager and educator. Nathalie joined the SickKids team in Toronto in 1998. She was also a Prenatal Class Nurse Educator for Toronto Public Health and St-Joseph’s Health Center from 1999 to 2003. In 2010, Nathalie had the opportunity and privilege of creating the role of Clinical Nurse Coordinator for the SickKids Fetal Cardiac Program.
Sonila Mustafa, RN, BScN
Registered Nurse
Fetal Cardiac Program
The Hospital for Sick Children
Sonila graduated in 2007 from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor degree of Science in Nursing and she is currently working on my MSc in Business Administration. During her 13+ years career with the Labatt Family Heart Center here at SickKids, she has extensively been involved in research such as NIH supported Multi-Center Clinical Trials where she attended the Cardiovascular Genetics in Clinical Practice at Harvard Medical School as well as Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation research trials. Sonila has been recognized by SickKids and Lawrence S. Bloomberg, Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto, as a valued preceptor in contributing to clinical education. In 2013 she joined the Fetal Cardiac Program at SickKids. This program creates a seamless continuum of care for the fetus with heart disease. From initial diagnosis to prenatal evaluation, learning about the heart defect, infant delivery, intensive care management, cardiac surgery and beyond, they provide the coordination of services and the compassionate voice for parents/families.
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PRESENTING FACULTY
GUESTS
Dr. Jane Lougheed BA, MD, FRCPC
Division Chief, Paediatric Cardiology
Associate Professor of Paediatrics
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa
Dr. Jane Lougheed received her medical degree from Queen’s University in 1993. She completed her pediatrics residency at CHEO in 1996, pediatric cardiology residency at CHEO in 1998, and a fellowship in echocardiography and fetal cardiology at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto in 2000. As well as her current positions at CHEO, she is a consulting cardiologist for the Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine and Neonatology at The Ottawa Hospital and the Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit, Nunavut. . Dr. Lougheed is the past-Chair of the Examination Board in Pediatric Cardiology at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a past-member of the Specialty Committee in Cardiology for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Dr. Lougheed’s areas of clinical and research interest include echocardiography, exercise physiology, fetal cardiology, neuromuscular disorders and pediatric heart failure.
Dr. Tim Van Mieghem MD, PhD
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist
Associate Professor, University of Toronto
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
Tim Van Mieghem is a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto and associate professor at the University Of Toronto. He completed his training in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium and did a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Toronto in Canada. Dr. Van Mieghem’s research and clinical practice focus on prenatal diagnosis and treatment of fetal anomalies, in particular central nervous system disorders. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and 15 book chapters in the field of fetal diagnosis and therapy. He is an associate editor for the journal ‘Prenatal Diagnosis’ and editorial board member for ‘Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology’.
Dr. Edgar Jaeggi MD, FRCP(CP)
Head, Fetal Cardiac Program
Professor of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Edgar Jaeggi graduated from the Medical School at the University of Basel, Switzerland in 1984. Following his paediatric residency in Switzerland, Jaeggi trained in paediatric cardiology at the University Children's Hospitals of Zurich and Geneva, Switzerland, the Westmead Hospital in Sydney, Australia, in fetal and interventional cardiology at the Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal and electrophysiology at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. In 1998, Dr. Jaeggi joined the clinical staff at the University Hospital of Geneva where he directed the Pediatric Electrophysiology Service. In September 2002, he returned to Toronto to join the Division of Cardiology and the Translational Medicine program at SickKids. In December 2003, Jaeggi became the head of the Fetal Cardiac Program, one of the largest and most successful fetal cardiac programs world-wide.
LOCAL
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Program Director: Edgar Jaeggi
Organizing Committee: Varsha Thakur, Lindsay Freud and Vitor Guerra
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ADMINISTRATION
Administrative Coordinators: Jacqueline Carillo, Danielle Warner, Shelley Kahn
Fetal Nurse Coordinator: Nathalie Dutil