Name: Chaim M Roifman
When did you start working with the JMF? 1996
Profession and Location: Director, Canadian Center for Primary Immunodeficiency | Director, Immunology Specialty Lab | Director, Fellowship Training Program in Immunology/Allergy | Senior Scientist, Research Institute | Professor of Paediatrics and Immunology, University of Toronto | The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave. Rm7277Elm, Toronto, ON. M5G1X8
What inspires you? Finding cures for PID (complexity of human body).
What aspect of JMF do you find most special? A charity that single handedly transformed the field of Primary Immunodeficiency into a scientific and educational powerhouse for the benefit of individuals afflicted with immunodeficiency.
What’s your favorite JMF memory? The inception of the JMF Network
Favorite Expression: How can I help you?
To Sum Up! First and foremost, I am a loving and devoted partner to my wife Perach; proud father to Idan, Rona and Maian; and a complete voluntary prisoner to my gorgeous grandchildren. I am a clinician-scientist-educator and advocate for PID. I created, or helped create 7 (inter)national organizations promoting PID research and awareness. I conduct research into the molecular basis of PID, and signal transduction in lymphocytes. I have improved outcome of bone marrow transplantation in severe combined immunodeficiency, defined dosing and new indications for IVIG, and developed novel anti-cancer agents. I am a recipient of numerous awards including the E Mead Johnson award, the Henry Friesen Award, and the Donald and Audrey Campbell Chair. I hold 142 patents, have authored over 300 peer-reviewed articles in high impact journals like Cell, Nature, New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA, and attained multiple grants from agencies such as NCI, CIHR, OCRN, NIH, and others. I am fortunate to be supported by scientists in my laboratory, close colleagues and friends, and very proud of the achievements of my students. I am also lucky to be presented with the rare opportunity of disseminating scientific information related to PID as editor in Chief of LymphoSign Journal.