The Hospital for Sick Children

👂 Did you know the way a patient's hearing is assessed depends on their age? SickKids’s audiologists, like Yenna Jeon, evaluate how a patient’s ears and brain process sound using age-appropriate assessments in sound booths in the Audiology Clinic: ➡️ Most patients between zero to six months old have their hearing assessed while in a natural sleep using Auditory Brainstem Response Testing, which measures brainstem responses to sound using small earphones and electrode sensors. ➡️ For patients six to 36 months of age, Yenna uses Visual Reinforcement Audiometry by playing sounds through speakers or small earphones, which teaches the patient to turn towards a flashing toy or light-up video each time they hear the sound. Over time, they learn that “If I turn when I hear a sound, something interesting happens!” ➡️ For patients between three and five years of age, Yenna uses a technique called Conditioned Play Audiometry, where the patient is prompted to drop a block in a bucket or put a peg in a board each time they hear the sound. ➡️ Patients five years and older are evaluated pressing a button to indicate they heard a sound. Throughout the assessment, Yenna keeps lowering the volume of sounds played in the booth until the patient can no longer hear it. In an adjoining room, she uses an audiometer to track the patient’s responses in both ears. 📈 Although most of her time is spent in the sound booths, Yenna also works around the hospital, adapting these assessment methods to be used in different clinical areas. She also provides education and counseling for patients experiencing hearing difficulties and associated problems, as well as intervention services for patients with hearing devices, like hearing aids. #SpeechandHearingMonth #Audiology

Last week, the SickKids’ clinical research community came together for the 2026 Clinical Research Excellence Symposium (CRES)! Through presentations and posters, CRES showcased how staff across the organization are working together to better integrate research into care to advance child health. Thank you to the researchers, clinicians and operational teams helping drive this work forward across SickKids. Take a look at some of the moments, connections and conversations that shaped CRES 2026 👇 #SKResearch #ClinicalResearch

When Claire and her mom, Melanie, noticed changes in the seven-year-old's voice, they were referred to SickKids’ Centre for Paediatric Voice and Laryngeal Function for an assessment. Claire sings in a children’s opera company, so the family wanted to know what might be causing these changes. The good news: No major concerns, like nodules, were found! Instead, Claire was referred to speech therapy to help keep her voice healthy and strong, so she can continue to enjoy singing. SickKids’ Centre for Paediatric Voice and Laryngeal Function, led by Paediatric Otolaryngologist Dr. Paolo Campisi and Speech-Language Pathologist Laurie Russell, is one of only a few clinics in Canada dedicated to the assessment and management of children’s voices. This Centre not only has staff with extensive experience working with children, but also access to paediatric-sized equipment, like laryngoscopes, which examine the larynx and vocal cords. Patients are referred for a range of reasons, from hoarseness to reflux, changes in voice, or after procedures such as intubation. The team at SickKids provides assessments, diagnoses and recommendations — most often connecting families with speech-language therapy supports to build strength and confidence over time. “It’s like learning how to print, the more we practice using our voice properly, we get better and better at it,” Laurie says about speech therapy exercises. “Coming to see us doesn't necessarily mean something’s wrong, but just that your voice sounds different. We want to make sure that your voice is safe and that you’re using it in a healthy and efficient way.” For Claire and her family, the visit also brought reassurance. “I’m super glad we came, because I know now that there’s nothing to be worried about,” says Melanie. “And I know what we should be working on.” Sending a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Campisi, Laurie and all their colleagues taking care of young voices this Speech and Hearing Month!

🏆 Congratulations to our Senior Scientist Dr. John Rubinstein, who today has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society — one of the most prestigious honours in science. The Royal Society is the world's most venerable scientific association and its Fellowship represents the most eminent scientific minds in history. Dr. Rubinstein joins its ranks for work that changed how life is seen at a molecular level. Dr. Rubinstein and his teams have greatly advanced imaging called “single particle electron cryomicroscopy” through higher resolution, enabling the study of the body’s most important proteins and enzymes at the level of a single atom. He has recently targeted the ongoing crisis of drug-resistant tuberculosis, and his precision imaging is helping identify new therapeutic targets in a bid to create next-generation medicines. Dr. Rubinstein has been part of the #SKResearch community since 2006 and SickKids is proud to celebrate him and all the collaborators and students who have contributed to this work. 🔗 Learn more about his research: https://lnkd.in/dwbf3UVa

At SickKids, physiotherapists lead with innovation, compassion, and precision — delivering highly specialized care tailored to the unique needs of each child and family. They continue to advance practice through publications across metabolics, orthopaedics, transplant, and pain, while also presenting their work nationally and internationally. From introducing new training to improve safe patient handling, to developing care pathways for complex populations — including children with sickle cell disease and those undergoing reconstructive procedures— physiotherapists at SickKids are continuously pushing boundaries and working at the top of their scope. Thank you to all physiotherapists and physiotherapy assistants for the dedication and care you bring each day 👏 #NationalPhysiotherapyMonth #npm2026

SickKids Cancer Sequencing Program (KiCS) is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year! That means a decade of research helping patients identify genetic changes in their cancer that may inform new treatment options or identify a potential predisposition to cancer. For patients like Nori and her family, it’s meaningful on many fronts. “It opened the door for a treatment we wouldn’t have done otherwise,” says Jeff, Nori’s dad. “But beyond that, we’re happy to be contributing a program that has the opportunity to help a lot of kids.” Learn more about the KiCS Program, one of the original exemplars of #PrecisionChildHealth, our movement to individualize care for every patient 👉 https://kicsprogram.com/

When a child is in the hospital, caregivers often put their own needs last—sometimes without even realizing it. At SickKids, we know how important parent and caregiver wellness is and the significant impact it has on patients and families. That’s why SickKids’ Family Centre and Library hosted the Caregiver Wellness Event, creating space for caregivers to pause and feel supported. 💙 Caregivers and their families were invited to drop in throughout the day for different wellness activities, like craft-making and a visit from therapy dog Leah. They were also able to help themselves to free snacks and essential hygiene products for their hospital stay or home. The special event wrapped up with a guided Mindfulness session with Spiritual Care Provider Ani Jamyang Donma, who helped create a space to slow down, release stress and embrace the present. Thank you to the Family Centre and Library and Spiritual Care teams, and Women's Auxiliary Volunteers for hosting such a valuable event for caregivers!

Last chance to register for Stop the Bleed – a hands-on first aid training course to control bleeding effectively in emergency situations. Developed by the American College of Surgeons, this training session led by certified trainers and will empower participants with the knowledge and skills to respond quickly to life-threatening bleeding situations. 📅 May 28 🕒 5pm - 6:30pm 📍SickKids Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning This is a hands-on training session, so please dress comfortably. All attendees will receive a certificate upon completion. For more information and to register ➡️ https://lnkd.in/emgJKz6R

Why does the risk of schizophrenia vary from person to person — even among those with the same genetic condition? New research from SickKids is helping explain this. SickKids research in Molecular Psychiatry (Nature Portfolio) led by Dr. Ryan Yuen and colleagues at CAMH examined why some people that have a 22q11.2 deletion (caused by a missing piece of chromosome 22) develop schizophrenia while others do not. The study found that rare DNA changes called tandem repeat expansions (TREs) are more common in people with a 22q11.2 deletion who go on to develop schizophrenia. Even so, only about one in four people with the deletion develop it. By analyzing whole genome sequencing data, the researchers found that TREs affect genes involved in brain development and how brain cells communicate. Many of the same pathways are also linked to schizophrenia in the general population, suggesting that there is a shared biology beyond this rare genetic condition. Together, the findings continue to highlight TREs as an important genetic variation and show the value of genomics for better understanding #MentalHealth conditions like #Schizophrenia. Read the #SKResearch ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eeD4XzfW #WorldSchizophreniaDay

After receiving a lupus diagnosis when she was eight years old, Crystal Mui kept asking one question: why? Why lupus? Why so young? Why her? Crystal began participating in research at SickKids to help find answers to these questions. What started out as a simple “yes” became a path forward. Years later, Crystal has carried that curiosity into her work in science and in her role as a patient advisor, helping make research more accessible for families: “Saying yes didn’t change my outcome, but it showed me how progress happens – one question, one study and one participant at a time.” Read her story ➡️ https://lnkd.in/efdmb2NP