Brief Biography

Dr. Susanne Benseler graduated from medical school in Freiburg/Germany, completed a PhD focusing on the immunopathology of systemic scleroderma in George Wick’s lab in Innsbruck/Austria, before training in Paediatrics in Freiburg and Bonn, Germany with a specialization in Intensive Care, Paediatric Emergency Medicine and Rheumatology.

After a fellowship in Rheumatology (2001-2004) at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) she joined SickKids in 2005 cross-appointed to Paediatric Emergency Medicine and Rheumatology. Dr. Benseler established the first North American and worldwide Central Nervous System (CNS) Vasculitis Clinic and Program at SickKids in 2005. Since 2007, Dr. Benseler has worked primarily in Rheumatology. She also recently completed a clinical epidemiology masters program at the University of Toronto. She is the Clinical Director of Rheumatology and an Associate Scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences program at SickKids.

Research Interests

1) Childhood CNS Vasculitis and Inflammatory Brain Diseases

• Development and implementation of the first worldwide CNS Vasculitis Clinic for Children
• SickKids Childhood CNS Vasculitis Program Establishment
• BrainWorks, the Paediatric CNS Vasculitis Outcome Study: Design and implementation of the first international childhood CNS Vasculitis study, database design, review and implementation in collaboration with the Centre for Computational Biology at SickKids, endorsement by CARRA (North American Childhood Arthritis Research Alliance), PRES (European Pediatric Rheumatology Society) and IPSS (International Stroke Registry)

2) Kawasaki disease

• Epidemiology, risk factors and outcomes of children with Kawasaki disease (KD)
• Infections at diagnosis of KD
• Early risk factors for aneurysm formation

3) Outcome research in paediatric SLE

• Nephritis: Renal failure and long-term outcome in paediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
• CNS lupus: Recognition and long-term outcome in paediatric SLE

Achievements

• Paul-Rosen-Award 2003, Canadian Rheumatology Association, Project: Primary CNS vasculitis in children. 2003
• Orgyzlo Fellowship Award 2003, Rheumatic Disease Unit Toronto, Project: Primary CNS vasculitis in children. 2003
• Orgyzlo Poster Award 2003, Rheumatic Disease Unit Toronto, Project: Infections and Kawasaki disease. 2003
• Earl J. Brewer Award 2003, American Academy of Pediatric Fellowship Award
  Project: Primary CNS vasculitis: Predictors of disease progression. 2003
• Poster Award, The Hospital for Sick Children research Competition 2003, 2. prize, Project: Infections and Kawasaki disease. 2003
• Geoff-Carr-Fellowship Award 2003/2004, Ontario Lupus Association. 2003
• Clinical Recognition Award, Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children. 2004-2005
• Clinical Recognition Award, Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children. 2006-2007
• Clinical Recognition Award, Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children. 2007-2008

Publications

Benseler S: Childhood CNS Vasculitis: a treatable cause of new neurological deficit in children. Nature Clinical Practice Rheumatology 2008: 4:9: pp 460-461. SRI

Hiraki LT, Benseler SM, Tyrrell PN, Hebert D, Harvey E, Silverman ED: Clinical and laboratory characteristics and long-term outcome of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus. Journal of Pediatrics 2008: 152:4: pp 550-556. C

Avcin T, Benseler SM, Tyrrell PN, Cucnik S, Silverman ED: A follow-up study of antiphospholipid antibodies and associated neuropsychiatric manifestations in 137 children with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Care and Research 2008: 59:2: pp 206-213. CPA

Elbers J and Benseler SM: Central nervous system vasculitis in children. Current Opinion in Rheumatology 2008: 20:1: pp 47-54. SRI

Benseler SM and Silverman ED: Neuro-psychiatric involvement in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus 2007: 16:8: pp 564-571. PA

Aviv RI, Benseler SM, Silverman ED, Tyrrell PN, deVeber G, Tsang LM, Armstrong D: Angiography of primary central nervous system angiitis of childhood: conventional angiography versus magnetic resonance angiography at presentation. American Journal of Neuroradiology 2007: 28:1: pp 9-15. CPA

Benseler SM, Silverman ED, Aviv RI, Schneider R, Armstrong D, Tyrrell PN, deVeber G: Primary central nervous system vasculitis in children. Arthritis and Rheumatism 2006: 54:4: pp 1291-7. PA

Aviv RI, Benseler SM, Silverman ED, Tyrrell PN, deVeber G, Tsang LM, Armstrong D: MR Imaging and angiography of primary CNS vasculitis of childhood. American Journal of Neuroradiology 2006: 27:1: pp 192-9. CPA

Benseler SM, McCrindle BW, Silverman ED, Tyrrell PN, Wong J, Yeung RSM: Infections and Kawasaki Disease: implications for coronary artery outcome. Pediatrics 2005: 116:6: pp e760-66. PA

Benseler SM, deVeber G, Hawkins C, Schneider R, Tyrrell PN, Aviv RI, Armstrong D, Laxer RM, Silverman ED: Angiography-negative primary central nervous system vasculitis in children: a newly recognized inflammatory central nervous system disease. Arthritis and Rheumatism 2005: 52:7: pp 2159-67. PA