Spring 2023 (Volume 33, Number 1)
The University of Toronto Lupus Clinic
Turns 50
By Dafna D. Gladman, MD, FRCPC
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The Scientific Symposium celebrating 50 years of the Toronto Western
Lupus Program and the contributions of Dr. Murray Urowitz took place
in Toronto on December 1st, 2022.
The University of Toronto Lupus Clinic
was started in July 1970, under the
leadership of Dr. Murray Urowitz. At
the time, it was a novel approach to study
the correlation between clinical and laboratory
manifestations of lupus. Dr. Urowitz
developed a standardized data retrieval
protocol, which was completed at each patient
visit by trainees who spent 6-12 months
in the Lupus Clinic. In 1995, the Lupus
Clinic moved from the Wellesley Hospital
to the Toronto Western Hospital and has
been there ever since.
Since its inception, the Lupus Clinic has
provided exemplary patient care to more
than 2,100 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
(SLE), while making important contributions to lupus research.
This research has resulted in 521 peer-reviewed
publications. During this period, the Clinic provided a
venue for the education of 241 clinical and research fellows,
10 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows,
27 medical residents, and 51 summer students.
Seminal publications include the recognition of early
atherosclerotic complications in lupus, serologically active
clinically quiescent disease, and studies of pregnancy,
mortality, and individual organ disease in SLE, to
name a few.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned 50th-anniversary
commemoration was postponed from the
original date in 2020 (the actual 50-year mark) to December
1st, 2022. By that time, Murray Urowitz, who had
remained the Director of the Clinic since its inception,
had retired. Thus, the celebration of the 50th anniversary
of the Lupus Clinic was also an opportunity to recognize
Murray’s achievements on the occasion of his retirement.
The event included a symposium that featured presentations
by several physicians who had trained in the Lupus
Clinic, with a plenary lecture by Professor David Isenberg
of London, England. Because of the pandemic, only 50
people could attend in person, while the remainder attended
virtually. It was a very informative symposium.
The celebration continued at a dinner with many of
Dr. Urowitz’s colleagues, friends, and family attending.
Dr. Gillian Hawker, Chair, Department of Medicine,
University of Toronto, highlighted Dr. Urowitz’s contributions
to the Department of Medicine and to the University
of Toronto. Drs. Nigil Haroon and Robert Inman
commented on Dr. Urowitz’s contributions to the Division
of Rheumatology and the Schroeder Arthritis Institute,
and one patient provided a testimonial on behalf of
the patients attending the Clinic. Professor David Isenberg
of London, England, who gave the keynote address
at the symposium, had written a song to celebrate the
Clinic and Murray, and the song was performed at the
end of the symposium and at the closing of the evening
celebration.
The Murray Urowitz Chair for Lupus Research will be
established at the Toronto Western Hospital, to be held
by the Director of the Lupus Clinic. Close to one million
dollars have been raised so far, but the overall amount
needed to support the Chair is much higher. Donations
to support the Chair may be sent through the link available
by scanning the QR code on this page or by visiting uhnfoundation.ca/
Dafna D. Gladman, MD, FRCPC
Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto
Senior Scientist, Krembil Research Institute
and Schroeder Arthritis Institute
Deputy Director, Centre for Prognosis Studies
in The Rheumatic Diseases, Toronto, Ontario
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