Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases

08/28/2026

08/03/2026

Congratulations Team Sinai and Team Captain Brenda (with special thanks to Anna & Shirley) for being the top fundraisers in Canada again for the 30th annual Gutsy Walk for Crohn's and Colitis Canada Crohn's and Colitis Canada - Toronto Community Crohn's and Colitis Canada and thanks to the Talk About Guts June newsletter for recognizing our amazing team!

07/29/2026

Team Sinai Family & Friends at 2026 Gutsy Walk for Crohn's and Colitis Canada Toronto

07/19/2026

By Emma Jones As a teenager, Zane Cohen (MD ’69, PGME ’74) watched his father retreat to a private basement washroom to manage the realities of severe ulcerative colitis. That experience shaped who he is today: a deeply respected gastrointestinal surgeon who has transformed care for patients fac...

05/19/2026

Team Sinai Family and Friends is the Top Team in Canada!

05/19/2026

For young people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the transition from paediatric to adult care can feel like a major leap - one that often happens alongside other significant life changes, from finishing school, to navigating independence and mental health challenges.

At Sinai Health, Sabine Finkenauer is helping make that transition feel more supported.

As Mount Sinai Hospital’s IBD Transition Navigator, Sabine works closely with youth transferring from paediatric hospitals, including The Hospital for Sick Children - SickKids, to adult care.

A registered social worker situated within the ambulatory IBD clinic team, her work recognizes that transitioning to adult care is about more than managing symptoms or appointments - it’s about supporting young people as they learn to navigate a chronic illness during an already complex stage of life.

Through one-on-one guidance, emotional support and practical tools, Sabine helps patients and families build confidence, strengthen self-management skills and feel more connected as they move into adult care.

Ahead of World IBD Day, we’re recognizing the importance of compassionate, continuous care for people living with IBD at every stage of life.

Mount Sinai Hospital’s Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease is the largest IBD program in Canada, caring for more than 7,500 patients each year. Learn more: https://bit.ly/48DEyZO

05/19/2026

New research from the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI) at Sinai Health, is bringing earlier detection and prevention of Crohn’s disease within reach.

A study led by Drs. Williams Turpin and Ken Croitoru, translational research scientist and clinician scientist at LTRI, shows that changes in the gut microbiome can appear years before symptoms begin. For nearly 1 in 150 Canadians living with Crohn’s disease, this could mean faster diagnosis and better outcomes.

In this unique study, researchers examined gut samples from sibling pairs where only one later developed Crohn’s disease. By transplanting these samples into pre-clinical models, the team was able to test whether differences in the microbiome were driving inflammation.

The results showed that pre‑disease samples triggered gut inflammation and distinct metabolic changes, identifying sphingolipid metabolites as a key biomarker. This discovery brings us closer to earlier detection and new strategies for the prevention of Crohn’s disease.

📑 Read their work, published in Gastroenterology: https://bit.ly/4sJEb88

This research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, and Biocodex Microbiota Foundation & Weston Family Foundation.

04/19/2026

For Rasheed Clarke, managing his ulcerative pancolitis – a severe form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) where the entire colon is inflamed – felt like he was putting his life on hold. Rasheed would go to the bathroom 30 times a day, each time with blood in his stool.

In 2013, he made the difficult decision to remove his colon and undergo a j-pouch surgery, where an internal pouch is created from the small intestine to restore bowel function. He was referred to Sinai Health’s Dr. Zane Cohen, who pioneered the j-pouch surgery in Canada, and Brenda O’Connor, who co-leads the IBD peer support group at Mount Sinai Hospital.

“Brenda was a consistent source of support, and Dr. Cohen’s quiet confidence made me believe the surgery could help put me on a path to better health,” says Rasheed. “That support group meeting was the first time I met anyone with IBD and the fact they were living well after their operations solidified my decision to have my colon removed.”

Today, IBD is more of a background player in his life.

“I can run, cycle, work, travel and be present for my loved ones. It’s all normal stuff, but it feels wonderful after normal had been taken away from me,” says Rasheed. “I feel deep gratitude for the staff at Mount Sinai who helped me get back to living.”

To express his gratitude, Rasheed makes a donation to Sinai Health every year on his “pouchiversary” to support other patients like him.

“I give each year as a “pouchiversary” gift to the hospital,” says Rasheed. “To remember how lucky I am and how incredible the people at Mount Sinai were to me.”

We are grateful to Rasheed for supporting IBD research and care at Sinai Health. Join him with a donation of your own! 🔗 https://bit.ly/482Tstl