
Above: Dr. Erkan Demirkaya’s stands outside of his clinic space at Victoria Hospital.
Dr. Erkan Demirkaya, Scientist at London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI) and Paediatric Rheumatologist at Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), has been appointed President of the International Society of Systemic Auto-Inflammatory Diseases (ISSAID), a key role within the rare disease and autoinflammatory community.
“I am deeply honoured to be appointed as President of the ISSAID. This role is meaningful because it provides a platform to bring together clinicians, researchers, and patients from around the world to advance our understanding of systemic autoinflammatory diseases,” explains Dr. Demirkaya. “As someone passionate about improving outcomes for adults, children and families impacted by these rare conditions, I am excited to lead ISSAID in fostering collaboration, driving innovative research, and supporting the next generation of specialists in this critical field.”
Dr. Demirkaya specializes in autoinflammatory diseases in children, including familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), hyper-IgD syndrome (HIDS), and TNF receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS). His research focuses on autoinflammatory diseases and their genetic background, vasculitis, and the outcomes of paediatric rheumatic diseases. He has authored more than 150 articles in international, peer-reviewed journals and contributed to over 28 book chapters.
His expertise, leadership, and vision have been pivotal in advancing the understanding and treatment of systemic autoinflammatory diseases. His appointment as President of ISSAID further underscores his dedication to the field and highlights his significant contributions. The innovative strides ISSAID will make under his guidance and leadership are highly anticipated.
ISSAID, a non-profit organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, unites an international community of clinicians, researchers, and patients to advance knowledge of systemic auto-inflammatory diseases. The organization fosters research, informs the public, provides guidelines for clinical practice, and supports specialist education and training, among other key initiatives.