Stanley Zlotkin

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Other Academic and Clinical Appointments

Professor (Cross-Appointment), Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto (2019 - present)

Chief, Global Child Health, The Hospital for Sick Children (2012 - present)

Staff, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children (2008 - present)

Professor (Cross-Appointment), Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto  (2005 - present)

Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto (1993 - present)

About Dr. Stanley Zlotkin

Stanley Zlotkin CM, OOnt, MD, PhD, FRCPC is a Professor of Paediatrics, Public Health Sciences and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, a Senior Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute and a Clinician/Scientist in the Department of Paediatrics at SickKids. He received his MD degree from McMaster University, his fellowship training in Paediatrics at McGill and his PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto.

In the late 1990s, Dr. Zlotkin led the development of ‘home fortification’ with micronutrient powders. By partnering with United Nations agencies over the past two decades, essential minerals and vitamins have been distributed to millions of infants and young children globally for the control of nutritional anaemia. His current research and advocacy is focused on preventing malnutrition in children. He was awarded the HJ Heinz Humanitarian Award in 2001 for his international advocacy work for children, the CIHR National Knowledge Translation Award in 2006, the Order of Canada in 2007 and the Order of Ontario in 2016, for his contributions to improving the lives of children. Dr. Zlotkin was appointed as the inaugural Chief of Global Child Health at SickKids in 2012. He has over 150 publications, the majority related to mineral needs of infants and young children.

Research Synopsis

Dr. Zlotkin has focused on research and advocacy to control micronutrient malnutrition in children. It is estimated that as many as 750 million children in developing countries suffer from micronutrient malnutrition. Challenged by UNICEF to come up with a viable and reproducible solution to the problem of micronutrient malnutrition, Dr. Zlotkin and his research team developed the concept of micronutrient powders for “home-fortification” of complementary foods. With support from USAID, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and private foundations, he has completed multi-country research to prove the benefits of home-fortification to control micronutrient deficiencies. Home fortification now reaches over 15 million children every year in more than 50 countries. His current research focuses on delivery science to enhance the implementation of public health programs and products. 

Recent Awards and Distinctions (Selected)

Mining4Life Chair in Mineral Nutrition (2019)

Honorary Doctorate, Simon Fraser University (2018)

Order of Ontario, Province of Ontario (2016)

National and International Committee Memberships (Current)

Member, World Health Organization STAGE group (The Strategic and Technical Advisory Group of Experts for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition; 2021 - present)

Board Member, Nutrition International (2020 - present)

Co-Vice Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, Grand Challenges Canada (2016 - present)

Recent Publications

1. South CA, Keown-Stoneman CDG, Birken CS, Malik VS, Zlotkin SH, Maguire JL; TARGet Kids! collaboration. Underweight in the First 2 Years of Life and Growth in Later Childhood. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jul 1;5(7):e2224417. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.24417. PMID: 35904782; PMCID: PMC9338407.
2. Dale NM, Ashir GM, Maryah LB, Shepherd S, Tomlinson G, Briend A, Zlotkin S, Parshuram C. Development and an initial validation of the Responses to Illness Severity Quantification (RISQ) score for severely malnourished children. Acta Paediatr. 2022 May 17. doi: 10.1111/apa.16410. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35582782.
3. Baxter JB, Carducci B, Kamali M, Zlotkin SH, Bhutta ZA. Fortification of salt with iron and iodine versus fortification of salt with iodine alone for improving iron and iodine status. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Apr 21;4(4):CD013463. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013463.pub2. PMID: 35446435; PMCID: PMC9022669.
4. Ji C, Piché-Renaud PP, Apajee J, Stephenson E, Forte M, Friedman JN, Science M, Zlotkin S, Morris SK, Tu K. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine immunization coverage in children under 2 years old in Ontario, Canada: A retrospective cohort study. Vaccine. 2022 Feb 8:S0264-410X(22)00131-1. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.02.008. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35164987; PMCID: PMC8824235.
5. Taghivand M, Pell LG, Rahman MZ, Mahmud AA, Ohuma EO, Pullangyeum EM, Ahmed T, Hamer DH, Zlotkin SH, Gubbay JB, Morris SK, Roth DE. Effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on nasal pneumococcal acquisition, carriage dynamics and carriage density in infants in Dhaka, Bangladesh. BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Jan 13;22(1):52. doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07032-y. PMID: 35026987; PMCID: PMC8759256.
6. STAGE (Strategic Technical Advisory Group of Experts), Duke T, AlBuhairan FS, Agarwal K, Arora NK, Arulkumaran S, Bhutta ZA, Binka F, Castro A, Claeson M, Dao B, Darmstadt GL, English M, Jardali F, Merson M, Ferrand RA, Golden A, Golden MH, Homer C, Jehan F, Kabiru CW, Kirkwood B, Lawn JE, Li S, Patton GC, Ruel M, Sandall J, Sachdev HS, Tomlinson M, Waiswa P, Walker D, Zlotkin S. World Health Organization and knowledge translation in maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition. Arch Dis Child. 2021 Dec 30:archdischild-2021-323102. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2021-323102. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34969670.
7. Suchdev PS, Jefferds ME, Dewey KG, Zlotkin S, Aguayo VM, de Pee S, Kraemer K, Greig A, Arabi M, De-Regil LM; Home Fortification Technical Advisory Group. Micronutrient powders and diarrhoea risk in infants and young children. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2021 Aug;5(8):e28-e29. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(21)00168-1. PMID: 34302747.
8. Strategic and Technical Advisory Group of Experts. Creating the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group of Experts (STAGE) to advance maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health and nutrition: a new approach. BMJ Glob Health. 2021 Jul;6(7):e006726. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-006726. PMID: 34285044; PMCID: PMC8292823.
9. Morris SK, Pell LG, Rahman MZ, Mahmud AA, Shi J, Ahmed T, Dimitris MC, Gubbay JB, Islam MM, Kashem T, Keya FK, Mohsin M, Pullenayegum E, Science M, Shanta SS, Sumiya MK, Zlotkin S, Roth DE. Effects of Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy and Lactation on Infant Acute Respiratory Infections: Follow-up of a Randomized Trial in Bangladesh. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2021 Oct 27;10(9):901-909. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piab032. PMID: 34213544; PMCID: PMC8557369.
10. Zlotkin S, Dewey KG. Perspective: Putting the youngest among us into the nutrition "call for action" for food fortification strategies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021 Oct 4;114(4):1257-1260. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab207. PMID: 34159356; PMCID: PMC8488864.

In the News

Ontario couple convicted in child's death to get new trial after fresh evidence uncovered. CTV News. October 1, 2020.

How this U of T pediatrician came up with a solution to treat malnourished children around the world. U of T News. February 5, 2018.