Dr. Laura Targownik (she/her) is a clinician researcher focused on health services research and the epidemiology of Inflammatory bowel disease. She is currently a clinician researcher based at Mount Sinai Hospital at the University of Toronto, and since 2019, she has also served as the Departmental Division Director for Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Toronto, where she oversees a faculty of over 50 full-time members, 40 part-time members, and 60 residents and fellows.
She is currently serving as the inaugural President of Rainbows in Gastroenterology, and has been a strong advocate for the inclusion and celebration of gastroenterologist and GI trainees who are trans and/or gender diverse. She has and is currently leading a research project evaluating the experiences of trans and gender diverse people who are receiving gastrointestinal care or awaiting gastrointestinal assessments.
She has over 220 peer-reviewed publications and has held funding from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the American Gastroenterology Association. She also serves on the Scientific and Medical Steering Committee for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, and is a steering committee member and lead author of the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Impact of IBD Report, last issues in 2023.