Charles Kassardjian

MD, MSc, FRCPC

Investigator

Biography

Dr. Kassardjian is a neurologist with a clinical focus in the area of peripheral neurological diseases and neurophysiology, with a special interest in genetic myopathies. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Medicine. His research and educational interests are in the area of quality improvement and patient safety.

A major interest is in the area of medication safety and standardization of practice for neuromuscular patients treated with immunosuppressive medications, including the impact of such medications on the risk of infections and fractures. He is interested in the way that we create and use guidelines in practice, especially when evidence is lacking, such as for patients with rare genetic myopathies. A more recent academic and research focus is in the area of virtual care adoption and optimization among medical specialists, especially as a way to improve access to specialist assessments and testing (e.g. electrophysiological testing).

Along with 2 other colleagues that have an interest in Quality Improvement, Dr. Kassardjian co-founded NQIL (the Neurology Quality and Innovation Lab) as a group to foster city-wide quality and safety projects within the Division of Neurology. An early successful collaboration was the development and publication of the “Virtual Neurologic Examination”, with accompanying videos, as a way to improve clinician proficiency with providing virtual neurological assessments both during and after the pandemic.

Recent Publications

  1. Stepanian, L, Laughlin, RS, Bacher, C, Izenberg, A, Hodgkinson, V, Dyck, A et al.. Chronic glucocorticoid management in neuromuscular disease: A survey of neuromuscular neurologists. Muscle Nerve. 2024; :. doi: 10.1002/mus.28069. PubMed PMID:38411028 .
  2. Paiz, F, Midroni, G, Kassardjian, CD. Reply to: Pain versus anxiety during electrodiagnostic studies. Muscle Nerve. 2023;67 (4):E10-E11. doi: 10.1002/mus.27798. PubMed PMID:36747326 .
  3. Paiz, F, Midroni, G, Kassardjian, CD. Pain perception during electrodiagnostic studies and the impact of learners. Muscle Nerve. 2022;66 (5):621-624. doi: 10.1002/mus.27712. PubMed PMID:36059146 .
  4. Rajendram, P, Fox, K, Sivanandan, B, Selchen, D, Kassardjian, CD, Saposnik, G et al.. Identifying gaps in the management of atrial fibrillation with anticoagulation for stroke prevention (GIANTS): a quality improvement initiative. J Neurol. 2022;269 (9):5047-5051. doi: 10.1007/s00415-022-11159-y. PubMed PMID:35536407 .
  5. Dainty, KN, Seaton, MB, Estacio, A, Hicks, LK, Jamieson, T, Ward, S et al.. Virtual Specialist Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Multimethod Patient Experience Study. JMIR Med Inform. 2022;10 (6):e37196. doi: 10.2196/37196. PubMed PMID:35482950 PubMed Central PMC9239568.
  6. Gosse, PJ, Kassardjian, CD, Masellis, M, Mitchell, SB. [Not Available]. CMAJ. 2021;193 (23):E878-E885. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.201938-f. PubMed PMID:34099476 PubMed Central PMC8203262.
  7. Farahvash, A, Kassardjian, CD, Micieli, JA. Mitochondrial Neurogastrointestinal Encephalopathy Disease: A Rare Disease Diagnosed in Siblings with Double Vision. Case Rep Ophthalmol. 2021;12 (1):174-181. doi: 10.1159/000514098. PubMed PMID:33976678 PubMed Central PMC8077549.
  8. Muir, RT, Gros, P, Ure, R, Mitchell, SB, Kassardjian, CD, Izenberg, A et al.. Modification to Neurology Residency Training: The Toronto Neurology COVID-19 Pandemic Experience. Neurol Clin Pract. 2021;11 (2):e165-e169. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000894. PubMed PMID:33842086 PubMed Central PMC8032416.
  9. Gosse, PJ, Kassardjian, CD, Masellis, M, Mitchell, SB. Virtual care for patients with Alzheimer disease and related dementias during the COVID-19 era and beyond. CMAJ. 2021;193 (11):E371-E377. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.201938. PubMed PMID:33722828 PubMed Central PMC8096398.
  10. Balas, M, Popovic, MM, Kassardjian, CD, Vosoughi, R, Nijhawan, N, Micieli, JA et al.. Limitation of Adduction in a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis Related to Orbital Myositis. Can J Neurol Sci. 2021;48 (6):855-856. doi: 10.1017/cjn.2021.18. PubMed PMID:33504399 .
Search PubMed

Affiliations & Other Activities

  • Assistant Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
  • Staff Neurologist, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Founding Member, Neurology Quality and Innovation Lab (NQIL)