Gideon Koren

Early life and education Koren was born in 1947 in Tel Aviv, then part of Mandatory Palestine, and was raised in the nearby town of Kiryat Ono. His father was the chief engineer of the Reading Power Station of the Israel Electric Corporation. Koren received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University in 1973. After mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces, he pursued postgraduate clinical studies in pediatrics and pediatric nephrology, as well as research training in pediatric toxicology, pharmacology, and membrane biology at The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto. He later joined the faculty of the University of Toronto and the staff of the Hospital for Sick Children, where he ultimately became a professor. Koren subsequently held the endowed Ivey Chair in Molecular Toxicology at the Schulich School of Medicine at the University of Western Ontario, where he contributed to the establishment of a national program in human toxicology while continuing his work in Toronto. Music career In 1971, while studying medicine at Tel Aviv University, Koren founded the Israeli musical group The Brothers & The Sisters, which became one of the notable Israeli groups of the 1970s and 1980s. The band performed many of Koren’s compositions, including children’s songs and musicals. In 1974, he collaborated with singer Shlomo Artzi on an album based on his grandmother Keri’s story A Journey to Noteland. A stage musical adaptation of A Journey to Noteland premiered in Israel in 2008. In 1992, Koren founded the Bear Theatre at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. In 2005, The Brothers & The Sisters toured North America following the publication of a bilingual commemorative volume of the poetry of Natan Yonatan, accompanied by a CD of Koren’s musical settings of the poems. The group continues to perform in Israel, often featuring Koren’s compositions, many of which are set to works by Israeli poets. == Medical career and controversies ==

Koren founded the Motherisk Program at the Hospital for Sick Children in 1985, which he directed until his retirement in 2015. The program later closed following concerns about the reliability of its forensic toxicology testing, which had been used in thousands of child protection and criminal cases. An independent review concluded that the laboratory staff lacked the necessary expertise for forensic work. During the dispute, Koren sent five anonymous letters to Olivieri and three other colleagues and initially denied responsibility. Two inquiries—by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)—found that Koren had authored the letters and misrepresented his role until confronted with DNA evidence. Both bodies also cited academic misconduct in connection with a related publication, though CAUT stated the misconduct should not be described as fraudulent. The CPSO formally reprimanded Koren for the letters and his repeated denials. Scientific misconduct In December 2018, The Toronto Star reported problems in more than 400 scientific papers coauthored by Koren, including inadequate peer review, undeclared conflicts of interest, and inaccuracies in methodology. This reporting led to retractions and editorial expressions of concern regarding several of his publications. In 2019, Koren threatened legal action against the editor of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring after one of his papers was retracted. In February 2019, he agreed to relinquish his licence to practice medicine in Ontario while under investigation by the CPSO for alleged professional misconduct and incompetence in relation to the Motherisk laboratory. He also agreed not to reapply for a medical licence in Ontario. As of 2022, six of his research publications have been retracted, three have received an expression of concern, and four others have been corrected. Books Koren has published 15 medical books, among them: • Retinoids in Clinical Practice: The Risk-Benefit Ratio (Medical Toxicology). New York: M. Dekker, 1993. () • The Children of Neverland: The Silent Human Disaster. Toronto: Kid in Us, 1997. () • The Complete Guide to Everyday Risks in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding: Answers to Your Questions About Morning Sickness, Medications, Herbs, Diseases, Chemical Exposures & More. Toronto: R. Rose, 2004. () • Medication Safety in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. New York: McGraw-Hill, Health Professions Division, 2007. () • ''Medication Safety in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: The Evidence-Based, A to Z Clinician's Pocket Guide''. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical, 2007. () == See also ==