Sheldon Cheskes

MD, CCFP (EM), FCFP

Scientist

Biography

Dr. Sheldon Cheskes is a Professor with the Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and a Scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. He is the Medical Director for the Regions of Halton and Peel with the Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine and Affiliate Scientist with the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto. He is the Co-Principal Investigator for the Resuscitation Repository & Research Database (R3DB), one of the Principal Investigators for the Canadian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (CanROC). Dr. Cheskes is a recognized international leader in the area of CPR quality and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation and his work transcends research into clinical practice. He is a mentor to many in the field across prehospital care and resuscitation. Dr. Cheskes has published over 140 manuscripts in high impact journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, CMAJ and Resuscitation that have changed resuscitation practice around the world.

He is the principal investigator of the recently published DOuble Sequential External Defibrillation in Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation (DOSE VF) trial exploring alternate defibrillation strategies for refractory ventricular fibrillation during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

Recent Publications

  1. Cheskes, S, DOSE VF investigators. To the Editor - Defibrillation pad positioning in refractory ventricular arrhythmias. Heart Rhythm. 2025; :. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2025.06.051. PubMed PMID:40669581 .
  2. Matsuyama, T, Ohta, B, Komukai, S, Cheskes, S, Lin, S, Mohindra, R et al.. Extracorporeal and Conventional Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Low-Flow Duration: Insights From a Nationwide Hospital-Based Registry Study in Japan (JAAM-OHCA Registry). J Am Heart Assoc. 2025;14 (14):e039938. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.124.039938. PubMed PMID:40654244 .
  3. Magliocca, A, Fornari, C, Fumagalli, F, Merigo, G, Rahimi, M, Stirparo, G et al.. Amplitude Spectrum Area to Predict True Shock-Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation during Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. Resuscitation. 2025; :110695. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2025.110695. PubMed PMID:40582488 .
  4. Cheskes, S, McLeod, SL. Double sequential external defibrillation for refractory ventricular fibrillation: the science, the controversies and the future. J Electrocardiol. 2025;91 :154046. doi: 10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2025.154046. PubMed PMID:40483934 .
  5. Scales, DC, Rogowsky, A, Burry, L, Christenson, J, Daneman, N, Drennan, IR et al.. Prehospital antibiotics and intravenous fluids for patients with sepsis: protocol for a 2×2 factorial randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2025;15 (5):e104257. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-104257. PubMed PMID:40436458 PubMed Central PMC12121580.
  6. Cheskes, S, Drennan, IR, Pandit, S, Walker, RG, Dorian, P. Reply to: streamlining defibrillation for refractory ventricular fibrillation. Resuscitation. 2025;213 :110656. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2025.110656. PubMed PMID:40409671 .
  7. Penn, J, McAleer, R, Ziegler, C, Cheskes, S, Nolan, B, von Vopelius-Feldt, J et al.. Effectiveness of Prehospital Critical Care Scene Response for Major Trauma: A Systematic Review. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2025; :1-14. doi: 10.1080/10903127.2025.2483978. PubMed PMID:40131291 .
  8. Metelmann, C, Metelmann, B, Müller, MP, Scquizzato, T, Baldi, E, Barry, T et al.. Defining the terminology of first responders alerted for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by medical dispatch centres: An international consensus study on nomenclature. Resusc Plus. 2025;22 :100912. doi: 10.1016/j.resplu.2025.100912. PubMed PMID:40123987 PubMed Central PMC11929050.
  9. Cheskes, S, ACP Journal Club Editorial Team at McMaster University. In OHCA, IO-first and IV-first vascular access strategies for drug administration did not differ for 30-d survival. Ann Intern Med. 2025;178 (3):JC30. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-00159-JC. PubMed PMID:40030169 .
  10. Cheskes, S, ACP Journal Club Editorial Team at McMaster University. In OHCA, IO-first and IV-first vascular access strategies did not differ for sustained ROSC or 30-d survival. Ann Intern Med. 2025;178 (3):JC31. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-00160-JC. PubMed PMID:40030168 .
Search PubMed

Affiliations & Other Activities

  • Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Toronto
  • Medical Director, Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine