Congratulations to Shaghayegh Chavoshian, a trainee at UHN's KITE Research Institute, for receiving the 2022 UHN Women's Health Program Summer Studentship Award.
UHN Women's Health Program supports research aimed at measuring and improving healthcare for women, as well as initiatives aimed at improving education in women's health and at supporting the success of women in medicine. These awards are only given to a select number of applicants each year, and Shaghayegh has received a combined $20,000 in funding from these honours.
Shaghayegh is a first-year PhD student at the University of Toronto's (U of T) Institute of Biomedical Engineering, which is part of KITE's Sleepdb team. Her research goal is to on develop accessible technologies that can provide better treatment for patients with asthma and obstructive sleep apnea.
Congratulations to Dr. Barry J. Goldlist, geriatrician in General Internal Medicine at Toronto General Hospital, for receiving the Michael Hutcheon Mentorship Award.
Dr. Goldlist is awarded for his contributions to support career development of early career faculty, creating a culture of empathy and compassion in the department, enabling a positive learning environment and being a model of professionalism. The Geriatrics Department, as well as GIM, have been "underserviced," and Dr. Goldlist is proud to encourage and support trainees to enter both fields.
Dr. Goldlist is a graduate of the U of T, and started his career in Geriatrics and GIM at the Toronto Western Hospital. He was one of the original members of the Canadian Geriatrics Society, and is a former president of the group. He has served as a corresponding examiner in Internal Medicine for the Royal College and was also Chief Examiner in Geriatrics for the Royal College, as well as Chair of the Specialty Committee in Geriatrics.
At the University level, he has served as program Director in Geriatrics, as well as DDD in Geriatrics. As a clinician educator, he is proud of being the founding editor-in-chief of two Geriatric CME Journals, and having the faculty teaching award in the University division of Geriatrics named after him. He is particularly proud of his wife, Helen, (who has won awards for contributions to the local community and Jewish Community in Toronto), his three children, and their families.
Congratulations to Dr. Quynh Pham, scientist and Director, UHN Digital Health and Therapeutics, for being named to the 2022 Women Leaders in Digital Health from Digital Health Canada.
Launched in 2017 by Digital Health Canada, the annual Women Leaders in Digital Health Award recognizes those visionaries who are harnessing the power of IT to transform Canadian health and health care.
This annual award is open to all women working in the Canadian digital health community at all stages of their career from emerging professionals in their first seven years in the profession, to leaders within their department or organization, to executives representing the Director level and higher. Each year, up to 10 new Women Leaders in Digital Health are selected for recognition by an adjudication committee of industry peers.
Congratulations to the team at UHN's "Behind the Breakthrough" podcast for winning "Outstanding Science Series" at the 2022 Canadian Podcast Awards. The award is a first for the show and a first for a Canadian hospital-produced podcast.
The honour underscores the impact of the amazing discoveries by UHN researchers, as well as the compelling stories of their journey to becoming world class scientists who dedicate themselves every day to making breakthroughs that improve patient lives.
"It has never been more important to tell these stories," says Dr. Brad Wouters, UHN Executive VP of Science and Research. "Over the past few years, and throughout the pandemic, we've seen first-hand how science deeply impacts us.
"While we often learn of medical advances through articles, it's important to realize that there is a very human side to science. It is driven by real people. 'Behind the Breakthrough,' while delving into important breakthroughs, also sheds a light on the people that make science happen."
As BTB Producer Twayne Pereira says in the acceptance speech – "Science Matters." Have a watch starting @ 37:26:
5th Annual Canadian Podcast Awards - YouTube
"'Behind the Breakthrough' underlines that there is a comp lex and interesting story about the work and the people who do the work at UHN," says Gillian Howard, Vice President of UHN Public Affairs & Communications. "In addition to this diversity of stories, what connects all our researchers is their passion for medical research and a relentless drive to improve the lives of patients by discovering new treatments and cures."
"Behind the Breakthrough" recently launched its fourth season and is a co-production of UHN Research and Public Affairs.
Listen to the podcast and subscribe
Congratulations to Dr. Atena Roshan Fekr, an affiliate scientist at UHN's KITE Research Institute, for receiving an Ignite Research Grant from the Arthritis Society of Canada.
The grants, given to just 10 applicants across Canada each year, represent a $1-million investment into developing and testing high-potential but high-risk ideas that challenge our understanding of arthritis.
Dr. Fekr, who is also assistant professor at the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering at the U of T, is leading the science behind the footwear slip resistance testing program at KITE's WinterLab, which attracts lots of attention from footwear companies and has motivated them to design higher-quality footwear over time.
Her primary research interest is to combine ubiquitous sensing technologies with machine learning, optimization and signal processing techniques to solve real-world, practical problems.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2021-22 Wightman-Berris Academy Awards! Every year, the Wightman-Berris Academy recognizes students and faculty who have made significant contributions to education and the field of medicine.
The Department of Medicine is proud to celebrate seven UHN-based physicians who won awards in several categories, including Teaching Excellence for Undergraduate and Postgraduate education and Educational Administration.
Thank you to all recipients for enriching medical education at UHN and for your ongoing dedication to teaching.
Dr. Anna Goulding | Individual Teaching Excellence Award – Undergraduate; General Internist (General Internal Medicine), Toronto General Hospital (TGH); TGH Clerkship Director for Internal Medicine; Department of Medicine, U of T.
Dr. Helena Dhamko | Individual Teaching Excellence Award – Undergraduate; Assistant Professor and Clinician Teacher in Division of Hematology, TGH; Rotation coordinator for PGY1-3 IM residents in hematology at UHN and CBD lead for the hematology residency program; Department of Medicine, U of T.
Dr. Hani Amad | Individual Teaching Excellence Award – Postgraduate; Assistant Professor, TGH; Cardiology, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (PMCC), Department of Medicine; U of T; Co-lead for the Cardiology Block of the Foundations Curriculum for first-year medical students; Cardiac Catheterization Rotation Co-ordinator at PMCC and member of the Adult Cardiology Residency Program Education/Examination Committee.
Dr. Asad Ali Merchant | Individual Teaching Excellence Award – Postgraduate; Nephrology, Department of Medicine; Clinician Teacher and Nephrologist specializing in geriatric nephrology; U of T Nephrology, Department of Medicine.
Dr. Yvonne Tse | Individual Teaching Excellence Award – Postgraduate; Gastroenterologist, TWH; GI lead in the multidisciplinary clinic for patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome at TGH; Department of Medicine, U of T.
Dr. Richard Dunbar-Yaffe | Individual Teaching Excellence Award – Postgraduate; Assistant Professor in Quality and Innovation; General Internist (General Internal Medicine) at TGH; Department of Medicine, U of T; GIM Site Operations Lead at TGH and manages UHN's overnight hospitalist ("nocturnist") program
Dr. Cheryl Jaigobin | Anderson Award - John W. Bradley Educational Administration; Associate Professor and Clinician Teacher at TWH; Neurologist, Department of Medicine, U of T; Director of Fellowship Programs for the Department of Medicine and the chair of the Fellowship Education Advisory Committee at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
Congratulations to Dr. Pia Kontos, Senior Scientist at UHN's KITE Research Institute, for receiving the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Aging Betty Havens Prize for Knowledge Mobilization in Aging.
The award recognizes the outstanding achievements of an individual, team or organization who have advanced the mobilization of research in aging at a local or regional level. This is given to only a select number of scientists nationwide each year, as recipients receive $20,000 in funding.
Dr. Kontos' research focuses on challenging policies and practices that discriminate against people living with dementia and developing and evaluating arts-based and digital knowledge translation initiatives to reduce stigma and improve social inclusion and quality of care for people living with dementia.
This is the third time and second year in row Dr. Kontos has received an award from CIHR. In 2021, she earned the Mid-Career Investigator Prize in Research in Aging, and in 2009 was given the New Investigator Award.
Congratulations to Dr. Susan Abbey, UHN's Psychiatrist-in-Chief and Program Medical Director of the Centre for Mental Health and Professor in the U of T's Department of Psychiatry, on receiving the inaugural Distinguished Contribution to Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry in Canada Award from the Canadian Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (CACLP).
The award is given to an individual who, through their clinical work, research, education, administration or advocacy, has advanced this subspecialty field focused on providing psychiatric care to medically ill patients.
Dr. Abbey's work as an international leader in the care of individuals with co-occurring mental and physical health issues was cited by the CACLP Board of Directors, particularly her contributions in the fields of transplant, cardiology, somatization and critical care. They highlighted Dr. Abbey's role in inspiring and influencing a generation of psychiatrists to engage in consultation-liaison psychiatry, as well as the pragmatic approach she takes helping to build a connection and rapport with physical health care providers.
Congratulations to the five UHN researchers who have received funding through the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program. The program provides funding to attract and retain Canada's most accomplished and promising researchers.
Dr. Myron Cybulsky, Tier 1 CRC in Arterial Wall Biology and Atherogenesis (renewal) – Dr. Cybulsky is a Senior Scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (TGHRI) and a professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the U of T. He is a world leader in the mechanisms of atherosclerosis, a contributing factor to heart disease and stroke. This Chair will help to advance Dr. Cybulsky's research into the formation of arterial plaques, which will help doctors treat heart disease before it becomes fatal.
Dr. Courtney Jones, Tier 2 CRC in Leukemia Stem Cell Metabolism (new) – Dr. Jones is a scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics at U of T, and an emerging leader in leukemic stem cell (LSC) metabolism. Funding from this Chair will enable Dr. Jones' group to study how LSCs use energy differently from normal cells and how healthy blood-forming stem cells become cancerous and cause acute myeloid leukemia. This research will help to develop strategies that target LSC metabolism to prevent cancer relapse and improve patient outcomes.
Dr. Sushant Kumar, Tier 2 CRC in Genomic Medicine (new) – Dr. Kumar is a scientist at the Princess Margaret and an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics at U of T with expertise in bioinformatics and the analysis of large-scale cancer data. This Chair will enable his team to develop computational methods to integrate and analyze cancer data sets from gene sequencing, functional genomics, protein structure and pharmacogenomics studies. This research will contribute to precision oncology efforts by yielding novel tools for studying tumour evolution and heterogeneity and identifying clinically actionable disease biomarkers.
Dr. Gregory Schwartz, Tier 2 CRC in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (new) – Dr. Schwartz is a scientist at the Princess Margaret, an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics at U of T, and an expert in computational biology and the analysis of single-cell data sets. His research team is developing computational tools to analyze multi-omic, single-cell data sets to uncover cell-cell communication networks in cancer. Understanding how cells communicate in cancer will provide insights into disease progression and drug resistance, and will enable the development of innovative diagnostic tools and strategies to overcome resistance.
Dr. Anastasia Tikhonova, Tier 2 CRC in Stem Cell Niche Biology (new) – Dr. Tikhonova is a scientist at the Princess Margaret, an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics at U of T, and an emerging leader in the fields of hematopoiesis and stem cell biology. Her research focuses on how communication between blood stem cells and the bone marrow environment changes during cancer. Funding from this Chair will enable her group to define the role of the bone marrow microenvironment in malignant hematopoiesis and identify microenvironmental cues that promote the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Learn more:
www.uhnresearch.ca/news/research-chairs-awarded
Congratulations to the 14 UHN researchers who have made the 2022 list of Highly Cited Researchers from Clarivate – a global leader in bibliometrics and analytics.
The Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher list recognizes individuals who published papers that rank in the top one per cent by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Science citation index over the past decade. Seven UHN researchers on the list received the added distinction of being included in the "Cross-Field" category, reflecting their interdisciplinary excellence and impact in multiple research fields.
The list of UHN researchers and the categories in which they received their distinction are listed below:
Dr. Cheryl Arrowsmith, Cross-Field – Senior Scientist, the Princess Margaret; professor, Department of Medical Biophysics, U of T; Research focus: cancer-related structural biology, chemical biology and epigenetics.
Dr. Gary Bader, Biology and Biochemistry – affiliate scientist, the Princess Margaret; Professor, Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, U of T; Research focus: bridging molecular and clinical datasets to identify clinically relevant targets of cancer and regenerative wound healing processes.
Dr. Eddy Fan, Clinical Medicine – scientist, TGHRI; associate professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, U of T; Research focus: advanced life support for acute respiratory failure and patient outcomes from critical illness.
Dr. Slava Epelman, Immunology – Senior Scientist, TGHRI; associate professor, Department of Medicine, U of T; Research focus: the contribution of immune cells to cardiac tissue injury and repair.
Dr. Steven Gallinger, Cross-Field – clinician scientist, the Princess Margaret; professor, Department of Surgery, U of T; Research focus: cancer genetics, including gastrointestinal, colorectal and pancratic cancers.
Dr. Gordon Keller, Cross-Field – Senior Scientist, McEwen Stem Cell Institute and the Princess Margaret; Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics, U of T; Research focus: the application of developmental biology-guided principles to the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into therapeutically relevant cells, such as cardiomyocytes, hematopoietic cells and liver cells.
Dr. Sidney Kennedy, Psychiatry and Psychology - Senior Scientist, UHN's Krembil Brain Institute; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, U of T; Research focus: the application of deep brain stimulation to treatment-resistant depression, including clinical trials and the development of treatment guidelines.
Dr. Anthony Lang, Neuroscience and Behavior – Senior Scientist, UHN's Krembil Brain Institute; professor, Department of Medicine and Institute of Medical Science, U of T; Research focus: the etiology and pathogenesis of Parkinson disease and related movement disorders, as well as related novel diagnostics, and disease-modifying and symptomatic therapies.
Dr. Natasha Leighl, Cross-Field – clinician investigator, the Princess Margaret; professor, Department of Medicine, U of T; Research focus: novel therapeutics and diagnostics for thoracic cancers, including early phase trials.
Dr. Andres Lozano, Cross-Field – Senior Scientist, UHN's Krembil Brain Institute; professor, Department of Surgery; University Professor, U of T; Research focus: brain mapping, deep brain stimulation and focused ultrasound in patients and experimental models of brain diseases.
Dr. Tak Mak, Cross-Field – Senior Scientist, the Princess Margaret; professor, Department of Medical Biophysics, U of T; Research focus: the mechanisms underlying immune responses, the pathogenesis and tumorigenesis of cancer.
Dr. Roger McIntyre, Psychiatry and Psychology – clinician investigator, UHN's Krembil Brain Institute; professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology & Toxicology, U of T; Research focus: the effects of mood disorders on cognitive function, related health conditions and workplace functioning.
Dr. Frances Shepherd, Clinical Medicine – Senior Scientist, the Princess Margaret; professor, Department of Medicine, U of T; Research focus: the design and conduct of research studies evaluating the new targeted agents and anti-angiogenesis agents in lung cancer.
Dr. Ming-Sound Tsao, Cross-Field – Senior Scientist, the Princess Margaret; professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, U of T; Research focus: the mechanisms of non-small cell lung cancer, including how it metastasizes (i.e., its ability to spread throughout the body), its resistance to therapy and the small subpopulations of tumour cells that can evade treatments.
Learn more:
www.uhnresearch.ca/news/world-leading-minds
