Four members of the UHN community have received one of Canada's highest civilian honours.
Dr. Peter St George-Hyslop, Dr. Bryce Taylor, Dr. Wayne Johnston and Jon E. Love, were among 105 new appointments to the Order of Canada made by Governor General Julie Payette.
They will receive their insignia at a ceremony in Ottawa later this year.
Dr. St George-Hyslop, who was named an Officer of the Order of Canada, was cited "for his seminal research on the role of genetics in neural degeneration, which has advanced our understanding of neurodegenerative disorders, notably Alzheimer's disease."
Dr. St George-Hyslop has been cited by other researchers more than 33,000 times for discovering key genes and proteins that cause cells to degenerate in diseases such as early onset Alzheimer's. He showed conclusively that Alzheimer's is caused by a variety of factors, genetic and non-genetic, an observation that has since profoundly influenced research.
Dr. Bryce Taylor, named a Member of the Order of Canada, was recognized "for his sustained impact on the teaching and practice of surgery in Canada, notably as an advocate for improving surgical safety standards and patient care."
Dr. Taylor is the former Surgeon-in-Chief & Director of Surgical Services at UHN and Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. Dr. Taylor was Surgeon-In-Chief of UHN for 11 years. His academic legacy continues to inspire new generations of surgeons.
He is a passionate proponent of patient safety and is directly responsible for the adoption throughout Canada of the surgical safety checklist. Its use has demonstrated a significant decrease in major complications and death rate of surgical patients.
Dr. Wayne Johnston, also named a Member of the Order of Canada, was cited "for his foundational leadership as a surgeon, researcher and educator in the field of vascular surgery in Canada."
During his 40-year career, Dr. Johnston, Medical Director of the Vascular Lab at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (PMCC), has left an indelible imprint on all aspects of his profession, from establishing the specialty's training requirements in Canada, to conducting invaluable research and performing the most complex of operations.
Dr. Johnston created the training guidelines and exams for vascular surgery certification in Canada though the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Jon Love, named a Member of the Order of Canada, was recognized "for his contributions to the Canadian economy as a business leader and for his generosity to numerous health care and educational institutions."
Jon is founder and Managing Partner of KingSett Capital, Canada's leading private equity real estate investment business. He is one of Canada's most generous philanthropists, supporting numerous healthcare and educational institutions. Among their many charitable contributions, Jon and his wife, Nancy, donated $1 million to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation to establish the Love Chair in Prostate Cancer Prevention Research.
The Order of Canada recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Close to 7,000 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order since its creation in 1967.
View the
full list of the 105 new appointments.
