Congratulations to Hugh Amiel, Senior Director of Procurement at UHN, on being named one of the recipients of the 2025 Passion for Procurement Award from the Canadian Public Procurement Council.
The award recognizes individuals who exhibit a true passion for procurement and inspire others to feel the same. The recipients were nominated either by their team or their leader without them knowing, something that demonstrates the consideration their colleagues have for them.
Hugh was recognized along with Caroline Bogner from Concordia University in Montreal and Vincent Vu from Ville de Lévis in Quebec for contributing to the success of their organization and fostering a collective ambition to elevate the profession.
"I was very surprised and honored to be recognized with this award along with Caroline and Vincent," Hugh posted on LinkedIN. "You can tell by my colorful top that it was unexpected.
"Thank you to TeamUHN for nominating me. I am very grateful to have an amazing team to work with and a leadership group that supports the work that we do. It truly does take a team."
Congratulations to all those honored at the 14th Annual Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Research Retreat. The theme for 2025 was "It takes two to think" and featured a range of talks to build collaborations among scientists and clinicians, and to accelerate bench-to-bedside discoveries.
The recipients, seen in photos clockwise from top left, are:
Dr. Marianne Koritzinsky received the inaugural Carry The Fire Award, which recognizes a scientist who exemplifies the true spirit of citizenship, dedicating their time and effort to support both the people and ongoing work of the PM Research Institute.
This year's Till and McCulloch Paper of the Year winners are:
Dr. Razq Hakem (Discovery)
DNA double-strand break - capturing nuclear envelope tubules drive DNA repair by Dr. Hakem and Dr. Karim Mekhail (University of Toronto), published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. They uncovered that human cells use nuclear envelope tubules to repair DNA, a process that is evident in several cancer types, including triple-negative breast cancer.
Drs. Hansen He and Ming-Sound Tsao (Translational)
The N6-methyladenosine Epitranscriptomic Landscape of Lung Adenocarcinoma published in Cancer Discovery. They found a novel driver of lung cancer metastasis, EML4, through the lens of RNA modifications like m6A methylation, opening doors for potential therapeutic targets.
Dr. Laura Dawson (Clinical)
Palliative radiotherapy versus best supportive care in patients with painful hepatic cancer (CCTG HE1): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 study published in the Lancet. This Phase 3 study proposed a new standard palliative treatment for patients with painful liver cancers - adding single-fraction radiotherapy rather than supportive care alone to reduce pain intensity.
Dr. Trevor Pugh received the Mona Gauthier Award.
Dr. Lillian Siu received the Richard Hill Mentorship Award.
Dr. Ming-Sound Tsao also received the Allan Slaight Collaborator of the Year Award.
Congratulations to the UHN Data & Analytics team on winning the Environmental, Social and Governance Data and AI Award in the Data and AI for Good category at the 2025 DataIQ Awards North America.
The award, which was announced at a ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., recognizes organizations and individuals that have demonstrated excellence in the data and AI industry over the past year. It's a testament to the dedication and cross-collaborative expertise of the D&A team, and highlights the impact they have supporting data-driven decision-making.
This award celebrates individuals and companies for work completed, or progress made, in the D&A industry. UHN's D&A team is being recognized for using data-driven insights to inform the model of care for Dunn House, Canada's first social medicine housing unit.
Collaboration was key to this success. Working closely with the UHN Social Medicine team over six years, the Data & Analytics team analyzed Emergency Department visits and hospital utilization trends, to identify the highest-need individuals.
They then worked together to define patient populations, needs and move-in planning. Efforts included informing patient selection and care planning, such as prioritizing women, non-binary individuals, Indigenous patients and those with complex health needs. The team then analyzed patient health data, to develop a live dashboard and predictive model that tracked and optimized the move-in process, identifying bottlenecks early to prevent delays.
This milestone, achieved at the end of January 2025, highlights the dedication and cross-collaborative expertise of the D&A team. Their efforts have enabled the Social Medicine team to leverage data, driving impact and value locally, while setting an example globally.
Read more about the award
Congratulations to the Endobariatric team and all the other winners and nominees at the 2025 UHN Sprott Department of Surgery Recognition Awards. Held on June 13, the event celebrated exceptional teamwork, innovation and dedication across surgery, anesthesiology, nursing and care teams.
Now in its second year, the awards program is a key part of the department's ongoing commitment to recognize staff. These internal awards highlight the vital role of compassion, collaboration and excellence in advancing patient care and strengthening departmental culture. They also reflect a broader focus on staff engagement and the continuous pursuit of quality, safety, education and innovation.
Nominees and award recipients were identified through peer nominations, with colleagues spotlighting individuals and teams whose efforts have made a meaningful impact in their areas of work.
This year's ceremony honored more than 536 nominated staff members. Eight individuals and three teams were formally recognized for their outstanding contributions to surgical care and patient outcomes.
The event served as a powerful reminder of the shared values and sense of purpose that define the Sprott Surgery community.
The 2025 UHN Sprott Surgery Recognition Awards recipients included:
The Endobariatric team - Outstanding Team Contributions in Advancing Surgical Innovation
Karen Tjew - Rising Star for Nursing Excellence in Patient Care
Halima Mohidin, (L), and Jessica Kuoch - Nursing Excellence in Mentorship and Clinical Education
Rose Puopolo - Nursing Leadership in Outstanding Patient Care
The FasTRAX Team and 9A Orthopedics Unit at UHN's Toronto Western Hospital - Interprofessional Excellence in Safety and Quality of Care
Olga Dvorkin - Exceptional Contributions, Administrative and Support Staff
Barbara Bailey, Dr. David Goldstein, and Dr. Ryan Paul (not in photo) - Interprofessional Contributions to the Surgical Patient Experience
Together, these award recipients embody the spirit of excellence that defines Sprott Surgery, where every role, every innovation and every act of care helps shape A Healthier World.