In this edition of Honour Roll:
Dr. Tak Mak receives German Immunology Prize
Dr. Tak Mak, senior scientist at UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, has been awarded the 2026 German Immunology Prize, the highest scientific honour presented by the German Society for Immunology (DGfI).
Dr. Mak shares the award with Dr. Mark Davis of Stanford University in recognition of their landmark discovery of the T-cell receptor (TCR) in the 1980s.
The discovery transformed immunology by revealing how T-cells recognize diseased or abnormal cells and laid the foundation for modern immunotherapies, including CAR-T cell treatments now used to treat certain blood cancers.
The award was presented Sept. 15 in Munich during the DGfI annual meeting.
Dr. Long Nguyen named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40
Dr. Long Nguyen, medical oncologist and scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40, one of the country's most prestigious awards recognizing outstanding young leaders.
A leader in breast cancer research and precision oncology, Dr. Nguyen studies how cancer cells evolve, adapt and develop resistance to treatment. His pioneering work has advanced the use of lentiviral barcoding technology, a method for tracking thousands of individual cancer cells simultaneously, which has helped researchers better understand tumour growth and identify potential new therapeutic targets.
In addition to his scientific contributions, Dr. Nguyen is recognized as a dedicated educator and mentor who is helping train the next generation of clinician-scientists and cancer researchers.
Two UHN researchers elected Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada
Dr. Laura Dawson, radiation oncologist and clinician scientist, and Dr. Jan Seuntjens, Head of Medical Physics and senior scientist, both with Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the University of Toronto, have been elected Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).
The RSC Fellowship is among Canada's highest academic honours, recognizing distinguished individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences and public life. Since 1882, Fellows have been nominated and elected by their peers in recognition of their outstanding achievements and impact in their fields.
Dr. Dawson has advanced radiation technologies for cancer treatment, including stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), image-guided radiation therapy and MRI-guided radiation therapy. She has also led practice-changing clinical trials that helped establish SBRT as a standard of care for certain patients with primary liver cancer who are not candidates for surgery or other local treatments.
Dr. Seuntjens’ work is advancing precision radiation medicine. His research includes developing technologies that better target tumours while limiting radiation exposure to healthy tissue. It also focuses on improving the accuracy of radiation dose delivery and exploring next-generation proton therapy technologies that could make treatment more affordable and accessible.
Dr. Benjamin Lok receives Heine H. Hansen Lectureship Award
Dr. Benjamin Lok, Lung Site Group Lead and staff radiation oncologist in the Radiation Medicine Program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, has received the Heine H. Hansen Lectureship Award for Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).
The award recognizes clinicians and investigators who have made sustained, practice-changing contributions to the understanding and treatment of small cell lung cancer. Dr. Lok's research program is focused on improving outcomes for patients with lung cancer by identifying the mechanisms that drive treatment resistance and developing novel therapeutic strategies, with a particular emphasis on DNA repair and SCLC.
Through his laboratory research and international leadership, Dr. Lok has helped advance the understanding of this aggressive disease and identify new approaches to treatment. He currently serves as Deputy Chair of the IASLC Rare Tumors Committee and was the inaugural Chair of the IASLC Small Cell Lung Cancer Subcommittee.
Dr. Amin Madani and Laura Williams receive AMS Healthcare fellowships
Dr. Amin Madani, surgeon scientist and Director of the Surgical Artificial Intelligence Research Academy, and Laura Williams, Senior Director of Patient Experience, were awarded the AMS Healthcare Compassion & AI Fellowship.
The fellowship supports projects that explore how AI can improve health care delivery while prioritizing the experiences of patients, caregivers and health care providers.
Dr. Madani's fellowship project focuses on developing an AI-powered platform to support patient triage and transfer during mass casualty incidents. The project aims to help health care teams make faster, more informed decisions during emergencies, while ensuring patients receive timely and appropriate care.
Williams' project, Building Trust by Design: Patient-Centred Education for Accountable AI in Healthcare, focuses on helping patients better understand how AI is used in health care and fostering trust through clear, accessible education and accountable implementation of AI technologies.
Dr. Carolina Barnett-Tapia receives Researcher of the Year award
Dr. Carolina Barnett-Tapia, a neurologist and clinician-scientist at UHN’s Krembil Brain Institute, has received the Dr. George Karpati Award for Researcher of the Year from Muscular Dystrophy Canada.
The award recognizes an outstanding neuromuscular clinician or researcher whose work has advanced research, improved care and strengthened support for people living with neuromuscular disorders.
Dr. Barnett-Tapia was recognized for her leadership in patient-oriented myasthenia gravis (MG) research, advancement of clinical trials and commitment to translating scientific evidence into clinical practice. Her work has helped shape standards of care, improve health outcomes and foster meaningful patient engagement, creating a lasting impact for individuals and families affected by neuromuscular disorders.
