Michener staff recognized for excellence in health care education
Recipients of the UHN Michener Institute of Education's 2026 Annual Staff Recognition Awards were celebrated on July 14. The awards recognize outstanding contributions to health care education, highlighting excellence in teaching, mentorship, innovation and interprofessional collaboration.
Among this year's honourees were:
- Rosetta Belcastro: President's Award of Excellence
- Eliot To: Denis Poulin and Caroline Souter Faculty Award
- Annreka Boodoo and Mouhamed Dakroub: Crystal Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching
Additional awards recognized excellence in mentorship, innovation, collaboration and support, while several teams were honoured for their collective contributions to advancing health care education at Michener.
Dr. Amit Oza receives international lifetime achievement honour
Dr. Amit Oza, Medical Director of the Cancer Clinical Research Unit and Director of the Bras Family Drug Development Program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, has been awarded the 2026 International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award recognizes a career of exceptional contributions to gynecologic oncology through research, clinical leadership, mentorship and international collaboration.
Under Dr. Oza's leadership, the Princess Margaret's gynecologic oncology clinical trials program has become one of the largest and most productive in the world, helping advance landmark studies that led to the global adoption of therapies. This includes trials that assessed PARP (poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase) inhibitors, which work by preventing cancer cells from repairing damage to their DNA, and anti-angiogenic treatments, which help cut off the blood supply tumours need to grow.
Dr. Antonio Strafella named president-elect of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
Dr. Antonio P. Strafella, program medical director and senior scientist at UHN's Krembil Brain Institute, has been named president-elect of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), effective Sept. 1, 2026.
The CAHS recognizes leaders who have made outstanding contributions to improving the health of Canadians and provides independent, evidence-informed advice on issues affecting health and health care across the country.
A movement disorders neurologist and internationally recognized researcher, Dr. Strafella studies the biological mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. His research integrates advanced neuroimaging techniques and brain stimulation technologies to better understand disease progression and develop improved treatments for patients.
As president-elect, Dr. Strafella will help guide the Academy's work in advancing health research, policy and innovation across Canada.
Dr. Clara Chan receives 2026 Champion for Change Award
Dr. Clara Chan, clinician investigator and cornea surgeon at UHN's Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, has received the 2026 Champion for Change Award from the Canadian Ophthalmological Society.
The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing ophthalmology through leadership, innovation and excellence in patient care.
Dr. Chan is a pioneer in corneal surgery and ocular surface reconstruction. Throughout her career, she has introduced several innovative procedures to Canada.
These include keratolimbal allograft stem cell transplantation, which uses donor stem cells to rebuild the eye's surface. She also introduced Descemet's membrane anterior keratoplasty (DMAK) and corneal tissue addition keratoplasty (CTAK), procedures that help repair and restore damaged corneas. In addition, she brought endothelial cell injection therapy to Canada, a cell-based treatment designed to improve corneal function and vision.
Beyond these innovations, Dr. Chan serves as Medical Director of the Eye Bank of Canada (Ontario Division) and has helped establish one of Canada's leading programs for complex corneal disease and ocular stem cell transplantation.
Dr. Tieghan Killackey receives Children's Healthcare Canada's Emerging Leader Award
Dr. Tieghan Killackey, clinician scientist and RBC Chair in Cardiovascular Nursing Research at UHN's Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, has received Children's Healthcare Canada's Emerging Leader Award.
The national award recognizes a young professional or emerging leader who has demonstrated exceptional promise, creativity and dedication to improving outcomes for children and youth. Recipients are recognized for their leadership, innovative thinking and commitment to driving positive change across the health system.
Presented by Children's Healthcare Canada, the award celebrates individuals who are helping shape the future of children's health through collaboration, innovation and system-wide impact.
Dr. Killackey was recognized for her leadership and contributions as a clinician scientist dedicated to advancing health care innovation and improving care experiences for children, youth and families.
Sarah McDermid-Flabbi receives Sue Matthews Exemplary Mentorship Award
Sarah McDermid-Flabbi — Manager of Professional Practice Quality Improvement, Scholarship and Innovation, Collaborative Academic Practice at UHN — has received the Sue Matthews Exemplary Mentorship Award from the Nursing Leadership Network of Ontario (NLN.ON).
This peer-nominated award recognizes nurse leaders who demonstrate exceptional mentorship through their clinical practice, leadership and educational contributions.
Presented annually by NLN.ON, the award celebrates individuals who foster the growth and development of colleagues, support emerging nurse leaders and help strengthen the nursing profession across Ontario.
McDermid-Flabbi was recognized for her commitment to mentorship and her contributions to advancing professional practice, scholarship and leadership within UHN and the broader health care community.
Clinical Informatics and Digital Education teams earn international recognition
UHN's Clinical Informatics and Digital Education teams received three international honours from KLAS Research's Arch Collaborative:
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) Experience Breakthrough Award, recognizing organizations that achieve significant improvements in clinician satisfaction and EHR experience over time
- Pinnacle Award for Physicians, recognizing organizations that have achieved significant improvements in physicians' EHR experience
- Pinnacle Award for Nurses, recognizing organizations that achieve among the highest levels of EHR satisfaction and usability within their peer group
The awards reflect the teams's ongoing efforts to improve experiences with electronic health records for clinicians through enhanced education, stronger support and improved system usability.
It has also contributed to a substantial increase in UHN's Net EHR Experience Score, a measure of clinicians' overall experience using electronic health records.
Working alongside UHN Digital teams, clinical leaders and frontline staff, they have helped make electronic health records easier and more efficient for clinicians to use across the organization.
Do you have an award to highlight? Send it to communications@uhn.ca and it may be included in a future edition of Honour Roll.
