University Health Network

Awarded by the Government of Canada, Canada Research Chair positions are designed to reinforce academic research and training excellence with a view to improving depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthening Canada’s international competitiveness and helping to train the next generation of highly skilled people.

“The UUֱ�� would like to congratulate all the faculty members who have been appointed Canada Research Chairs or had their positions renewed,” said Leah Cowen, UUֱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “From reproductive mental health to the economics of infectious disease and theoretical particle physics, these researchers are advancing knowledge and innovation in important fields.”

The latest cycle of Canada Research Chair appointees from UUֱ�� includes six new and eight renewed positions:

New Canada Research Chairs

Crystal Clark at Women’s College Hospital and the department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Reproductive Mental Health
Janine Farragher at the department of occupational science and occupational therapy in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Life Participation and Kidney Disease
Eno Hysi at Unity Health and the department of medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Quantitative Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Imaging
Karen Maxwell at the department of biochemistry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Bacteriophage Biology and Therapeutics
Beate Sander at University Health Network and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health – Tier 1 in Economics of Infectious Diseases
Karla Washington at the department of speech language pathology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Monolingual and Multilingual Paediatric Speech-Language Pathology

Renewed Canada Research Chairs

David Curtin at the department of physics in the Faculty of Arts & Science – Tier 2 in Theoretical Particle Physics
Philipp Maass at the Hospital for Sick Children and the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Noncoding Disease Mechanisms
Julien Muffat at the Hospital for Sick Children and the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Synthetic Neuroimmunology and Stem Cell Bioengineering
Meaghan O’Reilly at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the department of medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Biomedical Ultrasound
Hannes Rost at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Mass Spectometry-based Personalized Medicine
Sali Tagliamonte at the department of linguistics in the Faculty of Arts & Science – Tier 1 in Language Variation and Change
Ulrich Tepass at the department of cell and systems biology in the Faculty of Arts & Science – Tier 1 in Epithelial Polarity and Development
Rachel Tyndale at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the department of pharmacology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Pharmacogenomics

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14 UUֱ�� researchers recognized with Connaught Innovation Awards

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:55:22 +0000

14 UUֱ�� researchers recognized with Connaught Innovation Awards

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 06/25/2024 - 09:55

Faculty

St. George

Connaught Fund

Connaught Innovation Award

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Hospital for Sick Children

Rotman School of Management

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

University Health Network

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Fourteen researchers at the UUֱ�� are receiving 2023-24 Connaught Innovation Awards to help accelerate the development and commercialization of technologies with high potential to have a positive impact on society.

“I would like to congratulate this year’s recipients of Connaught Innovation Awards, whose research is fostering solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time,” said Leah Cowen, UUֱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “From harnessing machine learning to improve interpretation of lung function tests to developing low-cost and scalable methods to monitor methane at landfills, these scholars are advancing novel ways to utilize technology to have a transformative impact in areas of critical importance in Canada and around the world.”

This year’s recipients are:

Edgar Acosta, department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Lecithin-based, self- micro/emulsifying delivery systems (SM/EDS) for drug and nutraceutical delivery
Ana Andreazza, department of pharmacology and toxicology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine: Mitochondrial Isolation Device (MitoDx)
Gisele Azimi, department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Supercritical fluid extraction for recycling of critical materials from E-waste
Opher Baron, Rotman School of Management: SiMLQ: Transforming process data into actionable insights
Chung-Wai Chow, University Health Network and Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine: Machine Learning to facilitate accurate interpretation of pulmonary function tests
Maryam Faiz, department of surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine: Astrocyte to oligodendrocyte reprogramming (A2O) for repair in chronic multiple sclerosis (MS)
Andrew Fraser, department of molecular genetics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine: Establishing methods for single-cell metabolomics using hydrogel-embedded barcode aptamers
Roman Genov, Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Fast Pixel-Programmable Image Sensors for Cost-Effective Imaging without Motion Artifacts
Cynthia Goh, department of chemistry, Faculty of Arts & Science: Harnessing bacterial-surface interactions for rapid pathogen identification
Frank Gu, department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Magnesium ion crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrogels for biomedical applications
Jörg Liebeherr, Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Low-cost large-scale methane monitoring at landfills
Xilin Liu, Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Energy-Efficient Edge Machine Learning Accelerator for Neuromodulation
Andreas Mandelis, department of mechanical and industrial engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Intravascular Differential Photoacoustic Catheter Imager for Quasi-Invasive Detection of Vulnerable Plaques and Calcification in Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis
Hani Naguib, department of mechanical and industrial engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Aerogel Film Materials for Thermal Management Systems

The Connaught Innovation Award, which provides one-time seed funding to support the development and commercialization of the researchers’ innovative technologies, is backed by the Connaught Fund – the largest internal university research funding program in Canada. Established 52 years ago through the sale of Connaught Medical Research Laboratories, which is known for the discovery and production of insulin, the fund supports UUֱ�� scholars through programs such as the New Researcher Award, Community Partnership Research Program, Major Research Challenge for Black Researchers, McLean Award and international doctoral scholarships.

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Vonnie Lee recognized with 2022 Sopman Humanitarian Award

lanthierj — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 19:35:24 +0000

Vonnie Lee recognized with 2022 Sopman Humanitarian Award

Community

lanthierj Fri, 07/22/2022 - 15:35

Students

St. George

Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

University Health Network

Sopman Humanitarian Award

landscape

(photo by Lex Kilgour)

Vonnie Lee, a second-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) student at the UUֱ��’s Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, is the recipient of the 2022 Sopman Humanitarian Award presented by the University Health Network.

Established by Archie Sopman in remembrance of his late wife Belle Sopman, and the humanitarian care she received by a student nurse, the award recognizes Lee’s unique and compassionate interactions with patients, excellence in academics, and ability to think critically under pressure, including saving the life of a patient who was choking.

“It is a tremendous honour to be named alongside health-care providers who embody these characteristics of humanitarian care,” says Lee, who will graduate from the BScN program this fall.

Entering the nursing profession during a pandemic, Lee says, she found herself experiencing compassion fatigue at times, due to mental and physical exhaustion. Her perspective started to change, she says, when she began her clinical placement on UHN’s cardiovascular unit, where she could see patients transitioning out of care, leaving hospital, and getting better. It is also where her ability to connect with patients began to shine.

“I always find something to engage them in, and it makes a huge difference, because it helps people feel like they are being heard,” says Lee.

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John Dick, Zulfiqar Bhutta receive 2022 Canada Gairdner Awards

lanthierj — Tue, 03 May 2022 20:00:45 +0000

John Dick, Zulfiqar Bhutta receive 2022 Canada Gairdner Awards

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Tue, 05/03/2022 - 16:00

Faculty

St. George

Gairdner International Award

John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

University Health Network

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

The Hospital for Sick Children

landscape

John Dick (L) and Zulfiqar Bhutta (photos by Delmar and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHN)

John Dick and Zulfiqar Bhutta – both researchers at the UUֱ�� and its hospital partners – have been honoured with 2022 Canada Gairdner Awards, the country’s most prestigious awards for medical and health science.

A professor of molecular genetics at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and a senior scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Dick was recognized with a Gairdner International Award for the discovery of leukemic stem cells and later work on the diagnosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

Bhutta, a professor in the departments of nutritional sciences and pediatrics at Temerty Medicine and at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and the director of the Centre for Global Child Health and a senior scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children, was recognized with the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award for his research on community-based and policy interventions in child and maternal health, especially among vulnerable populations.

Established in 1957, the Gairdner Foundation has given 402 awards to scientists around the world. About a quarter of those researchers later received Nobel Prizes. The foundation gives seven awards annually. Each recipient receives $100,000 and participates in public lectures, research symposia and other outreach events. The foundation is supported by the Government of Canada.

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Nine UUֱ�� researchers named fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

lanthierj — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 17:48:04 +0000

Nine UUֱ�� researchers named fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Fri, 10/09/2020 - 13:48

Faculty

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Hospital for Sick Children

Unity Health

St. Michael's Hospital

Toronto Western Hospital

Mount Sinai Hospital

Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

University Health Network

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Women in STEM

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Nine UUֱ�� researchers have been named fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in recognition of their “vision, innovation and sustained excellence.”

One of three national academies that make up the Council of Canadian Academies, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences leverages the expertise of Canada’s leading health sciences researchers to examine the most pressing and complex health challenges of the day, share assessments and recommend actionable solutions.

“This honour is one of the highest distinctions for academics in the health sciences field and the UUֱ�� congratulates these faculty members on this important recognition of their research accomplishments, scientific leadership and creativity – and their contributions to the public good,” said University Professor Ted Sargent, vice-president research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.

“It’s also a testament to the vital importance of our hospital and health-system partners who help make those contributions possible.”

The new fellows are:

David Chitayat, professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and head of the prenatal diagnosis and medical genetics program, Mount Sinai Hospital
Dafna Gladman, professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and senior scientist, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital
Katherine S. McGilton, associate professor in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and senior scientist, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network
Heyu Ni, professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and senior scientist and platform director, Canadian Blood Services Centre for Innovation at St. Michael’s Hospital
Ravi Retnakaran, professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and clinician-scientist, Mount Sinai Hospital, Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes
Norman Rosenblum, professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and senior scientist, The Hospital for Sick Children
Janet Smylie, professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Research Chair, St. Michael’s Hospital and staff physician, Unity Health Toronto
Ross Upshur, professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and associate director, Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health
Lu-Yang Wang, professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and senior scientist, The Hospital For Sick Children Research Institute

“Your induction is a reflection of your vision, innovation and sustained excellence in your field,” said Dr. Proton Rahman, the chair of the CAHS fellowship committee. “Undoubtedly, your expertise will further enrich our Academy.”

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