January’s Honour Roll at Unity Health
Every month, staff, researchers, physicians, learners and teams across Unity Health Toronto celebrate important honours, achievements and awards. Congratulations to those who have been recognized this month!
Congratulations to Dr. Tali Bogler, a family physician and chair of family medicine obstetrics at St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, and Dr. Tara Kiran, a family physician and scientist at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, who were named two of 20 ‘Vaccine Heroes of 2021’ by the Toronto Star.
This feature honoured those who helped Ontario get its COVID-19 vaccines by delivering doses, working on vaccine confidence and advocating for those who didn’t have access to vaccination. Read more about Dr. Bogler and Dr. Kiran’s work.
Congratulations to Dr. Yvonne Bombard, a scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, who has been elected to the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Board of Directors.
ASHG is a professional society, led by volunteers. Nominated and elected to serve on the Board consistent with the ASHG Bylaws, members guide the Society’s direction and resources, applying their broad perspective and diverse experience in the genetics and genomics research community. The new board’s three-year term began on Jan. 1, 2022. Read more about the ASHG Board here.
A study, Recent cannabis use and myocardial infarction in young adults: a cross-sectional study, co-led by Drs. Karim Ladha, Duminda Wijeysundera, Subodh Verma, Greg Hare and David Mazer, researchers at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and the Keenan Research Centre, and research associate Nikhil Mistry, was the most read article on CMAJ.ca in 2021. Kudos to the team on this achievement.
Dr. Eno Hysi, a post-doctoral fellow at the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, has been awarded the Polanyi Prize in Physics for his work on the use of photoacoustic imaging to map scarring in kidneys.
The John Charles Polanyi prizes are awarded in honour of University of Toronto professor John Polanyi, who won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The prizes recognize innovative researchers who are continuing postdoctoral work or have recently been appointed as faculty at an Ontario university.
Dr. Hysi is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Banting and Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training program (KRESCENT) fellow. He uses photoacoustics to investigate light and sound interactions in kidney blood vessels and surrounding soft tissues – enabling better identification of kidneys not suitable for transplant due to excessive scarring.
Read more about this prestigious award here.
Dr. Rajeev Muni, a vitreoretinal surgeon at St. Michael’s and researcher at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, is the first recipient of the Kreissig Award for Excellence in Retinal Surgery. Established by Ingrid Kreissig, MD, through the ARVO Foundation, the $30,000 award recognizes an investigator who has developed clinical insights into the long-term surgical and functional outcomes after retinal detachment repair.
Dr. Muni been instrumental in novel research assessing the integrity of retinal reattachment with various surgical approaches using multimodal imaging and has published extensively on this topic in high-impact journals.
Read more about this exciting achievement.
Dr. Andrew Pinto, scientist at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions and founder and director of the Upstream Lab, has been awarded a CIHR Applied Public Health Chair in Upstream Prevention in Primary Healthcare.
Congratulations to Dr. Pinto, who is one of seven recipients of this prestigious Chair across Canada. Read more here.
Congratulations to Dr. Sean Rourke, a scientist at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, who had his second book, Neurocognitive Complications of HIV-Infection, published.
Read more about the book here.
Congratulations to Dr. Michelle Sholzberg and Dr. Peter Jüni on their work on the RAPID Trial and the role it has played in updating the National Institutes for Health and the American Society of Hematology guidelines on the management of COVID-19 patients. This will positively influence patient care far outside the walls of Unity Health.
Dr. Sholzberg and Dr. Jüni found creative ways to fund the work in partnership with the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation, built important connections with international partners, and did all of this during a global pandemic and in addition to many competing priorities.
Dr. Andrea Tricco, a scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and director of the Knowledge Synthesis Team in the Knowledge Translation Program, and Dr. Warren Lee, a scientist at the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science and a physician at St. Michael’s, had their Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs (CRC) renewed.
Dr. Tricco’s Tier 2 CRC in Knowledge Synthesis renewed and Dr. Lee had his Tier 2 CRC in Mechanisms of Endothelial Permeability renewed. Congratulations to both! Read more about their Chairs here.
Dr. David Wong, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at St. Michael’s, has been inducted into the Retina Hall of Fame as part of the 2020/2021 class.
The purpose of the Retina Hall of Fame (RHOF) is to recognize innovators and leaders in the field of retina and promote scientific advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of retina disorders through educational programs, research support, and publication of information relating to the treatment of blinding disease. Each retina specialist in the Retina Hall of Fame is recognized for his or her innovation and dedication to patient care, research, education, and leadership.
Watch the full induction ceremony here.
Unity Health Toronto has been named on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers 2022.
In collaboration with analytics firm Statista, Forbes selected Canada’s Best Employers 2022 based on an independent survey of over 10,000 Canadian employees working for companies employing at least 500 people in their Canadian operations. The surveys were administered in a series of online panels and provide a representative sample of the Canadian workforce. The Canada’s Best Employers 2022 title serves to reinforce our reputation as an employer of high quality. Learn more about Canada’s Best Employers 2022.
Congratulations to the Fracture Liaison Service Program (FLS) at St. Michael’s Hospital, which is celebrating 20 years of service this year. The program’s cohesive and dedicated multidisciplinary team has been a leader in the FLS movement in Canada, and worldwide, since 2002.
The team has received many awards and recognitions, including the Gold rating of the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s Capture the Fracture Initiative. Congratulations to all past and present team members!
By: Jessica Cabral and Ana Gajic