Unity Health Toronto’s April Honour Roll
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!
J. Michael Lazarus Award from the National Kidney Foundation
Congratulations to Ron Wald, a nephrologist at St. Michael’s Hospital, who is the recipient of the J. Michael Lazarus Award from the National Kidney Foundation, recognizing outstanding contributions to kidney health enhancing the lives of patients through action, education, and accelerating change. Dr. Wald’s work in the areas of critical care nephrology and maintenance dialysis continues to advance nephrology both locally and internationally.
Top 20 Under 40 in Canadian Life Sciences
Mani Kang, the Chief Operating Officer of Research at Unity Health, has been selected to the Top 20 Under 40 in Canadian Life Sciences. This award recognizes emerging leaders shaping the future of healthcare and making exceptional contributions to Canada’s life sciences sector.
2026 President’s Impact Award by the University of Toronto
Congratulations to MAP scientists Dr. Sean B. Rourke and Dr. Tara Gomes who are both 2026 recipients of the President’s Impact Awards at the University of Toronto. This prestigious award recognizes research that has led to a significant impact beyond academia, improves lives and advances societal impact.
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TEDx
Congratulations to Dr. Subodh Verma, a cardiac surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital, who recently spoke at TEDx at the University of Toronto. The topic of Dr. Verma’s talk was: What 5,000 Human Hearts Have Taught Me About Breakthroughs.
Temerty Research Excellence Award (Mid‑Career, Clinical Stream)
Dr. Sharmistha Mishra, an infectious disease physician and Clinician Scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital has been awarded the 2026 Temerty Faculty of Medicine Research Excellence Award. This award is in recognition of outstanding contributions to clinical research and translation. Her work involves creating mathematical models of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
2026 Pain Awareness Award presented by the Canadian Pain Society
Our Kids Health (OKH) Team led by Dr. Ripudaman Minhas, Developmental Paediatrician with the Women’s and Children’s Health Program, are the recipients of the 2026 Pain Awareness Award by the Canadian Pain Society.
This award celebrates Dr. Minhas’ leadership of OKH, a free, culturally congruent parent support resource delivered through social media and co-designed with communities. OKH offers evidence-based, multilingual pediatric health information across 10+ groups to support BIPOC and newcomer families and combat health misinformation.
In partnership with Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), OKH co-created the Pain Hub, an accessible collection of resources to help children, youth, and families better understand and manage everyday pain, including menstrual pain, vaccine-related pain and chronic pain.
Appointment as Director of the Department of Medicine Health Systems Solutions Hub
Dr. Sharon Straus, a geriatrician and clinical epidemiologist, has been appointed Director of the Department of Medicine Health Systems Solutions Hub, beginning April 2026. Dr. Straus will also lead a portfolio focused on strategic partnerships across the Department of Medicine and the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
2026 CCHL Distinguished Leadership Award Presented by the Canadian College of Health Leaders
Congratulations to Altaf Stationwala, President and CEO of Unity Health Toronto, on being the recipient of the 2026 Canadian College of Health Leaders Distinguished Leadership Award. This award is the College’s highest honour and recognizes contributions to Canada’s health system. According to the Canadian College of Health Leaders winners of this Award are passionate and visionary leaders who have led transformative change, demonstrated exemplary engagement and collaboration and a dedication to building leadership capacity.
Morley Gunderson Prize from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Robin Ross, the Director of Labour Relations at Unity Health Toronto, is the recipient of the Morley Gunderson Prize from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, recognizing academic contributions and professional excellence in industrial relations.
Please join us in celebrating these remarkable achievements and the positive impact our colleagues continue to make across healthcare, research, education, and leadership.