AWARDS/HONOURS/
ACHIEVEMENTS

Cindi Morshead (Anat), Chair of the Division of Anatomy, has received the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in the Life Sciences 2015-2016 Award, as part of the Undergraduate Faculty Teaching Awards. This award recognizes sustained excellence in teaching, coordination and/or development of undergraduate lecture or seminar courses in Arts and Science offered by the Basic Science Departments in the Faculty of Medicine.
Cindi has also received an NSERC Discovery Grant for “Regional Specification of Astrocyte Domains: From Development to Behavior”.

Hong-Shuo Sun (CardSurg) (Anat) received an NSERC Discovery Grant for “Role of TRPM7 and TRPM2 Channels in Neuronal Development and Regeneration”.

Tirone David (CardSurg) is the 2016 recipient of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery Scientific Achievement Award. This award is given to individuals who have made extraordinary scientific contributions to the field of cardiothoracic surgery.

Christoph Haller (fellow, CardSurg) received the Zane Cohen Clinical Fellowship Achievement Award which is given based on an assessment of the most significant achievement made by a clinical fellow.

Dimitrios Tsirigotis (PGY 6, CardSurg) is one of the recipients of the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario 2016 Resident Teaching Awards. He is recognized for providing outstanding clinical teaching experiences to junior house staff and clinical clerks.

Subodh S. Verma (CardSurg) received a CIHR Project Grant 1 year Bridge Funding for “BRCA1 Therapy for Heart Failure”.

Richard Weisel (CardSurg) was elected to Fellowship in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS). Fellows are nominated for exceptional achievements through a body of publications, intellectual endeavours or creative activities exhibiting original contributions in the arts, humanities or sciences, as well as in public life. He is joining an elite group of experts who are considered the best in their respective fields.

Najma A. Ahmed (GenSurg) is the recipient of the 2016 Royal College / AMS Donald Richards Wilson Award. The award is given to a medical educator or an identified leader who has demonstrated excellence in integrating the CanMEDS roles into a Royal College or other health related training program. The CanMEDS roles and competency framework have been recognized both nationally and internationally as essential components of medical education, equipping physicians with the attitudes, knowledge, and skills required to provide the diversity of services to meet the needs of society.
https://ceomessage.royalcollege.ca/2016/03/30/announcing-our-national-award-winners-for-2016/#ams-wilson

Georges Azzie (GenSurg) received the Tovee Postgraduate Prize which honours a highly valued and long-time member of the Department of Surgery, who has made the greatest contribution to the educational activities of the Department.

Nancy Baxter (GenSurg) has been named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS). This fellowship is attained after a nomination and peerreviewed procedure and serves to recognize individuals for their outstanding leadership and contribution to the promotion and advancement of academic health science nationally and internationally.
Nancy also received a 7 year CIHR Foundation Grant for “Reducing the Public Health Burden of Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Through Policy-Relevant Research Integrated In Programmatic Screening”.

Mark S. Cattral (GenSurg) received a Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC Partnered) grant for “Vascularized Regenerative Biomaterials for Medical Devices and Cell Therapy”.

Tulin Cil (GenSurg) received a Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC Partnered) grant for “Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cell Heterogeneity Using a Multi-Marker Microscale Capture Approach as a Tool in the Management and Treatment of Cancer.”

Sean Cleary (GenSurg) won the Nicolas Colapinto Teaching Award 2016.

Sandra de Montbrun (GenSurg) received the University of Toronto Surgical Skills Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital Education Award for Outstanding Contributions to Surgical Skills Education 2016. Sandra’s commitment to research and surgical education are exemplary and her enthusiasm for assessment is palpable. Sandra’s project “Colorectal Assessment of Technical Skills (COSATS)” was brought to fruition in conjunction with the Surgical Skills Centre staff. The success of this 3 year project caught the attention of the American College of Surgeons and will be used in the future as part of the certification process for all colorectal fellows in the US. Following the achievement of the COSATS assessment of skills, Dr. de Montbrun is now developing the General Surgery Assessment of Technical Skills (GOSATS) exam for fellows in General Surgery.

Gregory Fairn (GenSurg) received an NSERC Research Tools & Instruments grant for “Fast Wavelength Switching Controls and a High Sensitivity Camera for Enhanced Imaging”.

Rebecca Gladdy (GenSurg) received a 2016 Accelerator Grant from McLaughlin Centre, University of Toronto for “Genetics Of Leiomyosarcoma - Are There Distinct Subtypes?”

Anand Govindarajan (GenSurg) received the Langer Surgeon-Scientist Award which honours an outstanding graduate of the Surgeon Scientist Program in the Department of Surgery who shows the greatest promise for a career in academic surgery.

Teodor Grantcharov (GenSurg) received the Charles Tator Award which recognizes individuals supervising participants in the SSP who emulate Professor Tator’s qualities, namely excellence in research, commitment to SSP mentoring and dedication to promotion of Surgeon-Scientists.

Joshua Greenberg (GenSurg) received the D.R. Wilson Award which is given to the surgical resident who is rated by undergraduate students as being an outstanding teacher.

Vaibhav Gupta (PGY2, GenSurg) was recognized by the Division of General Surgery at UHN with the Paddy Lewis Award “for excellence in teaching by a junior resident in general surgery.”

Barbara Hass (GenSurg) received one of the CIHR Project Grants - Additional One-year Bridge Grants - Spring 2016 for “The Changing Face of Trauma Care: A Comprehensive Evaluation of The Impact of Severe Injury on Elderly Patients”.

Andras Kapus (GenSurg) received a 5 year CIHR Project Grant for “Characterization and Cytoskeletal Regulation of Nucleocytoplasmic Traffic and Expression of Mechanosensitive Transcription Factors. Relevance to Organ Fibrosis”.

Paul J. Karanicolas and Alice C. Wei (GenSurg) received a CIHR Project Grant 1 year Bridge Funding for “The Helix Trial: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Tranexamic Acid versus Placebo to Reduce Perioperative Blood Transfusion in Patients Undergoing Liver Resection”.

Paul Karanicolas also received a 5-year Ministry of Research and Innovation Early Researcher Award for his work on “HPB CONCEPT: An Integrated Program to Improve Outcomes Following Liver Surgery”.

Erin Kennedy (GenSurg) received a 5 year CIHR Project Grant for “Phase II Study to Assess the Safety of Non-Operative Management (NOM) for Low Rectal Cancer (LRC)”.

Bernard Langer (Professor Emeritus, GenSurg) is the recipient of the University of Toronto Arbor Award for outstanding volunteer service.

John C. Marshall (GenSurg) received a 5 year CIHR Project Grant for “Regulation of Neutrophil (PMN) Inflammatory Function by Caspase-8 Phosphorylation”.

Ian D McGilvray and Marcus Selzner (GenSurg) received a Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC Partnered) grant for “A Combined Nanotechnology and Surgical Strategy to Treating Liver Cancer”.

Robin S. McLeod (GenSurg) received a Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC Partnered) grant for “A Patient Centered Approach to Improving the Surgical Experience at the University of Toronto”.

Carol-Anne Moulton (GenSurg) received a grant from the Physicians’ Services Inc. Foundation for “The Tools and the Trade: an Ethnographic Study of Checklist Policy And Performance, and Implications for Patient Safety”.

Avery B. Nathens and Barbara Haas (GenSurg) received a CIHR Project Grant 1 year Bridge Funding for “The Changing Face Of Trauma Care: A Comprehensive Evaluation Of The Impact Of Severe Injury On Elderly Patients”.

Catherine A. O’Brien (GenSurg) received a 5 year CIHR Foundation Grant for “Colorectal Cancer Stem Cell Plasticity: A Novel Therapeutic Target”.

Agostino Pierro (GemSurg) received a 7 year CIHR Foundation Grant for “Necrotizing Entercolitis Research Program: Introducing Innovative Therapies to Halt the Disease Progression and Promote Recovery”.
Agostino also received a 3 year CIHR Project Grant for “Development, Validation and Implementation of a Reporting Guideline for the Selection and Measurement of Outcomes in Clinical Trials”.

The 2016 Scientific Forum of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in Washington was dedicated in honour of Ori Rotstein (GenSurg) for his career-long contributions to the training of surgeon scientists, and his own career as a research investigator studying the host response to trauma and infection.

Katalin Szaszi (GenSurg) received one of the CIHR Project Grants - Additional One-year Bridge Grants - Spring 2016 for “Exploring Novel Function of the Tight Junction Protein Claudin-2 in Kidney Epithelial Cells”.

Newton Cho (PGY4, NeurSurg) was awarded a CIHR Fellowship Award. Newton’s project which will address the circuit-level mechanisms through which supraspinal centers use formed connections with spinal circuits below the level of injury to mediate locomotion.

Michael D. Cusimano (NeurSurg) received a 4 year CIHR Grant Award for “Canadian Traumatic Brain Injury Research Consortium (CTRC)”

Karen Davis (NeurSurg) was appointed Section Editor for the new journal PAIN Reports. Karen was also appointed Reviewing Editor for the new journal eNeuro.
Karen is also one of the PIs in a $25M group grant from the CIHR SPOR network for their Chronic Pain Network. This project will have patients working with researchers, healthcare professionals, educators and government policy advisors to increase care access for chronic pain sufferers.

Peter Dirks (lead researcher) and Michael Taylor (PI) (NeurSurg) received a four-year $11.7 million Stand Up To Cancer grant provided by Stand Up To Cancer Canada, Genome Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Cancer Stem Cell Consortium, and Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. The award will fund research to better understand stem cells that allow brain tumours in adults and children to grow.

Peter Dirks at the announcement of his $11.7 million Stand Up to Cancer grant

Jim Drake (NeurSurg) received an NSERC Discovery Grant for “Novel Design of Mechanically Etched Concentric Tube Robot with Advanced Stability and Workspace”

Ghassan El-Karim (3rd year medical student, University of Toronto, Supervisor: Mojgan Hodaie) was awarded the Greg Wilkins-Barrick Medical Student Scholarship to carry out at field assessment of current neurosurgical capacity, training and education in Sudan.

Michael Fehlings (NeurSurg) was named President-Elect of the International Neurotrauma Society at the 2016 International Neurotrauma Symposium in South Africa. Michael Fehlings was among 30 Toronto ambassadors honoured at the Leader’s Circle Recognition Gala, who were recognized for their contributions in attracting international meetings to Toronto. Dr. Fehlings received awards for bringing the 2018 Symposium of the International Neurotrauma Society and the 2019 Global Spine Congress to Toronto, where Michael will serve as the local host.
Michael is also the recipient of the Royal College 2016 Mentor of the Year, Region 3 Award. This award recognizes Fellows of the Royal College who have had a significant impact on the career development of students, residents or Fellows.

Michael Fehlings launched Phase II of a “Neural Stem Cell Trial in Acute Spinal Cord Injury”. The trial is in collaboration with Stem Cell Inc. and the launch was in collaboration with the Ontario SCI Research Network (OSCIRN).

Nir Lipsman (NeurSurgS) received the Shafie Fazel Award which celebrates a senior resident within the Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, in his or her last year of training who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments during their residency both as a surgeon and as an investigator.

Andres Lozano (NeurSurg) was named Officer of the Order of Canada, the nation’s most prestigious award, for his contributions as a neurosurgeon who helped to establish deep brain stimulation as a globally recognized treatment for movement disorders.
Andres has also has been elected to the European Academy of Sciences, an association of distinguished scholars that recognizes outstanding European scientists.
Andres was also reappointed as the Dan Chair in Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto.

Todd Mainprize (NeurSurg) was appointed as Division Head of Neurosurgery at Sunnybrook Hospital.

Allan Martin (PGY4) and Lindsay Tetreault (Supervisor: Michael Fehlings) (NeurSurg) were awarded the Best Resident Paper and Best Fellow Paper awards (respectively) at the Canadian Spine Society meeting in Whistler BC.

Al Martin (PGY4, PhD Supervisor: Michael Fehlings) was awarded a CIHR Fellowship Award for the project entitled “Next-Generation Spinal Cord MRI: Clinical Translation of Advanced Techniques to Improve Management of Traumatic and Non-Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Patients”.

Ali Moghaddamjou (PGY1, NeurSurg) was one of the winners of the Suturing Skills Competition held in July 2016 during the Department of Surgery Prep Camp.

Farhad Pirouzmand (NeurSurg) is the recipient of a 1 year CIHR Bridge Grant for his work entitled “Thromboprophylaxis after Significant Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial”.

Jamie Purzner (PGY 4, NeurSurg) is the recipient of the inaugural B*CURED-NREF Research Grant. This award will support Jamie’s research on medulloblastoma, as he pursues his PhD degree with Dr. Yoon-Jae Cho at Stanford University.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/652451/

James Rutka (NeurSurg) received a CIHR High Fatality Cancer Grant Award for “Targeted Therapy for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma in Childhood”.

Tom A. Schweizer (NeurSurg) received a 4 year CIHR Project Grant for “Brain Imaging Biomarkers of Recovery from Sport Concussion”.

Peter Shih-Ping Hung (MSc student, Supervisor: Mojgan Hodaie), was awarded 2016 UTCSP Travel Award towards his participation in the 2016 IASP Congress in Yokohama.

Charles Tator (NeurSurg) was one of the recipients of the Wings for Life 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award for Spinal Cord Injury at the Wings for Life Scientific Meeting in Salzburg, Austria.

Michael Taylor (NeurSurg) received the Lister Prize which celebrates an investigator who has shown outstanding and continuing productivity of international stature as evidenced by research publications, grants held, students trained and other evidence of stature of the work produced.
Michael received two 5year CIHR Project Grants for “Broad Deletions of Chromosome 17p Constitute a Therapeutically Targetable Driver Event in Medulloblastoma” and for “Medulloblastoma Metastases Are Hematogenous, and Driven by Expression of CCL2”.
Michael also received a 2016 Accelerator Grant from McLaughlin Centre, University of Toronto for “Validation of Structural Variants in Medulloblastoma Using Long-Read Sequencing Technology”.

Michael Tymianski (NeurSurg) received the Grants-In- Aid 2016/2017 from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada for developing the “EpiPen” of Acute Stroke and Stroke Recovery (http://medicine.utoronto.ca/research/heart-and-stroke-foundation-canada-grants-aid-20162017)

Taufik Valiante (NeurSurg) received a 2015 IBBME Director’s Kickstart Award for his project entitled “A Platform for Contingent Brain Stimulation in Humans”.
Taufik was also awarded as Co-PI a 3-year CIHR/ NSERC Collaborative Health Research Projects grant for the project entitled “Patient-Specific Adaptive Closed- Loop Neurostimulation for Optimum Treatment of Intractable Epilepsy.”
Taufik received a CIHR Project Grant 1 year Bridge Funding for “Artificially Intelligent Neurostimulators for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy”.

Christopher Witiw (PGY4, NeurSurg, Supervisor: Michael Fehlings) received a Physicians’ Services Incorporated Foundation, Resident Research Grant.
Chris also received Gallie Bateman Oral Presentation Award (2nd place).

Gelareh Zadeh (NeurSurg) received an Innovation Grant in the Spring 2016 Competition from the Canadian Cancer Society for “Exploring The Role Of R/S-2HG As A Biomarker For Optimizing Glioma Resection And Understanding Glioma Microenvironment Heterogeneit”
Gelareh Zadeh with her Co-PIs are the recipients of a Innovation Team Grant from the Ontario Cancer Institute for the project entitled “Intraoperative RS-2HG as A Biomarker of IDH Mutation in Personalized Glioma Surgery”.
Gelareh also received one of the CIHR Project Grants - 1st Live Pilot: Spring 2016 for “Molecular Characterization of Radiation Induced Meningiomas”.
Gelareh Zadeh (PI) received a CIHR grant for the project entitled “Clinical Investigation of Frameless, Adaptive, Image-guided Gamma Knife Radiosurgery”.
Gelareh Zadeh was invited to the Board of Directors and named a Member at Large of the North American Skull Base Society.
Gelareh Zadeh was as a founding member of the Canadian Neuro-oncology Society.

Earl Bogoch (OrthoSurg) was selected as the winner of the 2016 James Waddell Award for excellence in Mentoring at the Physician Education Achievement celebration.

Dennis Di Pasquale (OrthoSurg) received the Tovee Undergraduate Prize, which honours a highly valued and long-time member of the Department of Surgery who has made the greatest contribution to the educational activities of the Department.

Tim Dwyer (OrthoSurg) received an Education Development Fund from the Faculty of Medicine, U. of T. for his project entitled “Competence Of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellows: Development Of A Certification Examination”.

Geoffrey R. Fernie (OrthoSurg) received a 5 year CIHR Foundation Grant for “Increasing Safe Mobility of Older Canadian Pedestrians and Drivers”.

Richard Holtby (OrthoSurg) received the Marvin Tile Award, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre which is given to an individual who has contributed significantly in the areas of teaching, research and professional activity within the Department of Surgery.

Jason Lam (PGY1, OrthoSurg) was one of the winners of the Suturing Skills Competition held in July 2016 during the Department of Surgery Prep Camp.

Lucas Murnaghan (OrthoSurg) received an Education Development Fund from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto for his project entitled “A Qualitative Assessment of the Role of ‘Bootcamps’ in Junior Residency”.

Diane Nam, Hans J. Kreder, Emil H. Schemitsch, Cari M. Whyne (OrthoSurg) received a CIHR Project Grant 1 year Bridge Funding for “Lithium for Fracture Treatment (Lift): A Double Blind Randomized Control Trial”.

Diane Nam, Cari M. Whyne (co-investigators, OrthoSurg) received a 5 year CIHR Project Grant for “Understanding and Harnessing the Therapeutic Potential of VISTA: A PD-1-Like Negative Immune Checkpoint Regulator”.

Aaron Nauth (OrthoSurg) has been appointed as the Chair in Fracture Care Research at St. Michael’s Hospital. This appointment is effective from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018.

David Wasserstein (OrthoSurg) was one of the winners of the 2015 Sports Health Sisk Award for Best Review Paper for their work titled “A Systematic Review of Failed Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Autograft Compared with Allograft in Young Patients”. This award is given for the most outstanding review paper published in Sports Health in 2015.

Daniel Whelan (OrthoSurg) was awarded the Sandy Kirkley Grant by the American Orthopedic Society for Sport Medicine to begin a trial on shoulder dislocations at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Cari Whyne (OrthoSurg) received an NSERC Discovery Grant for “Multimodal Image Analysis and Modeling of Thin Bone Structures in the Human Skeleton”.

Cari Whyne (OrthoSurg) and Jeffrey Fialkov (PlasSurg) received a CIHR Grant Award for their project “Bone Tape”: Optimization of a Novel Method for Reconstructing the Craniomaxillofacial Skeleton”.

James Wright (OrthoSurg) was named a Member of the Order of Canada, the nation’s most prestigious award, f or his advances in the field of pediatric orthopedics, notably in identifying the optimal treatment for a number of childhood conditions requiring surgery.

Albert J. Yee, Cari M. Whyne (OrthoSurg) received a Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC Partnered) grant for “Image-guided Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) - Development, Validation, and Integration of Multimodality Treatment Planning for Vertebral Tumors”

Jamil Ahmad (PlasSurg) was awarded the Chair’s “Above and Beyond” award in the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Toronto. Jamil has done a terrific job of managing the Resident Aesthetic Clinic and also recruits some big names in the field to talk at the GTA Lecture Series. He co-organizes the Toronto Aesthetic Symposium. He continues to run a busy practice and productive academic profile.

Jamil also received the William K. Lindsay Faculty Research Mentor Award from the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Award at the University of Toronto.

Oleh Antonyshyn (PlasSurg) was recognized at the highest level by the Canada Ukraine Foundation for his contributions to the Ukrainian people and assistance in managing victims of the conflict that continues to impact people of all ages in that region. He was presented with the country’s Order of Merit by Ukrainian President Peter Poroshenko
(Link to Canada Ukraine Foundation Facebook page)

From L to R, Dr. Paul Slavchenko, Dr. Carolyn Levis, Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn, Krystina Waler, Victor Hetmanczuk, President of Canada Ukraine Foundation

Oleh has received the Department of Surgery Undergraduate Teaching Award, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre with accolades from a very large number of students.

Katie Armstrong (PlasSurg) received one of the Mentor Canada, Johnson and Johnson Medical Companies Prize for Best Clinical Paper Award at the 2016 Hoyle Campbell Tau Omicron Annual Resident Research Day for “The Effect of Mobile App Follow-up Care on the Number of In-person Visits Following Ambulatory Surgery: A Randomized Control Trial and Associated Cost- Effectiveness Analysis”.

Graduating resident Ryan Austin (PlasSurg) was given Hugh G. Thomson Award. To commemorate his legacy, the Thomson family and the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children have established an award in his name to be given to the trainee in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery who best emulates his values of collegiality, honesty, generosity, mentorship and humanitarianism.

Ryan also received Best Clinical Paper Award, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Toronto 2016 at Hoyle Campbell Tau Omicron Annual Resident Research Day for “Avoidable Transportations: A 7 Year Review of Transfers to a Regional Burn Unit”.

Christopher Forrest and Ryan Austin

Greg Borschel inducted into the membership of the AAPS-PSRC

Greg Borschel (PlasSurg) was inducted into the membership of the AAPS-PSRC this year. Greg had a busy meeting with double duty on both the AAPS and the Plastic Surgery Research Council where he sits as Secretary-Treasurer.

Mitch Brown (PlasSurg) is this year’s recipient of the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeon’s Presidents Medal for his work in establishing Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day which now is celebrated in over 30 countries around the world. Mitch is the third person to be given this prestigious award and certainly the youngest. This award is the highest honour that the society can bestow on any of its members.
Mitch also received the Arnis Freiberg Faculty Teaching Excellence Award from the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery graduating class of residents who select a staff person they feel best suits the criteria for best teacher and best research mentor.

Rob Cartotto (PlasSurg) with co-investigator Dave Greenhalgh (University of California- Davis) received a 2 million USD grant from the US Department of Defense for the study “Acute Burn ResUscitation Prospective multicenter observational Trial” (ABRUPT).

Joseph Catapano (PlasSurg) received Allergan Medical Canada Prize for Best Basic Science Award at the 2016 Hoyle Campbell Tau Omicron Annual Resident Research Day for “Corneal Neurotization: Developing An Animal Model To Investigate A Novel Treatment For Neurotrophic Keratitis”

Outgoing CSPS President Dr. Howard M. Clarke

Congratulations to Howard Clarke (PlasSurg) for completing an interesting and productive year as the CSPS president. During his tenure, he dealt with the ALCL breast implant issue, developed a new logo for the society and was instrumental in forming ICOPLAST, the new organization of global plastic surgery societies, in addition to inviting one of the more entertaining CSPS Guest Lecturers in recent years.

Karen Chung (PlasSurg) was one of the winners of the Suturing Skills Competition held in July 2016 during the Department of Surgery Prep Camp.

Karen Cross (PlasSurg) received the Chair’s Research Award in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. This award was generated to recognize the academic potential of a young and rising star who is appointed as surgeon-scientist in the Department of Surgery.

Research Director Greg Borschel, Karen Cross and Christopher Forrest

Karen M. Cross (PlasSurg) and Elisa F. Greco, Co-Investigator (VascSurg) received a 3 year CIHR Project Grant for “Development of the Multispectral MObile tsSsue Assessment (MIMOSA) device”.

Joel Fish (PlasSurg) received the first Ronald M. Zuker award which is has been designed to recognize any member of the division including faculty, fellow or resident who demonstrates the values of collaboration, surgical innovation, and a healthy disregard for the status quo in an effort to improve and push the envelope. Joel was celebrated for his transformative work in Pediatric Burn Care. Since joining the staff at SickKids in 2009, Joel has done a magnificent job of changing the way that pediatric burns were traditionally managed and resulted in ABA certification as the first accredited Pediatric Burn Program in Canada.

Joel Fish and PhD candidate Jennifer Zuccaro received a 2 year PSI grant for a project entitled “A Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating the Use of Ablative Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser Therapy to Improve Pediatric Burn Scars”.

Ali Ghanem (fellow, PlasSurg) received a special Chair’s Recognition Award in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for the generous donation of time and expertise in sharing a competency-based approach to microsurgical skills acquisition to our residents. Ali took 10 of our residents through a microsurgery training course highlighted with a dinner and presentation of certificates by microsurgery pioneers Drs. Ralph Manktelow, Nancy McKee and Ron Zuker.

Christopher Forrest and Ali Ghanem

Tessa Gordon (PlasSurg) was awarded a Doctor of Science degree from University of Birmingham, UK.

Kathryn Isaac (PlasSurg) received the D.R. Wilson Award which is given to the surgical resident who is rated by undergraduate students as an outstanding teacher.

Kathryn Isaac (PlasSurg) received one of the Mentor Canada, Johnson and Johnson Medical Companies Prize for Best Clinical Paper Award at the 2016 Hoyle Campbell Tau Omicron Annual Resident Research Day for “Constructing Skin Graft Seams in Burn Patients: A Prospective Randomized Double Blinded Study”.

Kathryn also received the F. M. Woolhouse Award for the best presentation of a clinical study by a resident. Her talk was entitled “Constructing Skin Graft Seams in Burn Patients: A Prospective Randomized Double Blinded Study” with co-authors N. Umraw and Rob Cartotto.

Jennica Platt (PlasSurg) won the Best Poster by a resident for her work “NippleSAVE Video: Development and Validation of a Patient Educational Video to Increase Patient Knowledge Regarding Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy” with co-authors T. Cil, L. Chan, Stefan Hofer and Toni Zhong.

Surgeon-Scientist trainee and PhD candidate Dale Podolsky (PlasSurg) received Best Basic Science Award, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for Hoyle Campbell Tau Omicron Annual Resident Research Day for “Development of a Robotic Approach to Cleft Palate Repair”.

Dale Podolsky (Supervisors Drs. Christopher Forrest and Jim Drake) was awarded the prestigious Vanier Scholarship. Dale’s PhD thesis is focused on developing a robotic approach to cleft palate repair and he has developed a remarkable surgical simulator to aid in his work. This is a highly competitive award and it is a huge honor for a trainee in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to be recognized in this way.

Dale also received the Basic Innovation Award for his presentation “The Feasibility of Da Vinci Robotic Cleft Palate Repair and Development of a Novel Robotic Instrument for Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery” with co-investigators David Fisher, Karen Wong, Thomas Looi, Jim Drake and Chris Forrest.

John Semple (PlasSurg) successfully passed his 5 year review of his Research Chair from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and was renewed for another 5 years.

John Semple was recognized at the Gallie Day Dinner for his contributions completing a 10-year term as Surgeon-in-Chief. During John’s tenure, he greatly expanded the Department of Surgery, transitioned the Department from an old brown building to a gorgeous steel and glass structure and helped reshape the focus and academic mission of the institution. What is remarkable is that he maintained his own personal academic profile with research efforts into the lymphatic system, developed the philosophy of out-patient monitoring with an app to go with it and generated air-breaking research into ozone levels in the Himalayas.

Karen Wong (PlasSurg) and co-PI Anne Klassen (McMaster) received a 2 year CIHR Project Grant for “An International Study To Develop A Patient-Reported Outcome Instrument for Conditions Associated with a Facial Difference: FACE-Q Kids”

SSTP trainee Natalia Ziolkowski (PlasSurg) was awarded the Department of Surgery’s Graduate Student Endowment Fund (GSEF) - Surgical Alumni Association Fellowship. Natalia is currently working under the supervision of Joel Fish on a MSc degree through IMS developing an outcomes assessment of scars in children “SCAR-Q KIDS: Development of a Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Instrument for Traumatic and Surgical Scars in the Paediatric Population”.
Natalia also received the 2016 CSPS Outcomes Grant for her work developing SCAR-Q – a patient-reported outcome for children and young adults with scars.

Toni Zhong (PlasSurg) received the George-Armstrong Peters Prize which celebrates a young investigator who has shown outstanding productivity during his/her initial period as an independent investigator as evidenced by research publications in peer reviewed journals, grants held, and students trained.

Ron Zuker being blessed by monk at Buddhist Monastery in Myanmar

Ron Zuker receiving trunk kisses at Maesa Elephant Camp

Ron Zuker (PlasSurg) was an invited guest with the team from Transforming Faces visiting Thailand.

Simon Kitto (Res) and team were awarded a 2-year CIHR KTA operating grant for their work “The Implementation of a Family and Patient Involvement Tool in Intensive Care Units in Ontario”.
Simon was also awarded the 2016 Institute of Medical Science (IMS) Module Instructor Award.

Nicole Woods (Res) has been awarded the 2016 Mentorship Excellence award by the organization of Early Career Medical Educators in Canada (ECME).

Abdollah Behzadi (ThorSurg) is the recipient of the 2016 Dr. Norman Hill Award for Leadership in Education.

Marcelo Cypel (ThorSurg) received a Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC Partnered) grant for “Supervised in Vivo Lung Perfusion Strategy for Treatment of Cancer Metastases to the Lungs. Real Time Monitoring of Chemotherapy by On-Site Analytical Platform.”

Mingyao Liu and co-investigators Marcelo Cypel, Shaf Keshavjee (ThorSurg) received a 5 year CIHR Project Grant for “Prevention of Primary Graft Dysfunction after Lung Transplantation; A Bench to Bedside Approach”.

Shaf Keshavjee (co-investigator, ThorSurg) received a CIHR Project Grant 1 year Bridge Funding for “Microbiota and the Immunomobiology of Lung Allograft Dysfunction (MI-LAD)”.

Thomas K. Waddell (co-investigator, ThorSurg) received a CIHR Project Grant 1 year Bridge Funding for “Advanced Multi-Parameter Allograft Monitoring in Human Lung Transplantation”.

Kazuhiro Yasufuku (ThorSurg) is the recipient of the Ivan Silver Innovation Award for “Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) Course” from the Faculty of Medicine Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Office. This award recognizes an innovative CEPD initiative developed and delivered by a U T faculty member or team that has demonstrated an effect on health professional performance or health outcome.
Kazuhiro Yasufuku also received 5 year Canadian Cancer Society Research Award for “Ultra-Minimally Invasive Multi-Modal Image-Guided Therapeutics of Lung Cancer”.

Rob Zeldin (ThorSurg) was awarded a Lifetime Membership Achievement Award by the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). This award was given in recognition of his service as Chairman of the Section of Thoracic Surgery for 12 years. It is also given in recognition of the Creative Professional Activity he was involved with in furthering the benefit of regionalization of Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Oncology in the Province of Ontario.

TWO University of Toronto Surgical Divisions were chosen – Thoracic Surgery at TGH and Cardiac Surgery at HSC as the top 10 “Great Institutions in Cardiothoracic Surgery” by the Editors of Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10430679/27/4)

Keith Jarvi (Urol) received a 1 year CIHR Grant Award for “Prediction of Successful Sperm Retrieval in Patients with Non-Obstructive Azoospermia Using TEX101 Protein Measured in Seminal Plasma by ELISA.”

Robert Nam (Urol) is the recipient of a PARO (Professional Association of Residents of Ontario) 2016 Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award, which acknowledges the essential role that good clinical teachers play in the training of physicians. Residents are asked to outline the qualities that make their nominee an excellent teacher including: patient care, quality of bedside teaching, and interest in the trainees’ personal development and well-being.

Andrew Dueck (VascSurg) was voted the top teacher among the faculty surgeons and residents at the Vascular Surgery Graduation Dinner.

Thomas L. Forbes (VascSurg) received a grant from the Physicians’ Services Inc. Foundation - Spring 2016 for “Determination Of Geometric Factors That Cause Rotation of Fenestrated Aortic Stent Grafts during Deployment”.
Tom Forbes has been elected as a member of the American Surgical Association.

Elisa Greco and Mark Wheatcroft (VascSurg) are recipients of the Blair Foundation Vascular Surgery Innovation Fund. This Fund supports investigator sponsored research in vascular disease, with recipients subject to internal U of T peer review.

Lauren Gordon (PGY2, VascSurg) received the Postgraduate Research Award – Joseph M. West Family Memorial Fund from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.

Mohamad Hussain (PGY3, VascSurg) received the Postgraduate Research Award- Joseph M. West Family Memorial Fund, Edward Christie Stevens Fellowship in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.

Mohamad also received the George Louridas Award for Best Resident Presentation at the 2016 Winnipeg Vascular and Endovascular Symposium for “Modern Management of DVT”.

Ahmed Kayssi (PGY7, VascSurg) won the Award for Best Presentation by a Senior Resident at the U of T Vascular Surgery Research Day for his presentation “Drug-Eluting Balloon Angioplasty Versus Non- Stenting Balloon Angioplasty for Peripheral Arterial Disease of the Lower Limbs”.
Ahmed Kayssi (VascSurg) was voted the top teacher among the faculty surgeons and residents at the Vascular Surgery Graduation Dinner.

Giuseppe Papia (VascSurg) is the recipient of the 2015- 16 Peter Boyds Academy, Clerkship Faculty Teaching Award for Clinical Teaching at Sunnybrook.

Sneha Raju and Ahmed Kayssi (VascSurg) were selected out of 120 posters to present in the Poster Competition Championship Round at th Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Annual Meeting, with Ahmed winning the Top Poster Presentation Award. This is the 2nd year in a row that a U of T student/resident has won this award!

Trisha Roy (PGY3, VascSurg) won the Alumni Award for Best Presentation by a Resident enrolled in the Surgeon Scientist Training Program at the U of T Vascular Surgery Research Day for her presentation “Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a Predictor of Forces Required to Cross Peripheral Arterial Lesions with a Guidewire”.

Trisha Roy has also been awarded a 2016 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. Vanier Scholars demonstrate leadership skills, and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and/or humanities, natural sciences and /or engineering and health.
Trisha also won the Cook Research award at CSVS Annual Meeting in Halifax.
Trisha Roy received the Postgraduate Research Award – Joseph M. West Family Memorial Fund from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.

Doug Wooster (VascSurg) has joined St. Joseph’s Health Centre as the inaugural Director of Physician Mentorship & Wellbeing

Cale Zavitz (PGY2 VascSurg) won the Award for Best Presentation by a Junior Resident at the U of T Vascular Surgery Research Day for his presentation, “Quantification of Serum Oxidized LDL-Specific Immunoglobulins in Murine Models of Atherosclerosis with A Novel Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay”.

2016 DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY FACULTY PROMOTIONS

ASSISTANT TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Marcelo Cypel (ThorSurg, UHN)
Osami Honjo (CardSurg, HSC)
Paul Karanicolas (GenSurg, SHSC)
Graham Roche-Nagle (VascSurg, UHN)
Daniel Whelan (OrthoSurg, SMH)

ASSOCIATE TO FULL PROFESSOR

Mojgan Hodaie (NeurSurg, UHN)
Darryl Ogilvie-Harris (OrthoSurg, UHN)