Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden

The SSR Distinguished Fellowship recognizes active SSR members for their outstanding contributions to the field of reproductive biology and to the Society, illustrated by sustained high impact research, leadership, service and mentorship.

Dr. Vanderhyden’s research has explored oocyte-granulosa cell interactions, the risks and processes associated with tumors arising from ovarian and oviductal epithelial cells, the generation and characterization of mouse models with infertility or ovarian cancer, and the discovery and testing of novel cancer therapeutics. Her achievements include co-development of a method for oocytectomy, and the generation of the first transgenic model of epithelial ovarian cancer, more refined, inducible models, and a model for a rare subtype of ovarian cancer.

Dr. Vanderhyden is the inaugural Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research, a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Ottawa, and a Senior Scientist in the Cancer Therapeutics Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

Dr. Benjamin Tsang

The Society for the Study of Reproduction Jansen Distinguished Leadership and Service Award is awarded to an active, regular member of the Society who has demonstrated unselfish service and leadership in advancing the discipline of reproductive biology. 

Dr. Tsang is an internationally recognized ovarian biologist, who has successfully developed a translational research program in women’s health. His team of basic scientists and clinical investigators address important health issues, including female infertility and ovarian cancer. His research program covers the broad area of cell fate regulation in women’s reproductive health. He and his team are examining the cell signaling pathways involved in the regulation of ovarian cell survival and apoptosis and have defined basic mechanisms governing normal ovarian follicular growth and offered important insights into the pathophysiology of polycystic ovarian syndrome. In addition, his research on the molecular and cellular basis of chemoresistance in ovarian cancer has provided key information for the development of new therapy for chemoresistant ovarian cancer. His current investigation, employing nanophotonics and machine learning, focuses on the utility of exosomes as a biomarker for early detection of ovarian cancer and prediction of chemosensitivity.

Dr. Ben Tsang is a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Cellular & Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Sharon Whiting

Dr. Sharon Whiting has been awarded the 2022 AFMC May Cohen Equity, Diversity, and Gender Award.  This award recognizes the outstanding effort or achievements of an individual, program, department or faculty in improving the equity diversity, gender and inclusivity environment in academic medicine in Canada. Dr. Whiting is the Vice-Dean, Faculty Affairs at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and staff physician in the Division of Neurology at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). Dr. Whiting’s career has been driven by equity considerations and in her capacity as Vice-Dean, Faculty Affairs since 2018, she has gone above and beyond in driving the Faculty of Medicine’s commitment to creating an equitable and diverse work and learning environment.  In her role as Vice-Dean, Faculty Affairs, Dr. Whiting oversees the Faculty Wellness Program, the Office of Professionalism and the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), ensuring that the Faculty of Medicine upholds a climate of mutual respect, along with the highest standards of ethical and professional behavior. Under her leadership, her team has developed important initiatives, including the creation of a recruitment and retention policy, specialized mentoring groups and monthly EDI Seminar Series.

Dr. Michael Cheng

The text below is from the Ontario Newswroom Backgrounder on the 2022 Appointees to the Order of Ontario.

Dr. Michael Cheng has advanced the understanding of child and youth mental health and wellness through his work as a child psychiatrist at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa and a member of the CHEO Research Institute. He also co-founded eMentalHealth.ca, a mental health website for families and professionals, and co-developed a guide for frontline police officers to better understand and support child/youth mental health. 

Dr. Lisa D'Ambrosio

The text below is from the Faculty of Medicine's article titled Award-winning teacher shares top tips for educators and students. Click here to see the full story.

Dr. D’Ambrosio was recently selected as the recipient of the University of Ottawa Award for Excellence in Teachingnorth_eastexternal link by the Teaching Award Committee of the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO) for her excellence in teaching and education. (...)

Dr. D’Ambrosio’s exceptional teaching and pedagogical approach is considered a prime reason the TMM program is uOttawa’s most successful undergraduate program in terms of student satisfaction. Student evaluations of her performance have always been of the highest calibre, presenting Dr. D’Ambrosio as an exceptional educator who is very much appreciated by the student body. Learner comments reflect her passion for teaching, her innovative methods, and clear and helpful resources and material; and students value her educational approach and overall personality, which places their learning and success above all else.

“From chemical kinetics to nanostructures for biomedical uses”.  Dr. Emilio Alarcón has won the 2021 NanoOntario Award for Outstanding Early Career Achievements.  NanoOntario is an organization committed to serving and celebrating the accomplishments of its diverse members. The NanoOntario awards are for Ontario scientists and researchers engaged in nano-related R&D at a university or company in Ontario.  Dr. Alarcón is a Scientist in the Division of Cardiac Surgery and Director of the Bio-nanomaterials Chemistry and Engineering Laboratory at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Ottawa.

Dr. Alarcón is an emerging expert in the development of novel bionanomaterials for the regeneration of damaged heart, cornea and skin tissue. His research program integrates nanomaterials chemistry and cellular biology to probe new ways to develop and implement biomaterials with regenerative capabilities, exploring the fundamental concepts of synthesizing translational materials and nanomaterials for tissue engineering.

The Ontario Chapter of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Ordre de la Pléiade medal for the year 2021. These personalities were selected by a multi-party committee of parliamentarians. The Medal of the Ordre de la Pléiade is awarded to Francophones who have contributed to the development of the French language.

This year's recipients include our own Dr. Lyne Pitre, a professor at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine and Director of Medical Education at Montfort Hospital.

As an active member of les Affaires Francophones at the uOttawa Faculty of Medicine and a physician at Hôpital Montfort, Dr. Lyne Pitre has made significant contributions to the Ontario health system. Dr. Pitre was one of the first preceptors of the University of Ottawa’s Family Medicine residency program at Hôpital Montfort, the only Francophone program of its kind in Ontario, and was the program director for 22 years.  Under her leadership, many Francophone medical residents in Ontario have better access to training in their preferred language, which means that more patients can receive care in French. As a teacher and mentor, Dr. Pitre has trained more than 200 francophone family physicians. She has also helped many physicians across Canada by offering them professional development courses in French within their communities.

America's Network (AMNET) for Chronic Disease Surveillance is a network of public health professionals from the 35 countries that make up the region of the Americas who aim to enhance the capacity of chronic disease surveillance. The Highest Recognition Award was given to Dr. Choi by the AMNET board of directors for his contributions as a founding member of the AMNET and his 16 years with the board of Directors. Dr. Bernard Choi is Adjunct Professor, School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Adjunct Professor, Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Associate Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto and Senior Research Scientist, Public Health Agency of Canada. His research focuses on occupational and environmental health, epidemiology and surveillance of chronic diseases and risk factors, knowledge translation, policy research, program evaluation and international health. He has developed a series of statistical procedures for public health.

Dr. Shawn Aaron has been jointly selected as the 2022 CIHR-ICRH/CTS Distinguished Lecturer in Respiratory Sciences. The CIHR’s Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health and the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) established this prestigious award in 2006 to recognize significant contributions to the advancement of respiratory sciences in Canada. The award honours outstanding investigators who have conducted the majority of their research in Canada, and who have contributed to the advancement of respiratory sciences in any one of a number of respiratory disciplines, and within any of the four CIHR research theme areas. Dr. Aaron is a Full Professor in respiratory medicine within the Department of Medicine and the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine.Dr. Aaron’s focus is in clinical and epidemiologic research in asthma, COPD and Cystic Fibrosis.

Dr. Heather Lochnan is Head of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and Assistant Dean of Continuing Professional Development at the Faculty of Medicine and the current President of the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Dr. Lochnan is the winner of the Universal Women’s Network Women of Inspiration Authentic Leader Award for being a remarkable and inspiring physician, researcher and medical educator. The Universal Women’s Network is a global platform committed to advancing gender equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), by raising the bar to advance women in their network, community, and workplaces.

Dr. Lochnan’s internationally renowned research has led to significant advances in the care for patients with diabetes and thyroid cancer. Her extraordinary dedication to innovating in medical education has been recognized by impressive grant support, the publication of her innovations, numerous international invitations to speak on this topic and awards such as the Canadian Association of Medical Education Merit Award.

The Canadian Society of Cardiovascular Nuclear and CT Imaging (CNCT) has awarded Heart Institute Division Head of Cardiology Dr. Robert Beanlands the 2021 Dr. Michael Freeman CNCT Annual Achievement Award.This award recognizes a member who has made outstanding contributions in their career to Cardiovascular Nuclear and/or CT Imaging in Canada. Dr. Beanlands is Vered Chair and Chief of the Division of Cardiology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and The Ottawa Hospital and Professor in the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. He is a Tier 1 uOttawa Chair in Cardiovascular Imaging Research. He is an international leader in cardiovascular imaging and founding Director of the National Cardiac PET Centre – the only PET facility in Canada dedicated to cardiovascular disease. His research on cardiac metabolism, flow, cellular and neurohormonal function has led to pioneering translational work that has impacted understanding and the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, application in patient care, health policy and guidelines.

The Canadian Association of Child Neurology (CACN) Henry Dunn Lifetime Achievement Award is intended to recognize a senior CACN member for their contributions to the development of child neurology research and education in Canada and their nationally and internationally recognized career achievements in the field of child neurology. Dr. Peter Humphreys is a Professor Emeritus in the Pediatrics Department at the Faculty of Medicine and is currently working at CHEO as a pediatric neurologist. Dr. Humphrey’s came to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) where he was the founding head of the Division of Neurology from 1979 to 2002. His clinical interests are in developmental brain disorders - in particular Rett syndrome – as well as brain malformations (fetal neurology) and cerebral palsy. His current research activity concerns the progressive dystonia/parkinsonism disorder in Rett syndrome.

Each year this award is presented to a recipient to recognize the contributions of a mid-career investigator whose work, published (in the AHA journals) during the last five years, has had great impact in the field of cardiovascular biology or cardiovascular health. Dr. Rayner was selected because of her contributions to cardiovascular research and her discovery of the critical role microRNAs play in regulating HDL cholesterol. She is dedicated to improving the understanding of the causality between inflammation and cardiometabolic disease. Dr. Rayner’s work, as well as the work of her research group, is continually recognized. Under her direction in the Cardiometabolic microRNA Laboratory at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute research is focused on how to use plaque instability triggered by inflammation in diagnosing patients with atherosclerotic disease, how macrophage function can be altered by microRNAs and how metabolic dysregulation in inflammatory cells and energy metabolism contribute to atherosclerosis. She is currently studying how to promote inflammation resolution and plaque regression within the aspects of atherosclerotic lesion dynamics. Dr. Katey Rayner is Principal Investigator at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and Director of the Cardiometabolic microRNA Laboratory.

Dr. Marc Ruel, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s Division Head of Cardiac Surgery, has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons of India. Dr. Ruel received this award in recognition of his “seminal advances in developing minimally invasive bypass grafting.”In the 2010s, Dr. Ruel travelled to India three times to teach cardiac surgeons the minimally invasive cardiac surgery coronary artery bypass grafting technique (MICS CABG). Since then, the innovative technique has been largely adopted in India, but also in Belgium, China, Germany, Japan, Singapore, the United States, and other countries. Dr. Ruel is a professor in the University of Ottawa’s Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and in the Department of Surgery, where he is also the Head of the Division of Cardiac Surgery. He is the Michael Pitfield Chair in Cardiac Surgery and Chair in Cardiac Surgery Research.

Dr. Pakhalé is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and the School of Epidemiology and Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine, a Scientist with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and a Staff Respirologist at The Ottawa Hospital. The Universal Women’s Network is a global platform committed to advancing gender equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), by raising the bar to advance women in their network, community, and workplaces. Dr. Pakhalé is the recipient of the Universal Women’s Network Women of Inspiration Difference Maker Award for being an outstanding clinician-scientist and a passionate advocate for health equity. Her altruistic contributions to research and extraordinary dedication to the medical care of Canadians, in particular those in vulnerable situations, are inspiring. A respirologist by training, she founded and leads The Bridge, a community-based research centre working in partnership with vulnerable populations including individuals experiencing homelessness and/or who self-identify as People Who Use Drugs, and Indigenous populations. Dedicated to co-creating innovative evidence-based sustainable solutions addressing the root causes of poor health through a humanitarian and compassionate approach, she is raising awareness of health disparities and supporting disadvantaged communities. She holds a Chair in Equity & Patient Engagement in Vulnerable Populations and developed a graduate course on health inequities.

Dr. Stephen Ferguson is an internationally recognized leader in the Molecular Pharmacology of G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) whose ground-breaking research contributions have tremendously advanced our current understanding of GPCR trafficking and physiology. GPCRs account for the majority of drug targets and Dr. Ferguson’s research focuses on understanding how GPCR trafficking and altered pharmacological regulation, contribute to disease progression and treatment in hypertension, mental health and neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. He is the founder of the Annual Great Lakes GPCR retreat that provides trainees with networking opportunities and showcases the excellence of Canadian science.

A philosopher, neuroscientist and psychiatrist, Dr. Northoff conducts his research where the three fields intersect. He is one of the leading founders and originators of non-reductive neurophilosophy, a field bringing together the empirical science of the brain and conceptual matters such as emotions and other mental features associated with the mind. In studying the relationship between the brain and mind, Dr. Northoff explores how the neural mechanisms of the brain allow it to construct subjective phenomena like the self, consciousness and emotions. He also examines how these mechanisms change through psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. His work exploring the brain-mind connection has had global impact in the field of mental health. His research is leading not only to a better understanding of our mental features like self and consciousness, but more importantly, to a less subjective, more objective diagnosis of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and depression. With these developments as a stepping stone, Dr. Northoff devises more precise, non-pharmacological therapies for these disorders; for example, he has pinpointed novel targets in the brain useful in the treatment of depression. Dr. Northoff is a full professor the Department of Psychiatry, a clinician-scientist with the Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal (IMHR), holding the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair for Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics.

Dr. Phil Wells is a Hematologist. He is currently a University of Ottawa Distinguished Research Chair in Translational and AI Research in Venous Thrombosis. He is perhaps best known for pioneering the concept of clinical prediction rules: the “Wells Model for DVT” and the “Wells Model for PE” are taught and used world-wide. He has received over $30 million in peer reviewed research funding and has over 380 publications. His work has been acknowledged through a Canada Research Chair, and several lifetime achievement awards. His current interests are Cancer Associated Thrombosis and AI to improve or develop clinical predictive analytics. 

Dr. Bell is a professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, a Senior Scientist at The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the Scientific Director of BioCanRx.

He is one of the visionary scientists behind a revolutionary approach to fighting cancer by developing oncolytic viruses (OVs) as a therapeutic for cancer. He made the discovery that vesicular stomatitis virus is a potent oncolytic virus. These cancer-killing OVs have the potential to dramatically reduce the morbidity and mortality related to cancer and its treatment and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.

Not only has Dr. Bell pioneered the development of OV platforms, but he is a world-leader in the translation of this technology into the cancer clinic by bridging the necessary expertise, infrastructure and collaborative networks. To date, Dr. Bell’s research has led to the initiation of clinical trials with three different OV platforms, ranging from Phase I to Phase III, in Canada, the U.S, and other countries. Dr. Bell is considered a world leader fighting cancer with oncolytic viruses.

With this award, the Society for Medical Decision Making recognizes Dr. Coyle for his seminal work in medical decision making. Dr. Coyle is a Full Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health.He is an economist and his research centres on the methods of conducting economic evaluation of health care interventions and he was one of the primary authors on the Canadian guidelines for economic evaluation.Dr. Coyle has acted as an advisor for many organizations, including CADTH, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and various provincial ministries of health with respect to methodology of economic evaluation and in reimbursement decisions relating to health care interventions.

The CFAS Award of Excellence in Reproductive Medicine is an honour reserved for members of the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society for an outstanding contribution to and leadership in the field of Reproductive Medicine and Science. Dr. Jay Baltz is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Senior Scientist in the Chronic Disease Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Baltz is a specialist in the field of reproduction and developmental biology and his lab focuses on mammalian oocyte growth and maturation and early embryo development.

With this award, the Canadian Society of Cardiovascular Nuclear and CT Imaging recognizes Dr. Beanlands for his outstanding career contributions to the CNCT. Dr. Beanlands is Vered Chair and Chief of the Division of Cardiology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and The Ottawa Hospital and Professor in the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.He is a Tier 1 uOttawa Chair in Cardiovascular Imaging Research. He is an international leader in cardiovascular imaging and founding Director of the National Cardiac PET Centre – the only PET facility in Canada dedicated to cardiovascular disease.His research on cardiac metabolism, flow, cellular and neurohormonal function has led to pioneering translational work that has impacted understanding and the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, application in patient care, health policy and guidelines.

With this award, the BSC celebrates and acknowledges Dr. Baenziger’s leadership as President of the BSC from 2014 until 2019, when the society grew from less than 20 to over 300 members. During his mandate, Dr. Baenziger led the modernization of the BSC activities, including revitalizing the BSC website, implementing an annual BSC national meeting, updating the Constitution/Bylaws and establishing a set of awards for trainees and established researchers. Dr. Baenziger is a Professor in the Department of biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology.His lab uses a variety of biophysical tools to study the structure and function of a superfamily of proteins (pLGICs), aiming to understanding how they are modulated during both normal and abnormal brain function, with the goal of developing new strategies to correct the altered synaptic communication that occurs in diseased states.

The Robyn Allen Leadership Award recognized an individual who has made a unique contribution to the lives of Canadians with food allergy. Dr. Alqurashi is a pediatric emergency physician at CHEO and investigator at the CHEO Research Institute. His work focuses on advancing knowledge and care of pediatric anaphylaxis and his research has uncovered significant clinical predictors for determining increased risk of biphasic anaphylaxis. Dr. Alqurashi also leads the Canadian Anaphylaxis Network, a national study funded by the CIHR to help inform clinical guidance on biphasic anaphylaxis. Dr. Alqurashi has been unfailing in his commitment to improving the management of anaphylaxis. He has championed initiatives to address knowledge gaps among physicians and patients in treating anaphylaxis. He authored the Anaphylaxis Bottom-Line Recommendations, a highly accessible and user-focused knowledge resource that includes bilingual educational videos for health professionals and families across Canada. He developed the Anaphylaxis PedsPac for use by clinicians treating children with anaphylaxis, which includes a treatment algorithm, pocket card and order sets.

The CAHR-CANFAR Excellence in Research Awards are intended to highlight and celebrate the contributions of Canadian researchers in HIV/AIDS research in Canada and internationally. A primary care physician and clinical scientist at the Bruyère Research Institute, Dr. Kendall’s expertise is in epidemiology and health systems, with a focus on primary care for vulnerable populations, particularly people living with HIV. Her work on the Living with HIV Innovation Team (LHIV) and the Participatory Research in Ottawa: Understanding Drugs (PROUD) project has focused on and succeeded in improving the access to and quality of primary care for people living with HIV. These projects confirmed that primary care plays an important role in health care delivery for disadvantaged populations such as patients with HIV and those who use drugs. Dr. Kendall has transformed patient engagement into an art and has built and provides a human dimension to research that transforms the way we address what matters most to patients: their health and the healthcare systems that support them.

This award is granted each year to recognize members of its teaching staff who have earned distinction for themselves and for the University as a result of the importance and exceptional characteristics of their research work. Dr. Grimshaw is a Senior Scientist in the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, a Full Professor in the Department of Medicine at uOttawa and the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Health Knowledge Transfer and Uptake. He is one of the world’s foremost implementation researchers. He has produced an innovative, interdisciplinary body of research developing the scientific basis of how to promote the uptake of evidence in healthcare to improve patient outcomes and ensure healthcare system sustainability. His research contributions have informed the policy and practice in Canada and globally.

This award recognizes outstanding commitment of an emerging investigator to advancing inquiry and knowledge of women’s heart, brain and vascular health with the goal of ultimately reducing disease risk and premature death. Dr. Edwards is a rising star in the field of cardiovascular epidemiology and brain-heart connections. In her research, Dr. Edwards addresses a major health challenge: risk assessment and predictive modeling for the brain-heart interface. Her investigations focus on identifying novel cardiac markers of stroke and dementia risk; women’s heart and brain health; and testing new technologies for risk detection. Dr. Edwards is Assistant Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health and Scientist at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

The Ricardo Aroca Award is presented to a scientist residing in Canada who has made a distinguished contribution to the field of analytical chemistry while working in Canada. Dr. Figeys is a Full Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology and a Distinguished University Research Chair in Proteomics and Systems Biology.He is internationally recognized as an innovator in proteomics, bioanalytical chemistry and systems biology.His seminal contributions are focused on the development of bioanalytical chemistry techniques to study interactions in complex biological systems using proteomics, the large-scale study of proteins. His laboratory led the invention of new technologies and software to better understand these complex systems. He has revolutionized the application of high-throughput technologies based on mass spectrometry and systems biology to study disease and has positioned Canada at the forefront of proteomics and systems research.

The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) - John Ruedy Award for Innovation in Medical Education is awarded annually to an individual or group who has developed innovative print materials, electronic learning aids or other teaching aids. Dr. Jalali is the head of the Division of Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Department of Innovation in Medical Education and holds the Teaching Chair of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. He has a Medical Doctorate and a Specialist Diploma in Sports Medicine from the University of Liège in Belgium. Since coming to the Faculty of Medicine in 2003, he has been teaching Anatomy and has developed an active research program in Educational Innovations use and usefulness: Podcasts, YouTube, TBL, Social Media, and 3D printing.

The Ottawa Awards recognize over 300 categories of professionals and businesses that make our city world-class.These are people’s choice awards and voted on by the public.Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, in the Divisions of Critical Care and Palliative Care, and an Associate Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.He has quickly established himself as a leader in the study of Health Services Research, particularly as it pertains to resource utilization and costs in the Intensive Care Unit and in Palliative Care.During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kyeremanteng has been very active in the media discussing the various tolls the pandemic has taken on residents.