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null Honours and awards published August 2020 – July 2021

Canada's Top 40 Research Hospitals

Congratulations to each of the following RI-MUHC researchers!

Jonathan Afilalo was awarded the prestigious Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researchers by McGill University in June 2021. As one of the first cardiologists to recognize the importance of frailty, his research and clinical approach have fundamentally changed how cardiologists treat geriatric patients. Learn more

Thierry Alcindor was named Sarcoma Track Leader of the Scientific Program Committee for the 2021 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Marc Beltempo was highlighted by the Journal of Pediatric Research for his work on “Fluid status in the first 10 days of life and death/bronchopulmonary dysplasia among preterm infants.” Additionally in 2021, he worked with the Quebec Ministry of Public Health and Social Services (MSSS) on publishing a provincial report on regional variation of neonatal intensive care units.

Andrea Benedetti was appointed Deputy Director of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute in July 2020. She is an expert in statistical challenges related to individual patient data meta-analysis. Learn more

Pnina Brodt received the Alumni Award of Distinction for Lifetime Achievement from the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine. Learn more

David Buckeridge, with collaborators from the School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, was recognized by a motion adopted by the Board of Directors of the Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) in January 2021. His team has provided “invaluable contribution to the hospital projections that INESSS publishes every week, in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.” Learn more

Julia Burnier received one of 15 inaugural Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) Emerging Scholar Awards. The CCS launched this program with the aim of establishing and advancing promising early career scientists and clinician-scientists from across Canada with a focus on cancer research. Dr. Burnier’s lab looks closely at circulating tumour DNA as a biomarker of cancer using liquid biopsy. Learn more

Salvatore Carbonetto received an Honorary Investigator appointment to the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). This appointment honours his distinguished contributions as a professor, researcher and leader in the course of his career at McGill University and the RI-MUHC, and his numerous scientific contributions to the field of neuroscience.

Franco Carnevale received the 2020 Badge of merit from the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec for his contribution to the advancement of nursing.

Inés Colmegna’s research on how patients with rheumatoid arthritis are affected by the flu made the Arthritis Society’s Top 10 breakthroughs list in 2020. Learn more

Natalie Dayan won the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine New Investigator Award 2020 in recognition of excellence in research in general internal medicine. She presented the New Investigator Award Lecture on October 14, 2020, on the topic of “Women’s Heart Health: Marrying Research with Clinical Work without Missing a Beat.” Learn more

Maziar Divangahi was honoured by the Royal Society of Canada as one of 50 new members admitted to the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists in 2020. This honour recognizes his major contributions to our understanding of both innate and adaptive immunity to pulmonary infectious diseases. Learn more

Liane Feldman was elected president of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) in 2020-2021. SAGES represents a global community of more than 7,000 surgeons bringing minimal access surgery, endoscopy and emerging techniques to patients worldwide. Learn more

Bethany Foster has been appointed to the positions of Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, and Pediatrician-in-Chief of the McGill University Health Centre, effective September 1, 2021. She has played an important leadership role in promoting child health research, clinical practice and education, locally, nationally and internationally. Learn more

William Foulkes received the 2020 Wilder Penfield Prize from the Quebec Government for research in the genetics of breast and ovarian cancer. His work, based in part on Quebec’s “founder effect,” earned the highest honour for biomedical research in the province. Learn more

Lucy Gilbert was among 25 named to the Top Women of Influence™ in Canada for 2021. This distinction recognizes her work on the early detection of ovarian and endometrial cancers, which could save countless lives. Read more

Ron Gottesman was named the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons’ Mentor of the Year for Region 4 (Quebec) in 2020. Learn more

Jason Harley was appointed Director of Research at the Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning in November 2020. Learn more

Nada Jabado was awarded the Dr. Chew Wei Memorial Prize in Cancer Research by the University of British Columbia for her transformational work in treating childhood brain cancers. Valued at $50,000, this prize is among the most prestigious honours bestowed by a Canadian university. Learn more

Nada Jabado received the Robert L. Noble Prize, a 2020 Award for Excellence from the Canadian Cancer Society, for her bold leadership and trailblazing contributions to drive progress in multiple areas of cancer research. Learn more

Carolyn Jack led the team that won the Hakim Family Innovation Prize at the 2021 McGill Clinical Innovation Competition. This award was given for the mobile application EczemaQ, designed to help patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Learn more

Tania Janaudis-Ferreira received the 2021 Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals Distinction Award from the Canadian Thoracic Society, in recognition of her significant contributions to knowledge translation, teaching and mentorship. Learn more

John Kildea and Tarek Hijal lead the project OncoBuddy et OncoConseil, one of the four 2020 award winners in Oncopole’s Priorité patient Competition – Research to serve the needs of cancer patients. Through this project the Opal Health Informatics Group will use artificial intelligence to improve the availability and effectiveness of peer support in Quebec by matching patients and peers using the Opal patient portal app (opalmedapps.com).

Marina Klein was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) in September 2020. One of the most prestigious honours in the Canadian health sciences community, election to the CAHS recognizes individuals for their leadership in, and commitment to, their field of expertise. Learn more

Bartha Maria Knoppers received the 2020 Till & McCulloch Award for her exceptional ethical, legal and social implications paper in Science titled, “Biotechnologies nibbling at the legal 'human.'” Learn more

Bartha Maria Knoppers will co-lead the work package on ethics and interoperability as part of the first international platform for sharing cardiovascular data. The platform was recently launched by euCanSHare, a joint European Union-Canada project based at the University of Barcelona. Learn more

Bartha Maria Knoppers received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Bioethics Society in 2021. The award is given annually to an individual whose demonstrated scholarship and/or leadership has contributed significantly to healthcare ethics in Canada. Learn more

Louise Larose received an Honorary Investigator appointment to the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in light of her distinguished contributions as a researcher, educational administrator and mentor to countless students in the Experimental Medicine Program. Notably, her publications represent the largest contribution of knowledge on the Nck adapter protein from any single laboratory in the world.

Leonard Levin and his team of trainee co-founders were first-place winners of the Marika Zelenka Roy Innovation Prize at the 2021 McGill Clinical Innovation Competition for their innovative solution, Remote Optical. The team is building a solution to address the lack of high-quality remote examination methods for the front of the eye. Learn more

Christine McCusker won the 2020 Pfizer Research Award of Excellence in Research from the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. Learn more

Tina Montreuil was runner-up for the 2021 Prize for Emerging Researchers from McGill University at the Principal's Prize for Public Engagement through Media virtual event. Learn more 

Suzanne Morin was named a member of the CIHR Institute Advisory Board for the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis. In this capacity she will participate in discussions, research priority setting and strategic planning to promote Musculoskeletal health for Canadians. Learn more

Morag Park was appointed Chevalière of the National Order of Quebec in 2021. A pioneer and innovator over her 30-year career, Dr. Park has made contributions to a wide spectrum of cancer research, from the molecular level to the complex cellular interactions within tissues that dictate the biology of human cancers. Learn more

Louise Pilote received the International Society of Hypertension Award of Excellence for Research in Cardiovascular Health and Disease in Women for 2021 in recognition for her outstanding scientific achievements. Learn more

Barry Posner received an Honorary Investigator appointment to the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in light of his distinguished contributions as a researcher, professor, and leader. This is exemplified by his globally recognized work on growth factor signaling mediated by receptor tyrosine kinases and their intracellular trafficking. This has been appropriately recognized by numerous awards, including fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and induction into the Order of Canada and the Order of Quebec.

Ronald Postuma received the Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research at the September 2020 Grand Challenges in Parkinsons Disease symposium. Learn more

He was again, in 2020, listed among the world’s most Highly Cited Researchers by the respected research news website, Web of Science. Learn more (McGill Newsroom)

Bernard Robaire was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in September 2020. One of the most prestigious honours in the Canadian health sciences community, election to the CAHS recognizes individuals for their leadership in, and commitment to, their field of expertise. Learn more

Abhinav Sharma’s mobile app, MyHeart Counts Canada, which aims to get Canadians moving for improved heart health, was selected as a Healthy Futures Accelerator by the LEAP | Pecaut Centre for Social Impact. LEAP will support continued development of the app through the MUHC Foundation’s Fix Broken Hearts campaign. Learn more

Don Sheppard was named to the Board of Directors of GlycoNet. Read more on the GlycoNet website

Don Sheppard is the inaugural recipient of The Legge Orr MI4 Leadership Award from the McGill University Health Centre Foundation. The award recognizes his role in creating the McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity (MI4) initiative and that he has been instrumental in its success. MI4 brings together over 250 researchers to find life‑changing solutions to some of the world’s deadliest diseases including COVID-19, tuberculosis and hepatitis C. Learn more

Don Sheppard received the 2021 Prize for Established Academics from McGill University at the Principal's Prize for Public Engagement through Media virtual event. Learn more 

George Zogopoulos received the Michal & Renata Hornstein Career Award for Surgical Excellence from the Department of Surgery, McGill University. The award permits him to expand his pancreatic cancer genetics research program. Learn more

—published August 2020 – July 2021

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