Ovation

We salute some notable achievements of scientists at Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI) announced during 2013

National and International Awards

Comic: I have the MRI scan of your brain. The right hemisphere is clogged with computer passwords.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation recognized Dr. Clare Atzema with a New Investigator Award and appointed Dr. Harindra Wijeysundera a Distinguished Clinician-Scientist. These awards provide salary support to Canada’s best young researchers.

Dr. Benjamin Goldstein and Wijeysundera each received a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), designed to support high-calibre researchers early in their careers. The agency also presented Dr. Andrew Lim the Maud Menten New Principal Investigator Prize, which recognizes the merit of Canadian investigators working within the mandate of the CIHR Institute of Genetics.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation awarded Dr. George Mochizuki a Leaders Opportunity Fund grant. This award pays for infrastructure to help institutions attract and keep the brightest scientists, toward strengthening the country’s position as a leader in research and development.

The Government of Canada renewed Dr. Jack Tu’s Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Health Services Research. The award is the most august academic honour the government bestows. Ten scientists at SRI hold Canada Research Chairs.

Provincial Awards

Dr. David Alter and Dr. Robert Fowler each received a Mid-Career Investigator Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation (Ontario). The award is given to individuals who have demonstrated research excellence and productivity. The foundation also presented Dr. Peter Austin with a Career Investigator Award and appointed Dr. Dennis Ko a Phase 2 Clinician Scientist. These awards recognize established researchers in the field of cardiovascular medicine.

Fellowships and Other Honours

Dr. Peter Burns was given the 2012 Aixplorer Achievement Award from SuperSonic Imagine. The award recognizes individuals for their accomplishment and leadership in advancing cancer knowledge and awareness.

Dr. Anthony Feinstein, was awarded a 2012 Peabody Award for his documentary Under Fire: Journalists in Combat. The Peabody Awards are the most prestigious and selective prizes in electronic media.

The Physicians’ Services Incorporated Foundation named Dr. Andrea Gershon the 2013 Fellow in Translational Health Research. The fellowship provides clinicians with protected research time to undertake high-impact translational research.

Goldstein received the 2012 Gerald L. Klerman Young Investigator Award from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance in the U.S. The award recognizes his role in advancing understanding of the causes, diagnosis and treatment of depression and bipolar disorder.

The Electrical Safety Authority awarded Dr. Manuel Gomez the 2013 Chief Public Safety Officer’s Special Recognition Award for his role in furthering electrical safety and the care of survivors of electrical injuries.

Dr. Bob Kerbel was presented with the Colin Thomson Memorial Medal at the Beatson International Cancer Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. The medal is awarded annually to recognize those who have had a major impact on cancer research.

The American Academy of Neurology bestowed on Lim the Wayne A. Hening Sleep Medicine Investigator Award. This honour recognizes young investigators for their scientific expertise in deciphering the role of neurology in sleep medicine.

The Society for Medical Decision Making awarded Dr. Don Redelmeier the 2013 Career Achievement Award, which recognizes distinguished senior investigators who have made major contributions to the field of medical-decision making.

For more about these awards or the scientists who have received them, visit the Sunnybrook Research Institute website: sunnybrook.ca/research