Sunnybrook education awards celebrate innovation, creativity and transformational teaching

The 2025 Sunnybrook Excellence in Education Awards honours 15 leaders and teams in education.

The annual Excellence in Education Awards celebrate achievements towards educating for a better health-care future. For the 15^th year, the Sunnybrook Education Advisory Council honours teachers, preceptors and clinical educators who continuously enhance learning and inspire innovation within and beyond the walls of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

“The dedication and hard work of Sunnybrook teachers, educators, faculty and preceptors makes Sunnybrook a leading academic health sciences centre in Canada,” says Dr. Calvin Law, Vice President of Education.

“The Excellence in Education awards celebrate the tremendous efforts in the mentorship and empowerment of future generations of health-care professionals, the partnerships with our patients and families and our leadership within Team Sunnybrook and beyond.”

Congratulations to the 2025 Sunnybrook Excellence in Education award winners:

Allan Knight Lifetime Education Achievement in Teaching Award

Dr. Liesly Lee

Dr. Liesly Lee is a tour de force in neurology. Over a career spanning more than two decades at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Dr. Lee has not only demonstrated sustained excellence in teaching, but he has fundamentally shaped the clinical careers and scholarly development of countless trainees who have had the privilege of learning under his guidance.

Dr. Lee's clinical practice in neurology, focused on multiple sclerosis and serving over a thousand active patients, provides the foundation for his clinical care, providing an environment for training neurology trainees in this important area of neurology. His clinical excellence earned him induction into the Department of Medicine Academy of Master Clinicians at the University of Toronto, a testament to the high standards he maintains and imparts to his learners.

Dr. Lee teaches extensively at all educational levels as well as across various disciplines, including family medicine, general internal medicine, nursing, dentistry and pharmacy, however what truly distinguishes Dr. Lee's lifetime achievement in education is the profound and lasting impact he has had on those he has taught.

“Dr. Lee is one of the best educators in the program,” writes a trainee who worked under his mentorship. “He teaches around every case and provides high-yield feedback at the level of each learner and trainee. His bedside manner is exemplary, and he is a true role model. A pleasure to work with and a truly brilliant educator and doctor.”

The impact of Dr. Lee's educational career will be felt for generations to come, as those he has taught and mentored go on to care for countless patients and educate future clinicians themselves.

Educating Beyond Sunnybrook Award

Dr. Amanda Mayo

Dr. Amanda Mayo’s educational initiatives have transcended hospital walls and international borders. Since the war in Ukraine began in 2022, Dr. Mayo has led efforts to address the urgent need for prosthetic limbs among over 10,000 injured Ukrainians. Collaborating with Lviv's Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center, and supported by the Temerty Toronto-Ukraine Education and Collaboration Fund, Dr. Mayo led an initiative to teach Ukrainian clinicians advanced 3D printing technology for protheses.

“Dr. Mayo's approach exemplifies equity-focused education by addressing health-care disparities in a war-affected region,” writers her nominator. “By enabling local clinicians to produce prostheses within Ukraine, she eliminated the need for injured patients to undertake difficult journeys abroad for care. Her educational work has particularly benefited marginalized populations facing compounded challenges from both war injuries and limited health-care infrastructure.”

Educating Sunnybrook Award

Leonard Benoit

Leonard Benoit is a transformative force at Sunnybrook. With unwavering dedication, he has pioneered innovative and impactful educational initiatives that have elevated cultural competency, and his mentorship and leadership have profoundly shaped the way hospital staff, physicians, learners and volunteers understand and deliver culturally safe care to Indigenous patients.

“Leonard’s work is not just influential, it is essential,” one of his nominators writes. “Beyond his role as an educator, Leonard is a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights. His efforts have not only enriched our collective understanding, but have also led to meaningful conversations and positive changes in how we approach care for Indigenous patients. His ability to engage, educate and inspire those around him makes him an outstanding candidate for this award.”

His contributions have not only strengthened individual learning, but have also driven institutional change, making Sunnybrook a more inclusive and culturally responsive health-care environment.

Innovative Curriculum Award

Trauma Team Video Review Program

To nurture an approach towards ever-better team-based care, the Trauma Team Video Review Program team developed a tailored-to-Sunnybrook series of rounds intended to improve team performance in the trauma bay. Interprofessional staff and clinicians across and beyond the Tory Trauma Program took part in the rounds, each with the goal of improving team performance. The rounds focused upon systems of care, communication, patient-centredness, empathy and equity in care delivery.

Described as a truly innovative trauma and critical care curriculum, every month the program team helps to improve Sunnybrook’s ability to provide the highest quality of care for high stakes, urgent patient encounters that exemplify Sunnybrook’s mandate to be there when it matters most.

Team-Based Interprofessional Teaching Award

Katrina Cassandra (KC) Lazo

Through an unwavering commitment to interprofessional education and an ability to develop and deliver effective, team-based learning experiences that enrich professional development, KC Lazo is the driving force behind the innovative neurovascular unit education strategy. KC not only keeps the team motivated to learn, but she engages them in education co-creation and facilitation, building teaching capacity across the team.

“KC Lazo is an outstanding educator and leader whose passion, talent and commitment to interprofessional education have made a significant impact in a short period of time,” writes a nominator. “Her ability to inspire others to find joy in education, and to foster collaboration, respect, and knowledge-sharing makes her highly deserving of the Team-Based Interprofessional Teaching Award.

Student Experience Award – Peer Nomination

Dr. Shaheeda Ahmed

A leader and role model for teachers across Sunnybrook and the department of medicine at University of Toronto, Dr. Shaheeda Ahmed is the ‘beating heart’ of the Cardiology Residency Program Committee. Dr. Ahmed has consistently demonstrated remarkable breadth of excellent teaching across multiple levels. Her work has consistently elevated Sunnybrook’s rotation evaluation scores to a very high level.

“Recognizing how hard we work as trainees, Dr. Ahmed routinely checks in with us individually to ensure that we are taking care of ourselves,” writes a cohort of clinical fellows in a nomination letter for Dr. Ahmed.

“In a field where it is often challenging to express vulnerability without feeling shame, Dr. Ahmed not only creates a safe space for her trainees, but she makes us feel validated, listened to and cared for. She is skilled in her approach to delicate issues, using inclusive and thoughtful language, and ensures we feel empowered to reach out to her at any time.”

Jennifer Ashby

Jennifer Ashby is a dedicated and passionate recreation therapist at Sunnybrook, known for her exceptional leadership in student education. She has supervised over 30 students, providing hands-on guidance and fostering a supportive learning environment. Jennifer is committed to student success, offering tailored accommodations and mentorship that has helped many students secure permanent roles.

“From the very beginning, Jen’s passion for the field and commitment stood out. She created a learning environment that was not only supportive but also inspiring, which made all the difference in my education,” writes one of her former students. “Her insights into how recreation therapy can positively impact individuals’ lives were invaluable, and she encouraged me to think critically and creatively about how to approach different situations.”

Many of her students have become permanent recreation therapy staff at Sunnybrook, a testament to her exemplary teaching and creating the optimal Sunnybrook student experience.

Student Experience Award – Student Nomination

Dr. Ryma Bendel

Dr. Ryma Bendel’s dedication to teaching, mentorship, leadership and fostering a positive learning environment exemplifies the spirit of the Student Teaching Award. A strong advocate for residents’ and students’ well-being and success, Dr. Bendel’s tenure as Chief Psychiatry Resident was defined by her dedication to creating a culture of safety, mentorship and engagement.

Dr. Bendel’s commitment to supporting residents is reflected in the overwhelming positive feedback she has received, including an emphasis on the profound impact she has had on residents’ learning and wellbeing, and the difference she has made to the learning environment.

In a nomination letter signed by nearly two dozen residents and learners, they wrote: “Dr. Bendel’s sustained commitment to teaching excellence, her dedication to resident and student wellbeing, and her unwavering advocacy for learners at Sunnybrook and beyond make her a truly exemplary candidate for the Student Experience Award. We all firmly believe that her efforts have shaped a more supportive, inclusive, and learner-centered culture at Sunnybrook.”

Patient & Family Education Award

Delirium Education for Patients & Families Project Team

The Virtual Delirium Education Initiative exemplifies outstanding creativity, effectiveness and commitment to patients and family-centred education. Recognizing a gap in resources to educate patients and families about delirium prevention and management, the Virtual Delirium Education Initiative team developed and implemented a comprehensive, evidence-based pre-operative delirium class and patient education resources.

“By providing individuals with the necessary knowledge to identify and manage delirium, the team has enabled families to actively participate in the care process, thus improving patient outcomes and overall well-being,” wrote the Hospital Clinical Quality Team at Ontario Health in a letter of support. “This initiative has achieved notable success, significantly enhancing the understanding and management of delirium among patients and their families.”

With an emphasis on multilingual accessibility, the initiative addresses equity gaps identified within patient populations and exhibits a commitment to inclusivity and culturally sensitive care. This innovative, patient-centred approach has a demonstrable impact on patient education, safety and overall patient and family empowerment.

Mentorship in Advancing Education Strategic Priorities Award

Dr. Mireille Norris

Dr. Mireille Norris’s dedication to mentorship, advocacy and educational leadership has significantly enhanced the experiences medical learners while fostering equity and inclusion within the academic medical community. One of her most notable achievements is the establishment of SPARK, the Sunnybrook Program for Accessing Research Knowledge, which has created research and mentorship opportunities for Black and Indigenous medical students.

“Dr. Norris provides mentorship that extends beyond the individual level – she is committed to creating systemic change that increases access and opportunity for underrepresented learners. Her creation of SPRARK exemplifies her dedication to mentorship, advocacy, and structural reform,” writes one nominator.

“Through this initiative, she has provided invaluable research opportunities to students who have historically been excluded from such experiences, equipping them with the skills and confidence to pursue academic and clinical excellence. Her vision, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to equity have opened doors for many aspiring physicians and researchers, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of her mentorship.”

Dr. Norris' passion for mentorship and advocacy is coupled with her commitment to the principles of anti-racism, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion to drive system change and innovation. Dr. Norris's profound influence extends well beyond Sunnybrook, impacting the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and broader health-care systems.

Emerging Teacher Award

Dr. Robert Bobotsis

Dermatology residents unanimously underscore Dr. Robert Bobotsis’s ability to foster a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Described as a ‘transformative force’ with unparalleled dedication and undeniable influence, Dr. Bobotsis’s innovative teaching methods and commitment to enhancing the knowledge of students and colleagues alike make him a truly exceptional educator.

Dr. Michael Chaikof

Dr. Michael Chaikof is a passionate teacher who has made significant contributions to medical education in the DAN Women & Babies program at Sunnybrook. He has been instrumental in implementing new educational initiatives, notably a ‘hot debrief’ protocol to enhance reflective learning and quality improvement following -clinical events, as well as using 3D printing and simulation to advance surgical and medical training.

Ling Ho

An established radiation therapist at Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre, Ling Ho transitioned to a formal MRI Educator role in 2022. Dedicated to creating the best learning experience possible for colleagues and visiting trainees, in a short time, Ling has made a substantial impact on teaching and learning at Odette, as well as in the broader radiation medicine community.

Sandra Kwon

As an Organizational Development & Leadership associate, Sandra Kwon goes above and beyond. She brings knowledge, creativity and practicality to her sessions and ensures the content is relevant, factual and scientific. Sandra demonstrates extraordinary zest, purpose, enthusiasm and flair in her teaching and facilitation to contribute to the professional growth of Sunnybrook staff.

Dr. Ariel Lefkowitz

Dr. Ariel Lefkowitz exemplifies all the qualities of an exceptional educator. His ability to create supportive learning environments, engage patients in the educational process, teach colleagues, mentor future physicians and pioneer innovative approaches to medical education have garnered national and international recognition, demonstrating remarkable impact and tremendous potential for continued growth and increasing influence in medical education.

Congratulations to all our nominees: