Dr. Terrence Ruddy - Fellow of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI)

Dr Terrence Ruddy was recognized as a Fellow of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) in June 2020. The SNMMI Fellowship Program recognizes members of SNMMI for their service to the SNMMI and for their outstanding contributions to the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.

Dr. Terrence Ruddy is Director of Nuclear Cardiology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Radiology at the University of Ottawa and former University Chair and Head of the Divisions of Cardiology and Nuclear Medicine. He is a Clinician-Investigator and an international leader in cardiovascular nuclear medicine. His research focuses on the development and validation of imaging techniques using SPECT and PET radiotracers for the diagnosis and evaluation of cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Michael Rudnicki – Fellow of the Royal Society (UK)

The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship made up of the most eminent scientists, engineers and technologists from the UK and the Commonwealth. Fellows are elected for life through a peer review process based on excellence in science. Each candidate is considered on his or her own merits and can be proposed from any sector of the scientific community. An internationally renowned thought leader in regenerative medicine, stem cell biology and molecular genetics, Dr. Rudnicki’s groundbreaking research has provided seminal insights into the mechanisms that govern stem cell function, and translated these discoveries towards clinical application. His paradigm-shifting discovery of muscle stem cells transformed our understanding of muscle development and opened the door to new therapeutic strategies to treat neuromuscular disease. His research has fueled the development of novel molecular and stem cell-based approaches for the treatment of muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders. Dr. Rudnicki’s contributions stand out in a heavily researched field for their clarity and impact on satellite cell function and the wider field of stem cell biology.

Dr. Lyne Pitre - Order of Ontario

Dr. Lyne Pitre is a Family Physician and Director of Medical Education at l’Hôpital Montfort. Franco-Ontarian Dr. Lyne Pitre has shaped a remarkable career as a physician and educator, championing French in medicine. She trained more than 200 family physicians in her career, and through her clinic brought French-language health care to Francophones across Ontario.

Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden – 2020 APUO/University of Ottawa Award for Excellence in Research

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. Vanderhyden is a Senior Scientist in the Cancer Therapeutics Program at OHRI and a Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. She is a leader, a role model and an agent for change in the cancer research landscape.Her scientific passion includes the study of female fertility and the consequences when the health of the ovary fails (infertility, cancer). As Corinne Boyer Chair of Ovarian Cancer Research, she heads an internationally renowned research team that is improving the early diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska – The Sleep Research Society’s 2020 Outstanding Early Investigator Award

This award recognizes an outstanding research effort by an early-career researcher in the field of sleep research. Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska is an Assistant Professor, Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine and an Associate Scientist, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Kendzerska research interests include epidemiology of sleep apnea, particularly the relationship between sleep apnea and other diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and cancer, the epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the role of sleep-related disorders in modulating the health consequences of chronic disease.

Dr. Rob Beanlands – 2020 University of Ottawa Alumni Association Awards of Excellence – Alumnus of the Year

This award recognizes the outstanding achievement of one of our alumni members within the last year.Consideration is given to alumni who have won honours in their field or who have been recognized nationally or internationally. 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.

Dr. Jason Leclair - PARO Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award

The Professional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO) is the official representative voice for Ontario’s doctors in training. The PARO Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award acknowledges the essential role that good clinical teachers play in the training of new physicians. Dr. Jason Leclair is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Family Medicine and is a co-director of the Family Medicine Inpatient Teaching Services at The Ottawa Hospital. His main interests include medical education, hospital metrics, and evidence-based practices in sclerotherapy. Dr. Leclair has a primary care practice at the Central Ottawa Family Medicine Associates and has a community family medicine resident at his office.

Dr. Alireza Jalali - APUO University of Ottawa Award for Excellence in Teaching

The APUO Award for Excellence in Teaching is an award sponsored by the University of Ottawa and the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO). It recognizes outstanding contributions to university teaching. 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.

Dr. Lynne Leonard - The University of Ottawa Knowledge Mobilization Excellence Award

This award recognizes researchers that have conducted a successful and innovative project in promoting and facilitating the use of research outside academia. Dr. Lynne Leonard is a social epidemiologist and Assistant Professor and Research Scientist in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health. Her work focuses on HIV prevention, through the lens of social policy, epidemiology and biostatistics. Dr. Leonard is particularly interested in the social determinants of health and in conducting community-based research to effect policy and program change at the community, provincial and national level. Dr. Leonard received the award for a community-based drug-checking program at the Oasis Supervised Injection Site (SIS) of the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre in Ottawa. The results of the research, regularly shared with the people who use and inject drugs, the health and legal communities and policy decision makers, has resulted in positive changes in behavior among individual users, such as reducing their dose or alerting others to unsafe drug supplies.

Dr. Robert Bell – The AFMC Clinical Teacher Award

The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) – Clinical Teacher Award emphasizes the importance of excellence in clinical teaching and recognizes an individual in Canada who has provided exceptional clinical teaching contribution. Dr. Bell has been a Professor with the Faculty of Medicine since 1988 and has shown himself to be an essential contributor to the education of our medical students, demonstrating vision, innovation and leadership in clinical teaching in our Faculty. He is one of our most active teachers at the Undergraduate, Postgraduate and higher levels in medical education, most notably as a renal content expert.

Dr. Clare Liddy - Change Foundation’s Future Innovator Award

This award recognizes people, organizations or teams who carry a vision for positive change and the potential to make notable impact for patients and caregivers. One of the 2020 recipient is the eConsultBASETM service, a secure online application that connects primary care providers with specialists, allowing them to receive prompt advice on behalf of their patients using a technology already available in the region, now expended throughout Ontario. Dr. Clare Liddy is Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, a Clinical Investigator at the C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre, a Senior Researcher at the Bruyère Research Institute and a family physician at the Ottawa Hospital Academic Family Health Team. She is the Primary Care Lead for the eConsultBASETMservice and the Co-Executive Director of the Ontario eConsult Centre of Excellence, which is managing the expansion of eConsult across Ontario.

Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska - James B. Skatrud New Investigator Award

The Assembly on Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology of the American Thoracic Society focuses on sleep-related breathing disorders. Their James B. Skatrud New Investigator Award recognizes the career accomplishments to date and future promise of a new investigator working in the broad area of respiratory neurobiology and sleep. Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska is an Assistant Professor, Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine and an Associate Scientist, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Kendzerska research interests include epidemiology of sleep apnea, particularly the relationship between sleep apnea and other diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and cancer, the epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the role of sleep-related disorders in modulating the health consequences of chronic disease.

Dr. Eve Tsai - NanoOntario Awards in Nanosciences

NanoOntario provides information on nanoscience and nanotechnology in Ontario. The NanoOntario Awards in Nanosciences rewards scientists and researchers for their accomplishments. Dr. Eve Tsai is a Clinician-Scientist in the OHRI’s Neuroscience Program and Associate Professor of Surgery. Her research focuses on spinal cord and brain repair strategies, axonal regeneration, MRI imaging of spinal cord tracts in humans and animals, stroke, and clinical outcomes after spine surgery. In 2010, Dr. Tsai won Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 AwardTM, which honours achievement for vision and leadership; innovation and achievement; impact; growth/development strategy; and community involvement and contribution. In both 2012 and 2013, Dr. Tsai was selected by committee as one of the Top 25 Women of Influence by Women of Influence Magazine.

Dr. Robert Korneluk - uOttawa Alumni Association Honorary Member Award

The uOttawa Alumni Association Awards of Excellence recognize the achievements of University of Ottawa Alumni. The Honorary Member Award celebrates friends of uOttawa who are not a graduate of the University for outstanding personal service, commitment, and contribution, past or present, to the University. Dr. Robert Korneluk is Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology and a Senior Scientist and the Scientific Director of the Apoptosis Research Centre at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute. His research focuses on the aspects of apoptosis and its role in cancer. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and has received the prestigious McLaughlin Medal from the Royal Society of Canada for achievement in medical research. Dr. Korneluk is also a Member of the Order of Canada.

Dr. John Bell - Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation Distinguished Scientist Award

This award rewards a Canadian MD or PhD medical scientist who has made significant contributions to new knowledge and is recognized as an expert, innovative, and in the forefront of research endeavour.Dr. John Bell is a Full Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology (BMI) and a Senior Scientist with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Cancer Therapeutics Program. His research focuses on oncolytic viruses as a new therapeutic for cancer. He heads the Canadian Oncolytic Virus Consortium, a Terry Fox funded group from across Canada and is the Director of the Ontario Regional Biotherapeutics Program for the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. He is the Scientific Director of BioCanRx, a Network of Centres of Excellence. Dr. Bell is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden – Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

The objective of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences is to provide assessments of, and advice on, key issues relevant to the health of Canadians. To this purpose, Fellows well recognized by their peers nationally and internationally are elected to the Academy. The elected Fellows have demonstrated leadership, creativity, distinctive competencies & background, and a commitment to advance academic health science. Dr. Vanderhyden is a Senior Scientist in the Cancer Therapeutics Program at OHRI and a Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. She is a leader, a role model and an agent for change in the cancer research landscape. Her scientific passion includes the study of female fertility and the consequences when the health of the ovary fails (infertility, cancer). As Corinne Boyer Chair of Ovarian Cancer Research, she heads an internationally renowned research team that is improving the early diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Dr. Ciaran Duffy - American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Master Award

This award recognizes a ACR member over 65 for outstanding service to patients or outstanding administrative service or excellence in rheumatology teaching and education or excellence in rheumatology research. Dr. Ciaran Duffy is Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics and Chief of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). His research focuses on pediatric rheumatology with a particular interest in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). He leads large cohort studies in JIA – REACCH OUT and LEAP – nationally, has published extensively in this area, mostly on quality of life (QOL) of JIA children. He developed tools to evaluate QOL, the Juvenile Arthritis Quality-of-life Questionnaire (JAQQ) being the most employed in clinical studies regarding QOL or treatments.

Dr. Christian Vaillancourt - The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians Ian Stiell Researcher of the Year

This award recognizes a physician who produced important clinical or educational research in emergency medicine within the past three years. Dr. Christian Vaillancourt is Full Professor and Clinical Research Chair (Tier 1) in Emergency Heart and Brain Resuscitation, Department of Emergency Medicine, Senior Scientist, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Associate Medical Director, Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario. Dr. Vaillancourt in an international expert in the field of sudden unexpected cardiac death. His most notable contributions are in the care of prehospital/out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims.

Dr. Dean Fergusson – Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

The objective of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences is to provide assessments of, and advice on, key issues relevant to the health of Canadians. To this purpose, Fellows well recognized by their peers nationally and internationally are elected to the Academy. The elected Fellows have demonstrated leadership, creativity, distinctive competencies & background, and a commitment to advance academic health science. Dr. Fergusson is Full Professor with the Department of Medicine and the School of Epidemiology and Public Health. He also holds the OHRI/uOttawa Endowed Chair and is Director and Senior Scientist, Clinical Epidemiology Program, at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Dr Fergusson’s clinical research interests are mainly in the field of transfusion medicine with a focus on transfusion alternatives and the effectiveness of blood products. His research interests also extend to the methodology and ethics of clinical trials and systematic reviews. He also co-leads of the Rethinking Clinical Trials (REaCT) Program which performs practical patient-focused research that ensures that patients receive optimal, safe, cost effective treatment.

Dr. Chris Kennedy – The Kidney Foundation of Canada John B. Dossetor Research Award

The Kidney Foundation’s John Dossetor Award is presented to an individual or group who merits special recognition for outstanding service or other contributions to the Kidney Foundation’s research program (e.g., significant funding of research, creating/developing research partnerships, raising research awareness, contributing to research committees, etc.). Dr. Chris Kennedy is a Full Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Senior Scientist within the Chronic Disease Program and Kidney Research Centre at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.Dr. Kennedy’s research program seeks to identify how the kidney’s filtration system and vasculature are damaged in diabetes and high blood pressure, the two leading causes of kidney disease in Canada, with the goal of translating his work into novel therapies that would slow or prevent kidney disease progression.

Dr. Venkatesh Thiruganasambandamoorthy – 2020 CIHR-ICRH/CAEP Mid-Career Lecturer Award in Emergency Medicine

This award is presented on behalf of the CIHR-Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) and the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) to recognize significant contributions of mid-career researchers to the advancement of emergency medicine in Canada. Dr. Thiruganasambandamoorthy is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Scientist at OHRI.His research focuses on cardiac emergencies, predominantly in the management of emergency department syncope and chest pain. His research results have had a signification impact on clinical practice in emergency medicine in Canada and internationally.

Dr. Phil Wells –2020 CIHR-ICRH Distinguished Lecturer/CSATVB Scientific Excellence Award in Blood and Blood Vessel Sciences

This award is presented on behalf of the CIHR-Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) and the Canadian Society of Atherosclerosis, Thombosis and Vascular Biology (CSATVB) to recognize an individual’s outstanding contribution to the advancement of blood and/or blood vessel sciences both in Canada and internationally. Dr. Wells is Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine and is a world renowned clinician-scientist who has revolutionized the field of venous thromboembolism.He developed the clinical scoring system for patients suspected of blood clots known as the Wells Model for DVT (legs clots) and the Wells Model for PE (lung clots). The Wells Models have had a major impact on clinical practice and patient care, including significant cost savings to the healthcare system by eliminating unnecessary imaging and reducing emergency department wait times.

Dr. Darlene Kitty – First People’s Medal from the Lieutenant governor of Quebec

This distinction aims to recognize the exceptional contribution of members of the First Nations and the Inuit Nation. In addition, this recognition highlights the journey of remarkable people who, through their achievements and their commitment, contribute to the influence of their community, their nation or First Peoples across Quebec or Canada or even internationally. An Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Dr. Darlene Kitty teaches and develops Indigenous health curricula including academic activities in Indigenous health and several specialty programs.