We are delighted to announce the winners of our inaugural Faculty of Medicine Awards of Excellence!
The awards were created in the spirit of recognition of outstanding achievements of our members. Recipients are acknowledged as having earned distinction for themselves and for the University through their exceptional work in research, education and service.
The awards will be distributed at the Faculty Gala on October 5, 2019.
Congratulations to the following recipients:
Researcher of the Year – Clinical
Presented to a clinical investigator who has earned distinction for his or her unit and Faculty as a result of the importance and exceptional characteristics of his or her research work.
Dr. Marc Ruel
Department of Surgery
Professor and Division Head of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. A true visionary, Dr. Ruel pioneered minimally invasive cardiac surgical coronary artery bypass grafting operations and has led several clinical trials. He has contributed significant breakthroughs on the mechanisms and effects of biopolymer matrices in cell-based and acellular cardiovascular regeneration as well as the complex genomic response following bypass surgery.
Dr. Clare Liddy
Department of Family Medicine
Tier 2 Chair and Associate Professor with the University of Ottawa’s 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 practicing family physician at The Ottawa Hospital Academic Family Health Team. She is an exceptional researcher, whose seminal body of work has transformed health care delivery with the Champlain BASETM (Building Access to Specialists through eConsultation) eConsult 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.
Researcher of the Year – Basic Sciences
Presented to an investigator who has earned distinction for his or her unit and Faculty as a result of the importance and exceptional characteristics of his or her research work.
Dr. William Stanford
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Senior Scientist at the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Full Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa and holder of a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Integrative Stem Cell Biology. Dr. Stanford is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking research on stem cells and leukemia, with a focus on understanding and manipulating the behavior of pluripotent and somatic stem cells to understand mechanisms of human disease and develop novel therapeutics.
Dr. Manisha Kulkarni
School of Epidemiology and Public Health
Associate Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Dr. Kulkarni’s interdisciplinary research program aims to understand the socioecological determinants of the emergence of vector-borne and zoonotic disease and risk in global settings, and to properly identify at-risk populations for more targeted and efficient interventions.
Early-Career Researcher of the Year – Clinical
Presented to a clinical investigator who has earned distinction for his or her unit and Faculty as a result of the importance and exceptional characteristics of his or her research work at this early stage of career.
Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng
Department of Medicine
Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, in the Divisions of Critical Care and Palliative Care. He is also an Associate Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Kyeremanteng 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.
Early-Career Researcher of the Year – Basic Sciences
Presented to an investigator who has earned distinction for his or her unit and Faculty as a result of the importance and exceptional characteristics of his or her research work at this stage of their career.
Dr. Deshayne Fell
School of Epidemiology and Public Health
Assistant Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health and Scientist with the CHEO Research Institute. Dr. Fell leads a comprehensive program of research in the areas of fetal and infant population health. Dr. Fell’s recent work focuses on the influenza disease and influenza immunization during pregnancy and the relationship with adverse birth outcomes. Her work has helped influence population-based policies related to maternal vaccination.
Publication of the Year
Presented to a researcher/scientist who is the senior author on a stellar publication that is backed by an excellent publication record (based on career stage).
Dr. Venkatesh Thiruganasambandamoorthy
Department of Emergency Medicine
Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s Clinical Epidemiology program. He is also an Emergency physician at The Ottawa Hospital. Dr. Thiruganasambandamoorthy’s research focus is on cardiac emergencies, predominantly in the management of emergency department syncope and chest paint. He has evolved as a world leading researcher on emergency department syncope risk-stratification.
Dr. Marjorie Brand
Department of Medicine
Full Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Senior Scientist in the Regenerative Medicine Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Brand’s research program focuses on regulation of gene expression at the level of transcription and chromatin. Using in-vitro and in-vivo approaches, she is working to decipher the mechanisms controlling hematopoietic stem cell differentiation in order to understand how deregulation of this process causes leukemia.
Educator of the Year – Clinical
Presented to a member of the teaching staff who has demonstrated outstanding performance in his or her teaching, in particular in the development of innovative teaching material and methods, courses, and programs of study, and for his or her interpersonal skills.
Dr. Robert Bell
Department of Medicine
Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Dr. Bell has taught an unprecedented number of hours in the medical education program and consistently receives outstanding teaching evaluations. He has contributed enormously to administration of the MD program and has occupied several major leadership roles in the MD program.
Educator of the Year – Basic Sciences
Presented to a member of the teaching staff who has demonstrated outstanding performance in his or her teaching, in particular in the development of innovative teaching material and methods, courses, and programs of study, and for his or her interpersonal skills.
Dr. Chris Ramnanan
Department of Innovation in Medical Education
Associate Professor in the Department of Innovation in Medical Education. His teaching excellence was quickly recognized by the Faculty and resulted in his growing responsibility in the medical program over time. He epitomizes the ideal medical educator with his passion for teaching, his leadership in innovation and his dedication to education scholarship.
Dr. Jacqueline Carnegie
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Associate Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Dr. Carnegie has distinguished herself as an exceptional educator, a determined leader and an invaluable pillar in the fields of Anatomy, Physiology and Pathophysiology education in our Faculty, consistently sustaining outstanding student teaching evaluations.
Mentor of the Year – Clinical
Presented to a member of the teaching/research staff who has demonstrated outstanding mentorship toward learners and junior faculty in the Faculty of Medicine, and helps inspire and motivate them throughout their program and chosen career. Mentors act as role models and have the potential to shape the learning process and experience.
Dr. Marc Rodger
Department of Medicine
Full Professor in the Department of Medicine, Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and Head of the Division of Hematology at The Ottawa Hospital. Dr. Rodger is a highly respected clinician and a world-renowned clinical researcher in the field of venous thrombosis, a field in which he has mentor numerous experts who went on to local, national and international recognition. Dr. Rodger provides his mentees insightful advice, excellent teaching abilities and extraordinary research support.
Mentor of the Year – Basic Sciences
Presented to a member of the teaching/research staff who has demonstrated outstanding mentorship toward learners and junior faculty in the Faculty of Medicine, and helps inspire and motivate them throughout their program and chosen career. Mentors act as role models and have the potential to shape the learning process and experience.
Dr. Rashmi Kothary
Department of Medicine / Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Deputy Scientific Director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and a Senior Scientist in the Regenerative Medicine Program. Dr. Kothary has established himself as an outstanding mentor in the field of neuromuscular disease. Leading by example, he instills qualities and values that allow trainees and young researchers around him to reach their full potential and their ultimate goals.
Outstanding Service Award – Staff
Presented to Faculty staff and personnel to highlight the key role staff members play in enriching the quality of the university experience. This award aims to recognize staff members who look for ways to defy the conventional, improve service quality and provide solutions that meet clients’ needs. They give expression to the University’s vision of service excellence and stand out for the exceptional quality of the service they provide.
Ms. Kim Rozon
Department of Family Medicine
An employee of uOttawa for over 25 years, Ms. Rozon is the current Postgraduate Education Program Manager in the Department of Family Medicine (DFM). Ms. Rozon is a skilled manager and innovative problem-solver, with an unparalleled dedication to Family Medicine learners and a commitment to continuously improving systems that enhance the quality of educational programs and the resident experience.
Outstanding Service Award – Faculty
Presented to faculty members in recognition of their academic excellence in service, supporting the University community, enriching education programs and contributing to the achievement of the University’s and Faculty’s goals.
Dr. Jean-François Couture
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology
Professor and Chair of the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology. Dr. Couture played a critical role in the development of the new undergraduate Translational and Molecular Medicine (TMM) program as its first director, all the while achieving international research success in structural biology and epigenetics, and maintaining excellent teaching evaluations.
Dr. Diane Lagace
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Founding Director of the Animal Behaviour Core at the Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Lagace is heavily involved in both departmental and Faculty administrative activities, going above and beyond the call of duty for every committee on which she serves, including the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Discovery Days and Doors Open Ottawa Committee. These are important outreach activities that bring incredible visibility to the Faculty.
