Award season recognizes SickKids staff

In May and June, members of the health-care and science communities are recognized for their achievements and contributions. SickKids would like to congratulate the following staff members on receiving awards:

James Rutka and Michael Taylor receive Canadian Cancer Society Research Awards

Two prominent SickKids researchers were recognized for their outstanding achievements in cancer research by the Canadian Cancer Society. The 2014 Awards for Excellence in Cancer Research, hosted on June 25, honoured researchers across Canada who have made significant contributions to cancer research.

Dr. James T. Rutka, Neurosurgeon, Co-director and Principal Investigator in the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre and Senior Scientist in Cell Biology at SickKids is a co-recipient of the Robert L. Noble Prize for outstanding achievements in basic biomedical cancer research. Dr. Michael Taylor, Neurosurgeon and Principal Investigator in the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre and Senior Scientist in Developmental & Stem Cell Biology at SickKids, received the William W. Rawls Prize. The prize is awarded to a young investigator whose work has led to important advances in cancer control.

Rutka and Taylor will receive $10,000 and $20,000 respectively, in funding towards their research programs from the Canadian Cancer Society. Rutka's research focuses on understanding two of the most common paediatric brain cancers, astrocytomas and medulloblastoma, while Taylor will use the funds to supplement experiments where his team is studying recurrent brain tumours. 

By: Sarah Warr

Bonnie Stevens named International Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing

The American Academy of Nursing (ANN) has invited Dr. Bonnie Stevens, Associate Chief of Nursing, Research, and Senior Scientist at SickKids to become an International Fellow of the Academy.

Stevens, who is also a Professor in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto, was recognized for her extensive work in paediatric nursing research as the inaugural Signy Hildur Eaton Chair in Paediatric Nursing Research, specifically for her achievements in the field of pain assessment and management in children and infants in the hospital setting.

ANN Fellows are nursing leaders in education, management, practice and research. Fellows are expected to contribute to nursing and to the Academy on several levels, through enhancing the quality of health and nursing care; promoting healthy aging and human development across the life continuum; reducing health disparities and inequalities; shaping healthy behaviours and environments; integrating mental and physical health; and strengthening the nursing and health delivery system, nationally and internationally. 

Centre of Image Guided Innovation and Therapeutic Intervention wins Hamlyn Surgical Robotic Challenge

A team from the Centre of Image Guided Innovation and Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI) at SickKids was awarded the Overall Winner and Best Design prizes at the Hamlyn Surgical Robot Challenge 2015 hosted by Imperial College in London, U.K.

The CIGITI team, consisting of Karl Price, Kunj Upadhyaya, Thomas Looi, Kyle Eastwood, Vivek Bodani, Dale Podolsky and Hamidreza Azimian, won the competition with their project titled, “A Concentric Tube Tool for the daVinci Research Kit.” The tube tool was designed as an attachment for the daVinci Research Kit, a surgical robotic instrument used to improve precision, dexterity and control. The new tube tool can be used for many applications, including intraventricular neurosurgery, cardiac surgery and trans-oral surgery. Its novelty includes its small size and its ability to rapidly change tools.

The Hamlyn Surgical Robot Challenge brings together centres from across the world to foster collaboration, share resources and tackle some of the unmet technical/clinical challenges in robotic surgery. This year, 18 centres including Johns Hopkins, Stanford and Imperial College, competed for a total prize fund of $10,000 consisting of multiple cash prizes and tickets to the Hamlyn Symposium 2016.

By: Katie Grandin

Avram Denburg receives 2015 Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholarship

Congratulations to Dr. Avram Denburg, Clinical Fellow in the Division of Haematology/Oncology at SickKids and the University of Toronto, and a recipient of this year’s Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholarship. Denburg, who is also a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Doctoral Fellow in the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis at McMaster University, is one of 16 recipients to receive this year’s scholarship.

Through his clinical, research and advocacy work, Denburg is exploring ways to construct a more coherent decision-making framework—informed by public values—for funding new cancer drugs for children in Canada. He will receive $60,000 over three years to facilitate his research and to organize and participate in global research and Trudeau Foundation events.

Trudeau scholars are exceptional Canadian students who have distinguished themselves through academic excellence, civic engagement and a commitment to reaching beyond academic circles. 

Lee Ford-Jones receives 2015 Bill Bosworth Memorial Award

Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth “Lee” Ford-Jones, Infectious Disease Specialist and Social Paediatrics Researcher at SickKids, and recipient of the Biennial Bill Bosworth Memorial Award by Toronto's Mothercraft. Ford-Jones was recognized for community leadership, innovation and an unwavering commitment to children and families in Toronto.

Ford-Jones has spent the last seven years working in the Department of Social Paediatrics at SickKids. She has used her role to educate and inform medical students and other health professionals who work with children on how social issues like poverty, hunger and parental stress can affect a child’s health. Ford-Jones’ work has helped more paediatricians understand these relationships and they are now incorporating them into their day-to-day practice. Ford-Jones has also helped community organizations who support families create partnerships with the health-care system that have led to a more holistic approach to intervention. 

CALIPER Project honoured with CSCC Award for Innovation in Laboratory Medicine

The Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Paediatric Reference Intervals (CALIPER) was honoured on June 23, with an award from the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists at the group's annual conference, held in Montreal.

Led by Dr. Khosrow Adeli, Division Head, Clinical Biochemistry and Senior Associate Scientist in the Molecular Structure & Function research program at SickKids, the CALIPER project is recognized for innovation in strategic planning, development and implementation of laboratory services. The nationwide, multi-centre initiative focuses on improving accuracy in interpretation of paediatric laboratory test results and diagnosis of paediatric diseases. This project provides clear benchmarks for physicians, leading to more accurate diagnoses and better outcomes, ultimately supporting SickKids' vision of Healthier Children. A Better World. Read more about the CALIPER Project.

By: Carolyn Gooderham

Congratulations to our SickKids staff on your achievements!