Injury Repair Recovery Program trainees on top three surgical innovation teams in 2020

Source: RI-MUHC

Making surgical treatments and procedures more effective is the common goal of the Injury Repair Recovery (IRR) Program at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). Researchers in this program have a proven track record of translating research into innovative products through start-ups, spin-offs and partnerships with external companies.

Their research trainees also boost the innovative and entrepreneurial nature of the IRR Program, especially those who participate in the NSERC-funded Surgical Innovation Program, known as CREATE – Innovation at the Cutting Edge. The CREATE training program brings together business, software, clinical and engineering students from three universities in Montreal. Their mission is to find an unmet clinical need, develop a novel technology and form a start-up.

The innovation teams must build a prototype, establish and validate the value proposition, then pitch their prototype and business model before a panel of judges composed of Montreal entrepreneurs and business experts. This year, IRR Program trainees were on all three winning teams.

NURA Medical, the team that placed first in 2020, created a start-up that improves patient care and clinical efficiency by revolutionizing the way bolus IV medication is prepared and administered in hospitals. The team is a finalist in the McGill Dobson Cup start-up competition and will soon begin the acceleration program at Centech MTL. Sofia Addab, Jean-Gabriel Lacombe and Georgia Powell represented the IRR Program on this team. Their interuniversity teammates were Nicolas Minvielle, Naghmeh Ansari and Catherine Pepe.

Two teams, Gynaware and GyroClear, tied for second place. GynAware aims to improve quality of life for women with uterine fibroids by offering an integrated and cost-effective biopsy solution. This solution will enable gynaecologists to streamline decisions based on presurgical diagnosis, thereby also reducing patients’ anxiety. GynAware qualified for the Dobson Cup finals and will soon begin the District 3 Innovation Centre Acceleration Program. Arghavan Rastinford, a trainee in the IRR program, is a member of this team, along with Ida Derish, Javier Fernandez Cruz, Meera Kanagalingham, Haoran Wang and Pegah Yaftian.

GyroClear aims to set a new standard for minimally invasive intra-abdominal and thoracic surgery. This team designed a protective sleeve that maintains a clear camera lens throughout procedures. Kenny Drummond, a trainee in the IRR Program, is a team member, with Aiden Reich, Pierre Paul Gallant, Ayman Shams, Sarder Kayyan and Shwajan Paul.

Congratulations to all the innovators!

Read more on LinkedIn
District 3 Innovation Centre Acceleration Program
Clinical Innovation Class of 2020!

About the Surgical Innovation Program
The Surgical Innovation Program is a cross-disciplinary graduate program that equips trainees to enter the clinical technology sector. Delivered jointly by McGill University, École de technologie supérieure, and the John Molson School of Business and Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Concordia University, the program offers training in surgical innovation, combining expertise in business, engineering, computer science and surgery. Trainees work in cross-disciplinary teams to learn about the innovation process for new surgical devices. Teaching is delivered by engineers, clinicians, industry experts, entrepreneurs, attorneys and business faculty.

April 27 2020

Marina Machado, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the Research Institute of the MUHC

Source: RI-MUHC

Congratulations to Marina Machado!

Marina Machado, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), won the Best Visual Presentation prize for her poster at a meeting of the CIHR Drug Safety Effectiveness Network (DSEN). The poster she presented in Ottawa on January 21 was titled “Treatment Patterns of Checkpoint Inhibitors in Metastatic Melanoma.” This was the first population-based study to evaluate therapy discontinuation of pembrolizumab and nivolumab monotherapies and combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab in patients with metastatic melanoma.

Marina’s project is one of the DSEN-related projects tackled by the CAnadian Network for Advanced Interdisciplinary Methods for comparative effectiveness research (CAN-AIM) team. Her supervisor, Dr. Sasha Bernatsky, is a member of the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program and with colleagues Michal Abrahamowicz and Louise Pilote, is a founding member of CAN-AIM. They conduct research at the RI- MUHC’s Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation at the RI-MUHC.

May 6 2020

By Prof. Christian Genest, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, McGill University

Erica Moodie, William Dawson Scholar and Professor in the McGill University Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health has been selected as the 2020 recipient of the CRM-SSC Prize in Statistics. The prize is awarded annually by the Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM) and the Statistical Society of Canada (SSC) in recognition of outstanding research carried out primarily in Canada by a statistician during the first fifteen years after completing a PhD.

“It is a huge honour to be chosen for this award and follow in the footsteps of people I admire including, most recently, another McGillian and friend, Johanna Neslehova (Department of Mathematics and Statistics),” says Erica. “Since the announcement, I have received kind emails from statisticians across Canada; It reminds me that I am part of a really nice community. I just wish that I could share this recognition with some of my research colleagues and students. Statistics is a highly collaborative field, and I get to work with incredibly smart, creative people.”

Erica was born and raised in Winnipeg. Her interest in science, shared by her sister Zoe who is also a biostatistician, was fostered by their parents, zoologist Ric Moodie and biostatistician Patricia F. Moodie. After studying mathematics and statistics at the University of Winnipeg (BA, 2000), Erica specialized in epidemiology at the University of Cambridge (MPhil, 2001) and in biostatistics at the University of Washington (MSc, 2004; PhD, 2006). She joined McGill as an Assistant Professor in 2006, was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 2012, and most recently to the rank of full Professor. She was the Director of the Biostatistics Graduate Programs from 2012-2019.

In her thesis, written under the supervision of Thomas Richardson, Erica studied inference for optimal dynamic treatment regimes (DTR). DTRs are sequential decision-making strategies that define rules for optimal allocation of resources. Over the past 15 years, Erica has established herself as a world expert in this area. With two books and over 130 peer-reviewed research papers to date, she has become one of the most prominent biostatisticians of her generation. Her papers have appeared in Biometrics, Biometrika, JASA, Statistics in Medicine and many other top-tier international journals.

Through her research, Erica has made a fundamental shift in the way that DTR estimators are used and viewed. Many traditional approaches to DTR estimation are opaque. In a series of papers on this topic, she has proposed a new form of regression-based estimation which ensures interpretability and accessibility to end-users in a broad range of fields. This work, beginning with postdoctoral researcher Michael Wallace (now at Waterloo) and continued with several other trainees, includes a suite of model selection, diagnostic, and validation tools, which were notably absent in nearly all alternative methods. Her approach, implemented in R, has raised the bar for all subsequent DTR analyses.

Erica’s work in dynamic decision-making sits within the more general area of causal inference, where interest lies in determining the un-confounded effect of specific treatment factors on the outcome. With postdoctoral fellow Olli Saarela (University of Toronto) and McGill collaborator David Stephens, she developed new insights into Bayesian causal procedures that bridge two traditionally distinct areas of statistics. With her PhD student Mireille Schnitzer (Université de Montréal), she extended the use of targeted maximum likelihood estimation to more general settings. With PhD students Ryan Kyle (plotly) and Nabila Parveen (Health Canada), she considered extensions of, and applications for, measurement error corrections in settings involving systematic undercounting or covariate dependent errors.

Today, Erica’s work lies at the heart of DTR research. In 2013, she coauthored with Bibhas Chakraborty the first textbook on statistical aspects of DTRs. This bestseller, published by Springer, was followed in 2016 by an authoritative collection of works describing the current tools available to implement DTR analysis, which Erica co-edited with Michael Kosorok.

In contributions to epidemiology with her colleagues Marina Klein, Joe Cox, and numerous PhD students, Erica has also applied causal inference techniques to investigate questions relating to a number of questions, including the interplay between food insecurity and depression, and determining individual- and community-level factors associated with prescription and illicit drug use in an HIV-HCV coinfected population. In total, Erica has supervised 15 MSc and 18 PhD students, as well as 7 postdoctoral fellows.

Erica has demonstrated exceptional leadership at the national and international level. She is an Associate Editor for Biometrics since 2013 and served in the same capacity for JASA – Theory & Methods (2014-2019). Moreover, she was the Scientific Program Chair of the 2017 SSC Annual Meeting, and she was an Associate Director of CANSSI. She was also co-chair of the Causal Inference group in the STRATOS initiative of the International Society for Clinical Biostatistics.

In recognition of her contributions, Erica was listed as one of the top 50 researchers worldwide in causal inference (The American Statistician, 2017) and she won the McGill Principal’s Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researchers in 2018. She became an elected member of the International Statistical Institute in 2015 and was a recipient of Excellence in Mentoring Awards by her department in 2017 and 2019. She is grateful to her husband and two boys for laughter, support, and keeping her active.

Congratulations Professor Moodie!

May 22, 2020

Source: CaRMS

Congratulations to Kacper Niburski, a third year McGill medical student with a keen interest in social change who was recently selected as the 2020 undergraduate winner of the Sandra Banner Student Award for Leadership. Kacper founded the Community Health and Social Medicine (CHASM) Incubator at McGill to help students build projects that address the needs of the most vulnerable in their communities. With mentorship, a curriculum, and funding, CHASM provides sustainable project development for those who need it most in Montreal.

Winning both national and provincial awards, CHASM is one part of Kacper’s larger deeply held principles regarding the social aspects of medicine. To make lasting change, Kacper believes one needs to first carefully, slowly acquire the skills to ensure lasting impact. In clinical practice, this has meant founding Sonoist, an ultrasound initiative that teaches pathological ultrasound; ddxed, a differential diagnosis tool to improve clinical acumen; and McGill’s first narrative medicine workshop, which is focused on developing the softer, more slippery parts of medical empathy and written communication.

“I’d like to thank the Sandra Banner Student Award Committee, as well as CaRMS in general, for granting me the award nationally under such a peculiar and disastrous time as corona,” said Kacper as part of his acceptance speech. “I think this award has increase value and importance. CHASM, which I founded in 2017, and to which this award will be going to, works exclusively on dealing with minority populations who are disproportionately disenfranchised from a disease like this. I would like to thank you again for the chance and opportunity to make lasting change.”

May 26 2020

Award recognizes his collaborative work in neuroscience and neuroinformatics

By Shawn Hayward, The Neuro

Neuroscientist Alan Evans has been awarded the Killam Prize, one of Canada’s highest honours, for his numerous contributions to the understanding of the human brain.

Evans is an internationally recognized researcher at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital), James McGill Professor in Neurology and Neurosurgery and the Victor Dahdaleh Chair in Neurosciences.

The Killam Prizes recognize the career achievements of eminent Canadian scholars and scientists actively engaged in research, whether in industry, government agencies or universities.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this award,” said Evans. “It is indeed very humbling and motivating to be considered for a prize that has been awarded to so many great Canadian scientists in the past.”

Evans leads national and international research in neuroimaging and neuroinformatics as the scientific director of five major initiatives: the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, the Canadian Open Neuroscience Platform, the Global Brain Consortium, the McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, and Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives.

The Killam Prize adds to Evans’ substantial list of accolades, which include the Glass Brain Award from the Organisation of Human Brain Mapping, the Senate of Canada 150 medal, the National Margolese Prize in Human Neurological Disorders, and the Vezina Prize for Quebec Neuroradiology. In addition, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and has received the Prix du Québec’s highest citation for biomedical research, the Wilder-Penfield prize.

The journey Evans took to becoming a brain scientist did not begin on a typical path. His first degree was in physics at Liverpool University, followed by medical physics at Surrey University and then his PhD and post-doctoral fellowship studying the structure-function interaction of proteins at the Department of Biophysics, Leeds University. He joined McGill University in 1984 and became a full professor in 1995.

Since then, Evans has built a reputation as one of the world’s leading thinkers on the structure and functioning of the human brain. His research has led to important biomarkers for the early diagnosis of neurological disorders, notably Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and psychiatric illnesses. With over 600 peer-reviewed papers, he has been ranked in the top one per cent of highly cited researchers for neuroscience and behavior since 2014.

One of Evans’ most engaging projects is the BigBrain Atlas—a virtual 3D reference brain with 50 times greater resolution than previous human brain models. In development with other institutes from the European Union, this promises to be a major leap forward in our collective understanding of the brain. Although the project has only recently begun, it is already being utilized by researchers, Parkinson’s surgeons, and other educational institutions.

About the Killam Prize

The Canada Council for the Arts awards five Killam Prizes of $100,000 each year, one prize each in the fields of humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. These prizes, which are among most distinguished research awards in Canada, were established by the Killam Trusts thanks to a bequest and gift of Mrs. Dorothy J. Killam in memory of her husband, Izaak Walton Killam, and his outstanding achievements.

May 26 2020

C. L. de Carvalho-Heineken Prize recognizes his seminal work in the cognition of music

By Victor Swoboda

Cognitive neuroscientist Robert Zatorre has been awarded the C.L. de Carvalho-Heineken Prize in Cognitive Sciences.

The Heineken Prize–given every two years to five different researchers–is considered the most prestigious international science prize in The Netherlands and includes a monetary reward of US$200,000. Previous winners include Nancy Kanwisher of MIT, and Stanislas Dehaene of the Collège de France.

Zatorre is a researcher at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital), a professor at McGill University and a Canada Research Chair whose investigations into human auditory processing have earned him a high-profile international reputation.

The prize committee described Zatorre as “one of the pioneers in the field of music cognition,” and recognized his “ground-breaking discoveries about the way people perceive sound, especially speech and music.”

Insights into the human mind

In reacting to news of the award, Zatorre noted the complexity of his subject as well as the contributions of his colleagues.

“Music engages all of the most highly developed human cognitive functions: perception, memory, attention, motor control, emotion, aesthetics. By studying its processing in the brain, we gain insights into fundamental principles of neural organization and plasticity, and into the human mind itself. I am delighted that the Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences has recognized the work we have done on this topic over the years with my many talented students and collaborators.”

Zatorre’s laboratory has made seminal discoveries in many areas including absolute pitch, auditory imagery, pitch perception, auditory space perception, musical pleasure, and the functional and structure properties of auditory cortices. He has contributed to more than 300 scientific publications. His work has also been covered widely by media around the world.

In 2006, Zatorre was the founding co-director of Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), a multi-university consortium for exploring the neuroscience of music.

His other notable awards include the Oliver Sacks Award (2002), the IPSEN Foundation Prize in neuronal plasticity (2011), and the Hugh Knowles Prize for Distinguished Achievement from Northwestern University (2013). He was elected to the Royal Society of Canada in 2017.

Born in Argentina, Zatorre completed an undergraduate degree in music and psychology at Boston University (1976) and earned an MSc (1976) in experimental psychology from Brown University, where he also received a doctoral degree (1981), studying similarities between speech and music. In 1981, he undertook post-doctoral work in neuropsychology with Brenda Milner at The Neuro and was appointed to a McGill faculty position in 1983. Zatorre is also a trained organist.

The Heineken Prizes

In 1964, Alfred Heineken endowed the Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics in honour of his father, Henry Pierre Heineken, a chemist. Heineken Prizes are bestowed every two years on five international scientists as well as on one Netherlands-based artist. In addition, four young researchers at Dutch institutes are chosen to receive Young Scientists Awards. Winners are chosen by members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Young Academy and selected international experts.

June 4 2020

By Yasmine Elmir

Two members of the McGill University Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine were recently honoured by the Collège québécois des médecins de famille (CQMF).

Dr. Pierre-Paul Tellier, Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, won the Family Physician of the Year award and Dr. Miriam Boillat, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Associate Member of the Institute of Health Sciences Education, received the Award of Excellence – Contribution to Family Medicine Education.

Dr. Tellier awarded Family Physician of the Year

The Family Physician of the Year award recognizes CQMF family physician members who best exemplify the definition of a family physician, including providing exemplary care to their patients and making a significant contribution to the health and well-being of their communities or society in general.

“When I finished medical school, I chose to do a residency in Family Medicine because it was the fastest way to get out of the academic environment, which I disliked, and start working. Though I may have picked this specialty for the wrong reason, I soon found out that it was exactly where I should be,” says Dr. Tellier. “It was being Marcus Welby, MD, the only doctor I had really known.  A kind man who cared and helped people with various conditions, over time, no matter who they were or what their age.  Receiving this award tells me I have become my television idol.  How many people can say they are what they dreamed to be in life?  That is what this award means to me, silly but true.”

Dr. Tellier completed his medical studies at Ottawa University before moving to the Montreal Children’s Hospital to complete his residency in Family Medicine. After practicing for two years he decided to pursue a Fellowship in Adolescent Health, which he completed in New York City at Bellevue Hospital with Dr. Adele Hoffman, one of the founding pillars of the discipline in the United States.  Upon returning to Montreal, Dr. Tellier became involved with several community organization working with at-risk youth.

Dr. Tellier worked at Head and Hands for 37 years and was Director of Student Health at McGill for 34 years. He continues to see patients at the CLSC Côte-des-Neiges and Clinique Medic Elle, in addition to teaching in both medical and nursing students at McGill. He is also involved in research within the Family Medicine residency program and sits on several national and international committees.

Dr. Boillat receives Award of Excellence – Contribution to Family Medicine Education

The Award of Excellence recognizes CQMF members who, over the past 12 to 24 months, have made an outstanding contribution in a specific area.

A McGill alumna herself, Dr. Boillat has served the University community in many complementary ways, notably, as Family Medicine Program Director, Director of Faculty Development for the Department of Family Medicine, Co-Chair of the Dean’s Family Medicine Task Force, Interim Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Associate Dean of Faculty Development for the Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Boillat has been practicing and teaching at St. Mary’s Hospital Center since 1986, and was Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program for close to 10 years. Her educational contributions span undergraduate medical education, postgraduate and family medicine education and faculty development. She is currently Co-Director of the clinical skills course in first and second year of medical school and Chair of the Osler Fellowship Program.

“Receiving an award for my contribution to family medicine education is like receiving an award for playing a piece of music that I love on the piano! Family medicine education has always been at the heart of my academic career. It brings joy and meaning to my work, forms the foundation of my professional identity, and embraces a wonderful community of practice,” says Dr. Boillat.

Congratulations to Dr. Tellier and Dr. Boillat!

In addition to completing his residency in Dermatology at McGill, Dr. Abdulhadi Jfri simultaneously completed his Master’s degree in Experimental Medicine. Dr. Jfri was recognized with the best Resident Teaching Award from the Canadian Dermatology Association. He shares his experience with us here.

By Dr. Abdulhadi Jfri

Among the most rewarding experiences of my Dermatology residency was having the ability to simultaneously earn my Masters’ degree in Experimental Medicine. With the approval of Dr. Linda Moreau and Dr. Mathieu Powell, our former program directors and under the tutelage of Dr. Ivan Litvinov, I was personally able to explore the chronic, painful skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This oft-neglected illness impacts all psychosocial aspects of patients’ lives and with Dr. Litvinov’s assistance and guidance I was able to start a patient registry. I also presented posters and oral presentations detailing  our work at national and international conferences in Poland, France, Spain and the United States.

Throughout the Masters’ year we produced eleven manuscripts: three have already been published in high impact journals and the other eight are currently under review. One of our first publications, which studied genetic mutations identified in patients with HS, was the cover article of the top Canadian dermatology journal, the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery (JCMS).The paper was well received by readers.

For me, one of the most objective measures of an experience’s worth is comparing where I was at its beginning to where I was at its end. Looking at the first manuscript I submitted to Dr. Litvinov and comparing it to my last makes clear the improvement in my research skills. Dr. Litvinov patiently corrected my innumerable errors and was one of the best supervisors and mentors I could have asked for.

When I received the happy news that the Canadian Dermatology Association selected me for their Resident Teaching Award 2020 I felt very grateful for this honour and want to take this opportunity to thank all of my teaching staff, who taught me everything I was able to teach. I also want to call attention to the efforts of our current program director, Dr. Khue Nguyen who nominated me on behalf of our staff and residents. I feel very fortunate to be here at McGill among the top experts in all the dermatology subspecialties and to be able to continuously learn from their expertise.

Congratulations Dr. Jfri!

June 18 2020

Dr. Isabelle De Bie, Director of the Prenatal Diagnosis Program in the Department of Medical Genetics and Clinical Director of the Core Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory has been appointed President of the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (CCMG).

“It is a great honour to have been elected to serve my community of fellow clinical geneticists and the patient population we collectively care for,” says Dr. De Bie, who began her term as President on June 17, 2020. “I will continue to oversee, through my two-year term, some important recently initiated projects, such as the establishment of communities of practice in the different sub-fields on Clinical Genetics (the first constituted being Cancer Genetics), and of Working Groups that will develop continuing education resources in specific areas of practice, such as an online training module in Molecular Pathology.”

The CCMG was established in 1976 by Dr. Louis Dallaire, cytogeneticist and one of the pioneers of Medical Genetics in Canada and Dr. Julius Metrakos, neuro-geneticist, member of the Order of Canada, former Professor of Human Genetics at McGill University and eminent research scientist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, through Montreal lawyer Maître Bourgeois. The CCMG was constituted to develop and ensure adherence to the highest standards in the delivery of medical genetics services in Canada.

The CCMG is a national Canadian organization that serves its members, government and the public by:

• Establishing the professional and ethical standards of medical genetics services
• Certifying individuals who provide medical genetics services
• Establishing standards of medical genetics training
• Developing national best practice position statements
• Providing professional and public education
• Informing public policy

“I maintain, as President of the CCMG, my commitment to advocate for harmonization of practices in Medical Genetics across Canada, clinically relevant care and judicious and rational use of resources in our field of practice, as well as my support to national initiatives aiming to provide equitable access of genetic services to indigenous populations, such as the Silent Genomes Project,” adds Dr. De Bie.

Dr. De Bie initially trained in Biochemistry, Immunology, then Molecular Biology, before undertaking her Royal College training in Medical Genetics, followed by a CCMG fellowship in Molecular Genetics. Her areas of interest span both pre and postnatal dysmorphology, in particular skeletal dysplasias. She contributed to several guidelines and positions statements as a member of the CCMG Clinical Practice committee and as CCMG representative to the Society of Obstetrician and Gynaecologists of Canada Genetics committee. She is a supporter of the international “Choosing Wisely” campaign, which advocates for clinically relevant medical care.

Congratulations Dr. De Bie!

June 19, 2020

Robert Kearney, Professor in the McGill University Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Biomedical Engineering is the 2020 recipient of McGill’s David Thomson Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision and Teaching. Prof. Kearney officially received the award during the 2020 Health Sciences Virtual Convocation on June 18. The award, whose recipient is nominated by current and former students, is meant to acknowledges outstanding contributions to promoting graduate student excellence through supervision and teaching by a faculty member who has been supervising for 10 years or more.

“I am pleased and honoured to have been selected as this year’s winner of the David Thompson Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision and Teaching,” says Prof. Kearney. “As a supervisor I have worked hard to help each student develop their particular skills and talents to the best of their ability. For the students, this has meant extra work – yet another version of a paper – and often the need to extend their intellectual comfort zone.  It is particularly gratifying that my students appreciated my efforts enough to nominate me for this award and provide supporting letters.”

Prof. Kearney, who founded the Department and served as Chair from 1989 to 2005 and then as Interim Chair from 2013 to 2015, has built an impressive research record in the fields of human motor control, the application of biomedical signals and system analysis to clinical problems. Prof. Kearney also led the successful launch of a Graduate Certificate Program in Translational Biomedical Engineering as well as the development of the Graduate Tracking System – an automated tool integrated with McGill IT systems for the management and tracking of graduate students used throughout the Faculty of Medicine and the University. He has also clearly had a profound impact on his students, leading to this most recent recognition.

“Professor Kearney has undoubtedly been the most influential person in my academic life,” notes Pouya Amiri, who completed his PhD last December and is now a postdoctoral research associate at Imperial College in London. “His constant support and care for his students, his passion and enthusiasm for science, and his efforts and patience to breed independent researchers, are qualities that, among others, make him an incredible mentor. I have had the privilege and pleasure of working directly with him for several years and believe that he truly deserves this award in recognition of the countless contributions he has made over many years to the academic environment of McGill University.”

Adds Ehsan Sobhani, who completed his PhD in February 2018 and is now Chief Technology Officer at GlobVision Inc., “I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to complete my PhD under Professor Kearney’s supervision. His enthusiasm and practical ability to solve research problems of applied nature is unparalleled in my experience. He balances an attention to detail with a high-level understanding of research, which is instrumental to the future success of graduate students in both academia and industry. Beyond that, Dr. Kearney always devotes incredible time and effort to his students and makes them feel that their educational, and even personal, matters are heard, understood and addressed.”

Congratulations Prof. Kearney!

June 19, 2020

Dr. Vasiliki Rahimzadeh, recent PhD graduate in the Department of Family Medicine and the Centre of Genomics and Policy, provided the following text reflecting on her recently being awarded both the Governor General’s Gold Medal and Gordon MacLachlan Prizes. She began her postdoctoral work at Stanford University in September 2019.

The social, clinical and ethical complexity that primary care and family medicine epitomize within modern healthcare systems compelled me to launch my research career in the Family Medicine Department in 2013. I am awed most by the challenges and opportunities family medicine and primary care presents for medical humanities scholars like me to translate clinical progress into policies that are both equity-enhancing and facilitate human flourishing.

I could never have imagined a more humbling way to mark the close of a transformative chapter in my own life both professionally and personally. To be awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal and Gordon Maclachlan Convocation Prizes only deepens the heartfelt gratitude I have always felt for the opportunities McGill afforded me, the community it grew for me, and the academic horizons it broadened for me. In 1987, Gordon MacLachlan remarked passionately that

“…the time-honoured role of the university [is] to educate people to think critically and to become citizens with some vision of the future, rather than merely to train them to accommodate themselves to current social structures and systems and to maintain the status quo.”

Though his remarks were responding to a different time, place and cause, they echo my own sentiments today about how universities are best poised to shape a more just world vis-à-vis the pursuit of new knowledge.

Humility shares space in my heart with conflict about being recognized at all during this historical moment. It is a privilege to be recognized. To accept this recognition is to pay tribute to the paths of academic success paved before me by truly change-making McGillians, in particular Rosemary Brown, Joanne Liu, Charles Drew, and fellow Governor General Gold Medalist, Daniel Ruiz-Serna. I wish to use this platform to highlight their work, histories and triumphs, as well as countless others within our McGill community who tirelessly preserve the University as a diverse and inclusive space for all. This time of celebration converges at a time of sober reflection on how to more deeply commit myself and orient my practices towards systemically elevating scholars of colour, voices of the unheard and rights of the underprivileged within the academy. Indeed, everyone who rejects “accommodating themselves” to systems that obstruct such inclusion is deserving of a gold medal in my eyes.

My door (and heart) are open to you in support of engaged scholarship, collaboration, and human connection.

With love and hope,

V

Where to find me: Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics
Email me: vrahim@stanford.edu
Learn about my research and current projects: https://www.vnrahimzadeh.com/

June 22 2020

Selected each year by the graduating medical class at McGill University, the Osler Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes an extraordinary educator who made a lasting impact on the cohort over the course of their four years of medical school. For the Class of 2020, rather than selecting one recipient, they elected to honour two co-recipients, Dr. Claire LeBlanc and Dr. Stuart Lubarsky.

“I am very honoured to have been chosen by the senior medical students to receive the 2020 Osler Award,” says Dr. LeBlanc, who is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics and Head of Pediatric Rheumatology at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. “As an academic pediatric rheumatologist and sport medicine physician, I am privileged to pass on my knowledge through postgraduate and undergraduate teaching.”

For the past six years Dr. LeBlanc has been the INDS 118 block leader, which she says allows her to share her passion for her field and her dedication to improving the health of children affected with arthritis. “Seeing the joy in a student’s eyes as they gain an understanding of musculoskeletal medicine is my ‘joie de vivre’,” she says. “I can only hope that I have kindled a similar passion in these students to become future leaders in this field.”

It certainly had that effect on Dr. Kimberly Wong, the President of the Class of 2020, who will begin her residency in Pediatrics at the Montreal Children’s Hospital next week. “Dr. LeBlanc’s energy and passion for teaching has impacted our class greatly,” she notes. “Three years after the end of Block H, we smile when we hear her voice around the corner at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Every hour spent with Dr. LeBlanc is a lesson, but never limited to anatomy or pathophysiology – always the joy of lifelong learning and translating clinical thinking into every space.”

An Associate Professor of Neurology and Health Sciences Education, Dr. Lubarsky is also the Co-Director of the Foundations in Medical and Health Sciences Education Elective at the Institute of Health Sciences Education. He has been a constant presence for the Class of 2020.

“Dr. Lubarsky has been a part of our MDCM degree from beginning to end and his love for medical education has been apparent since day 1,” says Dr. Wong. “He is a true role model for aspiring clinician-teachers, adapting to our needs for every context and level of learning. Even during Zoom teachings, we left with a sense of ‘wanting to be like him when we grew up.’ His influence will stick with us as we transition to our new role as residents on July 1st!”

For his part, Dr. Lubarsky is thankful for the recognition from the students while cognisant of the unique circumstances the new graduates have found themselves in these past few months – and their resolve in the face of uncertain times. “I am deeply appreciative of the honour of being named one of this year’s Osler Award recipients,” says Dr. Lubarsky. “I am grateful to the Faculty of Medicine, to the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, and in particular to the Institute of Health Sciences Education at McGill, for providing me with such supportive communities of practice in which to develop my career as a clinician-educator. Above all, I feel privileged to have been selected for this award by the students themselves, for whom I continually strive to be innovative and scholarly in my teaching practices. Their resilience in the face of this year’s challenges is nothing short of inspirational; we, their teachers, have as much to learn from them as they do from us.”

Congratulations Dr. LeBlanc and Dr. Lubarsky!

June 22, 2020

The MDCM Class of 2020, circa December 2017 in the Strathcona Anatomy & Dentistry building. (Photo courtesy of the Class of 2020 Council)

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic meant holding a traditional Convocation ceremony for 2020 graduates was out of the question, not only at McGill University, but at educational institutions across the globe. With plans in the hopper to celebrate this important milestone in one’s life in person in 2021, a series of virtual ceremonies were held on June 18 and 19, with Health Sciences students seeing their names on the screen during the first video, which premiered on the morning of June 18. In addition to receiving their diplomas, officially earning the right to be called “Doctor” after years of hard work, for a number of graduates, the moment is made even more special with the attribution of the annual awards to the graduating MDCM Class. We asked several of the award recipients to share their thoughts about their time at McGill, what being selected for their award means to them, and their advice for future MDCM students. Here’s what they had to say.

On their time at McGill

“I have been fortunate to call McGill my second home for the past seven years,” says Dr. Kelly Hennegan, recipient of the Alexander D. Stewart Prize. “I completed a Bachelor of Science degree (Pharmacology ’16) right before medical school and will be starting a McGill Family Medicine residency in July. I have always found the McGill community to be very special. In and outside of Medicine, I have been able to work with very passionate students whose talents shine across multiple domains. Many of my fondest memories have taken place outside of the classroom, with students whose personal and professional backgrounds were markedly different than my own. Regardless of our varied programs, McGill students are united by our work ethic, community spirit, and unique vision for change.”

Dr. Akina Fay, recipient of the John H. Altshuler Prize in Family Medicine, points out one of the unfortunate consequences of the pandemic: not being able to say goodbye to their classmates. “My experience at McGill was nothing but positive. I will miss my classmates the most. McGill has a way of selecting candidates that leads to cohorts with so many different people from all walks of life. Everyone has a unique story that led them to medicine and has something different to offer the profession. The hardest part of COVID is not getting to say goodbye to these wonderful people, but the Class of 2020 was special, and I will never forget everyone I got to know.”

“It is so hard to capture the entirety and intensity of the last four years in just a few sentences! My time at McGill was a whirlwind of experiences and emotions – a challenge, for sure, but with incredible rewards in the form of close friendships and exceptional mentorship,” notes Dr. Caroline Franck, recipient of the Reilly Madsen Prize. “An overarching highlight was both witnessing and personally experiencing the unwavering peer support from the Class of 2020. Something this time of social isolation has highlighted for me is the importance of connection. I can say that connection and building a sense of community was a huge strength of our graduating class, and I think speaks to the caring and compassionate nature of these newly-minted physicians.”

Dr. Benjamin Mappin-Kasirer, co-recipient of the Dr. Allen Spanier Prize for Professionalism in Medicine, had the unique situation of being a member of two Classes, having spent time studying in the UK as a Rhodes Scholar. “I was originally a member of the Class of 2018, and took a bit of an unusual path by taking on graduate studies in England between my first and second years, before returning to McGill to join the Class of 2020. It was wonderful to celebrate the graduation of my original class a couple of years ago, and to be welcomed so warmly into the Class of 2020 since. I find myself lucky to have a foot in both classes. While traditional graduation celebrations weren’t possible this year, there has been an unusual opportunity to think about what being a McGill graduate means aside from the ceremony. For my colleagues and I studying medicine, I think of late nights in the anatomy lab, later nights in the hospital, the fun of clinical rotations with friends, and the chance to take part, as graduates, in the remarkable tradition of our Faculty.”

On being selected for their Convocation prize or award

 “I am humbled and grateful for the recognition, although I truly believe so many students in our class are just as deserving! My personal interest in people and in their stories is a large part of what led me to want to become a physician,” says Dr. Franck. “It’s encouraging to see that the Faculty values empathy and compassion in students, as they do academic excellence.”

Dr. Mappin-Kasirer, who also received a Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Medal is thankful to many. “I owe this in large measure to Dr. Kevin Schwartzman, Dr. Liane Feldman, Dr. Abraham Fuks – all also graduates of our Faculty – and the many other professors and teachers who have been so generous with me during my studies, and have made my time at McGill so happy. I am grateful to the Spanier family, to the Faculty of Medicine, to the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, the Honourable J. Michel Doyon. Some of my favourite McGill professors have shown me that exceptional educational opportunities are best placed in service of others, and I hope to follow their example in the years to come.”

“To have been awarded the Alexander D. Stewart Prize has been an honour and a privilege,” says Dr. Hennegan. “I am deeply humbled and will continually strive to embody the values it recognizes. Thank you to the Faculty’s selection committee, to the many clinician role models who have led by example, and to my entire cohort for their support throughout these four years.”

“Receiving a graduation prize is humbling,” adds Dr. Fay. “I showed up to the hospital daily to help my patients, help my teams and do my work. I never once went into work with the intention of winning a prize! However, I must admit that it is an honour to be recognized and to have my hard work highlighted. I am especially grateful to the families that create these awards in memory of their loved ones. The John H Altshuler Prize in Family Medicine will be a constant reminder to be better, work hard and make the profession proud.”

On advice they would share with future MDCM students 

 “My advice would be to keep the journey in perspective – it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and medical school is only the very beginning,” says Dr. Franck, who will be pursuing her residency in Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa. “I think it’s helpful to frame challenges as opportunities for growth and development, to focus on persistence, not perfection, and to remember that growth is rarely a comfortable process! Be kind with yourselves. We all have different and valuable strengths to bring to the table, and to our patients.”

Dr. Hennegan, who will be completing her residency in Family Medicine at the Jewish General Hospital, echoes Dr. Franck’s sentiments. “While medical school can be challenging at times, it is an experience like no other, and one that I personally would choose to do again in a heartbeat,” she says. “Becoming a physician is a journey, with many important milestones along the way.  I would encourage incoming students to appreciate every moment of this journey – from the completion of their first preclinical exam, to their last day in the hospitals as a fourth-year student. Looking back, each and every one of these experiences helped me to become the person I am today. Additionally, I would encourage students to lean on their peer support network, particularly during the more difficult times. Remember that you are not alone and that there is strength in seeking assistance when needed.”

Dr. Fay, who will also be completing her residency in Family Medicine, at St. Mary’s Hospital Center, reminds students to remain focused on the patient. “One of the most important things that I learned over the years is that there is always time to be kind and connect with a patient,” she notes. “Some days, your to-do list keeps getting longer despite you running around doing your best. In these moments, it becomes tempting to hurry through clinical encounters to be more efficient. It’s so important to take that extra 30 seconds to get to know your patient, even if it’s only asking them how they are doing. This makes the patients feel heard, and it gives more meaning to your days.”

“I don’t think I am the bearer of any particular wisdom, but I do think one of McGill’s strengths is  its people,” adds Dr. Mappin-Kasirer, who will be completing his residency in Internal Medicine at the Royal Victoria Hospital. “It has been such a pleasure to learn from colleagues, supervisors, administrators, and all of those who make up our community.”

Congratulations to all award and prize recipients and to all graduates!

Convocation Award and Prize winners, MDCM Class of 2020

Ke Xuan Li
Holmes Gold Medal
Founded by the Medical Faculty in 1865, in memory of the late Andrew Holmes, M.D., LL.D., Dean of the Faculty. It is awarded to the student graduating with the highest aggregate standing in the entire medical curriculum.

André Lametti
Wood Gold Medal
Endowed by Casey A. Wood, M.D., LL.D., in memory of his grandfather, Thomas Smith Wood. It is awarded for the most outstanding clinical performance achieved by a student in the Clerkship Period.

Maria Carolina Festa
McGill Alumnae Society Prize
Presented upon graduation to a distinguished student for excellence and high academic standing.

Kimberly Wong
Ronald Douglas Naymark Prize
Established by the Medical Class of 1984 in memory of Ronald Douglas Naymark, B.Sc., M.D.,C.M. (McGill), this award is given to that member of the graduating class who most enriches the life of the class in the eyes of his or her peers. The award seeks to recognize an individual who inspires trust, confidence, optimism, and enthusiasm in his or her medical colleagues. The individual is a participant in class activities and is in satisfactory academic standing.

Joannie Rochette
Strachan Alexander Hartley Award
Given in the memory of Dr. Hartley (deceased 2004), this award recognizes a student who demonstrates athletic leadership and academic excellence

Kelly Hennegan
Alexander D. Stewart Prize
Founded by the late W. Grant Stewart (Arts, 1885; Medicine, 1888) in memory of his brother, the late Alexander D. Stewart (Medicine, 1888). Awarded to the member of the graduating class who, in the opinion of the Faculty, presents in every aspect the highest qualifications to practise the profession.

Lawrence Slapcoff and Benjamin Mappin-Kasirer
Dr. Allen Spanier Prize for Professionalism in Medicine
Established in 1999 by Beverly Spanier, B.A.’67 to honour the memory of her brother Dr. Allen Spanier, M.D.,C.M.’72. Dr. Spanier was chief of the Intensive Care Unit at the Jewish General Hospital for 21 years. Awarded annually by the Faculty of Medicine to a graduating student who has maintained high academic standing and exhibited a high standard of professionalism and compassion toward patients, their families, fellow students, and University and hospital staff during the Practice of Medicine component of the curriculum.

Kimberly Wong and Amanda Try
Elizabeth Ann Munro Gordon Prize
Established in memory of Dr. Elizabeth Ann Gordon. Awarded to the member of the graduating class who, in the opinion of the Faculty, presents in every respect the highest qualifications to practise the profession of medicine and has demonstrated outstanding leadership abilities.

Caroline Franck
Reilly Madsen Prize
Established to honour the memory of Reilly Madsen who was Manager, Records and Research, Development and Alumni Relations Services. Awarded, on recommendations from faculty and students, to a student with good academic standing who had demonstrated exceptional warmth and empathy toward patients.

Ian Gerard and Lundi Ly
Scriver-Steinberg Convocation Prize in Human Genetics
Established in 2013 by Charles R. Scriver, B.A.’51, M.D.,C.M.’55, D.Sc.’07, a renowned geneticist and Alva Professor Emeritus of Human Genetics at McGill, and H. Arnold Steinberg, B.Com.’54, LL.D.’00, Chancellor of McGill, and past Senior Executive of Steinberg Inc., who began working together in the early 1970s to solve problems: some affecting the health of populations, others affecting citizens with rare genetic diseases. This prize recognizes a person with exceptional potential to translate knowledge into practice to make a difference in the well-being of patient, family, or community. Awarded by the Faculty of Medicine to a deserving graduating M.D.,C.M. student who has pursued research in the field of genetics and metabolism, or to a student who has either completed his/her Ph.D. as part of the M.D.,C.M. & Ph.D. program, or has completed his/her Ph.D. while in medical school.

Ashley Gerber
Dr. Joseph Tanzman Award
Established in 1975 in honour of Dr. Joseph Tanzman, M.D. 1927. Awarded to a medical student in any given year from the Province of New Brunswick, as a preference. If in any year no such candidate is available, the award may be made to any deserving student in the Faculty of Science. Awarded by the Scholarships Committee of the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of

Science as the case may be.

Rea Konci
Brian Newton Memorial Award
Established by the Class of Medicine 1985, in appreciation for the education they received at McGill, and in memory of their classmate Brian Newton, B.Sc.’81, M.D.,C.M.’85. Awarded by the Faculty of Medicine’s Committee on Student Promotions and Curricular Outcomes to the student who obtains the highest standing in the Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkship.

Antoine Richard-Lacombe
Newell W. Philpott Prize in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Established in 1986 by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in honour of Newell W. Philpott, M.D. 1926, Chairman of the Department from 1943 to 1956. This award is to  commemorate Dr. Philpott’s excellence as a teacher of medical students and residents as well as his many contributions in the field and to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Awarded to a graduating student for academic achievement and clinical excellence on the recommendation of the Department.

Akina Fay
John H. Altshuler Prize in Family Medicine
Established in 2006 by David Altshuler and the Altshuler family, in honour of his father, John Altshuler, B.Sc.’55, M.D.,C.M.’59. Awarded annually by the Faculty of Medicine to a graduating medical student with the highest mark in the family medicine clerkship.

Alexander Banks
Francis William Prize in Medicine and Clinical Medicine
Founded by the late J. Francis Williams, M.D. Awarded to the student obtaining excellence in the Internal Medicine Clerkship of the medical curriculum.

Annie Chabot
Montreal Children’s Hospital Prize for Pediatrics Excellence
Established in 1959 and endowed in 2011 by Dr. Harvey Guyda, former Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Associate Executive Director of the Montreal Children’s Hospital of the MUHC. Awarded to the student with the highest standing in Pediatrics in their final year.

Florence Couvrette
Mona Bronfman Sheckman Psychiatry Prize
Established in 1953. Awarded annually to a fourth year student in the Faculty of Medicine for the highest standing in Psychiatry.

Aurélie Montagne
Psychiatry Prize
Awarded on the recommendation of the Department of Psychiatry to the student who has shown the most promise in this field.

Lawrence Slapcoff
Keenan Memorial Prize in Clinical Surgery
Established by the late Miss Charlotte Mildred Hagar in memory of the late Dr. Campbell B. Keenan. The prize will be awarded to the student in the graduating class who has shown the highest proficiency in Clinical Surgery as determined by the Chair of the Department of Surgery.

Kenza Rahmouni
Robert Forsyth Prize
Bequeathed by the late Miss Jeanie Forsyth, awarded annually to the graduating student who has shown particular ability in all branches of Surgery.

Ali Salimi
Dr. Mark Cohen Prize in Ophthalmology
Established in 2009 by Mark Cohen, M.D.,C.M.’92. Awarded annually by the Faculty of Medicine to a graduating student who has completed the M.D.,C.M. program with strong academic standing and who will be pursuing a residency in a Canadian ophthalmology post-graduate  training program.

Carolanne Gagnon
H.S. Birkett Memorial Prize in Otolaryngology
Established by Miss Winifred Birkett in memory of her father, the late Dr. H.S. Birkett, formerly Professor of Otolaryngology. Given to the student who has shown outstanding performance in Otolaryngology.

Maha El Barch
E. David Sherman Award in Geriatric Medicine
Awarded to the most outstanding student in the field of clinical geriatric medicine. Awarded by the Faculty of Medicine Scholarships Committee.

Ariane Litalien
Class of Medicine 1988 Community Health Alliance Project (CHAP) Convocation Prize
Established in 2014 by the Class of Medicine 1988 in honour of their 25th anniversary of graduation, to recognize one or more medical students in the M.D.,C.M. program. The Prizes will be awarded to those who have undertaken the best community project within the Community Health Alliance Project (CHAP), with a view to affecting positive change in the society.

June 23 2020

The Ingram School of Nursing has named its 2020 Convocation Award winners, as well as the recipients of the one-time art-based Centennial Scholarships.

By Brianna Emmily Klint

Centennial Scholarships honour 100 years of nursing with artistic flair

Established to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the Ingram School of Nursing (ISoN) in 2020, the Centennial Scholarships were to be presented ahead of ISoN’s Centennial on June 28^th 2020. With an award of $2,000 for each, one scholarship is targeted for an undergraduate student and one for a graduate student for a piece of creative work in any medium, whether photo, drawing, video, poem, or other. The Centennial Steering Committee reviewed the submissions. Works of art were evaluated based on creativity, quality and visual appeal, as well as relevance to the Centennial and positive representation of nursing at McGill University.

“This three-dimensional art piece is made up of a wooden table with an open book atop. The table reflects the woodwork within Wilson Hall that housed the School of Nursing from1962 until  the 2017 move to 680 Sherbrooke Street. The open book symbolizes the stories of the School of Nursing, with page numbers representing the years 1920 (past) to 2020 (present).

“The remaining pages symbolize the continued story (future). The nurse figured at the centre of the left page represents the iconic and universal image of a nurse with the pin indicating the McGill connection. The nurse is basking in a yellow glow, referencing the familiar yellow colour from Dr. Laurie Gottlieb’s Strengths-Based Nursing front cover. The eight hands encircling the nurse represent the eight core values of strengths-based nursing. The hands could also represent other McGill nursing alumni, colleagues, friends or loved ones, patients, or communities who also offer support to our nurses. This inspirational bilingual quote and symbolic mirror on the right page allow the viewer to feel a part of strengthening the School of Nursing story in that all of those who admire the painting could look up and see that the 100 Stories of Strengths continues with them. The bookmark, with Ingram School of Nursing (bilingual) written on it and featuring a familiar stained glass image, symbolizes movement: it has followed the reader from page to page, and will continue to move forward with the School’s story.”

 – Vanessa D’Aquila, Centennial Scholarship Recipient

“This watercolor/crayon drawing is a tribute to the School of Nursing that spans 100 years. The buildings represent the ‘old’ Beatty Hall, where the school was housed between 1947 and 1962, and the skyscraper at 680 Sherbrooke Street, the School’s location since 2017. The students and nurses are presented as diverse and are depicted in their academic graduation gowns as well as their uniforms. The influence of [the Ingram] School of Nursing on the world is acknowledged and there is special recognition of Moyra Allen, the Canadian Journal of Nursing Research (CJNR), Richard and Satoko Ingram, and the well-known colour scheme of Dr. Gottlieb’s Strengths-Based Nursing book. The concept of caring is illustrated and the quote from Florence Nightingale is thought-provoking.”

– Louise Gayle Munoz, Centennial Scholarship Recipient

2020 Convocation Award winners from the Ingram School of Nursing

The Lexy L. Fellows Convocation Prize was awarded to Catherine Farmer. Established in 1969 by Miss Rae Fellowes in memory of her mother, this prize is awarded to the student with the highest academic and professional achievement in the Bachelor of Science Nursing program.

The Evelyne Rocque Malowany Convocation Prize was awarded to Alanna Bouffard. Established in 2007 by Evelyn Rocque Malowany, this prize is awarded to a graduating student who has demonstrated initiative and leadership in the nursing profession.

The Barbara Ann Altshulter Convocation Prize was awarded to Hélène Fournier. Established in 2006 by David Altshuler and the Altshuler family in honour of his David’s mother, Barbara Altshuler, D.I.P, P.Th. 1958, this prize isawarded to an undergraduate nursing student on the basis of clinical and academic achievement.

The Anne Marie Hum Fong Convocation Prize was awarded to Jordan Lamadrid. Established in 1985 by Helen Fong Hum in memory of her sister Anne Marie, this prize is  awarded to a student who has demonstrated sensitivity and skill in helping patients and families cope with situations related to long-term illness.

The F. Moyra Allen Graduation Prize was awarded to Louisa Mussells Pires. Established in honour of the distinguished career and international renown of F. Moyra Allen, B.N., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Nursing, this prize is awarded to a graduate of the Master’s program who shows potential for a distinctive career in the study and practice of nursing.

The Pearson Education Book Prizes were awarded to Christiana Turcotte and Chloee Caron-Lavoie. This prize, courtesy of Pearson Education Canada, is granted annually to one student in each year of the undergraduate programs who demonstrates high academic achievement.

Congratulations to all of our winners and to all of our graduates!

June 23 2020

Nineteen McGill grad students have earned Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, and eight postdocs have received Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships

Source: McGill Reporter

On June 19, the federal government announced the 2020-2021 recipients of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships and Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships. These awards are Canada’s most prestigious awards for doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows.

Nineteen McGill graduate students earned Vanier Scholarships, worth $50,000 each year for three years of study and research. The eight McGill Banting Fellows each receive $70,000 a year for up to two years of research. Included among the cohort from the Faculty of Medicine are eight Vanier Scholars and five Banting Fellows.

Launched in 2008, the Vanier Scholarship program help Canadian institutions attract and retain highly qualified doctoral students in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering and health research, establishing Canada as a global centre for research excellence and higher training. Recipients of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships demonstrate leadership skills and a high level of scholarly achievement in graduate studies.

McGill’s 2020 Faculty of Medicine Vanier Scholars and a synopsis of their research:

Sienna Drake, Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Understanding the neuro-immune: characterization of the epigenetic regulation by chromatin of the neuronal transcriptome underlying the expression of neuro-protective gene networks in response to chronic inflammatory insult in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis

Neurodegeneration is the best correlate to clinical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS), but there is a lack of understanding about its underlying mechanisms. A cell can be simplified as DNA (code), and RNA and proteins (programs). An external input – inflammation for example – may lead to changes in what parts of the code are run, causing expression of a degenerative program. Cells also have protective programs, but how or why one program prevails over another is not well understood.

By characterizing changes occurring in both DNA and RNA of neurons in response to injurious or regenerative inflammation, I aim to identify how neurons initiate degenerative or protective programs. This understanding may identify new druggable targets to promote intrinsic expression of neuroprotective programs or dampen neurodegenerative gene expression. Since no drugs currently exist addressing neurodegeneration in MS, this study aims to bring new possibilities to the future of MS treatment. (Photo courtesy of: Kim Gruver)

Kaitlyn Easson, Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Quantification of Long-Term White Matter Maturation in Survivors of Neonatal Critical Illness

Infants born preterm or with congenital heart disease (CHD) frequently present with a characteristic pattern of white matter injury. It has been hypothesized that these early-life brain injuries may have long-term consequences on the maturation of white matter at the cellular level, which could be linked to the persistent neuropsychological impairments experienced by survivors of preterm birth and CHD.

My doctoral research uses advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques to detect alterations in the microscopic structure of white matter in youth born preterm or with CHD, and examines the extent to which these alterations are associated with neuropsychological outcomes. Establishing specific white matter alterations as novel biomarkers of neuropsychological impairments in these clinical populations could facilitate early diagnosis of these deficits, and subsequently promote the development of new therapeutic approaches to ameliorate the transition of these at-risk youth into successful and independent adult life.

Justin Lessard-Wajcer, Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Electrophysiological alarm signals of neurodevelopmental disorders

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD’s) are a group of conditions characterized by a delay or disturbance in the acquisition of skills in a variety of developmental domains. In children, diagnoses include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, global developmental delay, and intellectual disability.

My team and I aim to identify and validate biomarkers and their physical links to genetic risks which would be essential in diagnosis, developmental outcome prediction, and eventually in treatment response monitoring. We will thus use EEG signal processing algorithms in order to extract biomarkers of brain neurodevelopment in healthy controls and different groups of patients. For this, we collected datasets of more than 300 infants, children and adults presenting genetic risk factors for cognitive impairments and autism disorder. Insights gained from such EEG studies will contribute significantly to the understanding of NDDs, genetic factors and to the development of biomarkers that can assist with diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention.

Calwing Liao, Human Genetics
Identifying the differences in single-cell transcriptomes between schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and healthy individuals in the anterior cingulate cortex

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are two psychiatric disorders that greatly diminish the quality of life in affected individuals. Although researchers have implicated several diseased brain regions, pinpointing aberrant cell types can be difficult. My research aims to understand several questions about schizophrenia and bipolar disorder by genome and single-cell sequencing hundreds of patient brain tissue samples. First, how do large deletions and duplications of DNA affect single cell gene expression? Second, can a burden of common genetic risk variants (polygenic risk) alter single cell gene expression? By integrating genomic and single-cell data, we will be able to understand the molecular consequences of these genetic changes at a single cell resolution and identify which cell types may be disease relevant.

Mackenzie Michell-Robinson, Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Investigating the role of POLR3 in oligodendrocyte-lineage development and myelination in vivo: Translational disease models and proof-of-concept for using in vivo gene therapy to treat POLR3-related Hypomyelinating Leukodystrophy

No further information available.

Stephanie Mouchbahani Constance, Physiology
Identification of the algogenic toxin in lionfish venom and its mechanism of action

The wealth of biodiversity in the world’s library of venoms and their toxins represents an enormous untapped resource that contains the scaffolds for the next generation of therapeutic s. Within the realm of venoms that have been studied, marine venoms represent only a small minority in comparison to those of insects and snakes. The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) is a venomous species responsible for one of the most painful stings in the ocean. There exists no anti-venom for its stings because the venom and its mechanism of action remain unknown.

Using electrophysiology and molecular techniques, I will uncover the molecular basis for the pain caused by lionfish venom. Furthermore,I will interrogate the specific molecular changes that predators of the lionfish have evolved which allow them to consume the lionfish unharmed. These insights will allow me to identify pharmaceutical targets for the development of specific and efficient pain treatments.

Haitham Shoman, Experimental Surgery
The strategies to acquire and introduce innovative orthopaedic technology and its impact on the Canadian healthcare system, patient’s quality of life and on society

Living in a fast-paced industrialized world, keeping up with advancements and people’s needs has been the center of most developed nations. Innovations in healthcare has been growing over the past decades. They have been seen as solutions to conventional treatment strategies in surgery specifically to improve patient outcomes, shorten hospital stays, provide a value-added benefit to society by increasing productivity in the work place and a return on investment in the public health system spending. Innovations aid in lowering down: costs needed for future complications and length of hospital stays.

Canada’s health system with its fixed budgets, needs to be more responsive on the rapid uptake and usage of innovations. This study aims to develop guidance in strategies for the introduction of innovative technologies in orthopaedic surgery into the Canadian healthcare system through assessment of the impact of catalytic innovations on the Canadian healthcare system, patient’s outcomes and society productivity.

Lashanda Skerritt, Family Medicine
Assessing the Reproductive Healthcare Needs and Priorities of Women Living with HIV in Canada

My doctoral research aims to produce much-needed evidence to support high-quality reproductive healthcare for women living with HIV. With advances in treatment, HIV is no longer a death sentence. People are living longer, healthier lives with HIV compared to the early years of the epidemic, leading to a shift in the reproductive health needs of people living with HIV, particularly women. Women, who make up nearly a quarter of the people living with HIV in Canada today and over half of the people living with HIV globally, have similar reproductive desires to HIV negative women.

Women living with HIV, however, often receive sub-par reproductive healthcare, contributing to higher rates of unwanted or unsafe pregnancies and stigmatizing experiences. Drawing on data from a longitudinal cohort study designed by, for and with women living with HIV in Canada, my research aims to understand gaps in care and identify strategies to address them. (Photo courtesy of: Yonatan Morocz)

June 29 2020

Dr. Charles Bourque, James McGill Professor in the Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and senior investigator with the Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience program at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, was recently appointed President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN), effective June 1.

CAN, the largest association of neuroscientists in Canada, brings together more than 1,000 researchers from institutions across the country dedicated to advancing brain research and ensuring that Canada remains a leader in neuroscience research and innovation.

“In the past three years the Canadian Association for Neuroscience has developed a strong program to advocate for increased government funding for biomedical research,” notes Dr. Bourque. “Federal support of the tri councils (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) has steadily declined during the past 15 years and now lags behind most G7 countries as a percentage of GDP.”

Dr. Bourque obtained a Certificate in Biophysics from the Marine Biological Laboratory in the United States in 1984 and a PhD in Physiology from McGill in 1985. Following post-doctoral training in Pharmacology at the School of Pharmacy of University College London in the United Kingdom, he was recruited to McGill’s Centre for Research in Neuroscience. His lab is located at the Montreal General Hospital, where he and his team study how the brain’s master circadian clock regulates body fluid balance and body temperature.

Dr. Bourque’s work has been recognized throughout his career, including with the Medical Research Council of Canada’s Scholarship, Scientist and Senior Scientist awards, as well as a Senior Investigator award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. He has received the Joseph Erlanger Distinguished Lecturer Award from the American Physiological Society, the Jacques Benoit Lectureship from the Société de Neuroendocrinologie (France), the Stevenson Lectureship from Western University (Ontario) and a Distinguished Lectureship from the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Bourque was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2016 and of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2019.

“Taking the helm of CAN in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on many new challenges, such as dealing with the fate of our annual meeting,” says Dr. Bourque. “Nonetheless CAN’s mission to promote fundamental Neuroscience research is now more important than ever, as the pandemic has revealed the importance of having a strong and internationally competitive national research base. Studies are also showing that COVID-19 can have complex and protracted effects on the brain, so increased research in this area is now vital. One of my main roles as CAN president will be to advocate for increased governmental support of fundamental research.”

Congratulations Dr. Bourque!

July 7 2020

Every year, the Dean of Students recognizes exceptional work in the area of undergrad academic advising. Get to know the 2020 winners: pharmacology advisor Chantal Grignon and Russian studies professor Lyudmila Parts.

Source: McGill Reporter

The Office of the Dean of Students, in tandem with the Enrolment and Student Affairs Advisory Committee (ESAAC) Subcommittee on Undergraduate Student Advising (SUSA), established the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising in January 2015. The award, presented annually to one administrator and one professor, aims to recognize “the integral and valuable contribution that academic advising makes to undergraduate student life at McGill.” This year’s winners are Chantal Grignon, the Undergraduate Pharmacology Program Advisor, and Lyudmila Parts, a professor in Russian Studies.

Chantal Grignon (left) and Prof. Lyudmila Parts are this year’s winners of the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising.

Students and colleagues said that Grignon and Parts exemplify what the award celebrates in its mission statement:  advisors’ “timely and accurate guidance to students, assisting them in making informed academic choices… (They) provide coherent information about university regulations and program requirements, and work, as appropriate, with other university services and resources.”

Both recipients were praised for their solicitousness and dedication above and beyond the call of duty.

Xingjian (Tom) Zhai wrote in his letter of support for Grignon’s nomination that “Chantal is more than an advisor to me. If my degree were a cake, then Chantal is the chef behind it.”

Grignon said in an interview that she is “really honoured and happy to receive this award.”

She began working in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in March of 2007, and worked alongside others to set up BSc. Major and Honours programs in Pharmacology. The Quebec Ministry of Education officially approved the program in August of 2009, a short time for such a certification.

“I’m so proud of that,” Grignon said. “In 2009, there were about 30 students in the program. In 2013, it had climbed to 380, and now hovers around 400, give or take. It’s one of the bigger Pharmacology programs in Canada.”

Zhai, who graduated in December with a BSc., noted that when he started his degree in 2017, “I was clueless (about) what ‘university credits’ meant… Chantal welcomed me in her office the day before the program orientation date, sat me down, and planned out every single course for this entire track.”

Grignon herself remembers the first time she met Zhai, whom she called “a wonderful student.”

“My God, he almost broke my hand when he shook it,” she said. “He’s a weight-trainer, he has four jobs, is a first-generation university student and works extraordinarily hard.”

Zhai said that “every semester, I met with her at least once to stay on track. Semester after semester, emails, sudden visits, even office calls during my most stressful moments. She always made herself available.”

Barbara F. Hales, James McGill Professor in Pharmacology and Undergraduate Program Director, said in her letter of recommendation that “Chantal is the heart of our undergraduate program and truly the key to its success! (She) provides outstanding support to all aspects of our program but the students are always first for her. She truly cares about each of our over 400 undergraduate students.”

Hales added in an email that “Chantal continues to be amazing. She is now doing a wonderful job ‘orienting’ and welcoming our new (first-year) students.”

Grignon returned the favour. “(Hales) is a wonderful colleague,” she said. “She’s took me under her wing when I was hired and taught me so much. She’s fair, hard-working, a great researcher and a great teacher.”

“She’s my go-to person.”

Hales added that “in addition to helping students with challenges, Chantal celebrates their successes. She attends their convocation ceremonies, takes group photos of the students afterwards, and then frames and mounts these in the hallway. (She) has many responsibilities beyond direct student advising. She facilitates numerous student-led initiatives. She helped them to set up the Pharmacology Integrated League of Students (PILS) and to find office space. She has worked with them to organize annual undergraduate research days (Pharmacology Undergraduate Research Expo or PURE), to showcase their research projects, and an annual Pharmacology Career Day, to provide them with the opportunity to interact with pharmacologists from industry, academia, government and a variety of other career choices. Chantal contributes significantly to the success of a number of other student initiatives, ranging, over the years, from ‘meet-and-greet faculty’ social activities to Trivia night.”

This year’s other winner, Prof. Lyudmila Parts, said that “obviously, I’m very happy and proud about the award. I see it more as an acknowledgment not so much of my own work, but of the Russian studies program as a whole.”

Her students were less modest on her behalf.

Katharine Morrill, a third-year student and candidate for an honours B.A. in Russian studies, wrote that upon meeting Prof. Parts “on my very first day of university in an elective course, I had no plans to continue in Russian literature. A year later, I registered for honours Russian studies, due in large part to the role she played in inspiring me and helping me concretize my plans and vision for the future.”

“Prof. Parts has, without doubt, been the single most influential figure in my development – both personal and academic – over the course of the past four years. I have not only taken most of my program courses with her, but have also relied on her for guidance of all sorts, including but not limited to my selection of courses, shaping my research, and my plans for internships, summer studies, and graduate work.”

Morrill added in an email: “There is, in my opinion, no one more deserving of recognition for their efforts in advising than Lyudmila Parts. While I cannot speak for others beyond my observation that she dedicates an impressive amount of time and effort to our program students, I can state with absolute confidence that much of who I have become is the direct result of her inspiration and guidance, and that the rest of my life will bear the influence of everything she did for me during my time at McGill.”

In her endorsement letter for the award, second-year Russian history and classics student Gabby Oddenino applauded Prof. Parts’ can-do and spirited attitude since the COVID-19 pandemic began. “She has been great at supporting us remotely and helping us overcome many challenges. When she adjusted the format of the class I took with her this semester [because of the COVID-19 pandemic], she sent us an extensive survey about our current situation and our current needs and barriers to learning so that she could make accommodations and minimize added stressors, which is something we all appreciated. As always, she has been more accommodating than most during this period and has, if anything, put extra effort into her role as a professor and our program advisor. She even arranged for the program librarian to help us locate resources online.”

Oddenino concluded: “I believe that the mark of an excellent professor is the ability to inspire and act as an advisor and mentor in class, not just when students need career or program-related advice. She does exactly that.”

Parts said that the Russian studies department is “very small. But it’s because we are a small program that we can be very close; we made a conscious decision to make it work to our advantage. Katharine and Gabby have been incredibly active in the Russian student society, organizing conversation hours, movie nights, Russian evenings. It’s a very close, homey atmosphere.”

Morrill added that Parts “helped me formulate my research into a paper I presented at a graduate conference in September 2019. I have been employed as her research assistant for two years, and often joke that working for her probably helps me more than it helps her, as this work granted me the opportunity to hone my translation, copy-editing and research skills under her supervision.”

“She is respected and well-loved by everyone, and I have had innumerable discussions with program students about how lucky we are to have an advisor who gives 110% to everyone at all times.”

July 6 2020

Source: JGH

Dr. Mark Basik, a surgical oncologist at the Jewish General Hospital and a senior investigator in the Lady Davis Institute at the JGH, has been appointed President of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Cancer Research Society.

“Dr. Basik has been a long-time supporter of the Society,” says Dajan O’Donnell, Director of Scientific Affairs and Partnerships. “The Society is honored that he has now agreed to preside over the Scientific Advisory Committee and I look forward to working with him in guiding future scientific direction of the Society.”

Dr. Basik is the Herbert Black Professor of Surgical Oncology at McGill University and a surgical oncologist in the Segal Cancer Centre at the JGH. His medical practice and research are focused on treating breast cancer, especially hard-to-treat breast cancer subtypes.

Dr. Basik uses various models of cancer, such as patient tumour samples, to identify new genes and proteins that may affect key aspects of tumour biology, including the development of resistance to existing treatments.

His research aims to provide critical starting points for the development of novel therapeutics for breast cancer.

July 9 2020

A postdoctoral fellow from the RI-MUHC is recognized for international work on TB diagnostics

Mikashmi Kohli, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in the Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases at the Research Institute of the MUHC

Source: Montréal Chest Institute (MCI) Foundation

A postdoctoral fellow at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), Mikashmi Kohli, PhD, is the recipient of the inaugural 2020-2021 Dr. Margaret Becklake Fellowship in Respiratory Research.

Mikashmi Kohli obtained her PhD in molecular medicine from the AII India Institute of Medical Sciences. Since 2018 she has been working as a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Madhukar Pai. During this time her research has focused on tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics, and she was involved in an international project to assess the availability and accessibility of diagnostics at primary health care centres in India.

To date, she has contributed to 18 publications, four as first author, including a paper in Lancet Infectious Diseases. She is also lead author on two Cochrane systematic reviews and has been a part of two WHO guideline meetings at which she presented her systematic reviews and meta-analyses on TB diagnostic tests.

Congratulations, Mikashmi! Learn more

July 14, 2020

Named awards are among McGill University’s highest honours that recognize research excellence and leadership strengths of talented Professors across range of disciplines

Top row (l to r): Morag Park, Guy Rouleau, Martin Lepage, Dieter Reinhardt. Bottom row (l to r): Shari Baum, Robyn Tamblyn, Brent Richards, Leonard Levin, Ernesto Schiffrin

Source: McGill Reporter

Canada is routinely ranked among the world’s most innovative countries, and this consistency is driven by the country’s significant investments in research. In 2000, the Canadian government launched the Canada Research Chair Program to make Canada one of the world’s top countries in R&D. In parallel, McGill University launched its own series of awards that recognize the excellence of its researchers, as well as their leadership at the international level.

These awards are the James McGill Professor (JMP) awards and the William Dawson Scholar (WDS) awards. These are complemented by the Distinguished James McGill Professors (DJMP) awards for late-career researchers – McGill’s highest honour – which were created in 2017. This year, the Office of the Provost and Vice Principal, which administers these awards, has selected a total of 32 Professors to be honoured in these categories.

The  Faculty of Medicine awardees are:

• Distinguished James McGill Professors – 7 honorees:
  • Professor Shari Baum (School of Communication Sciences and Disorders)
  • Professor Leonard Levin (Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences)
  • Professor Morag Park (Department of Oncology)
  • Professor Dieter Reinhardt (Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology)
  • Professor Guy Rouleau (Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery)
  • Professor Ernesto Schiffrin (Department of Medicine)
  • Professor Robyn Tamblyn (Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health)
• James McGill Professors – 1 honoree:
  • Professor Martin Lepage (Department of Psychiatry)
• William Dawson Scholars – 1 honoree:
  • Professor Brent Richards (Department of Medicine)

Both the JMP and WDS awards come with an annual salary supplement and an annual research allowance not exceeding $25,000. The Distinguished James McGill Professor award provides for a $10,000 academic stipend or a $15,000 research grant allowance. DJMPs have held James McGill Professorships for two seven-year terms while maintaining an outstanding research record, or who have held a Canada Research Chairs (Tier 1) for two seven-year terms. DJMP awardees hold the distinction until retirement, and those granted Emeritus status retain the title.

July 15 2020