As part of the Day of Excellence in Academics, awards in research, education, professional practice and quality improvement were presented to WCH physicians, health disciplines, scientists, staff and learners.
Congratulations to the following award winners!

Research Awards
Best Paper Award (Researcher)
- An-Wen Chan, MD, DPHIL, FRCPC
- Senior Scientist & Staff Consultant in Dermatology & Mohs Surgery, WCH
Guidelines for Reporting Trial Protocols and Completed Trials Modified Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Extenuating Circumstances: The CONSERVE 2021 Statement
- Senior Scientist & Staff Consultant in Dermatology & Mohs Surgery, WCH
- Aisha Lofters, MD, PHD
- Scientist & Family Physician, WCH
Building on existing tools to improve chronic disease prevention and screening in public health: a cluster randomized trial
- Scientist & Family Physician, WCH
Best Paper Award (Trainee)
- Janessa Griffith, PhD
- Health Information Management Faculty, Douglas College
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Canada: Content Analysis of Tweets Using the Theoretical Domains Framework
- Health Information Management Faculty, Douglas College
Research Mentor Award
- Jacob Udell MD, MPH, FRCPC
- Scientist & Cardiologist, WCH
Nominated by: Bahar Behrouzi, Olivia-Ghosh-Swaby, Wade Thompson and Maya Sheth
- Scientist & Cardiologist, WCH
Education Awards
Excellence in Education: Teacher/Educator
To recognize a healthcare professional who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to clinical teaching or to clinical supervision of students/learners at Women’s College Hospital.
- Wound Care Nurses: Sheena Fortuna & Margaret Kneulman
- Ashley Graham
- Dr. Sahil Koppikar
- Lisa Lin
Excellence in Education: New Teacher/Educator
To recognize overall excellence in clinical teaching or to clinical supervision of learners, among members in their first three years at Women’s College Hospital.
- Dr. Si-Hyeong (Sam) Park
- Dr. Jonah Schermbrucker
Excellence in Education: Learner/Student as Teacher
Awarded to a learner/student who has demonstrated excellence in the teaching of peers or junior trainees /students.
- Dr. Sheniz Eryuzlu
- Dr. Candice Todd
Excellence in Education: Interprofessional Education/Interprofessional Care
To recognize an individual or group who have demonstrated excellence in collaboration across programs and/or disciplines.
- Cardiac Rehab Team: Marija Radenovic, RPT, Mireille Landry, RPT, Debbie Childerhose, RPT, Miriam Fong, R.Kin, Faith Delos-Reyes, R.Kin, Helen Emanoilidis, RD, and Lina Jobanputra, SW
- Lisa Fernandes
Excellence in Education: Patient Education
To recognize overall excellence in teaching patients at Women’s College Hospital.
- Surgical Program Pharmacists: Ashley Graham (Lead), Amanda Gin, Leigha Laporte and Rebecca Wright
Excellence in Education: Education Coordinator/Program Administrator
To recognize an individual in an administrative role who consistently exhibits excellence in supporting all aspects of student/learner education.
- Sheri Johnston
Professional Practice Awards
Excellence in Practice: Collaborative Ambulatory Care
The Excellence in Collaborative Ambulatory Care Award recognizes an individual or team that exemplifies excellence in collaborative, patient centered care and demonstrates a bold commitment to improve quality of care and patient experience.
- Wound Care Clinic
Excellence in Practice: Collaborative Innovation
The Excellence in Collaborative Innovation Award recognizes an individual or team that has improved patient care and patient experience through collaborative innovation.
- Sheena Chung
- Psychosocial Support Team (COVID-19 Assessment Centre)
Excellence in Practice: Collaborative Leadership/Mentorship
The Excellence in Collaborative Leadership/Mentorship Award recognizes an individual who promotes the development of others through coaching and mentoring within their healthcare team or profession.
- Sukhpreet Kainth
Excellence in Practice: Health Equity and Community Partnership
The Excellence in Health Equity and Community Partnership Award recognizes an individual or team whose collaboration with community partners is providing evidence-informed, high-quality services to underserved populations.
- COVID-19 Community Response Team
Excellence in Practice: Access to Care
The Excellence in Access to Care Award recognizes an individual or team who has focused their work on improving access to care while ensuring the right patient is seen by the right provider at the right time.
- Shawna Kelly
Excellence in Practice: Demonstrating Learning Health Systems
The Excellence in Demonstrating Learning Health Systems Award recognizes an individual or team who has advanced person-centred care through their participation in building a learning health system to use internal data and experience integrated with external evidence to deliver higher quality, safer, more efficient care.
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine
Quality Improvement Awards
WCH Quality Improvement Patient Engagement Award
In recognition of QI and innovation work demonstrating exemplary patient and/or community engagement.
- Equity-Mobilizing Partnerships in Community (EMPaCT): An innovation in diverse and inclusive patient engagement
- Dr. Ambreen Sayani, Team Lead; Dr. Aisha Lofters, Supervising Scientist; Alies Maybee, Patient partner co-lead; Ryan Hinds, Community engagement partner; Tara Jeji, Patient partner; Omar Khan, Patient partner; Bee Lee, Patient partner; Linda Monteith, Patient partner; Marlene Rathbone, Patient partner; Jill Robinson, Patient partner; Desiree Mensah, Patient partner; Mursal Musawi, Patient partner; Staceyan Sterling, Patient partner; Dean Wardak, Patient partner; Emily Cordeaux, Academic partner
Joan Lesmond Quality Excellence Award
In recognition of collaborative, meaningful, and sustainable QI and innovation work that improves patient care and health outcomes and supports WCH’s vision, mission, and values.
- myHealth Record Activations: Ensuring Patients Have Timely Access to Information About Their Care: Chandra Farrer, PT, Jennifer Price, VP Clinical Programs & Corporate Nsg. & Prof. Practice Executive, Asif Ayenun, Information Systems & Design Student, Daryl Manakil, Project Manager Virtual Services, Marie Pinard, Director Quality, Safety and Patient Experience
Jean Davey Honorary Fund
In 1973, a Fund was established to honour Dr. Jean Davey for her contributions to Medicine in the field of both service and teaching. The Jean Davey Honorary Fund encourages and supports dissemination of knowledge and information, leading to the improvement of patient care at Women’s College Hospital.
- Dr. Anuj Bhatia, Assistant Professor in Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management at University of Toronto and Director, Anesthesia Chronic Pain Clinical Services,
- Yasmine Hoydonckx MD, MSc, FIPP, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto; Staff Anesthesiologist and Pain Physician, Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, University Health Network, Sinai Health and Women’s College Hospital
This list of winners, as well as all interprofessional posters, can be found here. Thank you to all the reviewers and judging panels, as well as everyone who submitted, applied or nominated someone for an award!