Congratulations to our staff who have won awards!

Congratulations to the following SickKids staff members who have been recognized over the past few months by the health-care and scientific communities for their outstanding achievements and groundbreaking work.

Mark Friedberg – 2018 Feigenbaum Lecturer

Dr. Mark Friedberg, Staff Cardiologist, Cardiology, was recently named the 2018 Feigenbaum Lecturer.

This lectureship is awarded to a young investigator in recognition of his or her significant contribution to research in the field and his or her potential to continue at a high level of achievement. The Feigenbaum Lecture is presented during ASE's Annual Scientific Sessions in June. Friedberg's lecture topic is on "Echocardiographic Insights into the Stressed Right Ventricle: A Whole Hearted Story."

Xi Huang – 2018 Sontag Foundation's Distinguished Scientist Award

Dr. Xi Huang, Scientist, Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, has been awarded The Sontag Foundation's Distinguished Scientist Award. The award provides career and research support for early career scientists studying brain cancer. He is the second Canadian scientist to receive this distinguished award. The first Canadian who previously won this award was Michael Taylor, now a Neurosurgeon and Senior Scientist at SickKids, in 2007.

Aleixo Muise – Appointed with two honorary professorships in China

Dr. Aleixo Muise, Staff Gastroenterologist, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, (left) has been appointed as an honorary professor with Shenzhen Children's Hospital in Shenzhen, China as well as Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

Each appointment runs from 2018 to 2022 and is in recognition for his ongoing work on Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease (VEO-IBD).

Dr. Muise helped establish NEOPICS China at National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University and a large collaborative project at Shenzhen Children's Hospital. The team helped developed diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for children with VEO-IBD and an exchange program for trainees, doctors and nurses between SickKids and Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Shenzhen Children's Hospital.

Brian Ciruna and Lisa Strug - Canada Research Chairs

Congratulations to Dr. Brian Ciruna (pictured to the left), Program Head, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, and Dr. Lisa Strug (pictured to the right), Senior Scientist, Genetics and Genome Biology, who were appointed as Canada Research Chairs by the federal government this winter. Ciruna was appointed as Tier 1 Chair in Developmental Genetics and Disease Modelling, and Strug as Tier 1 Chair in Genome Data Sciences.

The Canada Research Chairs program is at the centre of the federal government's strategy to make Canada a leader in research and development. The program seeks to attract and retain researchers in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities and social sciences.

Sheena Josselyn and Paul Frankland — Elected fellows of the Royal Society of Canada

This year, Dr. Sheena Josselyn (pictured to the left) and Dr. Paul Frankland (pictured to the right) have been named as fellows of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). The RSC recognizes leaders and their work in order to help them build a better future in Canada and around the world. It is designed to serve Canada and the world by recognizing Canada's leading scientists, scholars and artists, and mobilizing them in open discussion to advance knowledge and understanding of critical issues with a view toward contributing to a better future.

Dr. Sheena Josselyn, Senior Scientist, Neurosciences & Mental Health Research Program, is a world leader in investigating how the brain encodes, stores and uses information. Her studies break new ground and have changed the way the field of neuroscience views memory.

The fundamental insights gained by Josselyn's research into basic memory processes in rodents may translate into superior ways of treating - or even preventing - devastating human brain disorders.

Dr. Paul Frankland, Senior Scientist, Neurosciences & Mental Health Research Program, is recognized as a world leader in memory research. His studies have uncovered the neurobiological processes underlying how we learn, remember and, in some cases, forget.

Knowledge gained from Frankland's research provides a foundation for the development of better treatments for memory related disorders.

Chi-Chung Hui and Hoon-Ki Sung – 2017 Sanofi-Cell Research Outstanding Research Article Award

Congratulations to Dr. Chi-Chung Hui, Senior Scientist, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, (left) and Dr. Hoon-Ki Sung, Scientist, Translational Medicine, (right) who have been recognized with the Sanofi-Cell Research outstanding paper award of 2017 for their paper entitled "Intermittent fasting promotes adipose thermogenesis and metabolic homeostasis via VEGF-mediated alternative activation of macrophage."

The researchers examined the effect of an intermittent-fasting regimen, without restricting caloric intake, in mice. They found that an 'on-and-off' fasting regimen not only prevented obesity in mice, but also improved metabolism by changing the quality of fat in the body.

Daniel Roth – Awarded a $15M grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Roth, Clinician-Scientist at SickKids, and his team on being awarded a $15 million USD grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the Synbiotics for the Early Prevention of Severe Infections in Infancy (SEPSIS) project. The project will build an adaptive research platform aimed at describing the early infant microbiome and assessing the safety and efficacy of interventions to prevent severe infections and promote growth during early infancy (0-60 days of age) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The platform will include a large phase III randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a specific synbiotic (probiotic-prebiotic combination) formulation to prevent newborn sepsis. The research will be conducted in collaboration with numerous partners including the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) and Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF), both based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Jennifer Stinson — Member of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

Dr. Jennifer Stinson, Mary Jo Haddad Nursing Chair in Child Health and Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, has been named as a member of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

Stinson's focus of research is on paediatric chronic pain. She runs the iOuch lab at SickKids, which aims to improve child health outcomes using digital health technologies by creating mobile and Internet solutions to help young people manage their conditions and successfully transition into adult care.

Zulfiqar A. Bhutta — Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM)

Dr. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Co-Director, SickKids Centre for Global Child, has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Members are elected to the NAM for their accomplishments and contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. Dr. Bhutta was recognized for his synthesis of knowledge on effective child health interventions, implementation research in marginalized populations, and strategic advocacy for improving child health and development.

The appointment of 75 new members and 10 international members was announced by the NAM in conjunction with its annual meeting on October 15, 2018. Membership in the NAM is considered one of the highest honours in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievements and commitment to service.