Distinguished Neonatologist Award
The Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Section established the Distinguished Neonatologist Award in 1995 to honour recognize sustained contributions to the field of neonatology.
The award is presented during the CPS Annual Conference and the recipient receives a commemorative award at a dinner in their honour.
Awarded every other year, the next award will be presented in 2026.
Current recipient(s): Michael Dunn
Dr. Michael Dunn is a senior neonatologist working in the Women and Babies Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, and a professor of paediatrics at U of T. He is an established researcher who has helped spearhead a number of large, randomized trials examining the effects of neonatal therapies. Dr. Dunn is especially interested in the respiratory management of preterm infants and has performed several early clinical trials to evaluate surfactant replacement therapy. He is involved with national and international collaborative neonatal networks, including the Canadian Neonatal Network (CNN) and the Vermont Oxford Network (VON), and has served on several local, national, and international bodies committed to improving the quality of neonatal-perinatal care. He is a past-president of the CPS Neonatal-Perinatal Section, and has committed his career to providing quality care to NICU patients and their families.
Current recipient(s): Prakesh Sha
Dr. Prakesh Shah is paediatrician-in-chief at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, and a professor of paediatrics at University of Toronto. He directs the Canadian Preterm Birth Network (CPTBN) and an International Network for Evaluation of Outcomes of Neonates (iNeo), which benchmark outcomes for neonates born very preterm in 13 countries with an aim to improve quality of care across 400 NICUs. His areas of interest include patient- and disease-oriented research in neonatal-perinatal medicine, health services and epidemiological research in maternal-newborn care, and quality improvement. He has evaluated and produced policy documents on interventions and programs for provincial and national agencies, and is engaged in advocacy work at every level in Canada and internationally as well. He was director of the Canadian Neonatal Network from 2012-2024, and currently serves as provincial NICU lead for Ontario Health.
Nominations
The successful candidate is a neonatologist who has sustained exceptional contributions to the field of neonatology, particularly in Canada.
Current section executives are not eligible for nomination and cannot nominate candidates while serving their terms.
Submissions
- Two letters of nomination/support from two members of the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Section who are not members of the Section’s Executive. The letter should describe the nominee’s national reputation and a history of participation in the Canadian professional scene.
- A copy of the nominee’s updated curriculum vitae (Maximum 5 pages).
Submit your nominations using the Submit Nomination button.
Past recipients
Dr. Jill Boulton
Dr. Anne Synnes
Dr. Khalid Aziz
Dr. Alfonso Solimano
Dr. Ann L. Jefferies
Dr. Martin Skidmore
Dr. Douglas McMillan
Dr. Reg Sauve
Dr. Molly Seshia
Dr. Shoo Lee
Dr. Saroj Saigal
Dr. Arne Ohlsson
Dr. Alexander Allen
Dr. Eugene Outerbridge
Dr. Graham Chance
Dr. Robert Usher, Dr. Paul Swyer, Dr. Sydney Segal
Last updated: May 4, 2026