Early Career Paediatrician Award
Celebrates the leadership qualities of an early career paediatrician and recognizes their exceptional contribution and commitment to advocating for child and youth health at the regional level.
Current recipient(s): Dr. Sabrina Eliason, Alberta
Dr. Sabrina Eliason is a developmental paediatrician at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital and an assistant professor of paediatrics at the University of Alberta, Edmonton. Her clinical expertise focuses on the assessment and diagnosis of children and youth with special developmental and mental health needs, and on advancing these skills among residents and practicing clinicians. She leads an in-hospital quality improvement team at the GRH to increase capacity for, and effectiveness of, developmental assessments.
Dr. Eliason was President of the CPS Developmental Paediatrics Section in 2021-23, where she supported a national survey on workforce capacity in developmental paediatrics and helped identify strategic priorities to address physician supply. She also convened a national collaborative working group on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, contributing to a Lancet Child & Adolescent Health viewpoint that sparked international dialogue on, and advocacy for, impactful systems-level health and social policies.
Current recipient(s): Dr. Ryan Giroux, Ontario
Dr. Ryan Giroux is an assistant professor and general paediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital and Inner-City Health Associates in Toronto. He works primarily with urban Indigenous, and refugee/newcomer children, youth and families across the GTA, providing culturally safe health care and working to increase access to services.
Dr. Giroux is a proud member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and has mixed settler heritage on his mother’s side. He grew up on Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 territories in Athabasca and is one of three Indigenous Educators with the RCPSC. Dr. Giroux is Indigenous Health Faculty Lead for PGME at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, UofT, and a board member of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada. He co‑chairs the CPS First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Health Committee, where he both pursues and leads advocacy, education, and research related to Indigenous child and youth health, most recently defending Jordan’s Principle in a letter to the Minister of Indigenous services, and co-authoring a statement on cultural safety in practice.
Current recipient(s): Dr. Sara Long-Gagné, Quebec
Dr. Sara Long-Gagné is a paediatrician at the Montreal Children’s Hospital with a special interest in the care of children and youth with medical complexity (CYMC). She serves as the medical lead for the newly established Intermediate Complexity Navigation and Coordination (ICCAN) Service and is co-director of the Spina Bifida Service. She also chairs the Montreal Children’s Hospital Transition to Adult Care Committee and coordinates the complex care service rotation for medical trainees.
Her academic and clinical work focuses on improving health services, care transitions, education, and quality of care for CYMC. Dr. Long-Gagné is also actively involved at the national level as Vice-President of the new CPS Complex Care Section.
Nominations
The candidate must be a paediatrician and member of the Canadian Paediatric Society and have been in practice 10 years or less. Current voting members of the CPS Board of Directors and Membership Subcommittee members are not eligible to be nominated for the award.
The membership Subcommittee, in collaboration with the board member(s) for the region will judge candidates based on their leadership and commitment in the three following areas:
- Patient Care (e.g., initiatives to improve the care of children and youth in their region; family-centred care focus; recognition of underserved/at-risk population and action to improve accessibility; innovative knowledge-to-practice initiatives)
- Community Service (e.g. contribution to making their community more active, safe, and child and youth-friendly; advocacy at local/provincial/territorial and/or national level; volunteer or administrative leadership positions)
- Teaching and Education (positive role model or mentor for junior trainees; leadership in public education; commitment to improving professional development for colleagues; spirit of scholarship)
There will be a maximum of one award per region per year. The regions are:
- British Columbia and Yukon
- Alberta and Northwest Territories
- Saskatchewan
- Manitoba and Nunavut
- Ontario
- Quebec
- New Brunswick and PEI
- Nova Scotia
- Newfoundland and Labrador
Submissions
- Letter of nomination from a CPS member specifically emphasizing how the candidate meets the criteria.
- Letter of support from a seconder affirming how the candidate meets the criteria. This seconder may be an individual from another discipline or sector.
- Updated CV for the nominee
The award is presented at a local meeting in the recipient’s community and announced at the Annual General Meeting of the CPS members.
Past recipients
Dr. Megan Burke, Newfoundland and Labrador
Dr. Liam Fardy, Newfoundland and Labrador
Dr. Christopher Novak, Alberta
Dr. Melanie Bechard, Ontario
Dr. Rachel Dwilow, Manitoba
Dr. Mahli Brindamour, Sask.
Dr. Ripudaman Minhas, Ont.
Dr. Claire Seaton, B.C.
Dr. Andrea Andrade, Ont.
Dr. Tom McLaughlin, B.C.
Dr. Stacey Marjerrison, Ont.
Dr. Norman McLean, Man.
Last updated: May 8, 2026