CPS awards recognize outstanding contributions to child and youth health

OTTAWA—The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) has announced its 2015 award winners, honouring those who care for children and youth in Canada through excellence in paediatric research, advocacy, health promotion and education.

Dr. Marie Gauthier - Montreal, Que.
Alan Ross Award

Dr. Marie Gauthier receives the Alan Ross Award, which recognizes lifelong excellence in paediatric research, education, health care and advocacy. Dr. Gauthier completed her residency in Paediatrics at CHU Sainte-Justine in 1978 where she was chief resident. She started her career at CHU Sainte-Justine in 1979. In 1996, she was promoted as Professor of Paediatrics at the Université de Montreal and in 2014 was honoured as Emeritus professor. Dr. Gauthier was a CPS Board member from 2005-2011 and contributed to many committees, the Paediatrics & Child Health journal and annual conferences. Dr. Gauthier’s involvement at the hospital and university has changed the clinical and academic environment of Ste-Justine Hospital and the care of children across Quebec.

Dr. Jean-François Lemay – Calgary, Alta.
Michel Weber Education Award

The Michel Weber Education Award recognizes a CPS member whose work in medical and/or inter-professional education has had a significant and positive impact on learners in child and youth health. This year’s award goes to Dr. Jean-François Lemay, Developmental Pediatrician at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Calgary. Dr. Lemay is recognized by his students and colleagues as an outstanding educator and teacher in both classroom and out-patient pediatric clinics. His students appreciate his innovative and supportive teaching style. During residency, Dr. Lemay was trained and mentored by Dr. Michel Weber, whom this award is named after.

Dr. Sheila Innis – Vancouver, B.C.
Geoffrey C. Robinson Award

The Geoffrey C. Robinson Award recognizes outstanding contributions to child and youth health through research in the field of population health or health services research within the last five years. This year’s award goes to Dr. Sheila Innis, a PhD nutritionist at BC Children’s Hospital who is a world leader in maternal nutrition, infant feeding and lipid metabolism. One of her greatest contributions has been her research in the role of dietary fatty acids in infant brain development.

Dr. Amanda Newton – Edmonton, Alta.
Young Investigator Award

Dr. Amanda Newton is the 2015 Young Investigator Award winner, which accomplishments of a young researcher in fields that benefit child and youth health. Dr. Newton is a national leader in establishing research evidence to improve mental health care and outcomes for children who are acutely mentally ill.

Dr. Hasmukhlal Rajani – Edmonton, Alta.
Distinguished Community Paediatrician Award

This year’s Distinguished Community Paediatrician is Dr. Hasu Rajani from Edmonton. Dr. Rajani works tirelessly to deliver compassionate and comprehensive medical care to the most vulnerable populations in Northeast Edmonton and Northern Alberta. Rajani also works with the diagnosis and assessment of children and youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). He is recognized for his enthusiasm in mentoring, teaching and practicing.

Dr. Martin Skidmore – Toronto, Ont.
Distinguished Neonatologist Award

This year’s Distinguished Neonatologist is Dr. Martin Skidmore from Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. Dr. Skidmore has been actively involved with The Integrated Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Training Program at the University of Toronto since its inception in 1989 and for 14 years, was the Program Director. He continues to be an essential voice at the table advocating for trainees. He is recognized by his peers and colleagues as he continues to thrive, learn, teach, inspire and always make them laugh.

Paediatric sleep resources in Canada: The scope of the problem 
Noni MacDonald Award

The Noni MacDonald Award recognizes an article, published in Paediatrics & Child Health, which has positively affected paediatric medicine. This year’s award goes to Paediatric sleep resources in Canada: The scope of the problem that looks at results from a survey of the Canadian Pediatric Sleep Network, and discusses missed opportunities in this area. Authors are Sherri Lynne Katz MDCM MSc, Manisha Witmans MD, Nicholas Barrowman PhD, Lynda Hoey, Santana Su, Deepti Reddy MS, and Indra Narang MBBCH MD.

Dr. Joanne Embree, Winnipeg, MB
Dr. Scott Halperin, Halifax, NS
Dr. Dorothy Moore, Montreal, Que.
Dr. David Scheifele, Vancouver, B.C.
Life Membership

This year’s Life Membership awards honour several paediatricians who have made significant contributions to the CPS in the area of infectious diseases.

Dr. Joanne Embree is the former head of the Department of Medical Microbiology, and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba. She is the current president of Healthy Generations and a past president of the CPS. Dr. Embree is also a former chair of the CPS Infectious Diseases and Immunizations committee, an IMPACT (Immunization Monitoring Program, ACTive) investigator and member of the Global Child and Youth Health Section.

Dr. Scott Halperin is a professor in Dalhousie University’s Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology & Immunology, and Director of the Canadian Center for Vaccinology, a joint collaboration of the IWK Health Centre, Nova Scotia Health Authority, and Dalhousie University. Dr. Halperin is the co-principal investigator of IMPACT, and was awarded a CPS Certificate of Merit in 2009.

Dr. Dorothy Moore, an infectious diseases specialist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, is the primary author of many CPS publications, including the latest editions of Your Child’s Best Shot. Dr. Moore is also a member of the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program Steering committee, an IMPACT investigator and the CPS liaison to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Dr. Moore is an associate professor of paediatrics at McGill University with an interest in health-care associated infections, influenza and paediatric HIV.

Dr. David Scheifele of the Vaccine Evaluation Center at the Child and Family Research Institute in Vancouver, is the co-founder and data centre chief of IMPACT. Dr. Scheifele is a longtime member of the Paediatrics & Child Health editorial board, and received the Alan Ross Award in 2007. In 2013, Dr. Scheifele was appointed to the Order of Canada for his contributions to child health through immunization.

Dr. Joan Robinson, Edmonton, Alta.
Dr. Dorothy Moore, Montreal, Que.
Danielle Grenier Member Recognition Award

Dr. Joan Robinson, Professor and Director of the Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Alberta, joined the CPS Infectious Diseases and Immunization Committee in 2006 and has been chair since 2012. She has been editor of the Evidence for Clinicians column in the CPS journal, Paediatrics & Child Health, since 2007 and Senior Assistant Editor since 2008. Dr. Robinson has been a key spokesperson and advocate, contributing to public and media inquiries about hot topics such as Enterovirus D68, vaccine hesitancy and recent measles outbreaks. She was recently named incoming Editor-in-Chief of Paediatrics & Child Health, effective June 2016.

Dr. Dorothy Moore of the Montreal Children’s Hospital, is an infectious disease specialist with decades of experience in immunization issues. In 2014, Moore led the editing and writing process of the 4^th edition of Your Child’s Best Shot: A parent’s guide to immunization, first published by the CPS in 1997, with the help of Dr. Ron Gold. Dr. Moore’s meticulous attention to detail ensures the book continues to be essential reading for anyone who wants reliable information about childhood immunization in Canada.

All CPS awards will be presented at the 92^nd CPS Annual Conference—June 24-27 in Toronto.

For conference information visit: www.annualconference.cps.ca. Media assistance will be available on-site.

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About the Canadian Paediatric Society

The Canadian Paediatric Society is a national advocacy association that promotes the health needs of children and youth. Founded in 1922, the CPS represents more than 3,300 paediatricians, paediatric subspecialists and other child health professionals across Canada.