Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

Hospital for Sick Children

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Robyn Stremler (photo by Eugen Sakhnenko/ WorkerBee Supply)

Professor Robyn Stremler, dean of the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, has been named a 2024 Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

Stremler is recognized for her outstanding contributions to sleep medicine and her extensive program of research, which has set out to improve pediatric and adolescent sleep quality using wearable and digital technology. She is one of few nurse researchers to be named to the AASM, a long-standing professional society dedicated to the promotion of excellence in sleep medicine healthcare, education and research.

“It is a tremendous honour to be recognized by the AASM and join a cohort of such renowned researchers and clinicians who are focused on improving sleep among various populations,” says Stremler, who is also an adjunct scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children.

“As a nurse scientist, this recognition also signals the importance of nursing perspectives in research, and I hope will serve as an inspiration for future nurse leaders who set out to improve patients’ lives through research.”

Stremler’s achievement illustrates the impact of nurse scientists and their innovative, solution-driven research, particularly in often overlooked areas such as sleep medicine. Her achievement was celebrated at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Houston, Texas on June 3.

Maya Ahia receives Kyriakos (Ken) Alexopoulos Memorial Award for Student Mental Health Research

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 29 May 2024 14:15:25 +0000

Maya Ahia receives Kyriakos (Ken) Alexopoulos Memorial Award for Student Mental Health Research

Community

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 05/29/2024 - 10:15

Students

Inlight Student Mental Health Research Initiative

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

U of T Scarborough

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Maya Ahia (supplied image)

University of Toronto Scarborough student Maya Ahia is the inaugural recipient of the Kyriakos (Ken) Alexopoulos Memorial Award for Student Mental Health Research.

The award supports research carried out as part of the Inlight Student Mental Health Research Initiative, a U of T institutional strategic initiative that aims to support and foster improvements in student mental health and wellness. It was created to honour the legacy of Ken Alexopoulos, a compassionate person who believed strongly in helping others – especially those dealing with mental health struggles.

Ahia, a 2023-2024 Inlight Research Fellowship recipient, is being recognized for her master’s research that examines access to accessibility support services for post-secondary students with a mental health-related disability.

“Receiving this funding allows me to dedicate my time and energy to this research and enables me to ensure a hands-on and collaborative process with students and faculty,” says Ahia. “The goal of my projects is to see more accessible accommodations created for students.”

Five faculty members receive School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 27 May 2024 15:48:00 +0000

Five faculty members receive School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards

Teaching

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 05/27/2024 - 11:48

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Department for the Study of Religion

Department of Anthropology

Early Career Supervision Award

Faculty of Arts & Science

JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

Rehabilitation Sciences Institute

School of Graduate Studies

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

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(L-R) Angela Colantonio, Elizabeth Peter, Pamela Klassen, Angela Mashford-Pringle and Cillian O'Hogan (supplied images)

Five faculty members have been honoured with School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards in recognition of their outstanding and thoughtful supervision of graduate students.

Pamela Klassen, a professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s department for the study of religion who is cross-appointed to the department of anthropology, and Angela Colantonio, a professor in the department of occupational science and occupational therapy at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine who is cross-appointed to the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, received JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Awards, which recognize excellence in supervision over a minimum 15-year period. Elizabeth Peter, a professor in the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, received an honourable mention.

Cillian O’Hogan, assistant professor in the department of medieval studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science, and Angela Mashford-Pringle, an assistant professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, received Early Career Supervision Awards, which recognize pre-tenure faculty members who have been supervising graduate students for up to six years.

Read about the School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards

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Jennifer Stinson receives 2023 Barer-Flood Prize from CIHR

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 13:38:40 +0000

Jennifer Stinson receives 2023 Barer-Flood Prize from CIHR

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 04/03/2024 - 09:38

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

IHPME

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

The Hospital for Sick Children

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Professor Jennifer Stinson (supplied image)

Jennifer Stinson, a nurse clinician-scientist and advanced practice nurse at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and a renowned researcher in the field of chronic pain management at the University of Toronto, has received the 2023 Barer-Flood Prize in Health Services and Policy Research from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

The prize, named in honour of the first two scientific directors of CIHR's Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR), Morris Barer and Colleen Flood, recognizes the highest ranking senior-career investigator who identifies as a woman and is working within the mandate of IHSPR.

Stinson, a professor in the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the department of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, is being recognized for her work on the development of iCanCope, a mobile app that's designed to help young people with sickle cell disease (SCD) self-manage their chronic pain.

“The app is really intended to be an adjunct to the care that young people with SCD receive in hospital," says Stinson, who holds the Mary Jo Haddad Nursing Chair in Child Health. "We know we cannot cure or alleviate the pain, but we can empower young people to live well with pain, and to manage it with resources and strategies that are effective, building their confidence in leading a fulfilling life.”

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Marie Goretti Uwayezu recognized with IDRC International Doctoral Research Award

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 19:26:03 +0000

Marie Goretti Uwayezu recognized with IDRC International Doctoral Research Award

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 03/28/2024 - 15:26

Students

IDRC International Doctoral Research Award

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Marie Goretti Owayezu (supplied image)

Marie Goretti Uwayezu, a PhD candidate at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, is a recipient of the 2023 International Doctoral Research Award presented by Universities Canada/Universités Canada.

Funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the annual award is given to PhD students with the goal of supporting the development of their research skills in Canada and the global South to help improve the lives of people in the developing world.

Uwayezu is originally from Rwanda, where she worked as an oncology nurse, clinical instructor and assistant lecturer in the University of Rwanda’s School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Her research explores the association between social demographic factors and health-focused ideologies on breast cancer screening practices in Rwanda, where many women are diagnosed with breast cancer at later stages once the disease has already progressed.

Uwayezu is hopeful that her research will support future recommendations to improve earlier detection. “Detecting breast cancer at an earlier stage improves survival and care options immensely, and we should be doing all we can to ensure women in Rwanda have the opportunity to access the care that they need and deserve,” says Uwayezu.

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20 U of T researchers awarded new or renewed Canada Research Chairs

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 13:09:09 +0000

20 U of T researchers awarded new or renewed Canada Research Chairs

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 03/13/2024 - 09:09

Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

IHPME

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute

Rotman School of Management

St. Michael's Hospital

Sunnybrook Research Institute

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

U of T Mississauga

Unity Health

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Twenty faculty members from the University of Toronto have been awarded Canada Research Chairs in support of their research in areas ranging from LGBTQ2S+ youth mental health to quantum photonic technologies and sustainable suburban housing.

Awarded by the Government of Canada, Canada Research Chair positions are designed to reinforce academic research and training excellence with a view to improving depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthening Canada’s international competitiveness and helping train the next generation of highly skilled people.

“I would like to congratulate all the University of Toronto scholars who have newly been appointed Canada Research Chairs or had their positions renewed in this latest cohort,” said Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “From cognitive neurobiology to household finance and urban environmental science, these researchers are furthering knowledge and spurring innovation in areas of critical importance.”

The latest cycle of Canada Research Chair appointees from U of T includes eight new and 12 renewed positions:

New Canada Research Chairs

Alex Abramovich at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health and department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness and Mental Health

Claire Célérier in the Rotman School of Management – Tier 2 in Household Finance

Natalie Coburn at the Sunnybrook Research Institute and the department of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Cancer Outcomes

Li Qian in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 1 in Quantum Photonic Technologies

Alison McGuigan in the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 1 in Tissue Engineering and Disease Modelling

Zahra Shakeri Hossein Abad in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health – Tier 2 in Health Informatics and Precision (Public) Health

Mina Tadrous in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy – Tier 2 in Real-World Evidence and Pharmaceutical Policy

Marianne Touchie in the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 2 in Sustainable Urban Housing

Renewed Canada Research Chairs

Rachel Barney in the departments of classics and philosophy at the Faculty of Arts & Science – Tier 1 in Ancient Philosophy

Marie-Josée Fortin in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the Faculty of Arts & Science – Tier 1 in Spatial Ecology

Paul Frankland at the SickKids Research Institute, the department of psychology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, and the department of physiology and Institute of Medical Science in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Cognitive Neurobiology

Anne-Claude Gingras at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health and the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Functional Proteomics

Tara Gomes at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto and the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy – Tier 2 in Drug Policy and Substance Use

Daniel Grace in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health – Tier 2 in Sexual and Gender Minority Health

Marc Johnson in the department of biology at U of T Mississauga – Tier 2 in Urban Environmental Science

Sheena Josselyn at the SickKids Research Institute, the department of psychology in the Faculty of Arts & Science and the department of physiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Memory Function and Dysfunction

Carmen Logie at Women's College Research Institute and the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work – Tier 2 in Global Health Equity & Social Justice with Marginalized Populations

Ito Peng in the department of sociology in the Faculty of Arts & Science – Tier 1 in Global Social Policy

Navindra Persaud at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, the department of family and community medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health – Tier 2 in Health Justice

Martine Puts in the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing – Tier 2 in Care of Frail Older Adults

Read the Government of Canada announcement

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PhD student Deborah Baiden recognized by Heart and Stroke Foundation

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 20:18:57 +0000

PhD student Deborah Baiden recognized by Heart and Stroke Foundation

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 03/01/2024 - 15:18

Students

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Deborah Baiden (supplied image)

Deborah Baiden, a PhD student at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, is one of 19 graduate students from across Canada to receive the inaugural Personnel Award for Black Scholars from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Brain Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH).

The award is aimed at promoting Black representation within the heart and brain research community. Baiden was recognized for her doctoral research on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among Black Canadian women.

“This award means a lot to me,” said Baiden. “It recognizes not only the importance of my research but also my role as a scholar and my contribution to this knowledge, a reminder that my presence is important and much-needed.”

Baiden is currently conducting a mixed-methods study recruiting women of African descent from across Canada who have a history of hypertension in pregnancy.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what this study will reveal about the prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among Black Canadians, but also how it will drive further research on this topic and inform culturally safe care practices that align with a long-term and rigorous strategy around cardiovascular health in women,” said Baiden.

Kimberley Widger named a 2023 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing

lanthierj — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 14:47:15 +0000

Kimberley Widger named a 2023 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing

lanthierj Thu, 10/26/2023 - 10:47

American Academy of Nursing

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Kimberley Widger (supplied image)

Kimberley Widger, a leading researcher in pediatric palliative care, has been named a 2023 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

A nursing research associate with the Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT) at The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) and an associate professor in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto, Widger was recognized for the impact she has had in addressing the need for good palliative care for sick children both in Canada and internationally.

Widger, who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Pediatric Palliative Care and is an adjunct scientist at ICES, was the first to determine the number of children eligible for pediatric palliative care in Canada versus the number receiving it. Currently, she is leading an international team of 23 researchers representing nine countries that will identify the most important indicators to use in assessing the quality of pediatric palliative care.

“My life-long vision is to ensure that any child diagnosed with a life-threatening condition will receive optimal pediatric palliative care, in their location of choice, regardless of whether they survive or die from their condition,” says Widger.

Widger was recognized formally in a special ceremony on Oct. 7 in Washington, D.C..

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Charlene Chu and Lindsay Jibb awarded AMS Healthcare Compassion and Artificial Intelligence Research Fellowships

lanthierj — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 20:21:13 +0000

Charlene Chu and Lindsay Jibb awarded AMS Healthcare Compassion and Artificial Intelligence Research Fellowships

lanthierj Wed, 09/13/2023 - 16:21

Hospital for Sick Children

UHN

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Assistant Professors Lindsay Jibb, left, and Charlene Chu, right, are the 2023 AMS Healthcare Compassion and Artificial Intelligence fellowship recipients (supplied images)

Assistant Professor Charlene Chu and Assistant Professor Lindsay Jibb of the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, have each been awarded a 2023 Research Fellowship in Compassion and Artificial Intelligence from AMS Healthcare.

The one-year fellowship recognizes leaders and innovators addressing health-care challenges and focuses on the integration of digital technology and compassionate care in health-care services.

Chu’s project, in partnership with KITE Research Institute at the University Health Network, involves the use of a multi-modal sensor system to monitor the recovery of older adults discharged from hospital following hip fracture surgery. The goal of the project is to gain a better understand of recovery trajectories for older adults.

“The most exciting aspect of the AMS fellowship for me is the mentorship component and the formalized opportunity it provides to learn from experts in a range of disciplines from Canada and beyond,” Chu says.

Jibb, a prominent researcher in children’s cancer, is co-designing a mobile app with her team at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) to support parents in managing their child’s cancer pain at home. The hope is that artificial intelligence will help create a customizable tool targeted to the specific pain needs of each child.

“We have heard from parents how important it is for them to have an opportunity to stay connected with their child’s care team when not in hospital, and to feel supported in managing their child’s illness,” Jibb says. “We are hopeful that this technological intervention will help meet that need.”

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Martine Puts receives 2023 Elizabeth McWilliams Miller Award for Excellence in Nursing Research

lanthierj — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 19:09:19 +0000

Martine Puts receives 2023 Elizabeth McWilliams Miller Award for Excellence in Nursing Research

lanthierj Tue, 08/15/2023 - 15:09