Announcements
February 2012
- Dr. Catherine Birken and her assembled team of co-investigators have received CIHR funding for 4 years (ranked 3rd of 59).
Grant promote: Preschoolers at Risk - Obesity trajectories & cardio Metabolic factors: Towards Early identification
January 2012
- Dr. Jennifer Stinson, Scientist, CHES, has been awarded with the Early Career Award – 2012 of the Canadian Pain Society.
This significant honor of the Society acknowledges Dr. Stinson’s major contributions and demonstrates the high regard that her contemporaries hold for her.
December 2011
- Dr. Gideon Koren, Director, Motherisk and Senior Scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences program, won the CIHR-CMAJ Top Achievements in Health Research competition.
This competition acknowledges Canadian health research achievements that have had a significant impact on health, health care, and health research by improving our understanding of health and human diseases, tackling health challenges, and improving our health system
November 2011
- Dr. Elinor Simons, CHES Trainee, was one of the recipients of the Exceptional Trainee Award presented at this year’s RI Retreat.
October 2011
- Dr. Alice Charach, Associate Scientist, has been awarded with the Dalhousie Award.
Her presentation at the joint American and Canadian Academies of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Comparing Interventions for Preschoolers with ADHD or Disruptive Behavior comprising a review commissioned by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was recognized as the best presentation by a Canadian member. The award was presented on Saturday, October 22nd, at the Lawrence Stowe Plenary. - Dr. Catherine Birken, Project Investigator, has been awarded the Dr. William Feldman Award for Excellence in Pediatric Medicine Research.
This award was established this year named in honour of Dr. William Feldman who established the Pediatric Outcomes Research Team (PORT) in 1991.
September 2011
- Dr. Upton Allen, Sr. Assoc Scientist, CHES, was elected as Director of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
- Dr. Marinka Twilt, Fellow in Rheumatology and CHES, has been awarded with the Young Investigator Award of the Pediatric Rheumatology European Society for her work in CNS Vasculitis.
- Dr. Jennifer Stinson, Scientist, CHES and Dr. Connelly (Co-PIs) are the recipients of another grand from NIH (NIAMS) for their project: WebSMART: Efficacy of Web-based Pain Self-Management for Adolescents with JIA. 2011-2014.
- Dr. Sanja Stanojevic, Research Associate, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, was awarded the European Respiratory Society Paediatric Research Award (2nd place award). The award is given to young investigators in recognition of advances and research in the field of paediatric respiratory medicine or closely associated discipline.
- On behalf of CHES program, we are pleased to announce that Heather Burnett successfully defended her MSc on Wednesday entitled: Parents’ Preferences for Drug Treatments in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Discrete Choice Experiment.
- Dr. Brian McCrindle, Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Staff Cardiologist, Cardiology and Clinical Research Lead for the Labatt Family Heart Centre, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health grant for the Labatt Family Heart Centre to participate as a core clinical center in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Pediatric Heart Network.
- Dr. Teresa To, Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, was awarded a Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care grant for her project Ontario Asthma Surveillance Information System (OASIS) first established in 2003 to provide a population-based longitudinal surveillance system.
- Dr. Jennifer Stinson, Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences was chosen by a prestigious Advisory Committee as one of the six Mayday Pain & Society Fellows for 2011-12.
August 2011
Dr. Teresa To, Senior Scientist, CHES, was awarded a Ministry of the Environment Best in Science Program grant for her project Correlation of Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) and Chronic Disease Morbidities.
Co-Investigators at SickKids: Dr. Sharon Dell, Dr. Sanja Stanojevic, Richard Foty, doctoral student.
Other co-investigators: Dr. Christopher Licskai, University of Western Ontario.
- The Garron Family Cancer Centre received 25 outstanding applications for the 2011 Small Grant Competition and is pleased to announce the seven awarded recipients, including two to be funded through the Pitblado New Ideas Cancer Research Fund.
- Dr. Martin Charron - Imaging Cell Proliferation with FLT PET: A Pilot Study in Paediatric Lymphoma Patients with Equivocal FDG PET Findings
- Dr. Brent Derry - Synthetic Lethal Interactions in the P53 Signaling Network
- Dr. Barbara Muskat - Experiences of Parents of Paediatric Patients with ALL, Two Months After Completion of Treatment
- Dr. Gino Somers - The Role of the Novel CIC-DUX4 Rearrangement in Paediatric Sarcomagenesis
- Dr. Lillian Sung, Scientist, CHES - Development and usability of Electronic Children's International Mucositis Evaluation Scale (e-ChIMES) for Children with Cancer
- Dr. Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng - Pitblado ‘New Ideas’ Cancer Research Funds - Non-contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Tumour Angiogenesis
- Dr. Clifford Lingwood - Pitblado ‘New Ideas’ Cancer Research Funds - Exposure of cholesterol-masked Glycosphingolipid Tumour Antigens as Basis for Cancer Treatment
- Dr. Yaron Finkelstein, Associate Scientist, CHES, is the recipient of the 2011 Ontario Rett Syndrome Association Research Award for his Prospective study Dose-response Efficacy and Safety Analysis of Recombinant Human IGF-1 in Girls with Rett Syndrome.
- Dr. Teresa To, Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, was awarded an AllerGen NCE Inc. Strategic Initiative Capacity Building grant to continue her training program The Respiratory Global Research And Training (GREAT) Network offered to international respiratory trainees since 2008.
- Dr. Patricia Parkin, Senior Associate Scientist, CHES, and Director, PORT, received funding for OptEC: Optimizing Early Child Development in the primary care physician practice setting: pragmatic RCT of iron treatment for young children with non-anemic iron deficiency. Co-investigators from CHES include Catherine Birken, Colin Macarthur, Jonathon Maguire, and Stanley Zlotkin.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Open Operating Grant 2011-2016. - Dr. Jonathon Maguire , Adjunct Scientist, CHES, and Scientist, Applied Health, Research Centre Li Ka Shing Knowledge, Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, received funding for DO IT: Vitamin D Outcomes and Interventions in Toddlers. Co-investigators from CHES include Catherine Birken and Patricia Parkin.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Open Operating Grant 2011-2014. - Dr. Trey Coffey and Dr. Sanjay Mahant, Project Investigators, received funding for Improving resident handoff in teaching hospitals: Understanding implementation and effectiveness of a handoff bundle. Co-investigators from CHES include Anne Matlow and Susan Tallett.
Physicians' Services Incorporated 2011-2013. - Dr. Sanjay Mahant , Project Investigator, CHES, is a Co-investigator for Pediatric research in inpatient setting network.
Child Health Corporation of America 2009-2012. - Dr. Adam Rapoport , Project Investigator, CHES, and Medical Director, Palliative and Bereavement Care, is a Co-investigator for PedPalASCNet: A network for accessible, sustainable, and collaborative research in pediatric palliative care.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research Network, Catalyst Grant 2011-2014. - Dr. Jennifer Stinson, Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences; Clinical Nurse Specialist/Nurse Practitioner, Anaesthesia, received an Arthritis Society/CAN Network Scholar award for three years.
- Dr. Deborah M. Levy, Team Investigator, Child Health Evaluative Sciences Physician, Pediatric Rheumatology, was awarded a two-year PSI grant for her project: Childhood-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Defining Long-term Outcomes. The other investigators on this grant are Dr. Earl Silverman (Sickkids) and Dr. Astrid Guttmann (Sickkids/ICES).
July 2011
The Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing is delighted to announce that Dr. Janet Yamada has successfully completed her final PhD thesis defence on June 27th. Janet’s thesis is entitled: Process Evaluation of the Evidence-Based Practice Identification and Change Intervention to Improve Neonatal Pain Practices. The thesis committee members include Dr. Bonnie Stevens (Supervisor), Souraya Sidani and Judy Watt-Watson.
Grants and Awards
- Dr. Robyn Stremler, Adjunct Scientist - CHES, was the recipient of an Ontario Early Researcher Award for her project: Sleep problems for women: effects on maternal and infant health during pregnancy and after birth.
- Dr. Yaron Finkelstein, Associate Scientist, CHES, is the recipient of the 2011 Ontario Rett Syndrome Association Research Award for his Prospective study: Dose-response Efficacy and Safety Analysis of Recombinant Human IGF-1 in Girls with Rett Syndrome.
- Dr. Jennifer Stinson, Scientist – CHES and her research group,received funding for the following RCT from CIHR in the last competition. Teens Taking Charge: An Internet-based Self-management Program for Adolescents with Arthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Co-Investigators at SickKids: Dr Feldman, Dr. Tse, Dr. Spiegel, Dr. Hetherington.
Other co-investigators: Dr. Campillo, Dr. Ellsworth, Dr. McGrath, Charles Victor, Dr. Dancey, Dr, Huber, Dr. Oen, Dr. Duffy, Dr. Johnson, Dr. Rosenberg, Dr. Tucker and Samantha Fuss (doctoral student). - Dr. Elinor Simons, Trainee – CHES, has been awarded a Canadian Allergy and Immune Diseases Advanced Training Initiative Award from AllerGen. [Co-Supervisors: Drs. Sharon Dell and Teresa To].
- Drs. Lillian Sung and Samantha Anthony were awarded a two-year C17 Research Network for Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Grant - for their submission entitled: What factors do children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors say are important to understanding their quality of life? A qualitative study.
- Dr. Rulan Parekh was awarded a PSI foundation grant for her project "Genetic screening of children with nephritic syndrome."
- Dr. Lee Dupuis received a Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario 2010/11 Seed Funding Grant for: "Translation and Face Validity Testing of the PeNAT (Pediatric Nausea Assessment Tool) for Use by Francophone Children and Adolescents receiving Chemotherapy."
Co-investigators are: E. O’Shaughnessy, D. Moczygemba, AM Langevin and L MacKeigan. - Dr. Maru Barrera, was awarded a two-year C17 Research Network for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders grant for her submission entitled: Assessing the Efficacy of a Psychosocial Intervention Program for siblings of Children with Cancer.
- Dr. Stephen Freedman was approved for a four-year RCT grant by the CIHR open operating grant competition, for his study: Impact of Emergency Department Probiotic Treatment of Pediatric Gastroenteritis: Randomized Controlled Trial.
The Investigator list is long but includes Stephen Freedman (PI), Phil Sherman (Senior Scientist, Cell Biology), Suzanne Schuh, (Senior Associate Scientist – CHES), Andrew Willan (Senior Scientist – CHES) along with seven others and on behalf of two research networks – Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) and Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC).
Daneman re-appointed Chair of Paediatrics, U of T, and Paediatrician-in-Chief at SickKids
We are pleased to announce the re-appointment of Dr. Denis Daneman for a second five-year term as Chair of the Department of Paediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine and Paediatrician-in-Chief at SickKids. This is a joint appointment, effective July 1, 2011. Daneman also holds the RS McLaughlin Foundation Chair in Paediatrics.
First appointed Chair/Chief in 2006, Daneman is highly regarded by his colleagues locally, nationally and internationally. He has been a member of the Department of Paediatrics since 1981 and served as Head of the Division of Endocrinology from 1992 to 2006 and as Associate Chief of Research (Clinical) from 2000 to 2005. Daneman has won numerous awards and honours, including the 2010 Prize for Achievement from the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes and multiple named lectureships at prestigious institutions.
Daneman’s clinical care activities are comprehensive tertiary care of children and teens with diabetes, and care of children with endocrine disorders. His research focuses on factors affecting metabolic control and the early onset of complications in children and teens with Type-1 diabetes. He has become increasingly interested in the impact of social determinants of health on outcomes in children and youth with complex disorders.
“Please join me in warmly congratulating Denis on his accomplishments and wishing him every success in his second term as Chair of the Department of Paediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine and Paediatrician-in-Chief at SickKids,” says Mary Jo Haddad, President and CEO, SickKids.
June 2011
Grants and awards
- Dr. Lillian Sung, Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences and Oncologist, Haematology/Oncology was awarded POGO Research Unit Seed Funding for her submission entitled Attitudes and Preferences toward Infection Prophylaxis in Paediatric Cancer.
- Congratulations to Dr. Gideon Koren, Director of Motherisk and Senior Scientist in the CHES Program, who was awarded the Poulsson Medal. This award, given by the Norwegian Society for Pharmacology and Toxicology, was presented to Dr. Koren on June 13th, in recognition of his outstanding scientific contributions in the area of drug safety during pregnancy. This is the first time the award is given to a Canadian scientist.
- Dr. Brian Feldman was this year’s recipient of the Eugene Stuart Award from the Department of HPME for Excellence in Teaching. This is a student nominated award!
Stanley Zlotkin featured in Huffington Post
Stanley Zlotkin, Vice President, Medical & Academic Affairs, Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, and Professor, Nutritional Sciences and Paediatrics, was featured in Huffington Post on June 6 highlighting how his team developed micronutrient powders called Sprinkles. The powders supplement the diet of low-income populations in developing nations. Dr. Zlotkin began his decade-long journey to develop a childhood nutrition supplement when UNICEF asked if he was up for the challenge. He was and today 22 manufactures are producing micronutrient powders that are distributed to 36 high-burden countries which reach over 6 million children.
Micronutrient deficiencies result in many unnecessary health complications in developing nations, including vitamin and mineral deficiencies. While past attempts have been made to supplement the missing nutrients, Sprinkles is the only supplement that can be mixed into any food which ensures children can still eat local staples and participate in local traditions.
No patent protection exists on Sprinkles, making it easy for others to manufacture and distribute the product. To date, 500 million sachets have been produced. Read about Dr. Zlotkin and his team’s fantastic work in the article at the Huffington Post website.
May 2011
Dr. Gail McVey, Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Health Systems Research Scientist, Community Health Systems Research Group and Director, Ontario Community Outreach Program for Eating Disorders, was awarded an Institutes of Health Service and Policy Research grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for her project Linking research, practice and policy to devise a national prevention research strategy.
Dr. Jennifer Stinson, Clinician Scientist, Clinical Nurse Specialist/Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Research Centre for Nursing, was awarded a Pfizer Operating Grant in Disease Prevention and Management from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for her project Teens taking Charge: Development and Usability of an Online Self-management and Transitional Care Program for youth with Cancer.
Dr. Brenda Gladstone is the inaugural recipient of the Centre for Critical Qualitative Health Research's “Methodological Excellence in a Qualitative Doctoral Dissertation Award." Dr. Gladstone’s thesis is titled All In The Same Boat: An Analysis of a Support Group for Children of Parents with Mental Illnesses. Thesis Committee: Dr. Katherine Boydell, Dr. Pat McKeever, Dr. Mary Seeman.
On behalf of the CHES program, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Maru Barrera, who was awarded this years’ Canadian Association of Psycho-Oncology Award for clinical excellence, based on the impact of her clinical research to describe the psychosocial outcomes and quality of life in children and adolescents who are treated for cancer and their families, and to develop evidence-based interventions to improve these outcomes. An example of this research in Maru’s recently awarded CCSRI three-year grant entitled: A randomized control trial to evaluate the efficacy of a social skills intervention group for childhood survivors of brain tumours.
“This award recognizes an individual who, in the opinion of the Awards Committee and the Board of Directors of the association, has made outstanding clinical contributions to the field of psychosocial oncology in Canada”
Dr. Elinor Simons won the Gillian Hawker First Place Award, for the Best PhD Poster in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research, for her poster entitled How does the timing of home environmental tobacco smoke exposure during childhood affect the age of asthma development? ([Co-Supervisors: Drs. Teresa To and Sharon Dell)
Dr. Eric Benchimol received the Thomas & Edna Naylor Memorial Award for the Best Paper based on Thesis in health services and health care research. (Co-Supervisors: Drs. Astrid Guttmann and Teresa To)
Heather Burnett, won first place among the student podium presentations on health economics at the annual department of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation Research day for her presentation, Parents’ preferences for drug treatments in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a discrete choice experiment. [Supervisor: Dr. Wendy Ungar]
The above awards were awarded on May 4th at the HPME Research Day.
April 2011
On behalf of the CHES program, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Anna Taddio, whose publication Reducing the pain of childhood vaccination: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline has been selected to win this year’s Publication Award from the Canadian Society for Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
On behalf of the CHES program, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Myla Moretti (Dr. Wendy Ungar’s PhD student), who was awarded an Alice E. Wilson award from the Canadian Federation of University Women to support her doctoral thesis “A cost-effectiveness analysis of maternal genotyping to guide treatment for postpartum pain and avert infant adverse events.”
Linda Rothman, who was awarded a Doctoral Research Award from CIHR for three years for her project entitled: "Child pedestrian injury in the City of Toronto: The role of the built environment and active school transportation." Linda’s supervisors are Drs. Andrew Howard and Teresa To. Dr. Colin Macarthur is also a member of her committee.
March 2011
Upton Allen, Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Senior Associate Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, has been named winner of the Harry Jerome Award for Health Sciences for 2011. Presented by the Black Business and Professional Association, the Harry Jerome Awards celebrate outstanding achievements within the African-Canadian Community.
This is the second year in a row that a SickKids staff member has received this prestigious award. Lisa Robinson, Head of Nephrology and Scientist, Cell Biology, received the health sciences prize in 2010.
Allen will be honoured at the 2011 Harry Jerome Awards gala on Saturday, April 30 at the Toronto Congress Centre. Established in memory of Harry Jerome, an outstanding African-Canadian Olympic athlete, scholar and social advocate, the Harry Jerome Awards event is an annual celebration of African-Canadian achievement that pays tribute to outstanding and inspirational African-Canadians who are role models of excellence.