Institute of Medical Science

A pediatric surgeon who pioneered techniques to keep children’s hearts pumping. An anthropologist whose work has explored how land development shapes communities. A leading mathematician also renowned for scholarship on Indian philosophy.

These are a few of the University of Toronto community members who were recently recognized by the Order of Canada.

The Governor General announced 88 new appointments to the Order of Canada on Dec 18, including three promotions. They include George Trusler, former head of cardiac surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children and a professor emeritus in the department of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine; Tania Li, a University Professor in the department of anthropology in the Faculty of Arts & Science; and Vijaya Kumar Murty, a professor in the department of mathematics in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“Members of the Order of Canada are builders of hope for a better future,” Gov. Gen. Mary Simon said in a statement. “Each in their own way, they broaden the realm of possibilities and inspire others to continue pushing its boundaries. Thank you for your perseverance, fearless leadership and visionary spirit, and welcome to the Order of Canada.”

Created in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest civilian honours. It recognizes individuals whose achievements and service have had an impact on communities across Canada and beyond.

Here is a list of ��ֱ�� faculty, alumni, supporters and friends who were appointed to, or promoted within, the Order of Canada in the latest round:

Current and former faculty

Steve Arshinoff, a professor in the department of ophthalmology and vision sciences in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named an Officer of the Order for his contributions to eye care, pioneering now-standard practices. Co-founder of the Eye Foundation of Canada, he also serves as a medical director of Eye Van, providing care to remote northern Ontario communities. He completed his ophthalmology residency at ��ֱ��.

Sylvia Bashevkin, a professor emerita in the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, was named an Officer of the Order for her contributions as a leading scholar of gender and politics. A former principal of University College and a senior fellow of Massey College, she pioneered research on the barriers faced by women in public life and has worked to expand opportunities for diverse political engagement.

Zulfiqar Bhutta, a professor in the department of nutritional sciences in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named an Officer of the Order for his contributions as one of the world’s foremost authorities on maternal and child health, shaping public health strategies that have reduced mortality and improved the well-being of women and children worldwide.

Sandy Buchman, medical director of the Freeman Centre for the Advancement of Palliative Care at North York General Hospital and associate professor in the department of family and community medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named a Member of the Order for contributions to palliative medicine. A former president of the Canadian Medical Association, Buchman has advocated for palliative care, MAID and equitable access to compassionate care. He completed his residency in family medicine at ��ֱ��.

David Chitayat, head of the prenatal diagnosis and medical genetics program at Mount Sinai Hospital, physician at SickKids and professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s departments of paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, laboratory medicine and pathobiology, and molecular genetics, was named a Member of the Order for his globally acclaimed work identifying genes associated with fetal abnormalities and postnatal newborns.

Dafna Gladman, a senior scientist at the Toronto Western Research Institute and a professor in the Institute of Medical Science in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named an Officer of the Order for her contributions to the psoriatic arthritis field. Her research advanced the understanding of the chronic disease, and her advocacy has improved the treatment and care. She earned her medical degree from ��ֱ��.

Daniel Haas, a professor and former dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, was appointed a Member of the Order for his expertise in dental anesthesiology and pharmacology. The former head of the faculty’s graduate dental anaesthesia speciality program, Haas has influenced dental training and practices worldwide. He earned his bachelor of science, doctor of dental surgery and PhD at ��ֱ��.

Tania Li, a University Professor in the department of anthropology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, was named an Officer of the Order for her contributions as one of Canada’s leading anthropologists. Her research – including groundbreaking work in understanding how international land development and corporate agriculture generate unintended poverty – has had a profound interdisciplinary impact, shaping policy and advancing human rights and sustainability initiatives.

Vijaya Kumar Murty, a professor in the department of mathematics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, was named a Member of the Order for his contributions as one of Canada’s leading mathematicians. A former director of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences at ��ֱ��, he has advanced knowledge in various mathematical fields, including analytic number theory. He is also a renowned scholar of Indian philosophy.

Greg Ryan, a perinatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, head of the fetal medicine unit at Sinai Health and professor in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named a Member of the Order for his groundbreaking contributions to fetal medicine. A senior clinician scientist in the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, he has revolutionized in-utero treatment and care, improving outcomes for mothers and their unborn children globally.

Valerie Sue Tarasuk, a professor emerita in the department of nutritional sciences in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine with a cross-appointment to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, was named a Member of the Order for her expertise on food insecurity in Canada. Tarasuk has worked to reduce food insecurity with policy intervention through PROOF, an interdisciplinary research program. She earned her master of science and PhD at ��ֱ��.  

George Trusler, former head of cardiac surgery at SickKids and a professor emeritus in the department of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named an Officer of the Order in recognition of innovations in pediatric and cardiac surgery. His innovations have saved thousands of lives, including his groundbreaking invention to preserve the aortic valve and his design of an algorithm to control excess blood flow to the lungs of infants suffering heart failure.

��ֱ�� and Friends

J. Anthony Boeckh, who earned a bachelor of commerce in 1960 as a member of Trinity College, was named a Member of the Order in recognition of contributions to youth mental health through the Graham Boeckh Foundation, which he founded in honour of his late son. Boeckh has worked with leading global experts to establish strategies to transform Canada’s mental health care system. He is also a founding trustee of the Fraser Institute.

Stacy Churchill, a professor emeritus in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, was named a Member of the Order for her expertise in education and linguistic rights for Francophone minorities. Churchill has advised the federal and provincial government on language policy and consulted on UNICEF and UNESCO education missions.

Carol Cowan-Levine, who earned her master’s in social work from ��ֱ��, was recognized with the Order of Canada for her leadership role in social work and the establishment of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Her extensive volunteer work has impacted government, health care institutions and the non-profit sector in Ontario.

Stan Douglas, a renowned multimedia artist, was named an Officer of the Order for his body of work that explores history, technology and memory. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the 2022 Venice Biennale. His donated piece, Maritime Workers Hall, Vancouver, hangs in the halls of ��ֱ��’s Hart House as part of the Hart House Permanent Collection.

Donald Dippo, who earned a master of education and PhD from ��ֱ��, was named a Member of the Order for increasing educational access for children and teachers in Canada and internationally. He co-founded the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees program, based in the Dadaab refugee camps of Kenya.

R. Douglas Elliott was named a Member of the Order for his advancement and protection of 2SLGBTQI+ rights under Canadian law. An alumnus of the Faculty of Law, he has been involved in landmark constitutional cases and class actions, notably serving as lead counsel in the LGBT Purge class action.

Aura Kagan, a speech language pathologist who earned a PhD from ��ֱ��, was named an Officer of the Order for contributions that profoundly shaped care for people living with aphasia – a disorder that disrupts the ability to speak, understand, read, and write – including groundbreaking methods to help individuals communicate more effectively.

Jeffrey J. McDonnell, who earned a bachelor of science from ��ֱ�� Scarborough in 1984, was named an Officer of the Order for his seminal scientific impact on the field of hydrology. A professor at the University of Saskatchewan, he has transformed the understanding of streamflow generation and the water cycle.

Maureen Jennings, who earned a master’s degree at ��ֱ�� in 1967, was named a Member of the Order for her achievements as an historical crime author, most notably for the creation of the Detective Murdoch series – which inspired the long-running TV show Murdoch Mysteries – and for her contributions to Canadian history regarding women's roles during the Second World War.

Karen Levine, who earned a bachelor of arts as a member of University College in 1977, was named a Member of the Order in recognition of her decades-long career at CBC Radio. She is also honoured for her book Hana’s Suitcase, which has educated young readers worldwide about the Holocaust.

Sam Shemie, who completed his pediatric cardiology fellowship at ��ֱ��, was named a Member of the Order for shaping new ethical standards surrounding organ donation, creating new protocols for hospital culture and mentoring hundreds of clinical care physicians in Canada and abroad. He is medical director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Montreal Children's Hospital.

Walter Schneider, who earned a degree in literary arts from ��ֱ�� Mississauga, was named a Member of the Order for contributions to business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy. As president and co-founder of RE/MAX INTEGRA, he transformed Canadian real estate, building the company into the nation’s top-selling organization.

– With files from Mariam Matti

Read about more ��ֱ�� community members recognized with the Order of Canada in recent years

Lisa Robinson appointed dean of ��ֱ��’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 14:58:25 +0000

Lisa Robinson appointed dean of ��ֱ��’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 12/13/2023 - 09:58

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(supplied image)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Our Community

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Toronto Academic Health Science Network

Pediatrics

Cheryl Regehr

Hospital for Sick Children

Institute of Medical Science

Subheadline

A clinician-scientist and paediatric nephrologist, Robinson has also been appointed vice-provost, relations with health-care institutions

Lisa Robinson, a clinician-scientist and paediatric nephrologist who seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms behind kidney disease and transform care for children living with complex illnesses, has been appointed dean of the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Currently Temerty Medicine’s vice-dean, strategy and operations and co-chair of its finance committee, Robinson will assume her new role on July 1, 2024 for a five-year term.

She was also appointed vice-provost, relations with health-care institutions for the same term.

“I’m very biased, but the faculty, the university and the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN) structure are incredible – so I’m very excited,” said Robinson, a professor in Temerty Medicine’s department of paediatrics and the Institute of Medical Science.

Robinson, who earned her MD at the university, is a staff physician and former head of the division of nephrology at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), where she specializes in caring for children with kidney disease, including a focus on renal transplantation.

A senior scientist in the cell biology program at the SickKids Research Institute, Robinson has led a research program – both fundamental and translational – over more than two decades that has encouraged collaboration between scientists, clinicians and learners at all levels. Her work draws on biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, advanced microscopy and disease models to explore immune responses in the context of kidney injury and progression of kidney disease. She is also investigating ways to expand the pool of viable donor kidneys available to patients who need kidney transplants.

“What I really want to do is use the new knowledge we generate from this research to transform the way we care for children and adults with kidney disease,” said Robinson, who holds a tier-one Canada Research Chair in vascular inflammation and kidney injury.

Robinson is a dedicated mentor and educator who has supervised many undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral fellows. She founded the SickKids Research Institute’s Kids Science program, which gives middle and high school students from under-served communities the opportunity to learn about careers in science and technology.

“Professor Robinson’s commitment to inclusive excellence, her advocacy for the sector and her vision for the future will be key to the success of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine in the years ahead,” said Cheryl Regehr, ��ֱ��’s vice-president and provost.

Robinson will succeed Professor Trevor Young in the roles after he was appointed ��ֱ��’s next vice-president and provost earlier this year, with his term beginning Jan. 1, 2024. Professor Patricia Houston will serve as interim dean of Temerty Medicine until Robinson assumes the role in July.

Robinson said Young made “enormous” contributions to the faculty.

“Dean Young was the catalyst behind our Academic Strategic Plan, in which so many members of our community see themselves reflected,” Robinson said. “His approach, vision and relational leadership also helped set the stage for the Temerty family’s historic gift to the faculty, which has been transformational.”

As dean, Robinson said she is keen to explore ways to further grow supports and opportunities for Temerty Medicine students.

“I want to renew our emphasis on a student-centric approach that addresses financial challenges, wellness, mental health and mentorship – and use the collective expertise we have across TAHSN to give our students a competitive advantage,” she said, adding that her priorities also include strengthening the recruitment, development and support of faculty and staff.

“We have to renew our focus and make sure that we create an environment in which every member of the community feels valued because that’s the only way in which every person can flourish.”

Robinson also wants to leverage TAHSN – which comprises ��ֱ�� and partner hospitals – to maximize research potential, accelerate translation of research and foster a renewed emphasis on commercialization and industry collaboration. “Our people flow back and forth across ��ֱ�� and partner health-care institutions, so we’re uniquely positioned to take advantage of this unique ecosystem,” she said.

To advance inter-disciplinary research, Robinson intends to strengthen Temerty Medicine’s ties with partners across ��ֱ��’s three campuses, including the Mississauga Academy of Medicine, Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH), the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“It’s a matter of thinking broadly about the broader environment and making sure we have opportunities to bring together people who wouldn’t normally work with one another.”

Cannabis use during pregnancy associated with adverse birth outcomes: Study

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 19:39:43 +0000

Cannabis use during pregnancy associated with adverse birth outcomes: Study

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 11/21/2023 - 14:39

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(photo by SDI Productions/Getty Images)

Temerty Faculty of Medicine staff

Topic

Breaking Research

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Institute of Medical Science

Infants prenatally exposed to cannabis are more likely to be born preterm, have a low birth weight and require neonatal intensive care than infants without prenatal cannabis exposure, a new study by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the University of Toronto has found.

Published in the journal Addiction, the study also found cannabis-exposed infants are not at greater risk of birth defects or death within one year, including sudden unexpected infant death.

“The global increase in cannabis use among women of reproductive age also extends to pregnant women,” says Maryam Sorkhou, a PhD student at ��ֱ��’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s Institute of Medical Science and lead author on the study. “We know that THC, the main psychoactive constituent in cannabis, can cross the placenta from mother to fetus and bind to receptors in the fetal brain.”

Sorkhou worked on the study with Tony George, a clinician-scientist at CAMH and a professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s department of psychiatry and Institute of Medical Science.

This study pooled the results of 57 prior studies from around the world.

Those studies occurred from 1984 to 2023, and collectively included health outcomes of more than 12 million infants, including more than 102,000 infants exposed to cannabis before birth.

For example, 20 of the studies included measured the association between intrauterine cannabis exposure and risk of preterm delivery.

In these, the combined results show that mothers using cannabis were over one and a half times more likely to have a preterm delivery compared with mothers not using cannabis during pregnancy.

Another 18 of the studies included also measured the risk of low birth weight.

In these, the combined results show that mothers using cannabis during pregnancy were more than twice as likely to have a low-birth-weight baby compared with mothers not using cannabis during pregnancy.

Ten of the studies included also measured the risk of requiring NICU admission.

In these, the combined results show that newborns with intrauterine cannabis exposure were more than twice as likely to require NICU admission than non-exposed newborns.

“Our study adds to that knowledge by showing that prenatal exposure to cannabis heightens the risk of several adverse birth outcomes,” Sorkhou says.

With the support of profs, Mitch De Snoo finds a way to balance PhD research and pro lacrosse

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 13:56:11 +0000

With the support of profs, Mitch De Snoo finds a way to balance PhD research and pro lacrosse

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 08/08/2022 - 09:56

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(Photo by Ryan McCullough)

Erin Howe

Topic

Our Community

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Hospital for Sick Children

Institute of Medical Science

Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology

Sports

Mitch De Snoo is not only completing his MD/PhD studies at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine – he has successful career as a professional lacrosse player, too.

De Snoo, who studies the basic mechanisms involved in memory formation, just completed the second year of his PhD studies at the Institute of Medical Science (IMS) in the lab of Professor Paul Frankland, who has appointments with IMS and physiology at Temerty Medicine and is a senior scientist at SickKids Research Institute.

De Snoo also plays defense for the Toronto Rock, and last month he was named Defensive Player of the Year by the National Lacrosse League (NLL), the world’s largest professional lacrosse organization.

He recently spoke with writer Erin Howe about how he balances science and sport.

What is the focus of your research?

I’m part of Professor Paul Frankland’s neurobiology lab at SickKids. Working with mouse models, we look at basic science factors that affect the saliency and longevity of memory. My project specifically uses a technique called calcium imaging to track the activity of neurons in the hippocampus, an essential structure for memory formation, while mice are engaged in learning tasks. Calcium imaging allows me to track the same neurons over extended periods of time so I can compare how their hippocampal representations of the task evolve with time. I also study how neurogenesis – the birth of new neurons during adulthood, and a process that is unique to the hippocampus – affects these memories.

What sparked your interest in this area?

I’m interested in neurodegenerative diseases and, in particular, Parkinson's disease. My father had Parkinson’s and was diagnosed when he was quite young, which influenced me to do research and pursue studies in medicine.

When I was doing my master’s degree in laboratory medicine and pathobiology in [Associate] Professor Suneil Kalia’s lab, I explored the cell biology involved in some of the pathways known to cause genetic forms of Parkinson’s disease.

Difficulties related to memory and cognition are among the most concerning symptoms in Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases. My goal is to better understand the fundamental science underlying memory so that I can eventually apply the concepts and techniques that I am learning in my PhD to study the pathophysiology and treatment of disease in my own research program in the future.

What drew you to lacrosse?

I'm very lucky things have worked out as they have.

I played lacrosse and hockey while I was growing up in Oshawa and never imagined that playing sports would become more than a pastime – it just sort of happened.

I was older than many players are when I began to play competitively. Some of the other people I played with were recruited for scholarship opportunities at universities in the United States. When I realized that could be a possibility for me, it was exciting. I was recruited to study at and play for Drexel University in Philadelphia. Each summer, I returned home to Canada to play in the competitive leagues here.

At some point, I was ranked on an NLL draft board and people were talking to me about prospects and playing professionally – I was surprised! Then, when I finished my undergraduate degree in 2015, I was drafted to the Calgary Roughnecks. While I initially made the team out of training camp, I was traded to play for the Buffalo Bandits in New York State before the season began. I played my first five seasons in Buffalo.

When did you join the Toronto Rock?

I was traded to the Toronto Rock early in 2020, a few weeks after our league announced a shutdown due the COVID-19 pandemic. With public health precautions remaining in place, this past 2021-22 season was the first time I got to play with the team. It was a tremendous experience to be able to play for the hometown team that I watched when I was a kid. Once it was safe for friends and family to begin coming to see our games toward the end of the year, it was great.

What was your reaction to learning you’d been named Defensive Player of the Year?

It was pretty shocking. Even though it all worked out in the end, I never thought it would be possible to have a career in the NLL. I was just focused on doing my best and becoming a better player each year.

How do you balance the demands of academic life with the rigours of professional sport?

I’ve been fortunate to work with supportive faculty members like Professors Frankland and Kalia and to do the kind of research that allows me to manage my own time. And although the NLL is a professional league, we only play games during weekends. Our team practices are also capped to once a week and I do other workouts during the week around my research schedule. When I’m on the road, I also find time to work at my computer, whether I’m on a plane or fitting in time during the afternoon between our morning shootaround and gametime in the evening.

How are cancer patients cared for during COVID-19? ��ֱ��'s Fei-Fei Lu on the changes at Princess Margaret

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 13:45:38 +0000

How are cancer patients cared for during COVID-19? ��ֱ��'s Fei-Fei Lu on the changes at Princess Margaret

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 08/18/2020 - 09:45

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(photo by Blaise Calaycay)

Ciara Parsons

Topic

Our Community

Coronavirus

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Cancer

Faculty of Medicine

Institute of Medical Science

Princess Margaret Hospital

Like many other aspects of society, the way doctors care for cancer patients has been transformed in the face of COVID-19.

Fei-Fei Liu is the chair of the department of radiation oncology at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine. She is also a professor in the departments of medical biophysics, otolaryngology, the Institute of Medical Science and the department of radiation oncology, and is the chief of the radiation medicine program at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

She also served as the chair of the medical advisory committee at the University Health Network from 2018 to 2020.

Liu recently spoke to Faculty of Medicine writer Ciara Parsons about how the pandemic has affected patients with cancer and how the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre has responded.

Can you tell me about your role as the chief of radiation medicine at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre?

As the chief, I help to manage and operate one the world’s largest single-site radiation departments. We have a team of about 350 highly dedicated professionals, and the world’s largest collection of cutting-edge equipment for radiation therapy.

At the Princess Margaret, we deliver more than 11,000 courses of radiation to patients each year.

How has cancer care changed in the face of COVID-19?

The way we deliver radiation therapy to patients has changed. Traditionally, radiation therapy is delivered to patients over several weeks. The patient comes in every single working day to receive their treatment.

However, when COVID-19 hit, we started to think about how we could change this process so that patients have less exposure to hospital settings, especially for our older patients.

Emerging research has shown that we can actually treat patients using a much shorter radiation regimen, reducing the total time from the traditional five weeks, down to three weeks, or even one week in some instances.

Our team at the Princess Margaret worked extremely hard on modifying the processes in switching to this shorter delivery method, and have pivoted rapidly because of the pandemic. In mobilizing this approach, we are ensuring that we can still deliver the safest and highest quality radiation care for our cancer patients, but in a much shorter time period.

What are some ways COVID-19 has impacted patients with cancer?

One of the major ways COVID-19 has impacted patients receiving cancer care is the deferral of radiation and other treatments. This was done so that we could limit patients’ visits to the hospital and keep them at home, unless it was absolutely necessary for them to come in.

As part of our role, we look closely at the window of time that we have between patients’ surgery and the time when we must start the radiation treatments and try to optimize that interval. We need to ensure that care is delivered safely. We also need to make sure it’s done within the appropriate time frame and that it will ensure the best clinical outcome for our patients.

This can be challenging sometimes because some patients do not wish to defer their radiation treatments, even if it’s safe to do so. I remember having a challenging conversation with a patient who wanted to have all of her radiation treatments over with and was upset at the idea of having to defer her care despite COVID-19.

However, when patients need treatment urgently, we will treat them immediately.

What has your experience with virtual care been like?

Since we are trying to avoid asking patients to come into the hospital for appointments, we have rapidly switched much of our care to a virtual format, and are now having these appointments either through video or phone calls. Right now, approximately 50 per cent of the activities we perform in our clinics are being done virtually. To deliver virtual care, we have been using the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN).

The OTN has been around for a long time, but with COVID-19 there has been a massive shift in our use of this platform. When we first switched to virtual care, there were a few technical issues to work through, but we have now landed on other solutions that also work well for our group of providers.

Virtual care is a good solution to delivering cancer care under the right circumstances. However, there are some aspects of in-person care that it cannot replace.

For instance, seeing new patients whom I have never met before and explaining radiation treatment to them is different when this meeting is now being conducted over the phone or on video calls. You cannot see the patients’ body language or have as acute a sense of their anxiety or fear.

I think this is difficult because the rapport that we have built with our patients over time has been developed based on face-to-face connections and this type of virtual interaction, particularly with new patients who have never met us, might potentially impact their sense of trust in us as physicians.

There can be benefits, though. For patients with whom I already have established relationships, virtual care is proving to be very effective and follow-up clinics are a lot easier for these patients since they no longer have to come down to the hospital.

What have you learned during the pandemic?

Pre-COVID-19, we used virtual care mostly for patients who lived far away from the hospital.

Our use of virtual care has increased during the pandemic – in a good way. Everyone sees value in continuing with virtual care and integrating it as part of our routine workflow in a post-pandemic setting. This approach streamlines a lot of the care we deliver, and is definitely easier for patients.

Of course, there are limitations to virtual care in that phone calls and video visits do not replace the type of in-person care that patients would normally receive. There is no question that for patients who are sick or who need to be examined, in-person care is the only way to properly assess and care for them.

Do you think the pandemic has highlighted any specific issues?

I think the pandemic has underscored the harsh realities of health disparities.

With data showing that specific populations have been more affected by COVID-19, it’s clear that socio-economic status and geography play a large role in health outcomes.

In cancer care as well, we sometimes see that patients who are economically disadvantaged might experience more distress as they may not have access to the necessary supports or resources they need.

Fortunately, at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, we do provide access to social supports for our patients who require these services. As a health-care leader, it is really important to me that we address these gaps successfully and ask what we can do to help.

I also believe the pandemic has shone a light on the racism that exists in our society. At the beginning of the pandemic, we heard a lot of concerns about how COVID-19 had spread globally, which led to a lot of anti-Asian racism.

As an Asian physician, I want people to know that there are a lot of Asian health-care leaders and front-line providers who have been working extremely hard in treating patients during these very challenging COVID-19 times and trying our best to mitigate the effects of this pandemic on all of our patients.

Cannabis Innovation Summit to officially launch ��ֱ��-led research consortium

noreen.rasbach — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 14:44:35 +0000

Cannabis Innovation Summit to officially launch ��ֱ��-led research consortium

noreen.rasbach Tue, 04/02/2019 - 10:44

Cutline

(photo by Matrain via Dreamstime)

Topic

Institute of Medical Science

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

Research & Innovation

Researchers from the University of Toronto and its affiliated hospitals will meet this week to launch a partnership focused on the health effects of cannabis and related compounds.

The Toronto Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Consortium (TC3) has attracted dozens of members and will officially launch Thursday at the Cannabis Innovation Summit, part of Health Innovation Week.

Ruth Ross, a professor and chair of the Faculty of Medicine's pharmacology and toxicology department, is a member of the TC3 steering committee, which is comprised of four other ��ֱ�� faculty members – Tony George, a professor of psychiatry; Lakshmi Kotra, a professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy; Bernard LeFoll, a professor in the departments of family and community medicine, pharmacology and toxicology, psychiatry and the Institute of Medical Science; and Romina Mizrahi, an associate professor in the departments of psychiatry, pharmacology and toxicology and the Institute of Medical Science.

Ross spoke with writer Jim Oldfield about the consortium, the emerging science and the perils and potential of cannabis legalization.

How big is the consortium?

We have over 50 members, who each bring trainees, so we number well over 100 at this point. Members are principal investigators with a faculty appointment at ��ֱ��, based at the university or a Toronto academic hospital, and we’re drawing people from right across that network. There is lots of cannabis and related work going on at ��ֱ��, but we’re really focused on cannabis and cannabinoid research that pertains to health, so the related benefits, safety and potential harms.

We see the consortium as having three pillars: the chemistry and biology that underlies how cannabis and cannabinoids work, or drug discovery and delivery; clinical or translational research; and public health. The landscape is changing very quickly with the legalization of cannabis, and for Canada to lead the way we need robust, world-class research, quickly translated to drive the public health agenda. We’re very well-positioned in Toronto to do that.

What are the priorities in your three main areas?

We need to know more about mechanisms of action and the pharmacokinetics, or how cannabis and cannabinoids interact with different systems in the body. That’s pre-clinical work in cells such as neurons or cancer cells, and in other model systems. We’ll also look at how the endocannabinoid system and cannabis work in different clinical conditions, and at potential harms in maternal use and effects on brain development. That’s the first pillar.

The second area is clinical research on several conditions including pain, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy and cancer. We need to know a lot more about efficacy and safety in these conditions, and that will require clinical trials and measuring harms in the clinic. A lot of this work will run through the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and will focus on cannabis use disorder, risk for schizophrenia and cannabis-induced psychosis, but also potential clinical use of certain cannabinoids.

The third pillar is public health, and there are a host of issues here, from youth psychiatry and maternal health to second-hand smoke and driving while intoxicated.

What advantages will the consortium bring to help address these issues and questions?

I think we’ll be unique in Canada given our size and scope. ��ֱ�� is so big, and together with our clinical partners, the Toronto Academic Health Science Network really is a research powerhouse. This consortium will create all kinds of intersects across basic and clinical science and public health, and with experts working in many areas and the benefits of Toronto’s diverse patient population, we should be able to move nimbly into this space and make a real difference.

And there is an urgent need for that – many of the products in use now are much higher potency than in the past and there is a dearth of data on their effects. Many of the claims of benefit related to cannabis and CBD (cannabidiol) need to be backed up with good evidence.

Can industry help improve our data?

Well, cannabis is a multibillion-dollar industry, and we need funding for evidence-based research. I think it’s fair to ask the cannabis industry to support quality research that is publicly available. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research have stepped up recently with an integrated cannabis research strategy and significant funding, and we hope to organize team applications for those grants. But research is expensive, particularly clinical research to demonstrate safety and efficacy and to follow the long-term outcomes for higher dose products or high CBD in recreational cannabis users. Washington State Initiative 502 directed a portion of the tax revenue from marijuana production and sales to support university research on the short- and long-term effects of cannabis use and for dissemination of findings. We could conceivably set up a similar structure or non-profit organization that could direct research funding in Canada.

What is the most exciting research in this area right now?

There is a lot going on, but endocannabinoid research is very exciting. We’ve known for a long time that the cannabinoid system is everywhere in the brain and nervous system. It’s a key player in appetite, sleep, stress, memory and many other systems, and it responds differently to cannabis, its components including THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD, and other ingredients under different conditions. Response also depends on dose, frequency of use, age, genetics and other variables.

But we’re starting to understand the endocannabinoid system, which was only discovered in 1992, and to find out different illnesses affect it. This is fabulously interesting science, and it will be crucial in creating therapies that are safe and effective and to minimizing the potential harms of cannabis.

Body of work: The pioneering women behind the groundbreaking Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy

Romi Levine — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Body of work: The pioneering women behind the groundbreaking Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy

Romi Levine Thu, 03/07/2019 - 00:00

Cutline

Dorothy Chubb's medical illustration for Grant's Atlas of Anatomy (courtesy of ��ֱ��'s biomedical communications program)

Topic

Institute of Medical Science

��ֱ�� Mississauga

Their drawings are detailed and precise, yet they capture the beauty of the human body – a feat that makes the work of some of Canada’s earliest medical illustrators worthy of both a gallery wall and the pages of a textbook.

“The way was paved by women and has been largely dominated by women who have been leaders in the field in this country,” says Jodie Jenkinson, associate director of the Master of Science in Biomedical Communications program at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

Many of the women who laid the foundation for medical illustration in Canada were also behind the drawings in the groundbreaking Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy. The text, illustrated by Dorothy Foster Chubb, Nancy Joy and a number of other women over the years, helped to change the way the body was studied and understood by medical professionals all over the world.

Before the Second World War, most of the anatomy atlases were produced in Germany. When the war began, those texts were either embargoed or harder to come by – a problem that became an opportunity for J.C.B Grant, who was then the chair of anatomy at ��ֱ��.

He proposed a new kind of anatomy atlas – one that used English anatomical terms instead of Latin, and looked at regions of the body (for example, head and neck or limbs) as opposed to systems, such as skeletal, circulatory or nervous.

This approach was more in line with how people actually practised medicine, says Nicholas Woolridge, director of ��ֱ��’s biomedical communications.

“It’s the way you dissect a cadaver and the way you do surgery,” he says.

Various editions of Grant's Atlas of Anatomy, housed at ��ֱ�� Mississauga's Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex (photo by Romi Levine)

Grant needed illustrators, so he approached Maria Wishart, who was the founder and head of the Medical Art Service in the Faculty of Medicine.

The service was originally created to provide ��ֱ�� divisions with medical images and models. Over the years it evolved – first becoming a certificate program in 1945 called Art as Applied to Medicine, a bachelor of science program in the 1960s, and then a graduate program in the 1990s, when it was renamed biomedical communications.

Wishart recommended Chubb (pictured left) to Grant. She was working with Wishart at the Medical Art Service after studying at Johns Hopkins University under Max Brödel, who is considered the father of modern medical illustration.

Chubb agreed to work with Grant under one condition:

“Apparently she said to Grant, ‘I'll agree to do this as long as you don't pressure me,’” says Woolridge. “Perhaps she knew he was going to be demanding and exacting in his standards and, at that time, she had a young family and wasn't necessarily looking for something that would fill her days.”

It was a bold request for a woman in the 1940s when the field of medicine was dominated by men, but Grant complied.

In turn, Chubb produced hundreds of drawings for the atlas’s first edition, published in 1943 in two volumes.

Creating the illustrations was no easy task.

“This profession embodies this ability to take in very complex information and translate that into a form that other people can understand,” says Jenkinson.

Chubb's illustration of a skull for the atlas (courtesy of ��ֱ�� biomedical communications)

Grant and his assistants would perform dissections that would be photographed and printed out on large transparencies, says Woolridge. The prints would be placed on a light table where they would be traced by the illustrators, forming the base for the drawing.

Details would be added to the drawing using a carbon pencil on cold press illustration board.

“The technique they used is one that's relatively unique to medical illustration, called carbon dust,” says Wooldridge. “To get the tone in, they would rub carbon against sandpaper to get a pile of carbon dust and they would apply that with a paint brush. You would get these lovely even tonal gradations with an amount of contrast that would reproduce really well.”

Chubb was a master of this technique, he says. “Dorothy Chubb's work is very visually distinctive – I could recognize it immediately… It's really beautifully observed, and has a really strong sense of a light source and a really strong three dimensional sense.”

The success of the atlas sparked a need for medical illustrators in Canada, which is how the Medical Art Service became Art as Applied to Medicine at ��ֱ��, says Jenkinson.

Joy with a copy of Grant's Atlas of Anatomy (courtesy of ��ֱ�� biomedical communications)

And women flocked to the profession.

“I think in part it was that it was not very common for women to enter medical school at that time but it was also a career that afforded women the luxury of also being able to have a family and raise children because they weren't in the surgical theatre around the clock,” says Jenkinson.

The field also attracted women who were interested in both anatomy and art, says Woolridge.

“It was hard to be a woman and to be an artist in those days since there were institutional and societal barriers to success at the time.”

Women continued to dominate the medical illustration field in Canada. Joy, who illustrated Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy in subsequent editions, became chair of Art as Applied to Medicine in the 1960s.

Margot Mackay, a professor emerita in the department, was taught by Joy and eventually worked alongside her. She remembers her as being “very strong willed and strong-minded.”

“There were very few female chairs in any of the departments back in those days,” says Mackay.

Grant’s perfectionism with the atlas rubbed off on Joy in the way she taught her students, she says.

“She never really felt you were finished.”

Though the atlas’s publisher is based in Baltimore, Md., ��ֱ�� has always played a large part in its production.

Anatomy Professor Anne Agur, in the Faculty of Medicine’s department of surgery, is the current co-editor of the atlas, and recent biomedical communications alumni were hired to create colourized versions of the illustrations for the latest edition.

“There's now this very colourful, very refreshed version of the atlas where the illustrations are for the first time published at their full quality,” says Woolridge of the 14^th edition.

But those full quality images could never have happened if it weren’t for one editor in Baltimore.

In the early 1990s, the publisher scanned the original drawings with technology available at the time, which wasn’t of the highest quality, says Woolridge.

“They were in the process of clearing out archives and were considering sending the original illustrations to a landfill,” he says.

Luckily, an editor recognized their value and contacted ��ֱ�� to see if it would be interested in accepting the drawings.

“We of course said yes and they were sent up in these two coffin-like boxes just piled higgledy piggledy with no organization,” says Woolridge.

Woolridge and Jenkinson pose in front of an enlarged illustration by Chubb (photo by Romi Levine)

The drawings are now stored carefully at ��ֱ�� Mississauga and, with the help of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant, the department was able to create high-quality digital scans of the collection, which are being used in the current edition of the atlas.

Over time, the field of medical illustration has changed and expanded to include research, new technologies, and a deeper exploration of the body from a cellular level.

“We're teaching students how to become strong visual communicators and visual problem solvers,” says Jenkinson.

��ֱ��’s biomedical communication program is the only accredited program of its kind in Canada and one of four in North America. And today, Toronto has the highest concentration of medical illustrators in the world, says Jenkinson.

“The profession as a whole has changed and women have been a big part of that.”

A painting of Joy welcomes those who come to browse the archives of drawings from Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy (photo by Romi Levine)

Machine learning could improve treatment for children with arthritis: ��ֱ�� study

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 19:47:30 +0000

Machine learning could improve treatment for children with arthritis: ��ֱ�� study

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 02/27/2019 - 14:47

Cutline

Researchers at ��ֱ�� used a computational approach, based on machine learning, to classify patients into seven distinct groups according to the patterns of swollen or painful joints in the body (photo by utah778 via Getty Images)

Jovana Drinjakovic

Topic

Breaking Research

Pediatrics

Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research

Artificial Intelligence

Computer Science

Faculty of Arts & Science

Graduate Students

Hospital for Sick Children

Immunology

Institute of Medical Science

machine learning

Molecular Genetics

Research & Innovation

Vector Institute

Arthritis is not just an ailment of old age – it can affect children too, causing lifelong pain and disability in its most severe forms. Fortunately, some kids grow out of it. Even so, knowing which patients will develop milder forms of disease could spare them unnecessary treatment and potential medication side-effects. However, doctors currently have no way of predicting the disease’s course or severity.

But that could be about to change thanks to a machine learning tool developed by University of Toronto researchers: Quaid Morris, a professor at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research who is cross-appointed to the departments of computer science and molecular genetics; Rae Yeung, a professor of paediatrics, immunology and medical science; and Simon Eng, who was working on his PhD.

Writing in the journal Plos Medicine, the researchers describe a computational approach based on machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence in which the computer learns to recognize recurrent patterns from a sea of data, that was able to classify patients into seven distinct groups according to the patterns of swollen or painful joints in the body. Moreover, the algorithm accurately predicted which children will go into remission faster and which ones will develop a more severe form of disease.

“The final stage of treatment is very effective in some children, but also very expensive, and it’s not clear what the long-term effects are,” says Morris, who is also faculty member at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence and an inaugural AI Chair at the Canadian Institute for Advancement of Research.

“When you are inhibiting the function of the immune system, this type of treatment can be associated with potential side-effects including increased risk of infection and others.”

An estimated 24,000 Canadian children suffer from arthritis. While its triggers remain unclear, the disease occurs when the immune system mistakes the body’s own cells for foreign invaders, attacking the lining of the joints to cause swelling, pain and possibly long-lasting damage. There is currently no cure and the treatment consists of progressively more aggressive and costly medications – starting with anti-inflammatory pain relief drugs, such as ibuprofen, to stronger drugs including methotrexate (a chemotherapy agent), steroids, and biological agents that switch off parts of the immune system.

“Knowing which children will benefit from which treatment at which time is really the cornerstone of personalized medicine and the question doctors and families want answered when children are first diagnosed,” says Yeung, who is also a paediatric rheumatologist and a senior Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children.

As a first step, the researchers set out to subtype the children who developed arthritis but had not been treated with medications yet. They analysed clinical data from 640 children that was collected between 2005 and 2010 as part of the pan-Canadian study Research in Arthritis in Canadian Children Emphasizing Outcomes. All children received detailed physical examinations as part of their care. That included documenting the location of painful joints in the body, which are also known as “active joints.”

The data revealed seven major patterns of joint activity: in the pelvic area, fingers, wrists, toes, knees, ankles and an indistinct pattern. While the majority of children fell into a single category, one third of patients had active joints that belonged to more than one group. These patients with non-localized joint involvement generally had worse outcomes and took longer to go into remission than the patients whose active joints fell into a single pattern.

Although unique patterns of joint involvement are recognized at the bedside, the current patient classification for childhood arthritis only takes into account the overall number of affected joints. Better descriptions of joint involvement are needed to predict disease course and disease severity, according to the researchers. The data showed children with non-localized joint involvement present a special case. Physicians had already observed this as they were treating these children with strong medications, but were still not able to control the disease.

“Identifying this group of children early will help us target the right treatments early and prevent unnecessary pain and disability from ongoing active disease,” says Yeung.

Because of the disease’s complexity, with multiple joints affected and in a way that can change over time, as well as a relatively small number of patients available, the team had to look beyond standard statistical methods to detect patterns of joint pain.

“We had to use machine learning just to detect these seven patterns of disease in the first place,” says Morris, whose team modified the technique known as multilayer non-negative matrix factorization.

“And then we realized there are some children who do not fall into any of the patterns and they have a very bad version of the disease. Now we understand the disease much better and we can group children into these different categories to predict response to treatment, how fast do they go into remission and whether or not we can tell they are in remission and remove therapy.”
The study was funded by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the SickKids Foundation.

Lipids may predict which gestational diabetes patients will develop Type 2: ��ֱ�� study

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 20:07:17 +0000

Lipids may predict which gestational diabetes patients will develop Type 2: ��ֱ�� study

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 02/22/2019 - 15:07

Cutline

Post-doctoral researcher Saifur Khan (left) and Associate Professor Brian Cox (right) were among the researchers who looked at a group of about a thousand women in Southern California who had gestational diabetes (photo by Erin Howe)

Topic

Institute of Medical Science

Physiology

Research & Innovation

Every year in Canada as many as 20 per cent of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes mellitus – a transient form of diabetes – and are about seven times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes in the future.

While there aren’t many tools to predict who will ultimately develop the chronic condition, research co-led by the University of Toronto's Michael Wheeler and Brian Cox in the Faculty of Medicine's department of physiology is shedding new light on how to determine whether or not women who’ve had GDM will eventually go on to develop Type 2.

The study, whose first author was post-doctoral researcher Saifur Khan, was recently published in the journal Diabetologia.

“Everybody wants to believe they’ll be in the 50 per cent who won’t develop Type 2 diabetes,” says Cox, who is an associate professor.

“If we could be more confident in predicting who will or won’t get diabetes, that might motivate people to come back for assessment or take on lifestyle interventions to help them reduce their disease risk.”

The study looked at a group of about 1,000 women in Southern California who had gestational diabetes. After they delivered, scientists followed the women’s health for nearly a decade using oral glucose tolerance tests and a variety of other biochemical and lifestyle tests.

The team identified seven lipids that – depending on their levels – predicted with 92 per cent accuracy whether the women would develop Type 2. To do it, they used mass spectrometry and artificial intelligence, a technique that can quantify and identify compounds within a sample and help researchers better understand the makeup of different molecules and their association with diabetes risk.

“Everybody focuses on blood sugar. But circulating fats – also known as lipids – are also important in the disease,” says Wheeler, a professor who also has appointments in the department of medicine and the Institute of Medical Science.

“The relationship could be causal, through obesity or the types of fats people have in their diets. Knowing this, we used lipidomics – which allowed us to look at more than a thousand lipids in a short time from one small blood sample.”

Genetics, regional differences and environmental factors can all influence people’s lipid levels. The hope is to find a simple lipid signature that is common among all women that can predict diabetes. The seven lipids identified in this study represent a significant step towards this goal with respect to those with gestational diabetes who transition to Type 2.

The team plans to explore whether their findings are more broadly applicable.

As a next step, Wheeler and Cox hope to develop a test that could be used in a clinical chemistry lab, where many patients already have multiple types of blood work done. Cox points out there are already assays to measure other lipids like cholesterol. Now, the pair say it’s a question of developing something similar to test for the seven lipids identified in the study.

The idea, says Wheeler, is to create a simple test to more accurately predict future Type 2 using a small blood sample taken before women leave the hospital after delivering their babies – or even a few weeks or months later.

The Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Canada currently recommends women who’ve had gestational diabetes be screened for diabetes between six weeks and six months following delivery, with annual follow ups after that. But less than half of this group take the initial test and just 20 per cent go back for their annual screen.

Wheeler and Cox’s most recent study builds on earlier research published in 2016 in which they identified a series of metabolites that could predict Type 2 in women who had experienced gestational diabetes.

They’ve patented some of their earlier findings and connected with ��ֱ��’s Innovations & Partnerships Office in the hopes of one day developing a diagnostic test. However, the pair emphasizes that a clinical application for their findings is still years away.

Wheeler says it may be possible to use the research to help develop a screening tool for all patients, which could have a massive impact globally.

“It shows the necessity of discovery-based science when it comes to developing things that could be translated into new medical applications,” says Cox. “There’s a lot of pressure on translation, but if we don’t do this basic research, there’s nothing to translate.”

The research was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Black History Month: What's your advice for the next generation in the Faculty of Medicine?

davidlee1 — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 17:36:52 +0000

Black History Month: What's your advice for the next generation in the Faculty of Medicine?

davidlee1 Wed, 02/13/2019 - 12:36

Cutline

Don't be afraid to reach out, advises Ikran Ali, a master's of science candidate in the Institute of Medical Science at ��ֱ�� (all photos by Julia Soudat)

Topic

Institute of Medical Science

Speech Language Pathology

For Black History Month, the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine asked members of its community to share their advice for the next generation of Black students who are interested in clinical or research careers.

Here's what they said.

Josiah Osagie

Josiah Osagie is a fourth-year student in the MD Program.

The first and most important thing is to recognize the validity of your desire to become something in this world. You must have noticed by now that not many people in your classes – students and professors – look like you. Do not let this dissuade you. Connect with students who are like-minded and as driven as you are. It is vital to surround yourself with people that push you to be better. Take advantage of the resources available to you, for they are abundant.

It is essential to engage authentically with the community around you: join a student association, volunteer at a library, advocate for something you care about. Don't do so simply for your CV or medical school application – although these are important – but because connecting with community enriches you. It gives value to your life and purpose to your work.

Finally, be bold. You are capable, intelligent and industrious. Go forth and show it to the world.

Diandra Benjamin

Diandra Benjamin is a Master of Health Science candidate in the department of speech-language pathology.

Growing up in the Caribbean, I observed that a career in health care typically translated to the traditional careers of “nurse” or “doctor” – rewarding professions in and of themselves. As I began to consider a career in health care, I ran the risk of being pigeon-holed. Through the years, I have come to know the incredible range of health-care careers that tap into various personalities, interests, and client populations. I encourage those considering health care as a career option to venture into the unknown!

How? The value of networking cannot be understated. Networking is an opportunity to build connections with professionals in your field and tap into opportunities that are simply amiss in the classroom. One of the additional benefits of networking is finding a mentor: someone that has stood in your shoes and can offer support to help you scale the ladder to success.

In my experience, I have also observed that Black students in health fields are sorely underrepresented. Truth be told, you may find yourself to be the only one that looks like you. At its surface, this can be an unsettling reality. However, be assured that your presence is of value; your voice is of value. Diversity fosters open dialogue between people of many different backgrounds to yield enriching educational experiences.

I will always remember the moment a little girl at my clinical placement beamed and said, “you have the same skin as me!” To this day, I cannot fully appreciate what the simple observation meant to her, but I can appreciate that my presence was meaningful – and that I will always treasure.

Ikran Ali

Ikran Ali is a master's of science candidate in the Institute of Medical Science.

Seek out research opportunities (research positions, scholarships, grants, funding) as soon as you can. Don’t be afraid to reach out to professors, mentors and other students for advice or guidance. People are usually willing to help – a simple email can take you a long way. Also, don’t be too shy to follow up. Sometimes people are busy and forget to get back to you or they missed your email.

Make sure you volunteer and join committees to meet other people and learn about events or programs that can help you excel in your career.

Tarimobo Otobo

Tarimobo Otobo is a master's of science candidate in the Institue of Medical Science.

Fundamentally, you will have to love your choice. Challenges are unavoidable in any chosen career and at difficult times, your passion will be the source of resilience. Your personal interest and desire expertise because of your interest and passion for inquiry and ingenuity to add to the body of knowledge.

All facets of medical sciences are important and complementary. A successful career will be dependent on how successful you become in your chosen area of expertise because of your interest and passion for inquiry and ingenuity to add to the body of knowledge.

Most important – and perhaps often neglected – is the leadership and mentorship you receive. In my career experience, I have seen promising dreams being threatened by challenging mentorship and leadership, and unpropitious personalities excelling in their career because of good mentorship and leadership. Therefore, I can’t emphasize enough the need to identify a mentor early on as a role model and explore possibilities of mutual benefits and compatibility.

Finally, hard work makes geniuses. A guided effort with diligence will result in a successful career.

Telisha Smith-Gorvie

Telisha Smith-Gorview is an emergency medicine physician in the University Health Network and an assistant professor in the department of medicine.

Believe in yourself.

There is a false perception in some parts of society that Black students are less able or less capable, so believe that you also have the ability to succeed. Ask lots of questions, reach out to groups like Community of Support.

It'll take hard work – and then some harder work – but if pursuing a career in medicine and/or research interests you, go for it and see where it takes you!

Lina Elfaki

Lina Elfaki is a master's of science candidate in the Institute of Medical Science.

One piece of advice I wish I knew earlier in my studies is to be wary of other people’s advice! Yes, seriously! Often, you may be one of a few Black/minority students in your course, lab or even program, so others may not sufficiently appreciate your experiences or struggles. Thus, their advice may be irrelevant to you and you need to take it with a grain of salt.

Instead, find supportive mentors and allies who you trust in your field(s) of interest who can offer constructive criticism. Personally, I have often been deterred by friends or supervisors who underestimated my perseverance. However, through my undergraduate studies, I learned to appreciate my unique strengths and how my privilege to attend an elite institution like ��ֱ�� requires me to create inclusive spaces for other minority students.

Therefore, when looking for a research supervisor for my graduate studies at the Institute of Medical Science, I made sure to choose a supervisor that not only cultivates my research advancements, but also encourages my personal career progress. Thankfully, Dr. Howard Leong-Poi has incredibly supported me, both academically and personally.

Aisha Lofters

Aisha Lofters is an assistant professor and clinician scientist, in the department of family and community medicine. She is also a provincial primary care lead for the cancer screening portfolio at Cancer Care Ontario.

Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. A lot of research is about convincing others how good you are. Convincing them that your idea should be funded, that your salary should be funded, that you should be hired for this position. Often, we are taught that we must be humble, or we don’t have the same supports as others do reinforcing how successful we have been.

But this is the time to celebrate your accomplishments. Be confident, tell them why YOU are the best one for the role, why YOUR idea is the best one for the funding opportunity. Don’t sell yourself short; others might so you can’t afford to!

Institute of Medical Science

����ֱ�� community members recognized with Order of Canada

Current and former faculty

����ֱ�� and Friends

Read about more ����ֱ�� community members recognized with the Order of Canada in recent years

Lisa Robinson appointed dean of ����ֱ��’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Cannabis use during pregnancy associated with adverse birth outcomes: Study

Read more about the study at the journal Addiction

With the support of profs, Mitch De Snoo finds a way to balance PhD research and pro lacrosse

How are cancer patients cared for during COVID-19? ����ֱ��'s Fei-Fei Lu on the changes at Princess Margaret

Cannabis Innovation Summit to officially launch ����ֱ��-led research consortium

Body of work: The pioneering women behind the groundbreaking Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy

Machine learning could improve treatment for children with arthritis: ����ֱ�� study

Lipids may predict which gestational diabetes patients will develop Type 2: ����ֱ�� study

Black History Month: What's your advice for the next generation in the Faculty of Medicine?

Josiah Osagie

Diandra Benjamin

Ikran Ali

Tarimobo Otobo

Telisha Smith-Gorvie

Lina Elfaki

Aisha Lofters

��ֱ�� community members recognized with Order of Canada

��ֱ�� and Friends

Read about more ��ֱ�� community members recognized with the Order of Canada in recent years

Lisa Robinson appointed dean of ��ֱ��’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine

How are cancer patients cared for during COVID-19? ��ֱ��'s Fei-Fei Lu on the changes at Princess Margaret

Cannabis Innovation Summit to officially launch ��ֱ��-led research consortium

Machine learning could improve treatment for children with arthritis: ��ֱ�� study

Lipids may predict which gestational diabetes patients will develop Type 2: ��ֱ�� study