FACULTY
Dr. Meghan Azad, professor of pediatrics and child health and Canada Research Chair in developmental origins of chronic disease, is the 2022 recipient of the Steacie Prize – one of Canada’s most coveted awards for researchers 40 years or younger. Read more.
Dr. Lorne Bellan, professor of ophthalmology, is the recipient of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also the recipient of the Canadian Society of Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Mandy Buss, Indigenous health lead for the department of family medicine and director of the Indigenous health longitudinal curriculum for undergraduate medical education, is the recipient of a 2023 Canadian Association for Medical Education Certificate of Merit Award, which recognizes senior faculty who have made an exceptional contribution to medical education in Canadian medical schools. Read more.
Debra Beach Ducharme, director of Indigenous health integration, Ongomiizwin – Education, is the recipient of a 2023 Canadian Association for Medical Education Certificate of Merit Award, which recognizes senior faculty who have made an exceptional contribution to medical education in Canadian medical schools. Read more.
Dr. Evelyn Forget, a professor of community health sciences and academic director at the Manitoba Research Data Centre, is the recipient of the 2022 Dr. John M. Bowman Memorial Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation Award in recognition of the important impact of her work to improve the lives of Canadians living in poverty. Read more.
Dr. Katherine Kearns, an assistant professor of family medicine, received a Doctors Manitoba Medal of Excellence. Read more.
Dr. Biniam Kidane, assistant professor of surgery, received a Doctors Manitoba Medal of Excellence. Read more.
Dr. Sally Longstaffe, senior academic advisor in undergraduate medical education student affairs office, is the recipient of a 2023 Canadian Association for Medical Education Certificate of Merit Award, which recognizes senior faculty who have made an exceptional contribution to medical education in Canadian medical schools. Read more.
Dr. Michael Loudon, a clinical teacher, received a Doctors Manitoba Medal of Excellence. Read more.
Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie, professor of internal medicine and community health sciences, is the recipient of the Barancik Prize for Innovation in Multiple Sclerosis Research. Read more.
Tamara McColl, director of education scholarship and faculty development in the department of emergency medicine, was named Doctors Manitoba Humanitarian of the Year. Read more.
Dr. Maggie Morris, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences, received a Doctors Manitoba Award for Distinguished Service. Read more.
Dr. Christina Raimondi, lecturer of family medicine, received a Doctors Manitoba Medal of Excellence. Read more.
Dr. David Safronetz, adjunct professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases, is the recipient of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations Leadership Award for Excellence in Vaccine Research. Read more.
Dr. Audrey Swift, senior instructor of community health sciences, received a Magnificent Women’s Awards Gala 2023 Women in Health Sciences Award presented by the University of Manitoba Students’ Union’s Women’s Centre. The honour is awarded to a woman who has demonstrated achievements in the field of health sciences as well as being a strong role model for all women in health sciences.
Dr. Cornelia van Ineveld, associate professor of internal medicine and Geriatric Medicine Subspecialty Residency program director, has been designated a Fellow in the Canadian Geriatrics Society. Fellowship is an acknowledgment of outstanding and continuing work in the field of geriatrics and gerontology.
Dr. Ryan Zarychanski, associate professor of internal medicine, was named Doctors Manitoba Physician of the Year. Read more.
RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
Dr. Vidyanand Anaparti, a research associate in the department of internal medicine, made Arthritis Society Canada’s Top 10 Research Advances of 2022. Read more.
ALUMNI
Dr. Courtney Leary, who completed her MD degree and family medicine residency at UM, received a Doctors Manitoba Medal of Excellence. Read more.
RESIDENTS
Dr. Georgia Chappell, a resident, is the recipient of a 2023 Canadian Association for Medical Education Rising Star – Certificate of Excellence Award, which recognizes learners who have demonstrated a commitment to medical education that has had a positive impact for the health professions education community. Read more.
Dr. Alwyn Gomez, a medical resident and PhD student in the department of human anatomy and cell science, was named Doctors Manitoba Resident of the Year. Read more.
Dr. Oluwadara Onasanya, an ophthalmology resident, was the third place recipient for the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) Excellence Awards for his project Incidence of post intravitreal injection endophthalmitis with and without anterior chamber paracentesis. His supervisor is Dr. Frank Stockl, an assistant professor of ophthalmology.
STUDENTS
Keshav Narayan Alagarsamy, a PhD student in physiology and pathophysiology, won this year’s Dr. Archie McNicol Prize for First Place at UM’s Three Minute Thesis final. He went on to represent UM at the Western Regional 3MT Competition. Read more.
Emanuelle da Silva, a master’s student in medical microbiology and infectious diseases (in Dr. Barbara Porto’s lab), has been awarded a University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship, and due to her high GPA, she was also awarded with an International Graduate Student Entrance Scholarship towards her master of science tuition. She was also awarded the 2022 Mindel and Tom Olenick Research Award in Immunology from the Health Sciences Centre Foundation.
Domenica De Luca, a PhD candidate in medical microbiology and infectious diseases (advisor is Dr. Amrita Bharat), is the recipient of the inaugural Canadian Association for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 2023 Dr. Michael Mulvey CACMID Studentship Award. This award recognizes Canadian trainees that have made a noteworthy contribution to antimicrobial resistance in the form of a recently published article.
Lauren Garnett, a PhD student in medical microbiology and infectious diseases, successfully defended her thesis Adipose tissue is a target for Ebola virus, having systemic implications in metabolism and stress during acute and prolonged infection in March. Her examining committee was Dr. Jason Botten, University of Vermont, external examiner, and Drs. Jim Strong (advisor), Shaun Babiuk and Kevin Coombs. Dr. Hassan Marzban chaired the examination.
Monika Kawatsch, a PhD candidate in medical microbiology and infectious diseases (supervisor is Dr. Keith Fowke), has received an infectious disease knowledge translation award from the Canadian Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the National Collaboration Centre for Infectious Diseases. The award is in recognition of outstanding knowledge translation or health promotion work done on infectious disease topics for public health audiences. Kawatsch won it for her work with Sunshine House and the Nairobi cohort.
Medical student Sheila Le received a Governor General’s Silver Medal, awarded for outstanding achievement at the undergraduate level. Read more.
Toby Le, a PhD student in medical microbiology and infectious diseases, won the 2022 Nahlah Ayed Prize for Student Leadership and Global Citizenship. The International Centre offers this prize to recognize students who participate in activities that celebrate diversity, curiosity, respect and mutual understanding, while expanding their horizons and developing global skill sets. Read more. Le was also selected as the 2023 Canadian Youth Delegate to represent all Canadian youth at the World Health Assembly and the Pan American Health Organization.
Akshi Malik, a PhD student in physiology and pathophysiology, received the UM Retirees Association Prize for Second Place at UM’s Three Minute Thesis final. Read more.
Dr. Zippy Richard, a PhD student in medical microbiology and infectious diseases, successfully defended her thesis in January.
Graduate student Kayla Villebrun-Normand is the recipient of a 2023 Canadian Association for Medical Education Rising Star – Certificate of Excellence Award, which recognizes learners who have demonstrated a commitment to medical education that has had a positive impact for the health professions education community. Read more.
Medical student Mirha Zohair is the recipient of a 2023 Canadian Association for Medical Education Rising Star – Certificate of Excellence Award, which recognizes learners who have demonstrated a commitment to medical education that has had a positive impact for the health professions education community. Read more.
Dr. Ed Kroeger Travel Award: Awarded to students whose poster presentations were among the highest ranked at the 2022 Manitoba Health Research Poster Competition. The students are offered the opportunity to attend the International Congress on Academic Medicine in Québec City in April 2023 with travel fund assistance from this newly created award. Winners from the department of medical microbiology and infectious diseases:
- Ruben Jamilchelvan, PhD (advisor is Dr. Paul McLaren; co-advisor is Dr. Blake Ball)
- Titus Olukitibi, PhD (advisor is Dr. Xiao-Jian Yao)
- Carmine Slipski, PhD candidate (advisor is Dr. Denice Bay; co-advisor is Dr. George Zhanel)
Award recipients for the Multidisciplinary Health Research Experience (MHRE) Abstract Competition:
- First place for Barriers and strategies for diagnosis of Human Papillomavirus infection in Indigenous communities in Manitoba – Aakash Natarajan, third-year microbiology, Devin Habon, fourth-year microbiology, and Brielle Martens, master of science in medical microbiology and infectious diseases.
- Second place for Yemen Malnutrition Crisis: Detection of Bacterial Pneumonia Infections in Cases of Child Malnutrition – Matteo Funk, third-year bachelor of science, Greg Karvelas, third-year bachelor of science, and Kate Bernier, master of science in physiology and pathophysiology.
- Third place for A Non Antibiotic Approach to Treat the Outbreak of Vibrio cholera in Syrian Refugee Camps in Lebanon – Rana Ahmed, master of science, Paula Pineda, fourth-year bachelor of science, and Ghosoun Alomari, third-year bachelor of science.
Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Graduate Studentship recipients from the department of medical microbiology and infectious diseases:
- Kristi Loeb, master of science (advisor is Dr. Jason Kindrachuk)
- Termeh Shakery, master of science (advisor is Dr. Lyle McKinnon)
- Ryan Ha (advisor is Dr. Zulma Rueda; co-advisor is Dr. Yoav Keynan)
- Samuel Lawal (advisor is Dr. Heather Adam; co-advisor is Dr. Lyle McKinnon)