2021-2022 PROGRAM TIMELINE

Please share comments and feedback about the 2021 - 2022 Merit Awards Program process at: Merit Awards Program Evaluation Survey

RECIPIENTS FOR 2021-2022 MERIT AWARDS

Congratulations to the following recipients who received a competitive peer-reviewed Merit Award from the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto for the period of 2021-2022.

New “Mentorship Merit Awards” ($20,000 per annum):

Balki, Mrinalini	MSH	Effect of maternal vasopressor agents on human myometrium, uterine and umbilical artery contractility: An in-vitro approach to optimize neonatal outcomes at Cesarean delivery under regional anesthesia
Choi, Stephen	SHSC	Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders
Goldenberg, Neil	HSC	Immunological Dysfunction Drives The Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Hypertension
Riazi, Sheila	TWH	A Minimally Invasive Diagnostic Test for Malignant Hypertherm

New Research Commendation Awards:

Aoyama, Kazuyoshi	HSC	Charting Risk Factors and Inventions for Adverse Outcomes Associated with Severe Maternal Morbidity”
Baker, Andrew	SMH	The role of TREM2/DAP signaling on acute and chronic neuroinflammation and outcome following modeled traumatic brain injury
Crawford, Mark	HSC	An evidence-based program to inform the development and implementation of a pediatric anesthesia academic-rural partnership for Ontario
Gleicher, Yehoshua	MSH	Converting Inpatient Surgery to Outpatient (CISTO): A Knowledge Translation Based Implementation Framework
Jinn, Ki Chin, Ki	TWH/WCH	Advancing the Understanding and Clinical Application of the Erector Spinae Plane Block
Khan, James	MSH	Persistent pain after breast cancer surgery research program
Kirkham, Kyle	TWH/WCH	De-implementing low value care: Does a theory-based intervention to improve accountability reduce low-value preoperative investigations in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery?
Lorello, Gianni	TWH/WCH	Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Medicine
Mashari, Azad	TGH	Sustainable Systems for Rapidly Scalable Respiratory Support in Public Health Emergencies
McDonnell, , Conor	HSC	Removing Excess Unused Opioids from the Community – A Pediatric Postoperative Opioid Stewardship Program
Niazi, Ahtsham	SHSC	The Effect of Pre-Operative Education Providing Opioid Counselling and Pain Coping Skills on Post-Operative Opioid Consumption.
Parotto, Matteo	TGH	Improving outcomes in perioperative and critical care medicine
Teja, Bijan	SMH	Vasopressor Selection and Administration in Septic Shock
You-Ten, Eric	MSH	Macroscopic and Microscopic Contaminations of High Level Protection Gowns Using Simulated Droplets of Aerosol Generating Medical Procedures: Implications for Re-Designing Gowns and Enhanced Protocol Training for Optimal Protection During the Current COVID-19 Pandemic

“Excellence in Research” Awards ($60,000 per annum):

Cuthbertson, Brian	SHSC	An Innovative Clinical Trials and mentorship program
Wijeysundera, Duminda	SMH	Integrated Program to Improve Prediction and Prevention of Postoperative Complications
Wunsch, Hannah	SHSC	Pharmaco-epidemiology in surgery and critical illness

“Research Merit” Awards ($40,000 per annum):

Bhatia, Anuj	TWH	Evaluation of Mechanisms and Outcomes of Paresthesia-based and Paresthesia-free Modes of Spinal Cord Stimulation in patients with neuropathic pain: the MOPPStim study
Brull, Richard	TWH/WCH	Expanding the Boundaries of Anesthesia for Ambulatory Surgery
Carvalho, Jose	MSH	1) Oxytocin at elective cesarean deliveries: dose-finding study in morbidly obese women 2) Oxytocin at elective cesarean deliveries: dose-finding study in women with twin pregnancy 3) Carbetocin at elective cesarean deliveries: dose-finding study in women with twin Pregnancy 4) Use of a standardized algorithm for the management of epidural analgesia for labor and delivery: An observational cohort study
Clarke, Hance	TGH	Ontario Transitional Pain and Opioid Safety Program: Improving Pain, Opioid, and Harm Reduction Practices, as well as, Cannabis Safety for Canadian Patients
Hare, Greg	SMH	Assessing the Impact of Anemia on Cardiac Function, Myocyte Metabolism and Myocardial Injury in a Translational Animal Model of Acute Anemia.
Jerath, Angela	SHSC	Perioperative Care Models and Morbidity on Patient and Health System Outcomes (PROPEL)
Karkouti, Keyvan	TGH	OPTIMAL COAGULATION MANAGEMENT IN CARDIAC SURGERY
Maynes, Jason	HSC	Regenerative Therapies for Heart Failure
Mazer, David	SMH	Improving Outcomes through Clinical Trials Research
Peng, Philip	TWH	Innervation of Shoulder and Wrist Joints relevant to Image-Guided Intervention
Perlas, Anahi	TWH	Advancing anesthesia patient safety through point-of-care gastric ultrasound
Singh, Mandeep	TWH/WCH	The TRANslating sleep health into QUaLity of recovery (TRANQUiL) program: A multi- center prospective cohort study of sleep health measures predicting meaningful, patient-reported outcomes following elective surgeries
Wong, Jean	TWH/WCH	FEASIBILITY OF A SELF-ADMINISTERED ONLINE COGNITIVE SCREENING TOOL IN OLDER SURGICAL PATIENTS

Education Research Merit Award ($40,000 per annum):

Alam, Fahad

SHSC

Propelling immersive reality: integration with healthcare and patient perspective

Early Investigator Awards ($40,000 per annum):

Bartoszko, Justyna	TGH	Albumin Utilization for Intravascular Volume Replacement Across Canadian Cardiac Surgical Centres: A Prospective Observational Study
Ladha, Karim	SMH	No Laughing Matter: The Use of Anesthetics for the Treatment of Depression
Steinberg, Benjamin	HSC	The role of pyroptosis in neonatal pain priming

REVIEW PROCESS

There were 51 applications submitted to this 2021-2022 Merit Awards cycle. Each application was sent out for peer review, it was reviewed by four independent peer reviewers who are either internal and external faculty to the department. All the reviewers are highly experienced academics from the University of Toronto and have a broad range of expertise reflecting the applications that were received for the merit awards program. There were 45 reviewers in total: 41 are clinical researchers, 9 are basic science or translational researchers, 6 are qualitative researchers, 9 are educational researchers and 20 are quality improvement scientists. These researchers were matched to the methods and topics of the submitted applications.

Potential Conflicts of Interest

We are aware that Dr. Brian Cuthbertson, Vice-Chair of Research, was involved in organizing the Merit Awards Program and was a successful applicant. To address concerns regarding perceived conflicts of interest, the following information is provided to you. Overall, every effort was made to ensure a fair and transparent submission and review process and applications were assessed by the highest calibre reviewers. In his role as Vice-Chair of Research, Dr. Cuthbertson helped to design the competition infrastructure (e.g. call for applications, design of application package, updates to the website). He also advised on the scoring system, helped to identify reviewers and prepared the information share with faculty prior to review processes. At no time was he privy to the assignment of reviewers, the identity of the reviewers for his particular application or the analyses of data we received from the reviewers. These elements of the grant competition were managed by the administrative team under the direction of Dr. Beverley Orser, Chair of the Department. Only after the assessments were completed, was Dr. Cuthbertson involved with preparing the information that was released to the applicants. Therefore, the Department took considerable cautionary steps to address conflicts of interest during the review process.

COLLEGE OF REVIEWERS

This year, 45 independent and experienced reviewers from different education, clinical and research sectors assisted with the challenge of reviewing the merit awards applications. We sincerely thank them for their expertise and commitment in delivering knowledge to help scores the applications to the Merit Award Program.

The reviewers for this cycle are:

Last Name	First Name	Hospital Site	Department	Academic Rank
Adhikari	Neill	SHSC	Critical Care Medicine	Assistant Professor
Brochard	Laurent	SMH	Critical Care Medicine	Professor
Bryden	Pier	HSC	Psychiatry	Associate Professor
Chapman	Martin	SHSC	Critical Care Medicine	Assistant Professor
Chung	Frances	TWH	Anesthesia	Professor
Dale	Craig	UofT	Nursing	Assistant Professor
Dev	Shelly	SHSC	Medicine	Assistant Professor
Etchells	Edward	SHSC	Medicine	Associate Professor
Fan	Eddy	UHN	Critical Care Medicine	Associate Professor
Farkouh	Michael	TGH	Medicine	Professor
Fehlings	Michael	TWH	Surgery	Professor
Ferguson	Niall	UHN	Critical Care Medicine	Professor
Fowler	Rob	SHSC	Critical Care Medicine	Professor
Golligher	Ewan	UHN	Critical Care Medicine	Assistant Professor
Gotlieb Conn	Lesley	SHSC	Surgery	Adjunct Professor
Hawker	Gillian	TGH	Medicine	Professor
Herridge	Margaret	UHN	CCM/resp	Professor
Jaglal	Susan	UofT	Physio	Professor
Kandel	Rita	MSH	Lab Medicine Pathology	Professor
Kaplan	Allan	CAMH	Psychiatry	Professor
Karanocolas	Paul	SHSC	Surgery	Associate Professor
Kaveh	Shojania	SHSC	Medicine	Professor
Kingdom	John	MSH	Obstetrics & Gynecology	Professor
Kurrek	Matt		Anesthesia	Professor
Levine	Mark	HSC	Anesthesia	Associate Professor
Marshall	John	SMH	Critical Care Medicine	Professor
McCredie	Victoria	TWH	Critical Care Medicine	Assistant Professor
McKnight	David	SMH	Anesthesia	Professor
Mertens	Luc	HSC	Pediatrics	Professor
Moody	Alan	SHSC	Medical Imaging	Professor
Morgan	Pamela Jane	WCH	Anesthesia	Professor
Murphy	Patricia	TGH	Anesthesia	Professor
Nathens	Avery	SHSC	Surgery	Professor
Piquette	Dominique	SHSC	Critical Care Medicine	Assistant Professor
Pittini	Richard	SHSC	Obstetrics & Gynecology	Associate Professor
Reid	Darlene	UofT	Physiology	Professor
Rubenfeld	Gordon	SHSC	Critical Care Medicine	Professor
Rutka	James	SMH	Surgery	Professor
Scales	Damon	SHSC	Critical Care Medicine	Professor
Singh	Jeff	TWH	Critical Care Medicine	Assistant Professor
Slinger	Peter	TGH	Anesthesia	Professor
Stewart	Donna	TGH	Psychiatry	Professor
Stroud	Lynfa	SHSC	Medicine	Associate Professor
Witterick	Ian	MSH	Otolaryngology	Professor
Wong	David	SMH	Anesthesia	Professor
Zhang	Haibo	SMH	Anesthesia	Professor

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

AWARD REPORTING FROMS

Click to start your report for January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021 (coming soon)

Click to start your report for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022 (coming soon)