Canadian investigators receive research awards

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CJEM 2001;3(4):323

Canadian investigators receive research awards

Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus CIHR Distinguished Investigator Award: Dr. Ian Stiell

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research gives peer-reviewed salary support to biomedical and health services researchers. This is based upon a 8-month application and committee review process that includes evaluations by referees both inside and outside Canada.

This year, the top 5 applicants in the "Senior Investigator" category were further honoured by the designation "Distinguished Investigator." Dr. Ian Stiell, of the Ottawa Health Research Institute and the Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa, was the only clinical researcher to achieve "Distinguished Investigator" status in this competition; the other 4 such awardees in 2001 were basic science biomedical researchers. Dr. Stiell was subsequently invited to address the CIHR Governing Council.

Institute for Clinical Evaluative Science CIHR New Investigator Award: Dr. Michael Schull

Dr. Michael Schull, from the University of Toronto, received a CIHR New Investigator Award (for researchers in the first 5 years of their work). In this competition, Dr. Schull was the top-ranked applicant in Canada and was further honoured with the Peter Lougheed Award, which is an operating grant to support his research program. Dr. Schull's award is based on a program of research in Canadian emergency services utilization, with a special focus on ED overcrowding. Dr. Schull will investigate the root causes of ED overcrowding and the impact of overcrowding on ambulance delays.

These awards speak to the growing maturity and strength of emergency medicine research in Canada and should be a source of pride for all Canadian emergency physicians.

Special merit award for Dr. Robert Johnston F. P. B. Dr. Robert Johnston (right), receiving a special merit award from CAEP President, Dr. Doug Sinclair At the Calgary CAEP Assembly in March 2001, Dr. Robert Johnston received a special merit award in recognition of his commitment and outstanding contributions to Canadian emergency medicine. For over two decades Dr. Johnston has been a practitioner, teacher and leader in emergency medicine. He has served as Director of the Department of Emergency Medicine of the Foothills Hospital in Calgary and more recently as the Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Calgary Regional Health Authority. He sat as a member of the CAEP Board for several years and was CAEP President in 1989-90. He has contributed to regional, provincial and national organizations, including the Medical Control Board of the Emergency Services Department of Calgary, the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Dr. Johnston is known as an outstanding teacher and an innovator in the development of telehealth. He leads by example. Those who have worked with him know him as a man of fairness and integrity who treats colleagues, residents, medical students, patients and other staff with respect. Canadian emergency physicians and the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians owe Dr. Johnston a debt of gratitude for his impressive contributions to Canadian emergency medicine. -- Grant Innes, MD