Commercialization at UHN is pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of funding from the Accelerator Fund's "Innovation Accelerator" stream.
Congratulations to the following UHN researchers who have received a total of $750,000 in internal funding to advance their work towards commercialization:
- Dr. Sarah Crome (UHN's Toronto General Hospital Research Institute) focuses on advancing cell therapeutics to improve clinical outcomes for stem cell transplantations.
- Dr. Shinichiro Ogawa (UHN's McEwen Stem Cell Institute) is developing a novel stem cell-based regenerative therapy for patients with liver failure.
- Dr. Pamela Ohashi (UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre) seeks to develop and validate a novel cell therapeutic agent to improve immunotherapy for cancer patients.
Aiming to bridge the gap between the high-risk and precarious journey of turning early scientific discovery into a product with impact, the Accelerator Fund — encompassing the "Innovation Accelerator" and future "Clinical Accelerator" streams — is a collaboration between UHN researchers and business development experts from the Commercialization at UHN team.
Thanks to a generous partnership with UHN Foundation and The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, the Innovation Accelerator stream provides a maximum of $250,000 in funding per project — helping take promising novel technologies further towards commercialization and future patient impact.
Congratulations to UHN's 2024/2025 Sprott Department of Surgery Collaborative Academic Practice/Toronto Academic Health Science Network (CAP/TAHSN) Fellows.
UHN's Sprott Centre for Quality and Safety, Sprott Department of Surgery, the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, and Professional Practice have selected three Fellows:
- Paisley Murray, registered nurse (RN), Endoscopy, mentored by Jocelyne De Romana and Catherine Valle;
- Maggie Chen, anesthesia assistant, mentored by Ana Lopez Filici, Dr. Tariq Esmail, and Mikha Alegria;
- Veronica Kubiak, RN, Toronto Western Operation Room (OR), mentored by Rose Puopolo, Alexandra Boasie, and Dr. Tim Jackson.
The CAP/TAHSN Fellowship Program provides a unique platform for fellows to enhance the quality of care in their units or clinical programs through quality improvement projects.
Paisley, Maggie and Veronica will focus on improving care and patient experience in the OR and Endoscopy units through projects that enhance OR efficiency, optimize patient pre-procedural preparation and integrate techniques to reduce postoperative pneumonia.
The program began on Sept. 11, 2024, at Michael Garron Hospital, where UHN's CAP/TAHSN Fellows joined peers from across Toronto at a kick-off event. This event marked the start of a journey filled with opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
Congratulations to Dr. Shaf Keshavjee on his appointment as the Donald K. Jackson Chair in Lung Transplant Research at UHN, a joint hospital‐university chair between UHN and the University of Toronto (U of T), for a five‐year term, effective August 1, 2024.
The Donald K. Jackson Chair in Lung Transplant Research at UHN was established in February 2024, thanks to the generosity and foresight of Donald K. Jackson. This appointment aims to provide perpetual resources, enabling UHN to maintain effective leadership in lung transplant research within the Toronto Lung Transplant Program and UHN overall, while commemorating Dr. Keshavjee.
When Dr. Keshavjee retires from his faculty position at U of T, the Chair will be renamed in his honour. The Chair aims to support a comprehensive lung transplant research program at UHN.
Dr. Keshavjee completed his medical training at the U of T in 1985 and participated in the world's first successful double lung transplant at Toronto General Hospital in 1986. He trained in general surgery, cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery at U of T, with additional fellowships at Harvard University and the University of London.
Dr. Keshavjee was appointed UHN's Surgeon-in-Chief in 2010. He became Chief of Innovation in 2022. He also serves as Director of the Toronto Lung Transplant Program and the Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories.
Dr. Keshavjee developed the Toronto Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion technique, significantly increasing the number of donor lungs available for transplant. He has served on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, The Canadian Society of Transplantation and as the 102nd President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.
For his achievements and leadership, Dr. Keshavjee has been appointed as Officer of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour. He is also a member of the Order of Ontario and has received two Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals. In 2020, he was awarded the Governor General of Canada's Innovation Award.
Additionally, Dr. Keshavjee has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Society of Transplantation and The Medawar Prize, the world's highest award for contributions in the field of transplantation.
Thank you to Donald K. Jackson for his enduring contributions to the UHN Foundation to establish this Chair in perpetuity.
Congratulations to members of TeamUHN who have been elected Fellows of The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS).
This esteemed group includes Canada's leading health and biomedical scientists and scholars, all of whom will play a crucial role in addressing the country's pressing health issues.
Each Fellow, selected from a diverse range of disciplines across Canada's universities, health care and research institutes, will evaluate complex health challenges and propose actionable solutions.
Election to the CAHS Fellowship is one of the highest accolades in the Canadian health sciences community. It recognizes individual excellence and a commitment to advancing health sciences across various fields.
Congratulations to the members of TeamUHN who have been honoured with this prestigious distinction:
- Dr. Jordan Feld, Director, Toronto Centre for Liver Disease;
- Dr. Eleanor Fish, Emerita Scientist, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute;
- Dr. Susan George, Clinician-Scientist, Toronto General Hospital;
- Dr. Masoom Haider, Clinician Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre;
- Dr. Jonathan Irish, Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre;
- Dr. Robert Inman, Co-Director, Schroeder Arthritis Institute;
- Dr. Milos Popovic, Director, KITE Research Institute;
- Dr. Nicole Woods, Institute Director and Senior Scientist, The Institute for Education Research (TIER);
- Dr. Brad Wouters, Executive Vice President of Science and Research at UHN, and Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
The election of these Fellows highlights their exceptional contributions to the field and underscores their dedication to improving health outcomes in Canada.
