October 2017 Volume 10, Issue 2

A message from the Physician-in-Chief, Dr. Kevin Imrie

Dear colleagues: It was great seeing so many of you at our annual awards dinner two weeks ago. This isalways a time for me to reflect on our shared accomplishments over the past academicyear and to look forward to the future. I’d like to share some thoughts about both here.

It has been another amazing year for our Department and I think the key theme is that of

growth and maturity. Our department is now up to 118 full timeand 141 part-time members and we have recruited trulyphenomenal people. Please read down further for a brief intro toour newest members. It was not that long ago that some of ourdivisions were critically short staffed and struggled to provideessential clinical coverage. That is no longer the case and we arewell positioned to capitalize on focused growth areas of clinicaland academic strength. We do have active searches for more newmembers going on with some more planned, but growth from hereon in, is going to be targeted and strategic.

We can rightly be proud of the high profile our members have outside our walls. Wecontinue to be well represented in leadership positions at the University and beyond.Particularly notable this year, is the recognition our members have received through highprofile awards. I’d like to highlight just a few. As I am writing this, I am on my way backfrom the International Conference on Residency Education where Rob Fowler wasrecognized and showcased for his impressive humanitarian work with the Teasdale-Cortiaward. Larry Robinson was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from theAmerican Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine. Our people wereagain recognized with an impressive number of major University awards this year.Umberin Najeeb was awarded the Sarita Verma award for advocacy and mentorship fromthe faculty. Mary Bell won the Robert Hyland award for mentorship and Lynfa Stroud theGoldie award for education. Quite the haul!

I’m looking forward to a busy and productive 2018. With Andy Smith assuming the mantleof CEO this summer, there is renewed vigour in planning strategically for Sunnybrook’sfuture. The planning process is well underway, but it is clear that we are moving forwardwith a dual mandate, that of further strengthening our unique, specialized “When itmatters most” activities while deeply rethinking and revitalizing our community role withthe goal of providing care more innovatively in an integrated way with our partners in oursub-region. I’d really like to hear your ideas on either mandate, and would particularlywelcome bold suggestions for initiatives to provide care differently to our community.

I have met with many of you over the summer for our annual activity reviews. For those ofyou I have not met yet, I look forward to meeting with you over the next few months. Seeyou soon.

Kevin

New members of staff

The Department of Medicine, Division ofCardiology welcomesDr. Andrew Czarnecki. Dr. Czarnecki graduated from the University ofManitoba and did specialty training in InternalMedicine (University of Manitoba) and Cardiology(University of Toronto). He completed afellowship in Interventional Cardiology withsubsequent training in Structural HeartInterventions at Sunnybrook. He also completeda Masters in Clinical Epidemiology at theInstitute of Health Policy, Management andEvaluation at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Czarnecki is an Assistant Professor at theUniversity of Toronto and will function as aclinician-investigator. He is an Adjunct Scientistat the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciencesand an Associate Scientist with the SunnybrookResearch Institute. His research interests arefocused on valvular heart disease and minimallyinvasive procedures.

Dr. Czarnecki will serve as a Cardiologyconsultant and attend in the Cardiac IntensiveCare Unit. His out-patient practice is focused onmitral valve disease and trans-catheter mitralvalve interventions. Clinical appointments can bebooked at extension 5880.

Dr. Czarnecki will be located in Room A206a andcan be reached at extension 83762.

The Department of Medicine, Division ofEndocrinology welcomes Dr. Julie A. Lovshin.

Dr. Lovshin is a graduate of the University ofToronto and subsequently did specialty trainingin Internal Medicine and Endocrinology andMetabolism, at the University of Toronto. Juliecompleted a five-year postdoctoral researchfellowship through the Clinician InvestigatorProgram with Drs. Daniel Drucker, Bruce Perkinsand David Cherney and was a Philipson Scholarin the Clinician-Scientist Training Program in thedepartment of medicine. Dr. Lovshin performsclinical trials and has been studying diabetesmellitus and cardiovascular and renalhemodynamic function. Dr. Lovshin has alsocompleted training in Clinical Epidemiology andBiostatistics at the Harvard School of PublicHealth and Brigham and Womens' Hospital.

Dr. Lovshin has been a Clinical Associate in theDivision of Endocrinology and Metabolism at theUniversity Health Network and Mount SinaiHospitals. Prior to her medical training, Dr.Lovshin completed a PhD in molecularendocrinology, studying glucagon-like peptides 1and 2 (GLP-1 and GLP-2), gastrointestinalhormones which have now been developed intopharmaceuticals and are used for the treatmentof obesity, type 2 diabetes and short-bowelsyndrome. Dr. Lovshin is an Assistant Professor at theUniversity of Toronto and will function as aClinician Scientist. Her area of academicresearch interest is complications of diabetesmellitus. She is interested in cardiovascular andrenal mechanisms of newer antidiabetestherapies and performs mechanistic clinical

investigation to learn new insights intononglycemic effects of these drugs and toidentify new targets to treat vascular disease indiabetes mellitus. Emerging areas of her researchinterest include complications in the CNS,including cognitive dysfunction, stroke, andretinopathy. Clinically, Dr. Lovshin will serve as anendocrinology consultant, and will have a regularoutpatient clinic for diabetes patients. Clinicalappointments can be booked at extension 5049for patients to be seen in H Wing 145. She willhave a special clinical interest in patients withtype 2 diabetes with cardiovascular, renal and/orretinopathy complications. Dr. Lovshin's research office will be located in SWing, Room 212B and she can be reached atextension 2264.

The Department of Medicine, Division ofMedical Oncology & Hematology welcomes Dr.Rossanna Pezo.

Dr. Pezo completed her undergraduate studies inMolecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at YaleUniversity and received a combined MD/PhDdegree from the Albert Einstein College ofMedicine. Her thesis work was focused ondeveloping imaging based biomarkers predictiveof drug resistance using high resolutionfluorescence microscopy. She subsequently didspecialty training in Internal Medicine andMedical Oncology at the University of Torontowith further fellowship training in the Drug

Development Program at the Princess MargaretCancer Centre and with the Breast group at theSunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre. She is aFellow of the Royal College of Physicians andSurgeons of Canada with specialty certificationin both Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. Dr. Pezo is an Assistant Professor at theUniversity of Toronto and will function as aClinician investigator. Her area of academicinterest is in therapeutic clinical trials and inmechanisms of resistance to immunotherapyand targeted therapies in metastatic melanomaand breast cancers. During her fellowship, shereceived a competitive Physician FellowshipAward from the Canadian Breast CancerFoundation for her research on identifyingmechanisms of acquired endocrine resistance inmetastatic breast cancer. She is also involved inteaching at the undergraduate medical andpostgraduate levels. Clinically, Dr. Pezo will have a regular outpatientclinic focused on the care of breast andmelanoma patients. She will have a specialclinical interest in patients with metastaticmelanoma and breast cancers on therapeuticclinical trials. Dr. Pezo will be located in Room 126 in Twing and can be reached at extension 4757.

The Department of Medicine, Division ofMedical Oncology & Hematology welcomes Dr.Lisa Chodirker.

Dr. Chodirker obtained her MD degree in fromthe University of Ottawa and subsequently didspecialty training in both Internal Medicine andHematology at the University of Toronto. Shecompleted a clinical and research fellowship inLymphoma and Myelodysplastic Syndromes atthe Odette Cancer Centre under the guidance ofDr. Rena Buckstein and Dr. Richard Wells. Shethen went on to complete the Master TeacherCertification Program at the University ofToronto.

Dr. Chodirker was a Clinical Associate atSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre/OdetteCancer Centre focusing on the clinical care ofhematology inpatients, as well as continuing tofoster her love of teaching and education. Shehas taken an active role in teaching/education atall levels including: ASCM, undergraduateteaching seminars, core resident teachingsessions, academic half days, as well asparticipating as an examiner in hematology forthe Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons ofCanada.

Dr. Chodirker is an Assistant Professor at theUniversity of Toronto and will function as aClinician Teacher. She will assume the role ofcoordinator for the hematology inpatient rotationat Sunnybrook, as well as serving on theResident Program Committee in Hematology.Her research interests are in MyelodysplasticSyndromes, where she has been involved in theCanadian MDS registry, as well as in lymphomaclinical trials. Her primary clinical interests are inmalignant hematology and bone marrow failure.

Dr. Chodirker will be seeing malignanthematology patients. She will be located inRoom T2-039 at Ext 5847.

The Department of Medicine, Division ofNeurology welcomes Dr. Amy Yu.

Dr. Yu is a neurologist, graduated from McGillUniversity. She completed fellowship trainingStroke Neurology as well as a MSc in HealthServices Research at the University of Calgary.

Her research program aims to link and analyzelarge administrative data sets to studycerebrovascular diseases in the population,assess health outcomes, and develop novelhealth outcome measurements for healthservices research. Clinically, Dr. Yu will serve as a stroke neurologistconsultant and will see patients regularly in theRapid TIA clinic as well as the Regional StrokePrevention clinic. Dr. Yu will be located in Room A-442 and can bereached at extension 4866.

The Department of Medicine, Division ofRespirology welcomes Dr. ChristineMcDonald.

Dr. McDonald completed her medical degree atthe University of British Columbia andsubsequently specialty training in InternalMedicine and Adult Respirology at the Universityof Toronto. She completed further fellowshiptraining in Interventional Pulmonology at theToronto General Hospital.

Dr. McDonald is a Lecturer at the University ofToronto and will function as a Clinician in Qualityand Innovation. Her areas of academic interestare the use of minimally invasive diagnosticprocedures including endobronchial ultrasound(EBUS) and awake thoracoscopy, lung cancerdiagnostic pathways, and patient safetysurrounding procedures. She also has an interestin pleural diseases, including the management ofmalignant effusions. Clinically, Dr. McDonald will serve as aRespirology consultant and will have outpatientclinics at Sunnybrook for general respirologypatients, and at the Odette Cancer Centre for theLung Diagnostic Assessment Program, TRAPPand EPIC clinic patients.

Dr. McDonald will be located in D647 and can bereached at extension 4758.

Honours & awards

2017 Department of Medicine Award WinnersRESEARCHJUNIOR INVESTIGATOR AWARD - Dr. Jerome LeisSENIOR INVESTIGATOR AWARD - Dr. James Perry

TEACHINGYOUNG TEACHER AWARD - Dr. Ilana HalperinIN-PATIENT TEACHING AWARD - Dr. Julia HopyanPRE-CLERKSHIP TEACHING AWARD - Dr. Matthew GodleskiAMBULATORY TEACHING AWARD - Dr. David BerbrayerPART-TIME TEACHING AWARD - Dr. Grant ChenCONTINUING EDUCATION AWARD - Dr. Sam Radhakrishnan

QUALITYQUALITY AWARD - Dr. Simron Singh

HUMANITARIANHUMANITARIAN AWARD - Dr. Eugenia Piliotis

LEADERSHIPLEADERSHIP AWARD - Dr. Andrew Simor

MENTORSHIPWILLIAM J. SIBBALD FACULTY MENTORSHIP AWARD - Dr. Robert Fowler OTHER AWARDS

Dr. Sandra BlackTrainee Award: 2017 – Lauren Bechard; 9th CCD Travel Award Dr. Maureen Trudeau2017 Jan - 2017 Dec ASCO Young Investigator Award, Awardee Name:Clinical Fellow Ines Menjak. ASCO Geriatric Assessment in Chemotherapydecision making for older Breast Cancer Patients. Total Amount: 50,000 USD Dr. Amy YuEuropean Stroke Organization Young Investigator Award (European StrokeOrganization Conference, Prague, Czech Republic)

Dr. Kelvin Chan2017 June Young Investigator Award, University of Toronto. (Research Award)Division of Medical Oncology, award for accomplishments in research. (July2016-June 2017).

Grants and Publications

Department of Medicine Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

2075 Bayview Ave Suite D4-74 Toronto Ontario M4N 3M5

Phone: 416-480-4592 Fax: 416-480-6191

Email: department.medicine@sunnybrook.ca

Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto

For questions, comments and submissions, please contact Denise Campbell

Denise.campbell@sunnybrook.ca or 416-480-6100 x2007

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre 2075 Bayview Avenue Toronto, Ontario M4N3M5Canada

View the full list of Grants and Publications

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