News and Events

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS

I. DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE

November 2021:

Dr. Ernesto L. Schiffrin was named 2021 Distinguished Scientist of the American Heart Association in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to cardiovascular and stroke research. Out of 20 nominations by different councils of AHA, Dr. Schiffrin was one of the 6 individuals finally chosen as 2021 AHA Distinguished Scientists, and honored at the Presidential Session during the AHA Scientific Sessions in November in Boston, MA.

April 2021

Dr. Ernesto L. Schiffrin received the International Society of Hypertension ISH Franz Volhard Award and Lectureship for Outstanding Research for 2021 for his ground-breaking research on the role of vascular remodelling and role of endothelin, angiotensin II, aldosterone, inflammation and T regulatory lymphocytes in hypertension as well as for being “recognized widely in the hypertension community for his trail blazing research and curriculum vitae that provides testament to outstanding contribution to the biology of hypertension, its causation as well as clinical research that affected guidelines and practice.”

Dr. Schiffrin was presented the award at the virtual ISH Awards Ceremony and Presidential Lecture on April 13th, 2021 during the Joint Meeting ESH-ISH2021 ON AIR. In addition to the Award, Dr. Schiffrin delivered a lecture during the Awards Ceremony on his work related to hypertension.

December 2019

Dr. Ernesto L. Schiffrin received the Distinguished James McGill Professor award which recognizes a late-career scholar's sustained scholarship of world-class caliber, international leadership and outstanding research record.

November 2017

Dr. Ernesto Schiffrin, Professor and Vice-Chair (Research) in the Department of Medicine, McGill University, Physician-in-Chief of the Jewish General Hospital Department of Medicine and Canada Research Chair holder in Hypertension and Vascular Research at the Lady Davis Institute, has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 Prix Galien Canada - Research Award for having made the most significant contributions to pharmaceutical research in Canada. The Prix Galien Canada - Research is the most prestigious award in the field of Canadian pharmaceutical research and innovation. Referred to as the Nobel Prize of pharmaceutical research, it recognizes the efforts and achievements of pharmaceutical research and development.

 Link

September 2016

Dr. Ernesto L. Schiffrin was awarded the 2016 Margolese National Heart Disorders Prize by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of British Columbia for his outstanding contributions to the treatment, amelioration, or cure of heart disorders. The Prizes are awarded with the expectation that the recipient will continue to demonstrate excellence in his field of work and make world-class scientific contributions.

January 2016

Dr. Ernesto L. Schiffrin became Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Hypertension.

September 30, 2015

Dr. Ernesto L. Schiffrin received the CSCI 2015 Distinguished Scientist Lecture and Award, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the Canadian Society for Clinical Research (CSCI), for his significant contributions to new knowledge, his expertise, innovation and research endeavors in hypertension. As the winner of the 2015 Distinguished Scientist Lecture and Award, Dr. Schiffrin will be presenting on aspects of his research at the 2015 Annual CSCI congress in Toronto.

July 1, 2015

Ernesto L. Schiffrin, C.M., MD, PhD, FRSC, FRCPC, FACP, FAHA, is the recipient of a seven-year Foundation grant funded by CIHR from its first live pilot foundation scheme for his research project entitled “Vascular remodeling in hypertension and cardiometabolic disease: from mice to humans” as Principal Investigator starting July 1, 2015 ending June 30, 2022 for a total amount of $3,164,111.

October 17, 2013

Dr. E. Schiffrin received the 2013 Canadian Cardiovascular Society Research Achievement Award for his contribution to Canadian cardiovascular health and care and was invited him to present on his research at the annual meeting of this Society in Montreal.

October 19, 2013

Dr. E. Schiffrin was elected President of Hypertension Canada.

May 17, 2013

The American Society of Hypertension (ASH) honored Ernesto L. Schiffrin, CM, MD, PhD, FRSC, FRCPC, FACP, FAHA, one of its original members, by naming him the 2013 ASH Distinguished Scientist and conferring him the Robert Tigerstedt Award during the ASH Awards Plenary Session on May 17, 2013 in San Francisco, CA. The Tigerstedt Award, named for the physiologist and scientist best known for discovering the renin-angiotensin system, was fittingly presented to Dr. Schiffrin, who has focused much of his more than 35-year research career on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, for his outstanding achievements in the field of hypertension and his contribution to both endocrinology and circulation.

As part of the award, Dr. Schiffrin, Physician-in-Chief at Jewish General Hospital in Montreal and Professor and Vice-Chair of Research in the Department of Medicine at McGill University, presented his work in recent years involving the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and related mechanisms involved in blood pressure elevation. He presented new data, from both humans and experimental models, about mechanisms involved in the remodeling of vasculature in his special lecture entitled “Vascular remodeling in hypertension, from the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and endothelin to the immune system” at the ASH Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

For more information please go to page 24 of the program at the following link:

www.ash-us.org/documents/files/2013_ProBook_Complete_7a.pdf

and see attached scanned page 20 of the ASH Times.

March 1, 2013

Dr. Ernesto Schiffrin is one of three members of the Jewish General Hospital’s medical staff to have recently been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, created to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne. The commemorative medal is awarded to distinguished citizens who have contributed significantly to Canadian society. 

October 12, 2012

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), speaking at the University of Toronto on October 12, 2012, reported on the outcome of Canada Research Chairs program financed by the Government of Canada. This includes Dr. Ernesto L. Schiffrin, Physician-in-Chief, Jewish General Hospital and Vice-Chair of Research, McGill University Department of Medicine, who has been successful in having his Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Hypertension and Vascular Research Tier 1 renewed for the next 7 years (January 2013 - December 2019) for a total of $1,400,000. 

October 2012

Dr. Schiffrin assumed the Presidency of the International Society of Hypertension in October 2012. For more information on this announcement, read the press release

September 5, 2012

Ernesto L. Schiffrin, CM, MD, PhD, FRSC, FRCPC, was quoted in a USA Today article-- Millions don't have their blood pressure under control--published on September 5, 2012. Read the  article.

August 11, 2012

Ernesto L. Schiffrin, CM, MD, PhD, FRSC, FRCPC, published a comment piece in the prestigious journal  The Lancet (Vol. 380, August 11, 2012).

 Ernesto Schiffrin: essential player in hypertension (Profile - The Lancet)

 Hypertension: treatments, diabetes, and developing regions (Comment - The Lancet)

Ernesto L. Schiffrin, CM, MD, PhD, FRSC, FRCPC, was selected as one of the two recipients of the 2011 Excellence Award for Hypertension Research, sponsored by Novartis. This is the most prestigious award of the High Blood Pressure Council of the American Heart Association and recognizes researchers who have had a major impact in the field of hypertension and whose research has contributed to improved treatment and greater understanding of high blood pressure. The award was presented during the High Blood Pressure Research 2011 Scientific Sessions on September 20-24, 2011, at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida. The award was shared with Dr. Christopher Wilcox of Georgetown University Medical Center.

Dr. E. Schiffrin was the honoree for the 48th André Aisenstadt Memorial Clinical Day which took place on October 26, 2011 for his distinguished career in the field of Hypertension and Vascular Research. The topic of the program is "Hypertension from Bench to Bedside: A Tale of Mice and Men."

Dr. E. Schiffrin has been appointed President Elect of the International Society of Hypertension since June 2011 and will assume the presidency in September 2012. 

Dr. E. Schiffrin received the 2010 Bjorn Folkow Award and Lecture of the European Society of Hypertension in recognition of his contribution to hypertension research. Dr. Schiffrin presented the lecture during the plenary session in Oslo on June 19th, 2010. The Bjorn Folkow Award has been established since 1987 by the European Society of Hypertension with the collaboration of AstraZeneca in recognition of the contribution made by Bjorn Folkow to cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology. The award is given to a person or persons who have carried out important original research on the pathogenesis of hypertension.

Dr. E. Schiffrin was appointed Member of the Order of Canada on June 30, 2010 for his contributions to the study of hypertension, notably through his research on the mechanisms underlying high blood pressure, as well as for his leadership roles in scientific committees and societies.

DOCTOR'S GALA

The second Department of Medicine Doctors’ Gala took place on November 18, 2010 at the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue. It was a great success and funds raised will help provide the Department the means to accomplish the goals of excellence in care, teaching and research that the Department strives for and help achieve its objective of providing top care, teaching and a highly competitive clinical and translational research environment despite current bureaucratic and funding constraints. 

II. DIVISIONS

DIVISION OF CARDIOLOGY

Dr. Lawrence Rudski was appointed as President of the Canadian Society of Echocardiography for a two-year period (October 2016-September 2018). The Society is the largest affiliate of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and has strong collaborative arrangements with the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, as well as with the Royal College. His mandate is to form a committee for funding education and research aimed at establishing pan-Canadian activities with a focus on recruiting trainees to serve actively through curriculum development, as well as through research competitions and presentations.

Dr. Lawrence Rudski has been promoted from Associate Professor to Full Professor(June 2015).

Dr. Annabel Chen-Tournoux has been nominated as co-Director of the McGill Cardiology Residency Training Program, effective July 1, 2015.

Dr. Jonathan Afilalo has won the 2012 Royal College Medal Award in Surgery for his manuscript entitled Gait Speed as an Incremental Predictor of Mortality and Major Morbidity in Elderly Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery. This reflects his dedication, keen interest and commitment to medical research. The Department of Medicine is proud of his achievement and looks forward to ongoing academic contributions.

DIVISION OF DERMATOLOGY

Dr. Osama Roshdy was successful in securing the Canadian Dermatology Foundation Research Grant.

DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY

Dr. Brent Richards, Associate Professor in the Division of Endocrinology and based at the JGH, has been elected as a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). Dr. Richards focuses on understanding the genetic determinants of common aging-related endocrine diseases, such as osteoporosis and vitamin D insufficiency (2017).

DIVISION OF HEMATOLOGY

Dr. Sarit Assouline has been successful in securing the FRSQ Junior 2 grant from 2015 to 2018.

Dr. Sarit Assouline has been promoted to Associate Professor (clinical) in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, starting December 1, 2014.

DIVISION OF GERIATRIC MEDICINE

Dr. Elise Levinoff has been appointed as the McGill University Site Director of Postgraduate Medical Education at the Jewish General Hospital begining July 1, 2019. Dr. Levinoff is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine within the Department of Medicine, McGill University. Dr. Levinoff obtained her medical degree from the University of Ottawa, and her Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine certificates and a Master's degree in Neuroscience from McGill University.

 

DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

October 24, 2011

The Jewish General Hospital has selected Dr. Joseph Portnoy, an expert in microbiology and infectious diseases, whose career at the Hospital has spanned 40 years, as the inaugural recipient of the Award for Excellence in Physician Management. The Hospital will give him the award on October 24, 2011 at the Medical Grand Rounds dedicated to Dr. Portnoy. For this occasion, the Hospital has invited Dr. Jeffrey Turnbull, MD, FRCPC, Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, to present rounds entitled "The rebuilding of our Health Care System: Our Role as physicians."

DIVISION OF INTERNAL MEDICINE

Dr. Ruxandra Bunea will receive the 2017 Transition to Clinical Practice (TCP) Award during a ceremony at McGill University on February 8, 2018 for her dedication to teaching history taking and physical exam skills during the Transition to Clinical Practice course

Dr. Susan Kahn was appointed Associate Editor of Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis journal of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) (2017). 

Dr. Beth-Ann Cummings was awarded the W. Dale Dauphinee Fellowship from the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) for one year starting September 1, 2015 to August 31, 2016. This Fellowship is intended to advance the vision of the MCC by supporting medical educators to enhance their knowledge and skills in physician assessment by enabling the recipient to visit and work with leaders in assessment to study or gain experience in the application of new knowledge or techniques or to further their pursuit of a project related to the assessment of physician knowledge, skills, behaviours, and attitudes relevant to the effective practice of medicine.

Dr. Cummings will be working with Dr. Lambert Schuwirth in Australia to look at how, why and when benefits of longitudinal integrated curricula are threatened by misalignment between assessment practices and desired curricular outcomes. She will spend approximately one month with him in Australia, will continue to collaborate further by Skype for the remainder of the year.

Susan R. Kahn, MD, FRCPC, is the recipient of a seven-year Foundation grant funded by CIHR from its first live pilot foundation scheme for his research project entitled “Improving long-term outcomes after venous thromboembolism (VTE) as Principal Investigator starting July 1, 2015 ending June 30, 2022 for a total amount of $2,050,824.

In June 2013, Dr. Vicky Tagalakis, Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Director of the McGill University General Internal Medicine R4 & R5 Residency Training Program was named to the McGill Faculty Honour List for Educational Excellence in recognition of her outstanding contributions to teaching at the Jewish General Hospital and McGill University.

Dr. Michelle Elizov is on the Faculty Development Committee, Director of Medical Education Elective Program and Co-Director of Medical Education Fellowship Program. Dr. Elizov carries our research on mentorship. Dr. Elizov spent approximately 1-1 1/2 days a week at McGill which probably will increase to 1-2 days per week for one year because starting September 2012, Dr. Michelle Elizov has been named as the Richard and Sylvia Cruess Faculty Scholar in Medical Education for 2012-2013 and will spend more time the Centre for Medical Education at McGill.

Dr. Michelle Elizov was unanimously elected as the winner of the Academic Enrichment Award for 2012. She has been awarded $3,500, proceeds of an endowment provided by the Auxiliary to mark the 2008 Doctors’ Gala. Dr. Elizov plans to apply this award toward a course on developing leaders in healthcare education, offered by the Association for the study of Medical Education in Windsor, England.

The Canadian Association for Medical Education (CAME) awarded Dr. Beth Cummings the 2012 Certificate of Merit. This award acknowledges a doctor’s substantial contribution to medical education.

DIVISION OF RHEUMATOLOGY

Dr. Marie Hudson was promoted from Assistant Professor tenure-track to Associate Professor with tenure.

NEW DIVISIONAL CHIEFS NOMINATIONS

DIVISION OF CARDIOLOGY

Dr. Lawrence Rudski has been named to the position of Chief of the Division of Cardiology in the Jewish General Hospital Department of Medicine, effective March 21, 2013.

Dr. Lawrence Rudski completed Medical School, Internal Medicine, and Cardiology at the JGH and McGill, and then undertook a Clinical and Research Fellowship in Echocardiography at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine and has been on staff in the Division of Cardiology at the JGH since 1999. He also holds a cross-appointment to the Division of Cardiology at the MUHC. Dr. Rudski is nationally and internationally recognized as a leader in echocardiography, with a focus on the echocardiographic assessment of the right heart. He has chaired an international guidelines document in this area and serves on the Board of Directors of both the Canadian and American Societies of Echocardiography.

RECRUITMENT

DIVISION OF CARDIOLOGY

July 1st, 2017

Dr. Michael Goldfarb has been appointed to the Department of Medicine as of July 1, 2017.

Dr. Goldfarb has been appointed to the Attending Staff of the Jewish General Hospital Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology as an Assistant Professor in the McGill University Department of Medicine.

Dr. Goldfarb earned his medical degree at McGill University in 2009, where he subsequently completed his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology and is currently finishing his MSc thesis.

He then pursued a one year Fellowship in Critical Care Cardiology under Dr. Bojan Cercek’s supervision at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. Dr. Goldfarb was trained in quality improvement methodology and is part of collaborative network of cardiac intensivists looking to improve patient-important outcomes in critically ill cardiovascular patients.

Dr. Goldfarb will have clinical duties at the Jewish General Hospital, where he will be involved in teaching students and supervising medical residents. He will be the Director for Quality and Outcomes in the Jewish General Hospital’s Division of Cardiology. He is also cross-appointed to the McGill University Health Center where he will be attending in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit and conducting collaborative cross-site research. He will continue to advance his research in the fields of cardiac intensive care and quality of care in acute cardiovascular disease.

DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY

July 1, 2019

Dr. Vincent Larouche has been appointed to the Attending Staff of the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, and as an Assistant Professor in the McGill University Department of Medicine. Dr. Larouche earned his medical degree from Laval University. He completed his Internal Medicine residency program and fellowship in Endocrinology and Metabolism at McGill University. He completed a fellowship in Endocrine Oncology at the University of Toronto (UHN - Princess Margaret Cancer Center and Toronto General Hospital sites).

Dr. Larouche will have clinical duties at the JGH, where he will be involved in teaching students as well as supervising medical residents and fellows. He will continue to advance his research in endocrine oncology.

DIVISION OF HEMATOLOGY

Dr. François Mercier has been appointed to the Department of Medicine as of July 1st, 2017.

Dr. Mercier has been appointed to the Attending Staff of the Jewish General Hospital Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology as an Assistant Professor in the McGill University Department of Medicine.

Dr. Mercier earned his medical degree at McGill University in 2004, where he subsequently completed post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and Hematology.

Dr. Mercier pursued additional training at Harvard University (Scadden Laboratory) and Massachusetts General Hospital, where he successfully conducted research on murine models of acute myeloid leukemia and CRISPR/Cas9 technology to better understand how leukemic stem cells gradually adapt in vivo to outcompete normal hematopoiesis, and how to revert this. The overall goal of his studies is to identify new therapeutic targets in acute leukemia.

Dr. Mercier will have clinical duties at the Jewish General Hospital, where he will also be involved in teaching students and supervising medical residents. He will continue to advance his research in the field of hematological malignancies at the Segal Cancer Center.

DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

July 1, 2019

Dr. Ling Huan Kong has been appointed to the Attending Staff of the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and as an Assistant Professor in the McGill University Department of Medicine.

Dr. Kong earned her medical degree from McGill University where she completed her post-graduate training in internal medicine. She then completed her fellowship in infectious diseases and medical microbiology at McGill and the Jewish General Hospital. Subsequently, she pursued further training on "harnessing whole genome sequencing as a tool to study antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae" at the University of Leeds.  Dr. Kong will have clinical duties at the JGH, where she will be involved in teaching students as well as supervising medical residents and infectious diseases and microbiology fellows. She will continue to advance her research in the area of hospital-acquired infections.

DIVISION OF INTERNAL MEDICINE

September 1st, 2018

Dr. Maral Koolian has been appointed as Program Director of McGill University’s new AFC (Area of Focused Competence) in Adult Thrombosis Medicine, effective September 1, 2018.  Adult Thrombosis Medicine is that area of enhanced competence within medicine concerned with the investigation, diagnosis, and medical management of patients with venous and arterial thromboembolic disease in a variety of clinical contexts.

Dr. Koolian is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Internal Medicine, based at the Jewish General Hospital. She earned her medical degree at McGill University, where she subsequently completed post-graduate training in General Internal Medicine. She then completed a 1-year thrombosis fellowship at the University of Ottawa, followed by a Master’s in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety at the University of Toronto. 

July 2018

Le Dr Samuel Mamane a été recruté au Département de médecine en tant que membre actif du Service de médecine interne et Professeur adjoint à l'Université McGill en juillet 2018. Le Dr Mamane a complété sa formation postdoctorale en médecine interne à l'Université McGill et une maîtrise de santé publique en efficacité clinique à l'Université de Harvard où il a également poursuivi une formation supplémentaire en intégration de la technologie de l'information de santé pour améliorer la qualité des soins de santé et de sécurité des patients.

 

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