Awards

Recognizing visionary contributions as an advocate for the heart, brain and vascular health of women in Canada, through mobilizing others to increase awareness and take action to reduce women’s risk of heart, brain and vascular diseases or support their management of these diseases.

Call for Nominations
Do you know someone who is a passionate advocate for women and heart, brain and vascular disease? The Summit Planning Committee is searching for outstanding advocates in women’s heart, brain and vascular health to be nominated for the 2025 Canadian Women’s Heart Health Advocacy Award.

What is Advocacy? 
Advocacy represents the strategies developed, actions taken and solutions proposed to influence decision-making to create positive change for people and their environment for a particular cause. It is how we transform public attitudes into action by educating, empowering and supporting individuals and communities.

Why an Advocacy Award?
The 2025 Canadian Women’s Heart, Brain and Vascular Health Advocacy Award recognizes the contributions of an individual working to improve the heart, brain and vascular health of women in Canada through advocacy, awareness, and support.

The award recognizes the outstanding commitment in mobilizing women and/or health professionals to take heart, brain and vascular health seriously and act to reduce women’s risk of heart, brain and vascular disease.

The winner will receive a recognition plaque, a $500 cheque, and complimentary registration to the Summit.

Award Categories
One winner will be awarded for each of the following two categories:

1. Healthcare Professional/Researcher: A clinician, researcher or clinician scientist 
2. Person with Lived and Living Experience (PWLLE) Advocate: A PWLLE includes those living with heart disease, stroke, and/or vascular conditions and caregivers of those with lived experience (family or informal caregiver/friend).

The Selection Committee will evaluate nominees on the following criteria:

• Mobilizing Communities – building knowledge and skills of the community to advocate for programs and policies regarding women’s heart, brain and vascular health.
• Fostering Coalitions and Networks – engaging the community and other partners in identifying key community issues that affect women’s heart, brain and vascular health. 
• Promoting Community Awareness – support public awareness campaigns about women’s heart, brain and vascular health in the community.
• Changing Organizational Practices – collaborating with others to advocate for the implementation of policies and procedures about women’s heart, brain and vascular health within organizations and groups.

Nominees may be healthcare professionals, researchers, and PWLLE currently living and/or working in Canada. Previous winners will not be eligible.

Application Process
Nominators must complete the online submission form requiring the following:

• Provide contact details for both the Nominator and Nominee. 
• Describe the advocacy efforts of the nominee and explain why you believe the nominee qualifies for this award.
• Upload at least one (1) letter of support. Letter of support criteria:  
  • Letter of support must not be written by a family member or relative
  • Must state how they know the Nominee and for how long
  • Must have knowledge of Nominee’s activities and experiences

Eligibility Note
To maintain the integrity and collaborative spirit of our awards program, self-nominations are not accepted. All nominations must be submitted by a colleague, mentor, or professional peer who recognizes the nominee’s outstanding contributions.

Important Dates

• Nominations open: November 1, 2024
• Deadline: January 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST
• Notification to Nominees/Nominator: February 21, 2025

The award will be presented to the winning individual during the closing ceremonies of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Summit on Saturday, April 26, 2025, and is encouraged to attend to accept their award in person.

Past Award Recipients

2023 Winner: Shahin Jaffer, MD, MHSc, FRCPC
​Clinical Professor of Medicine
University of British Columbia
Division of Community General Internal Medicine
Internal Medicine Consultant, Fraser Health Authority
Vancouver, BC

2021 Winner: Tara Sedlak, MD, FRCPC, MBA
Co-Chair, Canadian Women's Heart Health Summit
Cardiologist, Vancouver General Hospital and British Columbia Women’s Hospital
Medical Director, Leslie Diamond Women's Heart Health Clinic 
Clinical Associate Professor, University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC

2018 Winner: Marion Martell
Woman with Lived Experience
Women@Heart Program Ambassador and Support Leader
Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre
Manotick, ON

2016 Winner: Sonia Anand, MD, PhD, FRCPc
Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology
Director of the Chanchlani Research Centre
Director of the Vascular Medicine Fellowship Program 
Senior Scientist Population Health Research Institute 
Canada Research Chair in Ethnic Diversity and Cardiovascular Disease
Heart and Stroke Chair in Population Health
Associate Chair of Equity and Diversity, Department of Medicine
Hamilton, ON

This award recognizes the contributions of an investigator to the heart, brain and/or vascular health of women in Canada, through advancing inquiry and knowledge of women-specific heart, brain and vascular health issues to ultimately reduce disease risk, improve the quality of life, and prevent premature death.

Call for Nominations
Do you know someone who has made an important contribution to advancing the science around women’s heart, brain and vascular health? The Canadian Women’s Heart Health Summit planning committee is searching for outstanding investigators to be nominated for the 2025 Canadian Women’s Heart, Brain and Vascular Health Investigator Award.

Why an Investigator Award?
The 2025 Canadian Women’s Heart, Brain and Vascular Health Investigator Award recognizes the contributions of an individual working to improve the heart, brain and vascular health of women in Canada through contributions to science. The award recognizes the outstanding commitment of emerging investigators to advancing inquiry and knowledge of women’s heart, brain and vascular health with the goal of ultimately improving quality of life, and reducing disease risk and premature death.

The winner will receive a recognition plaque, a $500 cheque, and complimentary registration to the Summit.

Categories

1. Mid-Career Investigator Award: A researcher who, at the time of application, has assumed his/her independent research position 5-15 years ago.
2. Early-Career Investigator Award: A researcher who, at the time of application, has assumed their first independent, research-related appointment within five years. The date of first appointment will be based on the date listed in the Common CV (i.e., under Employment). Given that career progress for an early career investigator (ECI) is particularly vulnerable to normal life circumstances, the CWHHS Research Sub-Committee will adjust the eligibility window, as follows:
   1. Eligible leaves (e.g. maternity, parental, medical, family medical, bereavement) will extend ECI status (i.e. will not be counted towards the maximum) and will be  credited as twice the amount of time taken;
   2. No adjustments are provided for professional leaves (e.g., training, sabbatical, administrative). No adjustments are provided for time spent on non-research-related duties or for the pursuit of non-research-related career activities.

Evaluation Criteria
The Canadian Women’s Heart Health Summit Research Sub-Committee will evaluate nominees on the following criteria:

1. Relevance to women's heart, brain and/or vascular health and inclusion of sex- and gender-based plus analyses.
2. Novel aspect or significance of the work, other related grants and awards, and the role of collaborators. 
3. Impact of the research.
4. Demonstration of a confirmed, full-time academic or research appointment at the time of submission
   Nominees may be healthcare professionals, researchers, or organizations currently working in Canada.

Eligibility Note
To maintain the integrity and collaborative spirit of our awards program, self-nominations are not accepted. All nominations must be submitted by a colleague, mentor, or professional peer who recognizes the nominee’s outstanding contributions.

Important Dates

• Nominations Open: November 1, 2024
• Deadline: January 31, 2025 (at 11:59 PM EST)
• Notification to Nominees/Nominator: February 21, 2025

The award will be presented to the winning individuals during the closing ceremonies of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Summit on Saturday, April 26, 2025, and is encouraged to attend to accept their award in person.

Past Award Recipients

2023 Winner Senior Investigator: Satish Raj, MD, MSCI, FRCPC
Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Cardiac Sciences
Chief, Cardiac Arrhythmia Service
Medical Director, Calgary Autonomic Investigation and Management Clinic
Director of Education, Libin Cardiovascular Institute
Calgary, AB

2023 Winner Early-Career Investigator: Sandi Dumanski, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Nephrologist | Assistant Professor
Director, Kidney ReACH (Reproductive And Cardiovascular Health) Initiative
Libin Cardiovascular Insitute, O’Brien Institute for Public Health,
Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Calgary, AB

2021 Winner: Dr. Jodi Edwards, PhD
Scientist And Director, Brain And Heart Nexus Research Program
Director, UOHI Population Outcomes Research Unit
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Adjunct Scientist, ICES
Associate Professor, School Of Epidemiology And Public Health, University Of Ottawa
Ottawa, ON

2021 Winner: Dr. Amy Yu, MDCM, MSc, FRCPC
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Stroke Neurologist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center
Toronto, ON

This award recognizes scientific merit and excellence in research design and performance, as well as the presentation of the research abstract by a resident, fellow, or graduate student in a training program. Trainees must be students enrolled full-time in a program of study (medical school, health professional school, graduate studies, residency, fellowship, etc).

Evaluation Criteria

1. Relevance to women's heart, brain and/or vascular health and inclusion of sex- and gender-based plus analysis (SGBA+). Refer to the CIHR modules. 
2. Novel aspect or significance of the work and impact of the research. Refer to CIHR guidelines.

Application Process
Trainees will be able to select whether they would like their abstract to be considered for the Trainee Award within the online abstract submission process. Trainees are asked to evaluate the percentage (%) of their contribution to the research based on the following categories: Design, Analysis, Writing, Reviewer.

The winning trainee will receive a recognition plaque, an award of $250 and complimentary registration to the Summit.

Important Dates

• Nominations Open: November 1, 2024
• Deadline: January 9, 2025 (at 11:59 PM EST)
• Notifications sent via email: February 21, 2025

Please note that the recipient will be invited to accept their award during the award ceremony on Saturday, April 26, 2025, and are encouraged to attend to accept their award in person.

Past Award Recipients

2023 Winner: Dr. Rebecca Crosier, MD
Member, Knowledge Translation and Mobilization Working Group, CWHHA
Cardiology Resident
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Ottawa, ON | @beccacrosier

The 2025 Canadian Women’s Heart Health Summit will include an award for Best Rapid-Fire Oral Presentation. The person judged as preparing and delivering the Best-Rapid Fire Oral Presentation will receive a recognition plaque and an award of $250.

Rapid Fire Oral presentations will be judged by the 2025 Canadian Women’s Heart Health Summit Review Committee, based on the following criteria:

• Originality 
• Design and methodology 
• Supporting data 
• Quality of presentation 
• Adherence to the allotted time

The recipient will receive their award during the Summit’s Award Ceremony on Saturday, April 26, 2025.

Past Award Recipients

2023 Winner: Dr. Rebecca Crosier, MD
Cardiology Resident
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Ottawa, ON | @beccacrosier

Abstract Title: Exploring abnormalities in pulsatile arterial load as distinct features of the HFpEF syndrome in women  

2021 Winner: Monica Parry, MEd, MSc, NP-Adult, PhD, CCN(C)
Associate Professor, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
Nurse Practitioner, Cardiac Program, Kingston Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, ON | @parryresearch

Abstract Title: Sex/Gender Knowledge and Parity in Clinical Trials

2018 Winner: Jodi Edwards, PhD
Scientist And Director, Brain And Heart Nexus Research Program
Director, UOHI Population Outcomes Research Unit
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Adjunct Scientist, ICES
Associate Professor, School Of Epidemiology And Public Health, University Of Ottawa
Ottawa, ON

Abstract Title: Sex Differences in the Incidence and Outcomes of Newly Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation-Related Stroke

2016 Winner: Katie Cheung
Clinical Research Assistant
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Ottawa, ON

Abstract Title: Sex Differences in the Growth Rates of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms: Role of Aneurysm Etiology