Temerty Medicine community members recognized with Order of Canada

Temerty Medicine is celebrating ten members of its community who were recently recognized by the Order of Canada. They are among 34 members of the University of Toronto community were also appointed to, or promoted within, the Order of Canada.

The Governor General announced 88 new appointments to the Order of Canada on December 18 and three promotions which include George Trusler, former head of cardiac surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children and a professor emeritus in the department of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

“Members of the Order of Canada are builders of hope for a better future,” Gov. Gen. Mary Simon said in a statement. “Each in their own way, they broaden the realm of possibilities and inspire others to continue pushing its boundaries. Thank you for your perseverance, fearless leadership and visionary spirit, and welcome to the Order of Canada.” 

Created in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest civilian honours. It recognizes individuals whose achievements and service have had an impact on communities across Canada and beyond.

Current and former faculty

• Steve Arshinoff, a professor in the department of ophthalmology and vision sciences, was named an Officer of the Order for his contributions to eye care, pioneering now-standard practices. Co-founder of the Eye Foundation of Canada, he also serves as a medical director of Eye Van, providing care to remote northern Ontario communities. He completed his ophthalmology residency at U of T. 
• Zulfiqar Bhutta, a professor in the department of nutritional sciences, was named an Officer of the Order for his contributions as one of the world’s foremost authorities on maternal and child health, shaping public health strategies that have reduced mortality and improved the well-being of women and children worldwide.  
• Sandy Buchman, medical director of the Freeman Centre for the Advancement of Palliative Care at North York General Hospital and associate professor in the department of family and community medicine, was named a Member of the Order for contributions to palliative medicine. A former president of the Canadian Medical Association, Buchman has advocated for palliative care, MAID and equitable access to compassionate care. He completed his residency in family medicine at U of T.
• David Chitayat, head of the prenatal diagnosis and medical genetics program at Mount Sinai Hospital, physician at SickKids and professor in the departments of paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, laboratory medicine and pathobiology, and molecular genetics, was named a Member of the Order for his globally acclaimed work identifying genes associated with fetal abnormalities and postnatal newborns.
• Dafna Gladman, a senior scientist at the Toronto Western Research Institute and a professor in the Institute of Medical Science, was named an Officer of the Order for her contributions to the psoriatic arthritis field. Her research advanced the understanding of the chronic disease, and her advocacy has improved the treatment and care. She earned her medical degree from U of T.  
• Greg Ryan, a perinatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, head of the fetal medicine unit at Sinai Health and professor in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, was named a Member of the Order for his groundbreaking contributions to fetal medicine. A senior clinician scientist in the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, he has revolutionized in-utero treatment and care, improving outcomes for mothers and their unborn children globally. 
• Valerie Sue Tarasuk, a professor emerita in the department of nutritional sciences with a cross-appointment to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, was named a Member of the Order for her expertise on food insecurity in Canada. Tarasuk has worked to reduce food insecurity with policy intervention through PROOF, an interdisciplinary research program. She earned her master's of science and PhD at U of T.  
• George Trusler, former head of cardiac surgery at SickKids and a professor emeritus in the department of surgery, was named an Officer of the Order in recognition of innovations in pediatric and cardiac surgery. His innovations have saved thousands of lives, including his  groundbreaking invention to preserve the aortic valve and his design of an algorithm to control excess blood flow to the lungs of infants suffering heart failure.

Alumni and friends

• Aura Kagan, a speech language pathologist who earned a PhD from U of T, was named an Officer of the Order for contributions that profoundly shaped care for people living with aphasia – a disorder that disrupts the ability to speak, understand, read, and write – including groundbreaking methods to help individuals communicate more effectively. 
• Sam Shemie, who completed his pediatric cardiology fellowship at U of T, was named a Member of the Order for shaping new ethical standards surrounding organ donation, creating new protocols for hospital culture and mentoring hundreds of clinical care physicians in Canada and abroad. He is medical director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Montreal Children's Hospital.

– With files from Mariam Matti