Meet Canada’s Outstanding Leaders in Health Technology Assessment

Canada’s Drug Agency is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2024 Recognition Awards. These awards honour individuals who are pushing the science of health technology assessment (HTA) forward, mentoring the next generation of leaders, and helping to grow Canada’s reputation for excellence in the field.

This year marks the introduction of a new award that recognizes early-career professionals with the potential to become leaders in health economics. The award is named in honour of the late Dr. Murray Krahn, a beloved physician and giant in the field of economic evaluation and HTA.

We are also presenting 10 Anniversary Medals to mark the 35th anniversary of Canada’s Drug Agency. These medals recognize individuals whose commitment and dedication have helped maintain HTA as a vital component of Canada’s health systems.

Our organization, previously known as CADTH, was established in 1989 to provide evidence to inform decisions about the optimal use of drugs and medical devices in our health systems. On May 1, 2024, we officially adopted Canada’s Drug Agency as our new operating name, as well as an expanded mandate that includes improving appropriate prescribing and use of medications, increasing pan-Canadian access to drug and treatment data, and reducing drug system duplication.

I am thrilled to celebrate the incredible contributions of these 13 award recipients. They represent the very best of HTA in Canada through their commitment to excellence, ability to innovate, and willingness to collaborate. Through their efforts, we are all reminded that research and evidence can truly help our health systems become future-ready.

Suzanne McGurn 
President and CEO 
Canada’s Drug Agency
 

Dr. Doug Coyle — Dr. Jill M. Sanders Award of Excellence for Career Achievement in Health Technology Assessment

Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Doug Coyle has become a pivotal figure in the fields of health economics and HTA in Canada and around the world. His innovative research has provided important insights into the cost-effectiveness of health care interventions and informed a range of policy decisions.

As a respected academic and thought leader, Dr. Coyle has published extensively, with 13 book chapters and more than 300 articles in peer-reviewed publications. He was an active member of the Canadian Health Economics Guidelines Working Group and served on various provincial committees in Ontario related to the evaluation of drugs.

Dr. Coyle is also a thoughtful and generous mentor, encouraging the development of health economists, epidemiologists, and health researchers through his role as a professor at the University of Ottawa’s School of Epidemiology and Public Health, and solidifying his legacy of excellence in Canada’s HTA community.

Dr. Mina Tadrous — Dr. Maurice McGregor Award for a Rising Star in Health Technology Assessment

Dr. Mina Tadrous is at the forefront of research that has led to meaningful change at both the policy and patient level. At the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN), he played a key role in implementing a novel framework for drug class reviews that enhanced standard HTA methods with patient and citizen perspectives and real-world evidence (RWE). This approach is driving formulary modernization in Ontario and elsewhere.

In recognition of his world-class research, Dr. Tadrous was awarded a CIHR Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Real-World Evidence and Pharmaceutical Policy. His research program at the University of Toronto, which includes training new professionals in the use of RWE, will have a profound impact on Canada’s leadership in this field.

Additionally, with a clinical background as a pharmacist, Dr. Tadrous’s keen understanding of issues around drug shortages has informed his work to devise strategies that will help to safeguard Canada’s drug inventory. This includes developing an at-risk medicines list and risk framework to better predict drugs that may undergo shortages and assess their clinical importance.

Dr. Jason Robert Guertin — Dr. Murray Krahn Award for a Rising Star in Health Economics

Though still early in his career, Dr. Jason Robert Guertin has been actively involved in building Canada’s research capacity in health economics.

He has been pivotal in establishing and maintaining the first French-language, graduate-level microprogram in economic evaluation in health in Canada. He also led the French translation of the 2022 Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) statement, thus ensuring Canada’s francophone academic community has access to the information that was created to ensure these evaluations are identifiable, interpretable, and useful for decision-making.

At Université Laval, his research program includes a focus on the use of RWE to conduct real-world economic evaluations of health technologies, mainly in the areas of regenerative medicine and rare diseases. Dr. Guertin has also dedicates his time to numerous committees for both public and academic organizations and is a frequent collaborator with the Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) and Canada’s Drug Agency.

The 35th Anniversary Medals

The recipients of the 35th Anniversary Medals are:

• Andrew Casey is the President and CEO of BIOTECanada, the national biotechnology industry association, and is recognized as a pragmatic and creative advocate for Canada’s life sciences sector. As a member of the Industry Liaison Forum at Canada’s Drug Agency, he has helped open doors and supported our collaboration with industry.
• Dr. Michèle de Guise, with extensive experience as a cardiologist and in health care management, led the development of HTA units at INESSS and oversaw work in the area of critical care, genomics, and screening programs. She also pioneered scientific advancements in the field, transformed how the organization collaborates with the patient community, and became the Chief Executive Officer in 2022. Dr. de Guise is an observer on the Board of Directors of Canada’s Drug Agency.
• Dr. Avram Denburg is a globally recognized leader in pediatric oncology, where the need for access to emerging technologies is urgent. In the areas of drug policy and HTA, Dr. Denburg is a pioneer in building approaches to adolescent cancer drug policy in Canada and internationally. Dr. Denburg is the Academic Member on the Board of Directors of Canada’s Drug Agency and is the first pediatrician to serve on the Board.
• Beth Kidd has been bringing the patient voice to health care decision-making for more than 25 years. She is an inaugural member and current Chair of the Patient and Community Advisory Committee at Canada’s Drug Agency and a volunteer with Research Canada’s Board of Directors, among many others. Beth represents more than 90 health charities in her role as the Executive Director of the Health Coalition of Alberta.
• Dr. Wendy Levinson is the founder of Choosing Wisely Canada and has been a catalyst for improved patient care. She is also a renowned global expert in the field of physician-patient communication and the disclosure of medical error. She has spearheaded collaborations with Canada’s Drug Agency and other health system partners to advance the delivery of high-value health care.
• Dr. Muhammad Mamdani is recognized for his many contributions to drug safety, pharmacoeconomics, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics in health systems. He founded the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network, which is among Canada’s most impactful collaborations between researchers and policy-makers. He is a leading voice on the groundbreaking integration of AI in health care and is currently the Vice-President of Data Science and Advanced Analytics at Unity Health Toronto.
• Nancy Sikich, as the newly retired Director of HTA at Ontario Health, has played a tremendous role in advancing the science and capacity for HTA in Ontario. She contributed to the development of a globally recognized decision framework for nondrug technologies. She also led the development of a unique prioritization framework for genetic tests and established a robust patient engagement process to ensure the consideration of patient preferences and values.
• Dr. James Silvius has dedicated almost 15 years to ensuring that decisions about new medications are shaped by evidence. As Chair of the Canadian Drug Expert Committee, he has worked closely with Canada’s Drug Agency and presided during a time of rapid advancement and growing complexity in the pharmaceutical landscape. He has also been at the forefront of advancing the health of older adults, dementia care, and palliative care in Alberta and across the country. Dr. Silvius is the co-founder of the Canadian Deprescribing Network and is committed to promoting the safe and appropriate use of medications for all.
• Maureen Smith is a respected advocate who has lent her expertise to patient organizations, government, medical researchers, HTA agencies, and industry. She has been involved in HTA for drugs and devices, served on provincial committees, and has been an active patient partner at Canada’s Drug Agency. Maureen was appointed Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health in recognition of her expertise in and commitment to patient engagement.
• Dr. Maureen Trudeau is a highly regarded oncologist and leading figure in the field of breast cancer research in Canada. She has been a strong voice for patient-centred care and has a mentored a generation of oncologists during her career. Dr. Trudeau has served as the Chair of the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review Expert Committee since 2013 and played a vital role in enhancing the Reimbursement Review process and championing evidence-informed drug-funding decisions.

For more about the awards, please visit the Recognition Awards page on our website. All awards and medals will be presented during Symposium 2024 on September 4, 2024.