Dear Colleagues,
The Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery had an amazing display of expert Educators, Innovators, and Researchers who were recognized at the 2025 Department of Surgery events on May 2, 2025. I would like to share with you some awards and accomplishments.
Dr. Dale Podolsky – Innovation in Surgery Award for a faculty within their first five years on staff whose innovative pursuits have advanced the science, techniques, processes, or delivery of surgery with an effort towards developing intellectual property and/or commercialization.
Dr. Shaishav Datta – D.R. Wilson Award for Teaching to the surgical resident who is rated by undergraduate students as being an outstanding teacher.
Dr. Kyle Wanzel – Bruce Tovee Award for having made the greatest contribution to the undergraduate and postgraduate educational activities in the Department as exemplified by Dr. E. Bruce Tovee during his outstanding career.
Dr. Anne O’Neill – Surgical Skills Centre DH Gales Outstanding Educator Award for an individual who has made exemplary, innovative contributions to teaching and learning in the Surgical Skills Centre over the past year.
Dr. Whitney Quong (SSTP; Supervisor Dr. Joel Fish) – Gallie-Bateman Oral Presentation Award (3rd place): What it means to have a scar: insights from 20,000 people.
Dr. Chloe Wong (SSTP; Supervisor Dr. Heather Baltzer) – Gallie-Bateman e-Poster Award (2nd place): A dedicated trauma operating room for hand surgery reduces after hours cases without affecting wait times: a retrospective single-centre cohort study.
Neha Shah (Supervisor Dr. Kathleen Armstrong) – McMurrich e-Poster Award (1st place): Management of high BMI and comorbidities in masculinizing chest surgery at an ambulatory center: no impact of BMI or ASA on complication rates.
Congratulations to many additional resident presenters/co-authors and supervisors from our Division who put on an amazing display of the breadth of plastic surgery: Drs. Emma Avery, Tega Ebeye, Darby Little, Amna Majeed, Barbara Jemec, Stephanie Mason, Ryan Paul, Jonathan Persitz, Johanna Riesel, and Toni Zhong. Many faculty also donated their time and expertise as Judges, and multiple Undergraduate Students were also involved in research projects that were presented. My sincere apologies if I have inadvertently missed recognizing anyone in the program.
Thank you to all who contributed and demonstrated that the future of Plastic Surgery at University of Toronto is bright.
Joan E. Lipa
Chair, Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, University of Toronto
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
