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2023-24
Santé 
Awards

Honouring Saskatchewan Leaders
in Health Research

SHRF's annual awards honour those in Saskatchewan’s health research community who inspire us with their drive, leadership, ingenuity and achievement. From advancing new treatments to shaping public policy, these researchers contribute to citizens' improved health, enabling a high-performing health system and building a robust culture of health research and innovation in Saskatchewan. 

These awards were presented at the annual Santé Awards celebration,
scheduled on January 25, 2024.

This year marked the 20th annual Santé Awards celebration, and SHRF was excited to host the awards in person once again at the Holiday Inn on College Drive, Saskatoon.

2023-24 Recipients

Achievement Award 

The award: This award is presented to one senior researcher currently residing in Saskatchewan, whose exemplary career achievements have inspired us with their drive, leadership and ingenuity. It recognizes the recipient's work over their career to build capacity, advance knowledge, inform decision-making, and provide health, economic, and social impacts in Saskatchewan.

Selection criteria: Candidates are nominated by their peers and considered by an expert panel of local and national experts from a range of fields.

Dr. Hassan Vatanparast

Dr. Hassan Vatanparast, a professor with joint appointments in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and School of Public Health since 2009, has been selected for the SHRF’s top award in recognition of his significant contributions to advancing health research in Saskatchewan and beyond. His research spans various areas including nutritional epidemiology, migration health, and improving food offerings in recreation facilities. His work has been influential, cited in major policy documents such as the World Health Organization’s World Report on Health of Refugees and Migrants, and his research on bone mineral accrual in Saskatchewan children has informed recommendations on daily calcium intake. Dr. Vatanparast has secured over $5 million in research funding and has published extensively. Additionally, he is commended for his dedication to mentoring the next generation of public health researchers.

College of Pharmacy and Nutrition

School of Public Health

University of Saskatchewan

Impact Award 

The award: This award is presented to a researcher who received a SHRF Establishment Grant five years ago, has submitted a 5-year follow-up report, and is currently active in Saskatchewan. The award recognizes their work which helps build capacity, advance knowledge, inform decision-making and provides health, economic and social impacts, and shows future potential to continue their impact in Saskatchewan.

Selection criteria: The winner is selected by a review panel of experts in strategy, impact evaluation, performance measurement and others. The criteria individuals are evaluated on are broken into four categories, each receiving 10 points depending on their achievements.

Dr. Robert Laprairie

Robert extends a heartfelt thank you to SHRF; “The invaluable support from SHRF acted as a catalyst to the program that would have otherwise been unattainable. Delving into the complexities of studying synthetic cannabinoid compounds in animal models of epilepsy is quite intricate and expensive. The funding was pivotal in kick-starting our research, ensuring seamless operations, providing crucial support to my team, and lifting their projects off the ground. SHRF's backing positioned us as a credible and established research program, which led to getting additional funding from CIHR.”

As Robert reflects on receiving the SHRF Impact Award, it becomes evident that this honour goes beyond merely acknowledging past achievements and a testament to his commitment to building capacity, advancing knowledge, and providing tangible impacts on health, economics, and society.

University of Saskatchewan

Excellence Awards 

The award: These awards recognize the top-ranked applications from researchers and teams in the past year's funding competitions. All applications to SHRF's funding competitions are ranked according to our rigorous peer review process by committees of active researchers and health professionals. 

Selection criteria: Determined by the previous year's peer reviewed ranking from SHRF funding competitions.

Dr. Stacey Lovo 
2022-23 Solutions Grant, Innovation

School of Rehabilitation Sciences,

University of Saskatchewan

Project: Community-directed virtual healthcare strategies for the management of neuropathic pain in remote Indigenous communities

Dr. Gary Linassi

Dr. Ivar Mendez
2022-23 Solutions, Impact

College of Medicine, Department of Surgery
University of Saskatchewan

Project: Enhancing access to ultrasound services using a telerobotic ultrasonography system in rural southern Saskatchewan

Rachel Johnson, Dr. Stacey Lovo, Dr. Scott Adams

Dr. Stacey Lovo
2023-24 Establishment Grant: SocioHealth

School of Rehabilitation Science,
University of Saskatchewan

Project: Expanding Pediatric rehabilitation in Northern First Nation communities

Dr. Justin Botterill
2023-24 Establishment Grant: Biomedical

College of Medicine,
University of Saskatchewan

Project: Exploring hippocampal circuits that cause and prevent temporal lobe epilepsy

Learning Sign Language
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