Sinai Health researchers named Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

As one of the three national academies forming the Council of Canadian Academies, the Academy draws on the expertise of the country's top health sciences researchers to assess Canada's most pressing and complex health challenges and provide strategic, actionable recommendations. Election into the Academy is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community with 47 new members elected this year.

Dr. Rayjean Hung is the Associate Director of Population Health and a Senior Investigator at Sinai Health’s Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI), Head of the Prosserman Centre for Population Health, and holds the Canada Research Chair in Integrative Molecular Epidemiology. Dr. Hung is an internationally recognized leader in cancer epidemiology, focusing on etiology, prevention, and early detection. Her work covers the spectrum from omics discovery and predictive models to implementation, with emphasis on diverse populations. Beyond cancer research, Dr. Hung also co-leads the Ontario Birth Study (OBS) and the Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative (HeLTI)-South Africa project, which studies early life determinants and complex diseases later in life.

Dr. Prakesh Shah serves as the Paediatrician-in-Chief at Mount Sinai Hospital and is a Senior Clinician Scientist at LTRI. His research focuses on enhancing the quality of care and outcomes for extremely preterm infants. Widely recognized for his expertise, Dr. Shah has advised government agencies both in Canada and internationally. He leads two major neonatal networks: the Canadian Preterm Birth Network and the International Network for Evaluation of Outcomes of Neonates (iNeo), a global collaboration of more than 400 NICUs from 13 high-income countries and previously led the Canadian Neonatal Network (comprising 31 tertiary NICUs across Canada) between 2012–24. Through these networks, Dr. Shah has helped develop a deep understanding of outcome variations among extremely preterm infants and fostered a culture of cross-collaboration aimed at improving care quality and neonatal outcomes.

Dr. Jim Woodgett is a Senior Investigator at LTRI and its former Director. He is renowned for his pioneering discoveries in cell signaling that have advanced cancer biology and laid the groundwork for the development of targeted treatments. During his 16-year tenure leading LTRI, the Institute reinforced itself as an internationally recognized biomedical research centre, hosting advanced technology platforms and attracting world-leading scientists across disciplines, in including Dr. Hung. A passionate and widely respected advocate for Canadian sciences, Dr. Woodgett participates in advisory roles across multiple institutions nationwide and plays a pivotal role in scientific discourse, advocating for robust research funding, systemic support for early-career researchers, and open science guided by the highest standards of integrity. He is also the President and Scientific Director of the Terry Fox Research Institute, where he champions funding for the most innovative and impactful cancer research programs nationwide.

Dr. Anne-Claude Gingras, Vice President of Research for Sinai Health and LTRI Director, said, “On behalf of the Sinai Health research community, I am thrilled to congratulate Drs. Hung, Shah, and Woodgett on their well-deserved election into the Academy. Each of them has made an indelible impact in their field—advancing scientific knowledge and elevating Sinai Health’s reputation. Their expertise, leadership, and integrity will be tremendous assets to the Academy and its mission to improve health in Canada. Their recognition reflects the breadth and excellence of research at the LTRI and Sinai Health.”