Dr. Certina Ho has been an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, and Experiential Education Coordinator at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, since 2013. Her teaching and research initiatives in patient and medication safety at LDFP and ISMP Canada have inspired her to introduce an innovative and practical approach in linking student contributions to patient and medication safety from the classroom to frontline pharmacy practice. At the Faculty, Dr. Ho serves as a member on the PharmD Program Committee, Curriculum and Assessment Committee, Experiential Education Quality Assurance Committee, and the Industrial Pharmacy Residency Program as faculty advisor for specialty residency programs on medical affairs, medical information, and drug safety. She is a pharmacy professional turned innovator in incident reporting and learning in community practice, a leader in patient and medication safety, a dedicated mentor to students and residents, and a passionate researcher and educator.

What peers say about Dr. Ho:

As a mentor and preceptor, Dr. Ho always cares about her students’ well-being. She has unique skills in identifying the student’s strength and is able to facilitate students to hone their skills over time.

Words from Certina:

"It is truly an honour and I’m humbled to be recognized with this award from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, a place where I first learned about the profession and a place where I met my life-long friends, colleagues, and mentors. My memories at the Faculty as a student, and more recent experiences as a teacher, a preceptor, and a researcher, have offered me invaluable opportunities to meet and collaborate with students, new practitioners, and experienced pharmacy professionals. While there is still a lot more for me to learn, I’m also looking forward to giving back to the Faculty and contributing to the profession through teaching and research in patient/medication safety and mentorship of pharmacy students."

Although Tiana Tilli has been in practice for less than five years, she’s already made significant contributions to patients, pharmacists, and pharmacy practice across the country. Tiana has led several research initiatives pertaining to the role of pharmacists, supporting their expanded role as clinicians and in public health. Tiana has a passion for providing care to those who are marginalized and racialized. She has been an advocate for creating safe spaces for diverse patients in pharmacies. Most recently, Tiana partnered with Pharmacy Awareness of Indigenous Health (PAIH) to develop infographics bringing awareness to NIHB coverage of OTC items when recommended by a pharmacist.

Tiana is the Course Coordinator for the Professional Practice Laboratories in the International Pharmacy Graduate (IPG) program. She supports pharmacists from around the world as they transition to practice within the Canadian healthcare system. She also serves on the Preceptor Advisory Committee and the Young Alumni Committee, representing the Class of 1T7.

What peers say about Tiana:

Tiana inspires pharmacists to provide more culturally informed care and consider and address the representation and accessibility of their pharmacy practice and daily life. Through her example, she inspires pharmacists to be intentional with their actions. Tiana supports pharmacists in elevating their practice, feeling professionally satisfied, and caring for their communities. Tiana also inspires student learners to continuously improve, rise to challenges presented, and think outside the traditional role of pharmacist.

Words from Tiana

"Receiving the Emerging Leading in Pharmacy Practice award is meaningful to me as it encourages me to continue working towards making pharmacy spaces more accessible. It reinforces that my time as a student at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, and the learning opportunities it provided, prepared me to transition from learner to practicing pharmacist. I'm grateful for this opportunity to celebrate the contributions pharmacy team members make to the healthcare system and hopefully inspire future students to consider pharmacy as a career."

In the years since graduating from the doctoral program at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, Dr. Emmanuel Ho has contributed significantly to the pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences fields nationally and internationally. Dr. Ho’s team has developed the first intravaginal ring medical device for inducing what is known as vaginal T-cell “immune quiescence” as a novel strategy for preventing HIV infection. He established the first Advanced Microbicide Research and Analysis Facility (funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation) to support Canada’s contributions to the microbicide field, which is the development of innovative products for vaginal and rectal application as a novel strategy for preventing sexually transmitted infections.

As a leader in the pharmaceutical sciences, Dr. Ho has been invited to serve as a Peer Review Member on the CIHR Pharmaceutical Sciences Committee, Panel Member for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and a Member of Panel of Examiners for the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC). Dr. Ho’s exceptional accomplishments in the fields of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences is a result of the fantastic mentors he has had throughout his career and the training received at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. He is very passionate about mentoring and teaching the next generation of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists.

Words from Emmanuel:

"Being recognized by my alma mater means the world to me. My achievements and success are a result of all the fantastic mentors I had throughout my journey and the amazing trainees within my research group. I am very proud to continue representing the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy as a continue my scientific career."

After receiving her Doctorate in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy in 2014, Dr. Andrea Burden pursued a post-doctoral fellowship at the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology at Maastricht University, Netherlands. She is the first chair in pharmacoepidemiology in Switzerland and is developing a new research group in pharmacoepidemiology within the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Burden is a founding member of the European Calcified Tissue Society which aims to highlight and promote work completed by up-and-coming researchers.

Dr. Burden has been widely involved with the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy community as a collaborator on several papers, including 2 papers where Pharmacy students were first authors using international data. She is now the Assistant Professor (tenure track) in Pharmacoepidemiology at the ETH Zürich.

Words from Andrea:

"I am incredibly humbled and honoured to be the recipient of the emerging leader in pharmaceutical sciences from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. I know first-hand that there are many talented and deserving graduates of the Faculty. This award is particularly meaningful as it is a recognition from the institution that provided the foundation and shaped my career. My academic career truly began at the Faculty of Pharmacy. I owe my successes to the training and mentorship during my Ph.D. – mainly from my doctoral supervisor Dr. Suzanne Cadarette. While I am no longer in Canada, my connection to the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy remains strong. My mentors and fellow graduate students have become colleagues, collaborators, and friends. I look forward to many more years of working with them."

Finishing his 25 years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces as Lieutenant Colonel (Military Pharmacist), Régis Vaillancourt has continued to imbue leadership and commitment in his former role as the Director of Pharmacy for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). Spanning over four decades and encompassing all pillars of the profession, Régis has proven to be a consummate leader and innovator in Canadian pharmacy, underscored by his compassionate involvement in the community as a practitioner, his exceptional service as a Canadian Armed Forces pharmacist, his recognized role in research as an academic, and his service as past-president and active member of several pharmacy boards, committees, associations, and federations.

Starting in 2002, and still continuing today, he is dedicated to his role as a surveyor for Accreditation Canada where he works collaboratively with fellow experts to improve the medication management system by incorporating qualitative and quantitative findings on medication management. For over thirty years Régis has been addressing common issues in the practice of pharmacy in Canada where he has clearly demonstrated his impact in his profession not only nationally with his executive roles with the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacy (CSHP), but also on a global scale with executive roles with the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). In a humanitarian capacity, Régis started his role in 2009 that he continues today as a board member for Pharmacists without Boarders; he did not waste time in taking on leadership roles, where he served as the Vice-President (2012-2014) and President (2014-2016). Currently at Pharmacists without Boarders he is responsible for the implementation of pharmaceutical care workshops in Poland.

Words from Régis:

"Getting an award is always a pleasant experience. I am honoured to be recognized by my peers. It shows that my contribution to the profession did not go unnoticed. This award has something special about it. It comes from an institution of knowledge. The faculty of pharmacy gave me the tools to allow my pharmacy career to take off. The faculty gave me pharmacy knowledge but it also gave me the skills to influence change with one purpose in mind: to improve patient outcome using our pharmacy knowledge. This award represents the recognition of my lifelong commitment to improve care. Thank you for this recognition."

Carolyn has over 30 years of pharmacy experience, filled with accomplishments and accolades. Since graduating from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Pharmacy in 1986, Carolyn has served as a pharmacist within family health teams, community pharmacies, and palliative care facilities. Carolyn has been recognized from the pharmacy community as the OPA’s Pharmacist of the Year in 2014 and with the OPA’s Distinguished Practice Award in 2010. While extremely grateful for this recognition, Carolyn’s greatest success has been the impact she’s had improving patient care.

What peers say about Carolyn:

"Carolyn truly inspires all those around her to remember why they first went into their respective healthcare professions; to put patient’s first. She serves with compassion and empathy and, while being a successful pharmacy owner, she prioritizes patient access to medication over financial gain. [..] In addition to being an inspiration to her patients, Carolyn is an inspiration to female pharmacists. In a profession where 70% of pharmacists are female but only 30% of pharmacy owners are women, Carolyn acts as an inspiration and mentor. She demonstrates that it’s possible to be a successful owner and she participates in initiatives to uplift other female pharmacists."

Words from Carolyn:

"With my many years of expertise, and generosity from relationships with the pharmaceutical industry, I wanted to give back through my profession and hoped I made a little difference. I definitely recognize that there is still a lot to do, but with one step at a time, I believe that we can make a change! I am hoping this achievement will rally others to invest their time and strengths to help make a change as well. My service award is an honor and a privilege and with utmost thanks to my family, my staff, my peers and colleagues who have recognized all the work I have done."

National Bank has supported the Undergraduate Pharmacy Society (UPS) at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy for close to 10 years through the many initiatives that support the PharmD student body, allowing them to have a well-rounded student experience.

Rexall Pharmacy Group has worked with the Office of Experiential Education for many years to promote their preceptorship, providing students many opportunities for learning.

Words from Rexall:

"We are honoured to be presented with this award. Supporting emerging talent and the future of pharmacy remains a top priority for us at Rexall. Knowing the quality of the partnership is one of value on both sides makes the work we do with the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy that much more meaningful. Thank you for the strong collaboration, and for your role in the academic journey of the incredibly talented students we have had the pleasure of mentoring. We look forward to many more years of successful partnering."