St. Joe’s Researcher Wins Prestigious CIHR Mentoring Award
Dr. Harsha Shanthanna, anesthesiologist and researcher at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and assistant professor at McMaster University, was awarded the prestigious RCT Mentoring Award by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
This esteemed award provides support for new researchers that plan on leading global studies. Dr. Shanthanna’s mentors are Dr. Lehana Thabane, Biostatistician at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Dr. P.J. Devereaux, Professor, Division of Cardiology and Researcher at McMaster University.
“I feel wonderful, and immensely fortunate for this opportunity. For a young researcher, St Joseph’s Healthcare and McMaster University provide an encouraging atmosphere and support, along with an opportunity to work and interact with accomplished researchers, ” states Dr. Shanthanna. “This award has further increased my confidence, and supports me to engage in trials on important clinical questions around the peri-operative period to improve patient health and health service delivery.”
Dr. Shanthanna conducts ongoing studies in anesthesia and pain management. He is interested in discovering best practices for managing long-term persistent pain, as well as improving anesthesia delivery and pain relief during various types of surgery.
Two other researchers working at St. Joe's have won the RCT Mentoring award in the past. Dr. Michael Walsh and Dr. Zena Samaan have been previously recognized for their contributions to kidney research and psychiatry.
Being awarded with a third RCT Mentoring award by CIHR reflects the commitment of our researchers to not only stand on the shoulders of those who went before them, but mentor the next generation. Training new researchers to embark on high-quality international studies helps St. Joe’s to improve the quality of life of patients around the world.