Congratulations to the 2023 CDA Award recipients!
Member Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Peter Hull
Dr. Peter Hull’s longstanding commitment to excellence in dermatology began in 1978 when he completed his dermatology training at the University of Pretoria. He was recruited to the University of Saskatchewan in 1990, one of only four dermatologists in the province at that time, working there until 2013.
Dr. Hull spearheaded the University of Saskatchewan’s return of service program, connecting with postgraduate medicine and other dermatology programs across Canada to provide strong training opportunities for graduates. In 2014, he moved to Dalhousie University to head the Division of Clinical Dermatology and Cutaneous Science where he re-established a genetics lab and spearheaded efforts to ramp up residents’ scholarly productivity. His enthusiasm for research and teaching has inspired many residents. Though retiring from practice in April 2023, Dr. Hull continues to run the Epithelial Genetics lab at Dalhousie University.
Over his distinguished career, he published on a wide range of dermatological conditions, including contact dermatitis, the role of filaggrin in patients with multiple contact sensitivities, and skin peeling disorders.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. James D. Walker
Dr. James D. Walker founded several initiatives that changed dermatology and medicine across Canada during his 40-year career. He developed and constructed the first Mohs Surgical Unit to treat skin cancer at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH). He also helped raise more than $3.7 million to build a dermatology centre of excellence at TOH in 2018.
Nationally, Dr. Walker founded the Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, which helped lobby to change our society’s relationship with cigarette smoking. He also helped found the Clinical and Scientific meetings which occur biannually and provide ongoing education for dermatologists from as far away as Kuwait, Europe and the rest of Canada.
Dr. Walker has contributed to the training of countless medical students, residents and dermatologists. His clinical work included working at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in pediatric dermatology and numerous outreach clinics in Pembroke, Carleton Place and in the prison system. He was the head of dermatology at CHEO for 15 years and head of dermatology at TOH and the University of Ottawa for 12 years.
Award of Merit
Dr. Régine Mydlarski
Dr. Régine Mydlarski co-founded the Dermatology Residency Program at the University of Calgary in 2009 and served as the program director for six years. She gives selflessly to trainees across the country. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when dermatologists were challenged to provide care with health restrictions in place, Dr. Mydlarski supported the community by sharing facilities, supplies and reorganizing work and on-call schedules to ensure that patients with dermatological illnesses were not neglected.
As the Chair of the Dermatology Specialty Committee for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada since 2018, Dr. Mydlarski has provided strategic advice to ensure that dermatological training optimally prepares graduates to meet the healthcare needs of patients.
Dr. Mydlarski is the Director of the Translational Research Program in Calgary, has several Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Canadian Dermatology Foundation (CDF) funded projects underway; she has been such a driving force behind research at the University of Calgary that she now has a resident research award named in her honour.
In her current role as Calgary’s Dermatology Division Head, Dr. Mydlarski has expanded the division’s footprint, opening up a new position for a Mohs surgeon.
Practitioner of the Year Award
Dr. Robert Tremaine
Dr. Robert Tremaine has dedicated his professional life to helping patients in Atlantic Canada. He has been practicing community and academic dermatology for 34 years. He started his dermatology practice in 1989 and co-founded Atlantic Dermatology Consultants, where he has worked ever since. Always ready to lend a hand or give a suggestion on difficult cases, Dr. Tremaine has helped countless patients over the years. Passionate about education and mentorship, Dr. Tremaine has become an integral part of the Dalhousie training program, holding Monday morning clinics for the last 33 years. He consistently offers to mentor residents and has guided many to find their work-life balance and to understand the many ways to successfully practice dermatology.
Early-Career Volunteer Award
Dr. Sophia Colantonio
In the four years since Dr. Sophia Colantonio completed her residency, she has demonstrated an incredible commitment to volunteerism. Taking on roles within the CDA Board of Directors, Ottawa Dermatology Journal Club and the University of Ottawa Residency Selection and Program Committees, Dr. Colantonio offers her time both nationally and locally.
Dr. Colantonio has also been involved in the medical education of students and residents for years. Most recently, she lectured for the CDA Resident Academic Study Hour and the National Dermatology Resident lecture series. She also helps prepare residents for their Royal College exams by running OSCE stations and participating in DRIVE, a program focused on dermatological education.
Early-Career Volunteer Award
Dr. Aaron Drucker
Dr. Aaron Drucker has volunteered as a medical contributor to the Eczema Society of Canada (ESC) since 2015 and engaged with more than 20 projects in that time. He has worked to create and update medical content, develop new patient resources for websites and print publications, served as a guest speaker, and reviewed research data. His work has allowed ESC to deliver medically accurate programming and up-to-date disease information, including patient-facing content explaining phototherapy, systemic medications, and treatments for eczema. Dr. Drucker also partners with patients to ensure his research answers their questions directly.
His generous volunteerism extends to other organizations as well – he is currently the Vice Chair of the US National Eczema Association’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Council, and recently developed a new website focused on eczema treatment options in collaboration with Women’s College Hospital.
Resident’s Writing Award
Dr. Janelle Cyr
In the four years since Dr. Sophia Colantonio completed her residency, she has demonstrated an incredible commitment to volunteerism. Taking on roles within the CDA Board of Directors, Ottawa Dermatology Journal Club and the University of Ottawa Residency Selection and Program Committees, Dr. Colantonio offers her time both nationally and locally.
Dr. Colantonio has also been involved in the medical education of students and residents for years. Most recently, she lectured for the CDA Resident Academic Study Hour and the National Dermatology Resident lecture series. She also helps prepare residents for their Royal College exams by running OSCE stations and participating in DRIVE, a program focused on dermatological education.
Public Education Awards
Public Education Award: Media
The Skin and Joints Podcast
The Skin and Joints Podcast brings together a multidisciplinary team of dermatologists, pharmacists and rheumatologists to break down silos and have authentic conversations on the often-complex journeys of patients dealing with inflammatory diseases. In 2022, 11 episodes were published on major podcasting platforms about diagnostic guidelines and practical approaches, including therapies to manage giant cell arteritis, psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, atopic dermatitis, chronic spontaneous urticaria and hidradenitis suppurativa. The podcast simplifies complex medical concepts and emphasizes knowledge translation, with a unique focus of bringing together both primary and specialty care providers to reflect a new era of care delivery in Canada.
Public Education Award: Media
CBC KidsStreet Cents
Found on TikTok and YouTube, the CBC Kids’ Street Cents team explored a series of hair and skin product myths, hacks and tips in 2022. With a TikTok following of 240,000 and over 51 million views of its videos, Street Cents used its platform to slide facts in with the fun, reaching tween and teen audiences that many dermatologists might not have even realized were interested in these topics yet.
From testing UV dots, lash serums and box dye, to answering the question ”What does dermatologist-tested even mean?”, the CDA was impressed with the accessibility of the content created and loved seeing our dermatologists referenced in several of the videos. CBC Kids and their Street Cents team are celebrated for meeting this new generation where they feel most comfortable: in the social media universe.
Public Education Award: Not-for-Profit
Canadian Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation (CHSF)Patient Education Resources E-book
Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) can be a devasting disease to those in afflicts. Patients often turn to the internet for counsel, only to find medically inaccurate and non-peer reviewed information. Identifying the need for a reputable source of information on the topic, CHSF released their first edition of the Patient Education Resources in 2017. And in 2022, the second edition of this e-book was published on their website with new chapters on smoking cessation, wound care, diet and pain management.
This e-book will help patients and dermatologists by offering a credible and comprehensive source for HS information.