2022 Clinical Trials BC Awards recipients announced

“We are proud to have bestowed these awards on two very deserving recipients this year,” said Alison Orth, unit director, Clinical Trials BC, part of Michael Smith Health Research BC. “Both recipients have contributed to clinical trials and the health research community in our province in ways that are deep and far-reaching. We thank them for their work that is further enhancing BC’s reputation as a world leader in clinical trials.”

Clinical Trials BC Leadership & Advocacy Award

Dr. Robert McMaster was awarded the Clinical Trials BC Leadership & Advocacy Award which honours outstanding leaders and advocates for clinical trials at the local, provincial and/or national level. It is awarded to leaders who educate, mentor, advocate or spearhead projects and programs and strategies that benefit our clinical trials community and whose work has been notable and impactful.

Dr. McMaster is the vice dean, research at the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. He is recognized with the award because of his significant contributions and leadership efforts to advance the conduct of clinical trials in British Columbia. In 2010, Dr. McMaster helped establish the predecessor of Clinical Trials BC, called the BC Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (BCCRIN). BCCRIN was the first network of its kind in BC and its work was instrumental in laying the foundations to build capacity and infrastructure to support clinical trials across the province. In his previous role as executive director at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI), he provided strong leadership to increase interaction across groups within the VCHRI and Faculty of Medicine at UBC to advance clinical trials. Dr. McMaster is widely recognized across BC for his committed leadership and support of work that will enable BC to increase its capacity and ability to conduct world-class clinical trials. He is also a notable contributor to international guidances that impact the modernization of our regulatory environment in Canada and BC.

 

Clinical Trials BC Service & Support Award

(from left to right: Stephania Manusha, Anni Rychtera, and Dr. Michelle Wong)

The COVID-19 Clinical Research Coordination Initiative (CRCI) was awarded the Clinical Trials BC Service & Support Award. This award recognizes the community-based, volunteer commitment of an individual, organization, company, or agency to improve the research and clinical trials community.

This year’s award belongs to all the patients, frontline clinicians, scientists, engineers, educators, trainees, as well as health authorities, provincial government, industry, regulatory and funding partners who volunteered their time, expertise, and served on multiple CRCI’s working groups to help us get through the pandemic. Together as a team, they created the ‘Research is Care’ document and a “province-wide partnership program aimed at creating innovative health systems and structures capable of quickly capturing and collating collective input and feedback to enable the prioritization and coordination of COVID-19.”

The award was accepted by Dr. Michelle Wong, senior director, research, UBC, Stephania Manusha, director, Clinical Trials Administration, VCHRI, and Anni Rychtera, patient partner.

 

About Clinical Trials BC

Clinical Trials BC advances British Columbia as a world-class destination for clinical trials across the province’s hospitals, research institutions and communities. Its mission is to maximize the health, educational, and economic benefits of clinical trials to the citizens of BC. Clinical Trials BC, along with the BC SUPPORT Unit and Research Ethics BC, are parts of Michael Smith Health Research BC.

Learn more about the Clinical Trials BC Annual Awards.

Read the official news release