Department of Medicine 2025 Annual Celebration Awards
Doris Kurtz began with the department in July 1990 until January 2025. During her tenure, Doris became one of the most trusted and respected figures in medical education across Canada.
Doris has been instrumental in shaping our residency training programs, working side-by-side with program directors and faculty to create a system that’s now considered a national model. Her work supported the successful training of hundreds of residents, many of whom are now leaders in medicine themselves.
Doris is known for her deep institutional knowledge, her steady guidance through accreditation cycles, and her willingness to mentor and support colleagues at every level.
When we marked the Department’s 100th anniversary last year, it was striking to realize that Doris had contributed to more than a third of that history. Her legacy will live on in the strength of our training programs and the countless lives she’s touched along the way.
Dr. Wayne Tymchak also retired this year. However, he was not able to attend this year's event and will be celebrated next year.
The “Chuck Morrison Award”, as we affectionately call it, recognizes a support staff member who brings the best of themselves to work every day and continually provides exceptional service to the members of DoM. This is a person who has an innovative and enthusiastic approach to work. and who serves as an ambassador, contributing to a positive culture within the department.
This award was named in honour of the decades of service that former Director of Administrative Services, Chuck Morrison, provided to the Department of Medicine.
Of the deserving nominees, this year’s recipient, Angie Wiltzen, was nominated by their Division Director and the nomination was supported by several members of the DoM, who noted the following:
- Her professionalism and ability to handle complex tasks have greatly contributed to the efficiency of the division’s operations.
- She has played a key role in rebuilding relationships within the division and across the hospital. Her efforts have led to improved communication and collaboration, making the division’s operations more effective.
- She consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic, reliability, and a commitment to completing tasks in a timely and efficient manner. She approaches her work with integrity and transparency, earning the respect of her colleagues.
- For her consistent contributions, professionalism, and dedication to improving the department, [she] is a worthy candidate for the J. Charles "Chuck" Morrison Award.
Teaching Awards
Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) Teacher of the Year Award
The UGME Teacher of the Year Award recognizes outstanding teaching of medical students. Every year, undergraduate students vote and select a “Teacher of the Year” and “Honourable Mention” for each of the institutions in the Undergraduate program.
Honourable Mentions
Every year, this is a tight race. This year was no different, so congratulations to all of our Honourable mentions!
- Dr. Graham Mah - Grey Nuns Hospital
- Dr. Jillian Walsh - Royal Alexandra Hospital
- Dr. Caitlyn Collins - 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Hospital
- Dr. Robert Kay, Subspeciality: Cardiology - 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Hospital
Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) Teacher of the Year Award
Being a great teacher isn’t just about sharing knowledge...it’s about sparking confidence, curiosity, and compassion that stays with learners long after the rotation ends.
Each year, the residents in Internal Medicine vote and select a "Teacher of the Year" and “Honourable Mention” for each of the institutions participating in the Postgraduate Program. The PGME Teacher of the Year Award recognizes outstanding teaching of residents.
Honourable Mentions
- Dr. John Bradley - Grey Nuns Hospital
- Dr. Noreen Rajwani - Royal Alexandra Hospital
- Dr. Kelvin Tran - 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Hospital
- Dr. Stephanie Thompson, Subspeciality: Nephrology - 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Hospital
Dr. Rahima Bhanji is a transplant hepatologist and clinician-investigator whose work has focused on improving long-term outcomes for liver transplant recipients.
Her research addresses key issues including immunosuppression, cardiovascular risk, and sex-based disparities in care.
She has published extensively, led an investigator-initiated clinical trial, and contributed to over a dozen abstracts presented at national and international conferences.
Since joining the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø in 2018, Dr. Bhanji has introduced multiple clinical innovations, including Canada’s first immunosuppression minimization program using fibroscan technology.
She also led the development of a multidisciplinary care model for transplant recipients, uniting specialties to reduce cardio-metabolic risk and improve patient outcomes.
Dr. Bhanji is an award-winning educator who has supervised over a dozen trainees and received the 2021 Teacher of the Year Award in Gastroenterology. She contributes to curriculum development and has helped build national education tools such as Cirrhosis Care Alberta.
Dr. Bhanji also holds key leadership roles in both the Alberta Liver Transplant Program and the Academic GI Clinics at the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Hospital.
Dr. Quentin Durand-Moreau is a clinician educator in Occupational Medicine who joined the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø from France, where he previously led the Occupational Diseases Centre at the University Hospital of Brest.
Dr. Durand-Moreau completed a Master of Education during his tenure. He has overseen the expansion of the Occupational Medicine residency program locally, which is now the largest in Canada. He has also played a key role in fostering national collaborations that have influenced curriculum development, standard setting, and exam preparation across the country. He has also contributed to the upcoming CanMEDS 2025 framework.
Dr. Durand-Moreau provided expert guidance on workplace health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his clinical research has been published in leading journals including The Lancet Global Health and BMJ.
His promotion reflects not only his academic accomplishments but also his national leadership and sustained commitment to improving the health of working populations.
Dr. Anna Lam is a clinician-scientist focused on innovation in diabetes care, with particular expertise in islet cell transplantation and beta cell preservation. Her research has helped shape national clinical practice, including contributions to the 2023 Diabetes Canada Position Statement on automated insulin delivery. She has published in leading journals such as Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology and the Journal of Clinical Investigation, and she has secured over $1.6 million in research funding as co-principal investigator on several national and international projects.
Dr. Lam provides clinical care in complex diabetes and endocrine transplantation settings and has developed several clinical tools and care pathways. She has played a key role in updating and optimizing digital care protocols for Connect Care.
A dedicated educator, Dr. Lam has supervised over a dozen learners and receives strong teaching evaluations. Her teaching spans undergraduate, postgraduate, and international medical education programs.
Dr. Adalberto Loyola-Sanchez is a clinician-researcher whose work focuses on improving rehabilitation and care systems for people living with complex disabilities, including spinal cord injury and musculoskeletal conditions.
His research, which applies participatory and mixed-methods approaches, addresses health inequities faced by Indigenous communities and rural populations.
His findings have directly influenced service integration in Alberta and shaped national rehabilitation standards.
Dr. Loyola-Sanchez has secured over $4 million in research funding and published extensively, with highly cited work in journals such as Arthritis Care & Research and JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies.
He has also led virtual rehabilitation initiatives across Alberta and to Mayan communities in Mexico, using technology to improve care access for underserved regions.
As an active educator and mentor, Dr. Loyola-Sanchez has supervised over a dozen trainees, contributed to national physiatry education, and played a key role in residency and medical student teaching.
He is also a respected leader in the international rehabilitation community, currently serving as President of the Latin American Medical Rehabilitation Association’s Disability Committee.
Dr. Carrie Ye is a clinician-scientist whose research spans osteoporosis, immuno-oncology, and the integration of artificial intelligence in clinical care. She has published over 20 peer-reviewed papers and received multiple national accolades, including the Alberta Medical Association’s Publication of the Year and the Department of Medicine’s Clinical Investigation Publication Award. Her work has directly influenced global fracture risk assessment tools and sparked international conversations about AI in medicine.
Dr. Ye has secured nearly $3.2 million in research funding, including multiple CIHR grants and leads multiple clinical trials. She is the founder and Medical Director of both the Rheumatology in Immuno-Oncology Clinic and the Multidisciplinary Bone Health Clinic—two nationally recognized programs for innovation in care delivery.
An outstanding educator and former program director for Rheumatology, Dr. Ye developed Canada’s first Rheumatology Osteoporosis Rotation and recently received the Stephen Aaron Teacher of the Year Award. She also holds national and international leadership roles in rheumatology education and research networks.
Professors
Dr. Paul Forsythe is internationally recognized for his pioneering research in psychoneuroimmunology and host-microbe interactions.
His work has advanced our understanding of how the gut and brain communicate, with landmark studies published in top-tier journals like PNAS and BMC Medicine.
His research has been cited over 15,000 times and has led to several patents and ongoing clinical applications.
Since joining the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø in 2021 as the AstraZeneca Canada Chair in Asthma and Obstructive Lung Disease, Dr. Forsythe has launched an innovative research program exploring neuroendocrine cell responses in the lung, opening new doors in the study of allergic diseases and respiratory health.
Dr. Forsythe has secured over $5.3 million in research funding, delivered more than 40 invited presentations around the world, and supervised over 40 undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees.
He also contributes to the scientific community through editorial leadership roles and service on national and international grant review panels.
Dr. Sergio Zepeda-Gomez is an internationally recognized expert in therapeutic endoscopy. He provides highly specialized procedures, such as double-balloon ERCP and endoscopic Zenker’s diverticulotomy, that are offered in only a handful of centres across Canada and the world. He established Alberta’s double-balloon ERCP program and co-directs one of the country’s largest Small Bowel Endoscopy Programs, serving patients from across Western Canada.
As director of the Endoscopy Unit at the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Hospital, Dr. Zepeda-Gomez has led significant improvements in endoscopy quality and access, including achieving full unit utilization for the first time in over a decade. His clinical innovations have transformed care pathways for patients with complex GI conditions and have earned him national recognition.
Dr. Zepeda-Gomez has published over 35 peer-reviewed papers and authored highly cited work that has changed endoscopic treatment approaches. He has given over 25 invited international presentations and served as guest editor for a special issue of the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology.
A passionate educator, he has trained therapeutic endoscopy fellows from around the world and developed a peer-reviewed mobile app now used in training programs across North America. His leadership, scholarship, and clinical impact have positioned him as a national and international leader in his field.
