Two outstanding clinician–scientists—Dr. Mamatha Bhat and Dr. Kathryn Howe—have been named the inaugural recipients of the SUMO–UHN Distinguished Physician Investigator Award, a strategic salary support award designed to retain exceptional mid-career physician-researchers while accelerating health innovation at UHN.

Dr. Bhat, a transplant hepatologist and clinician-scientist at UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre, leads an internationally recognized research program focused on developing and translating artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical practice in transplantation. Her research aims to make access to liver transplantation more equitable and to improve outcomes across the transplant journey, from supporting complex decisions about transplant candidacy and organ allocation to predicting post-transplant complications and detecting early graft injury before irreversible damage occurs. With support from the SUMO–UHN Award, Dr. Bhat will accelerate the prospective evaluation and clinical deployment of AI-powered decision-support systems, integrating these tools into real-world transplant workflows and evaluating their safety, effectiveness, and impact on patient care. This work will provide a framework for the responsible implementation and scaling of AI across transplant programs in Canada and internationally, while strengthening UHN’s position as a global leader in translating AI innovation into clinical care.

Dr. Howe is pursuing a bold new approach to treat atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in blood vessels that underlies cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke. As a vascular surgeon–scientist at UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Dr. Howe leads an innovative research program aimed at improving our understanding of how the cells that line blood vessels communicate with surrounding tissues. Her team is developing a novel precision medicine platform to deliver targeted treatments directly into diseased blood vessel walls. Funding from the award will support this work, ultimately aiming to prevent the development of cardiovascular disease, which remains one of the leading causes of disease burden worldwide.

This award was established as a unique partnership between the Sinai–UHN Academic Medical Organization (SUMO) and UHN's Canada Leads initiative to strengthen UHN's leadership in translational research, clinical innovation, commercialization, and knowledge mobilization. It was designed to support visionary clinician–scientists whose work bridges scientific discovery and patient care, while helping to strengthen UHN's leadership in translational research, clinical innovation, commercialization, and knowledge mobilization.

“Initially designed to support only one award, the exceptional caliber of these two applicants motivated SUMO and the Canada Leads program to double their commitments and recognize both awardees,” says Dr. Paul Tenenbein, Chair of SUMO. “This demonstrates the research excellence among our physicians at UHN, and their dedication to advancing the development of novel, high-impact approaches to healthcare delivery. SUMO is pleased to partner with UHN on this award, and hope that it serves as a model for future opportunities to support academic physicians.”

A key focus of the award is supporting mid-career researchers, who play a vital role in driving innovation and mentoring the next generation of scientists but often have fewer dedicated funding opportunities. “By investing in researchers at this pivotal stage in their careers, the award helps them expand the scope and impact of their work while strengthening UHN's long-term research capacity and leadership,” says Dr. Brad Wouters, Executive Vice President of Science & Research at UHN. “It also creates the conditions for bold ideas to move more quickly from the laboratory and clinic into real-world solutions that benefit patients and health systems alike, reflecting a core goal of the Canada Leads program and UHN's unique opportunity to translate made-in-Canada discoveries into global impact.”

Drs. Bhat and Howe will each receive $500,000 over five years to dedicate more time to research that can transform patient care and generate long-term impact for the health system. As the co-recipients of this award, Drs. Bhat and Howe exemplify the excellence of UHN’s world-class research community, and the dedication that it has towards tackling complex health care challenges through interdisciplinary and collaborative science. Congratulations to Drs. Bhat and Howe.

For more information on SUMO’s commitment to supporting academic physicians, visit the SUMO website.