Distinguished Lecturer Award in Sleep Sciences

CIHR-ICRH and the Canadian Sleep Society (CSS) have established a biennial Distinguished Lecturer in Sleep Science Award in recognition of an individual's outstanding contribution to the advancement of sleep science in Canada. The award is presented to the selected nominee at the CSS National Conference, where the winner presents the keynote lecture as part of the scientific program. The CSS National Conference is a national meeting organized by the CSS, which coordinates the exchange of scientific ideas and experiences in sleep medicine while facilitating the transmission of cutting-edge techniques in clinical research and basic research.

2023

Dr. Richard Horner – Recipient of the 2023 CIHR-ICRH/CSS Distinguished Lecturer Award in Sleep Sciences

Richard Horner is Full Professor in the Department of Physiology & Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology (2007-2021). He is also Vice-Chair, Research, in the Department of Physiology.  He is author of over 125 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, and chapters in textbooks such as Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine and the Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. Dr. Horner is author of the book - The Universal Pastime: Sleep and Rest Explained. For his body of work in sleep and breathing, Dr. Horner was elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (FCAHS) in 2017. Dr. Horner also leads undergraduate and graduate teaching on sleep science in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto spanning physiology to clinical problems. Dr. Horner has won awards for his research and teaching, including from the Faculty of Medicine for ‘Sustained Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentorship’ (2015) and ‘Excellence in Linking Undergraduate Teaching to Research’ (2013).

2021

Dr. Douglas Bradley – Recipient of the 2021 CIHR-ICRH/CSS Distinguished Lecturer Award in Sleep Sciences

Dr. T. Douglas Bradley is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Respirology at the University of Toronto, as well as Director of the Sleep Research Laboratories of the University Health Network Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and Toronto General Hospital. He also holds the Godfrey S. Pettit Chair in Respiratory Medicine. Dr. Bradley completed his MD degree at the University of Alberta in Edmonton in 1978. Subsequently, he completed specialty training at the University of Toronto in Internal Medicine in 1982 and Respirology in 1985. He then went on to 3 years of research training in sleep apnea and respiratory muscle physiology at the University of Toronto and McGill University, respectively. He has been on staff at the Toronto General Hospital since 1985. His clinical and research work focuses on the relationship between sleep apnea and cardiovascular diseases, with a particular focus on the pathophysiology and treatment of sleep apnea in patients with heart failure. He has published over 275 papers and book chapters on sleep apnea and related topics. Dr. Bradley is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Canadian Thoracic Society’s Honorary Lecturer Award. He is also a recipient of the University Health Network’s Inventor of the Year Award for 2015 for development of a home sleep apnea monitoring device, BresoDX. He is a co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of a company, BresoTec Inc., that develops home sleep apnea monitoring devices.

2019

Dr. Charles Morin – Recipient of the 2019 CIHR-ICRH/CSS Distinguished Lecturer Award in Sleep Sciences

Charles M. Morin, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Sleep Research Centre at Université Laval in Quebec City. He holds a Canada Research Chair on behavioural sleep medicine.

Professor Morin is a world leader on insomnia research. He has been at the forefront of new developments on behavioural approaches to treating insomnia and on studying the natural history of insomnia with its risk factors and long-term consequences. He has conducted pivotal clinical trials comparing behavioural and pharmacological therapies for insomnia, which have had significant impact on how insomnia is dealt with in clinical practice.

Professor Morin has held several leadership positions in the field, including as President of the World Sleep Society, past President of the Canadian Sleep Society and member of the the American Psychiatric Association work group revising sleep disorders diagnostic criteria for DSM-5. He is currently an Associate Editor for the journals SLEEP and for Behavioral Sleep Medicine and a member of the editorial board of several other journals.

His research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Institutes of Health and by the Fonds de recherche du Québec. Professor Morin has published extensively on the topic of insomnia (textbooks, scientific articles, chapters, books for the lay public) and these writings have been instrumental in enhancing the standards of clinical care and improving the quality of life of millions of individuals affected with insomnia.

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