The CDA 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Drs. James D. Walker and Peter Hull.

The Canadian Dermatology Association’s (CDA) 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Drs. James D. Walker and Peter Hull.

Dr. Walker 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 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 the prison system. He was the head of dermatology at CHEO for 15 years and the head of dermatology at TOH and the University of Ottawa for 12 years.

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, where he was fully active in clinical work, teaching, and research until his retirement in April 2023. Dr. Hull continues to run the Epithelial Genetics lab at Dalhousie University.

Over his 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. Dr. Hull has mentored numerous medical students and residents and has served on PhD committees.

Other 2023 CDA winners include:

Award of Merit: Dr. Régine Mydlarski

Dr. 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.

Practitioner of the Year Award: Dr. Robert Tremaine

Dr. Tremaine 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. 

Early Career Volunteer Award: Dr. Sophia Colantonio and Dr. Aaron Drucker

Dr. Colantonio recentlylectured 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. Dr. Colantonio also serves on the board of the CDA and has taken on several local leadership roles, including director of the Ottawa Dermatology Journal Club.

Dr. 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.

Resident’s Writing Award: Dr. Janelle Cyr

Dr.  Cyr is a PGY5 dermatology resident at the University of Ottawa. She receives the award for the work that she and her co-authors presented in the article “Draping in Dermatology: A Patient’s Perspective,” which was published in the CDA’s Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery.

2023 CDA Public Education Awards

The CDA Public Education Awards honour those in the industry, media, and not-for-profit sectors who have furthered the understanding of dermatologic issues and encouraged healthy behaviours in the medical care of skin, hair, and nails. Projects and activities recognized were completed between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

CDA Public Education Award: Not-for-Profit Category

Award recipient: Canadian Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation (CHSF)

Patient Education Resources Project

CDA Public Education Award: Media (Print)

Award recipient: CBC Kids, Street Cents

CDA Public Education Award: Media (Print)

Award recipient: The Skin and Joints Podcast