Basmajian Awards Honour Heidi Cramm and Timothy Hanna

News & Announcements | 09 Dec 2021

Dr. Heidi Cramm and Dr. Timothy Hanna are the 2020-2021 recipients of the Mihran and Mary Basmajian Award for Excellence in Health Research.

These two Queen’s Health Sciences’ researchers are being recognized for their significant impact on patients, policy, healthcare and the public good.

Dr. Cramm is being celebrated for advancing research in support of the families of military, veterans, and public safety personnel. She is an international leader in addressing the significant challenges facing this crucial group. An occupational therapist and Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Dr. Cramm’s research draws public attention to the health experiences and outcomes of military members, veterans, public safety personnel, and their families – exploring their needs, needs, experiences and required supports. These groups are unique and have been historically neglected in the sphere of health research – both in Canada and abroad – making Dr. Cramm’s work bold and transformative.

Her areas of research expertise include mental health, trauma, post-traumatic stress, operational stress and resiliency. She is leader of the Families Matter Research Group at Queen’s, which supports the families of military personnel, veterans and public safety personnel with interdisciplinary, cross-sector research on their well-being.

Dr. Hanna is being lauded for his research on cancer health services using administrative data for the real-world modeling of population benefits of radiotherapy to melanoma, brain and gynecological tumours, and most recently the prioritization of cancer care during the pandemic. A clinician scientist at the Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Cancer Research Institute at Queen’s University, and a radiation oncologist at the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario, Dr. Hanna’s research focuses on quality of care, value of care and access to care.

With cancer care disrupted by COVID-19, Dr. Hanna established an acclaimed framework for prioritizing cancer care during this challenging period. This strategy for the just and ethical prioritization of cancer treatment was adopted by Ontario Health - Cancer Care Ontario (OH- CCO) and is cited in the European Society of Medical Oncology’s guidelines for cancer care. Dr. Hanna also analyzed the impact of the pandemic on cancer diagnosis and treatment and raised critical media and public attention to the need to protect cancer services and ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.

The Mihran and Mary Basmajian Awards for Excellence in Health Research Presentations, Lectures and Reception will be held in 2022. The event will also recognize 2019-2020 recipient, Dr. Amber Simpson, for her work using a cancer digital twin to understand the progression of disease across multiple cancers. All three winners will present on their outstanding respective contributions to medical research.

The Basmajian Award was established by Dr. J.V. Basmajian in memory of his parents. It is awarded annually to faculty members who have made an outstanding contribution to health research.

Basmajian Awards Honour Heidi Cramm and Timothy Hanna

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