Dr. Andrea Townson (Division of PMR), Dr. Chris Carlsten (Division of Respiratory Medicine), and Dr. Alissa Wright (Division of Infectious Diseases) have been selected to receive a 2019 VMDAS Award
Dr. Andrea Townson
Larry Collins Award for Committee Service
Dr. Andrea Townson is a dedicated physician serving her patients in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and has been equally dedicated in her contributions to her colleagues through administration with GF Strong Hospital, Vancouver Coastal Health, UBC, and the Vancouver Medical, Dental and Allied Staff through the Facility Engagement Initiative. She served as the UBC and Vancouver Acute Head of the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Medical Site Lead of the GF Strong Rehab Centre from 2007-2017. She was the Program Director for the UBC Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Training Program and the Chair for the Program Committee from 1999 to 2000. She has been a member of many University committees including the UBC Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research Committee since 2003, the UBC Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Training Program Committee since 2008, the UBC Department of Medicine Executive Committee since 2008, the UBC Department of Medicine Academic Appointments, Reappointments, Promotion and Tenure Committee since 2009, the Department of Medicine Equity Committee since 2009, and an ad-hoc member of the Department of Medicine Recruitment and Resources Committee since 2011. She has been the Co-chair of the Regional Rehabilitation Program, Vancouver Coastal and Providence Health Care Authorities since 2013. She was the recipient of the Theo van Rijn Award for Contribution to the UBC PM&R Residency Program in 2012. She was an active contributor to the VGH/UBC/GF Strong Facility Engagement Initiative from 2016-2018. Dr. Townson currently serves as acting Co-Head of the UBC Department of Medicine.
Dr. Chris Carlsten
Scientific Achievement Award
Dr. Chris Carlsten
Dr. Chris Carlsten is a Professor of Medicine and Head of the UBC Respiratory Medicine division. He is a Canada Research Chair in Occupational and Environmental Lung Disease and holds the Astra-Zeneca Chair in Occupational and Environmental Lung Disease at the University of British Columbia. He is the Director of the Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory and also holds adjunct positions at the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, the UBC School of Population and Public Health and the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (formerly James Hogg Research Centre).
Dr. Carlsten’s lab focuses on the respiratory and immunological health effects of inhaled environmental and occupational exposures, using diesel exhaust, western red cedar, and phthalates as model inhalants. As director of the Occupational Lung Disease Clinic at The Lung Centre (Vancouver General Hospital), Dr. Carlsten welcomes patients with concerns regarding occupational or environmental exposures contributing to respiratory disease including asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, cancer, and pleural disease.
Dr. Alissa Wright
Clinical Excellence Award
Dr. Alissa Wright was recruited to the Division of Infectious Diseases in 2014 after completing a 2-year clinical and research fellowship in Transplant Infectious Diseases and Compromised Hosts at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She was the first Transplant Infectious Diseases trained physician to be recruited to British Columbia and is currently Director of the Transplant ID program at VGH. During the past 4 years, she has distinguished herself as an outstanding clinician whose support for the Bone Marrow Transplant program and Solid Organ Transplant program has been invaluable. She also provides outpatient clinic support at St. Paul’s Hospital for the Renal Transplant program.
Drs. Townson, Carlsten, and Wright will be presented with their awards at the annual Academic Awards ceremony, to be held at the Cordula & Gunther Paetzold Auditorium, Jim Pattison Pavilion, Level 1, on Monday, June 3, 2019 5:15-7:00pm.
Join us in congratulating Drs. Townson, Carlsten, and Wright on these wonderful achievements!
For more information on the VMDAS Awards, please visit: https://ourvancouvermsa.ca/awards/