The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) honoured the work of exceptional researchers announcing the five recipients of the 2012 CIHR-CMAJ Top Achievements in Health Research Awards on March 18, 2013.
Dr. Warburton was one of five Canadian individuals and teams honoured with the 2012 CIHR-CMAJ Top Canadian Achievements in Health Research Awards that recognize and celebrate Canadian health research and innovation excellence (1,2,3). To our knowledge, this is the first time that an exercise scientist has been awarded this honour in Canada.
Each year, the CIHR and CMAJ host a competition to celebrate the top achievement in health research in Canada. Specifically, these awards recognize achievements that have “had a significant impact on health, health care, and health research by improving our understanding of health and human diseases, tackling health challenges, and improving our health system (1,2).” Achievements in four categories are eligible for the award: biomedical; clinical; health services; and social, cultural, environmental and population health. This award is considered to be one of the highest honours a researcher in health science and medicine can receive within Canada. An international review committee selected the five 2012 award winners.
Dr. Warburton received recognition for his significant contributions to population and public health. Specifically, Dr. Warburton was recognized for his ongoing work to promote the health benefits of physical activity and reduce the barriers to physical activity participation (including the creation of the PAR-Q+ and ePARmed-X+). It is anticipated that millions of individuals from around the world will benefit from the work of Dr. Warburton and his colleagues.
In receiving this honour Dr. Warburton acknowledged his appreciation for this prestigious honour, acknowledging the extensive research collaborators from across the world. “I am extremely proud to receive this esteemed award. It is a great privilege to be recognized by Canada’s leading health authorities, CIHR and CMAJ, for the research that we are conducting. This prestigious honour is a direct validation for the work that we are doing with a wide range of individuals and our related knowledge translation activities. I am proud of the work that we are doing with athletes, children, the elderly, and persons living with chronic disease and/or disability. I am humbled by this honour and would like to recognize the various collaborators that make our research possible. I am indebted to our trainees and collaborators from across Canada and the world. We simply would not be able to conduct our innovative work without the collaboration of a network of researchers and organizations dedicated to improving the health and well being of society. These international collaborations have allowed our research to move beyond the traditional confines of research and academia.”
Congratulations Dr. Warburton!
References
- CIHR/CMAJ top achievements in health research. call for applications.Ottawa (ON): Canadian Institutes of Health Research; 2012. Available: www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/45560.html (accessed 2013 Feb. 12).
- CIHR–CMAJ top achievements in health research 2012. Ottawa (ON):CMAJ; 2012. Available: www.cmaj.ca/site/misc/achievements.xhtml (accessed 2013 Feb. 12
- Erin Russell Special Report: Celebrating top achievements in health research 2012. Canadian Medical Association Journal March 19, 2013 vol. 185 no. 5 doi: 10.1503/cmaj.130237 Available: www.cmaj.ca/content/185/5/397