Awards

The CCMG Genetic and Genomic Medicine Innovation Award is conferred annually to recognize a member who is presently in their first fifteen practicing years after completing their CCMG or RCPSC fellowship and who has demonstrated a significant impact in our field. Innovations include but are not restricted to: development of new methods, implementation of new ideas or concepts, and may be in the clinical, laboratory medicine, educational, research, administrative, advocacy and/or public policy realms.

The Founders’ Award for Career Achievement is conferred to recognize a CCMG member who has had an outstanding career in medical genetics in Canada or abroad. This award is named in honour of the visionary men and women (known as the “Committee of Seven”1) who, along with 17 founding members, established the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists on January 13, 1976. Previously known as the Founders’ Award, it was officially renamed in 2017. The contributions of the members being considered for the Founders’ Award for Career Achievement could be in any area of medical genetics: service, research, teaching, administration, or any other academic or scholarly activity.

As a tribute to Dr. Hamerton’s countless contributions throughout his many years as an active member of the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists, the CCMG Distinguished Service Award was renamed the John L. Hamerton Award in 2007.

The John L. Hamerton Service Award is conferred in recognition of diligently rendered services to the CCMG over a sustained period of time, allowing the development and the maintenance of the tradition of excellence of the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists.

This newly instituted award is to recognize a CCMG member who has made significant contributions as a mentor and/or teacher over the course of their career. It will be presented during the CCMG Scientific Meeting, as a tribute to Dr. F. Clarke Fraser who passed away in 2014.

Dr. Fraser (1920-2014) was Canada’s first Medical Geneticist. His initial plan to be a family doctor was derailed in 1937 by two lectures in Genetics at Acadia University. He went on to get a PhD in Genetics, followed by his MD in 1950. He described his early career as a “castaway on a desert island without a map”, as he was permitted to fulfil his internship requirements by starting the Division of Human Genetics in the Department of Paediatrics at McGill University. Dr. Fraser’s demonstration that cleft palate could be induced in mice prenatally exposed to cortisone was a pioneering discovery that led to the birth of the field of Teratology, and from which the Multifactorial Threshold Model was developed. He was a dedicated and passionate teacher, and a compassionate and generous mentor and role model, who is credited as the father of Genetic Counselling. Dr. Fraser received numerous awards and widespread recognition for his work, including Officer of the Order of Canada, ASHG Award for Excellence in Education, le Prix du Quebec Wilder-Penfield, Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, and several honorary degrees.

The Linda Stevens Fund was set up by the late Mrs. Audrey Campbell (Linda’s mother) and is named after Dr. Linda Stevens. Dr Stevens was a cytogeneticist at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, who subsequently opted to become a medical geneticist. As she was about to take up the position of starting the genetics program at North York General in Toronto, she passed away in 1982 while undergoing a heart catheterization procedure. The Fund was established to further the training of candidates in a CCMG Fellowship in one of the accredited genetic centres or residents in Royal College Medical Genetics training programs by participating in conferences, attending short courses or workshops, or undertaking training at other genetics centres. Once per year, the Awards and Nominations Committee will evaluate requests for stipends from the fund made by trainees (RCPSC & CCMG) in accredited genetics centres. Please see the application form for specifics regarding eligibility and application requirements.

Deadline is December 15, 2024 for funding of activities taking place from January 1 to December 31 of the following year.

This award is given each year to the trainee with the best presentation at the CCMG annual conference. Presentations are judged by the Scientific Committee. Awardees receive a certificate and a voucher for the following year’s CCMG conference registration. Any trainee who submits an abstract is automatically entered into this competition.

The Emeritus status is conferred by the A&N committee to CCMG members who:

• Are fully retired from medical genetics practice.
• Have notified the CCMG Office of their retirement.
• Contributed to the CCMG community by actively serving on CCMG committees including Board for at least 15 years.

All of the recipients of the Founders Award, the John L. Hamerton Service Award and the F. Clarke Fraser Award for Excellence in Mentorship and Teaching qualify for Emeritus status upon retirement from medical genetics practice.

The CCMG Board of Directors may offer honorary affiliation to those individuals who have not been members of the Corporation, and who have made substantial contributions to Medical Genetics. This distinction recognizes members of the medical genetics community whose affiliation will honour them and the College. The nominee would have had a strong impact on CCMG members’ practice, or on the field of genetic in general.