Learn more about the distinguished recipients of the CAGS Research Awards. These awards are adjudicated by the Research Committee and are presented annually at the Canadian Surgery Forum.
CAGS is pleased to recognize Dr. James Shapiro with the 2024 Career Excellence in Research Award.
Dr. James Shapiro is an exceptionally dedicated surgeon-scientist whose lifelong work has transformed the lives of patients living with diabetes and advanced the field of transplantation in Canada and worldwide. His remarkable career spans over four decades of innovative research, clinical excellence, and mentorship.
Dr. Shapiro is best known for leading the team that developed the groundbreaking Edmonton Protocol for islet cell transplantation, a landmark achievement that revolutionized outcomes for patients with Type 1 Diabetes. Following this success, he pioneered the first-in-human CRISPR gene-edited stem cell islet progenitor transplant performed without immune suppression and continues to lead international multicentre trials to improve outcomes for patients worldwide.
A Professor of Surgery, Medicine, and Surgical Oncology at the University of Alberta, Dr. Shapiro also serves as Director of the Liver Transplant, Living Donor Liver Transplant, and Islet Transplant Programs—overseeing more than 110 liver transplants annually. His own group has completed more than 400 islet transplants, representing one-third of the global experience. Despite his extensive research commitments, he remains a highly respected and compassionate clinician, admired by both patients and colleagues for his humility and generosity of spirit.
Dr. Shapiro’s research accomplishments are exceptional. He has secured over $100 million in grant funding and maintains active programs in basic science, translational, and clinical research. His publication record includes numerous papers in The Lancet, Nature, and Nature Biotechnology, with an H-index of 80. His leadership and scholarship have earned him numerous honours, including the Hunterian Medal from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Gold Medals from both the Governor General and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and honorary doctorates from the Universities of Uppsala and Athabasca.
Equally impressive is his dedication to mentorship. Dr. Shapiro has trained over 100 medical students, residents, fellows, and graduate students—many of whom have become leaders, clinician-scientists, and policymakers in their own right. As his former trainee, I can personally attest to his unwavering support and guidance, which helped me become the first female full Professor of Surgery at the University of Alberta and a national advocate for improving care for frail patients.
Dr. Shapiro is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and he continues to serve on numerous editorial boards, reviewing over 200 papers annually. His impact extends beyond the laboratory and operating room—he is a true champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion, leading by example and inspiring those around him.
In every respect, Dr. Shapiro embodies the spirit of Career Excellence in Research. His visionary work, global impact, and lifelong dedication to advancing surgical science and patient care make him an extraordinarily deserving recipient of this honour.
CAGS is pleased to recognize Dr. Kelly Vogt with the 2024 “Rising Star” in Research Award.
Dr. Kelly Vogt is an accomplished academic surgeon and researcher whose career exemplifies excellence in clinical care, research innovation, and mentorship. Following the completion of her fellowship in Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at the University of Southern California’s LA County Medical Center, Dr. Vogt joined the faculty at London Health Sciences Centre and the Division of General Surgery at Western University in 2014.
L-R: Dr. Rebecca Auer, CAGS Research Chair, Dr. Kelly Vogt, Dr. Sean Cleary, CAGS PresidentShe is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery, with a cross-appointment in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and is a member of the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences (ICES) at Western University. Dr. Vogt also serves as Chair of the Department of Surgery Research Committee, Faculty and Resident Research Director in General Surgery, Co-Director of ICES Western Surgery, and Chair of the Western Ontario Research Collaborative on Acute Care Surgery. In these leadership roles, she oversees all resident research activities, supervises research associates, assists faculty with grant applications, and organizes the division’s annual research retreat and research day.Dr. Vogt has been highly successful in securing research funding from numerous sources, including the Lawson Health Research Institute, the Ontario Association of General Surgeons, the Canadian Association of General Surgeons, Western University’s Department of Medicine, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the Department of Surgery Internal Research Fund. Most recently, she has served as co-applicant on two CIHR grants totaling over $1.5 million.
She is the founder and leader of the Canadian Collaborative on Urgent Care Surgery (CANUCS)—a national research platform that has positioned Canada at the forefront of acute care surgery research. Through CANUCS, Dr. Vogt has led multiple research initiatives and authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications, including three randomized controlled trials.
Dr. Vogt continues to make significant contributions to the Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS), where she serves as Chair of the Acute Care Surgery Committee, a member of the Research Committee, and a frequent panel chair at the Canadian Surgery Forum. Her work has been recognized through numerous awards, including the Department of Surgery Academic Merit Award – Research Scientist (twice) and the Clinician Scientist Award in 2014.
A prolific researcher and respected scholar, Dr. Vogt has presented her work at national and international meetings and has been invited to serve as a poster competition judge. She is an active reviewer for several high-impact journals, including The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Annals of Surgery, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, World Journal of Surgery, Canadian Journal of Surgery, and American Journal of Surgery. She has co-authored more than 52 publications, serving as senior author on over 25 of them.
Dr. Vogt’s research excellence has been further recognized through competitive funding, including a $263,000 Academic Medical Organization of Southwestern Ontario (AMOSO) grant for the Data Matters project—developing and implementing a national Acute Care Surgery registry—and a $25,000 CIHR grant to establish research priorities for the CANUCS program focusing on access and outcomes among marginalized patient populations.
Her contributions to medical research, education, and mentorship are exceptional. Dr. Vogt consistently supports the professional growth of colleagues and trainees, offering guidance on research design, presentation, and publication. Her mentorship and leadership have strengthened the academic mission of Western University and elevated acute care surgery research across Canada.
Dr. Vogt’s productivity, vision, and commitment to advancing both science and education make her a deserving candidate for national recognition as a leader in surgical research and academic excellence.
CAGS is pleased to recognize Dr. Rebecca Auer with the 2025 Career Excellence in Research Award.
Dr. Auer believe that research IS care and is dedicated to ensuring all patients are provided an opportunity to participate in research.
Dr. Rebecca Auer is the Executive Vice-President of Research and Innovation at The Ottawa Hospital and the CEO and Scientific Director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Auer is an internationally recognized translational researcher in the field of perioperative cancer therapies. In 2007, Dr. Auer was recruited to Ottawa and currently holds the position of Surgical Oncologist at The Ottawa Hospital, Senior Scientist in the Cancer Research Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and Professor in the Department of Surgery and the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Ottawa She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and received over $30 million dollars in peer-reviewed funding to support her work. Dr. Auer is also the co-founder of the Canadian Cholangiocarcinoma Collaborative (C3) which aims provide hope to Canadian patients with biliary tract cancers by integrating research into care.
Dr. Auer is an international leader in the field of Surgical Oncology. She has served on the executive of the Canadian Cancer Trials Group, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the Canadian Association of General Surgeons, where she served as the Chair of the Research Committee. She is also an active member of the Terry Fox Research Institute, BioCanRx and the Canadian Cancer Society, where she sits of the Advisory Council. She sits on the Executive Committee of CAGS as the Member of Large (Academic) and is the past Research Chair of CAGS and the Canadian General Surgery Foundation.
CAGS is pleased to recognize Dr. Andrea MacNeill with the 2025 “Rising Star” in Research Award.
Dr. MacNeill’s research program has developed along a coherent trajectory that has produced multiple groundbreaking contributions. Her 2017 carbon foot-printing study of operating theaters, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, has been cited 659 times and established the foundational methodology for analyzing environmental impacts in healthcare settings. This work was followed by her equally influential assessment of the Canadian healthcare system’s environmental footprint, making Canada only the third country globally to quantify its healthcare emissions.
Recognizing that measurement alone was insufficient, Dr. MacNeill developed the “Planetary Healthcare Framework,” which offers a comprehensive approach to transforming healthcare systems to improve sustainability while maintaining quality of care. This framework has become a cornerstone for policy development and implementation strategies across the sector.
In 2021, she founded the UBC Planetary Healthcare Lab, the first academic entity of its kind globally, bringing together nine faculty experts from diverse disciplines to develop evidence-based solutions for healthcare sustainability. Simultaneously, she successfully co-led a $6 million grant application to Environment and Climate Change Canada, establishing CASCADES (Creating a Sustainable Canadian Health System in a Climate Crisis), a national network for knowledge mobilization in sustainable healthcare.
Perhaps most notably, Dr. MacNeill co-chairs the UBC-Yale Lancet Commission on Sustainable Healthcare, coordinating more than 40 global experts from 22 countries in developing comprehensive guidance for sustainable health system transformation. This Commission will produce a landmark 30,000-word report along with 14 standalone publications in 2025, establishing standardized measurement frameworks applicable across diverse healthcare settings worldwide.
