Dr. Fraser Scott made a ground-breaking discovery when he realized the connection between diet and type 1 diabetes. Since then, his research has had a far-reaching impact, with potential for developing new treatment strategies.

A job on the Rocky Mountaineer train took Dr. Kristin Danko to places that weren’t on the route between Vancouver and Calgary. One stop was a research lab at The Ottawa Hospital. Now she is the recipient of the Worton Researcher in Training Award from the hospital in recognition of her outstanding achievements and her potential as a scientist.

When Dr. William Stanford first became a biological scientist, he simply followed his curiosity and was happy to let others pursue any practical applications of his research. Today goes on bedside rounds with clinicians, meets with patients and dreams of launching clinical trials.

For 30 years, Dr. Les Melamed read research proposals and asked himself, “If I were a patient, would I want to be part of this study?” As a volunteer community representative on the Ottawa Health Science Network Research Ethics Board, Dr. Melamed helped weigh the benefits and risks of research proposals involving patients or their data.

Teresa Buffone knows too well how helpless it feels to have a loved one diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease. Her husband, Frank, died of myotonic dystrophy. Eight people in her family also have the genetic condition. Until now, patients have had to go elsewhere to take part in clinical trials.

Marissa Lithopoulos has always had a passion for science. “My favourite show growing up was ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy.’ I knew I wanted to be just like him one day.” She began delivering hands-on science activities in classrooms as part of the Let’s Talk Science outreach program in 2014 and has been hooked ever since.