Dr. Xiaohui Zha was listening to one of her students present at a conference when she suddenly lost hearing in one ear, and then the other. The award-winning scientist quietly walked out of the room before collapsing on the floor.

Growing up as an only child with a peanut allergy and a concerned mother, Marc-Olivier Deguise spent a fair amount of time in doctors’ offices. “I knew that when I grew up I wanted to do something that would help children,” said the award-winning trainee.

Dr. Michael Schlossmacher, who received the Grimes Research Career Achievement Award from The Ottawa Hospital on Oct. 28, resolved early in his career to never accept medical dogmas without questioning them and investigating opposing ideas. This approach has led to many surprising and important discoveries.

France Todd, whose liver cancer came out of the blue, was part of a pilot study to reduce the amount of blood patients lose during liver surgery and limit their need for blood transfusions.

Becky Hollingsworth took part in a research study that is changing how asthma is diagnosed around the world. Not every research study has this kind of impact, but all are supposed to at least contribute to scientific knowledge. Unfortunately, some don’t, because they aren’t published in a way that allows others to build on the data. Researchers are tackling the problem.

A small percentage of people who faint suffer from serious medical conditions that are difficult to catch, which is why a new monitoring system is saving lives.