From: Barbara Fallon, Associate Vice-President, Research
Date: March 4, 2024
Re: 2024 Recipients of the President’s Impact Awards and Carolyn Tuohy Impact on Public Policy Award (PDAD&C #28 )

I am delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 President’s Impact Awards and the Carolyn Tuohy Impact on Public Policy Award.

The President’s Impact Awards (PIA) celebrate and honour faculty members and teams of faculty whose research has led to significant impact beyond academia. They recognize contributions that emerge from academic scholarship and have fully realized, demonstrable impacts on any domain of society, whether through a single influential contribution or through an ongoing commitment to research translation. PIA nominees are also considered for the Carolyn Tuohy Impact on Public Policy Award, presented annually under the banner of the U of T Awards of Excellence (AWEX).

Recipients of the PIA are designated as members of the President’s Impact Academy for a period of five years, during which they receive an award of $10,000 per year to be used toward their research. The Academy meets to discuss matters relevant to research impact, offers advice to the Vice President, Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives, and advocates for sustained excellence in research and innovation impact within and outside of the University.

I want to thank all the nominators for their support and care in preparing the dossiers. I also want to extend appreciation to the members of the Selection Committee for their time and dedication to the process. Thank you all for your commitment to recognizing excellence in research impact at U of T.

The 2024 recipients are as follows:

Alán Aspuru-Guzik
Professor, Faculty of Arts & Science

For his pioneering work in the fields of artificial intelligence and quantum computing for materials discovery.

David Jenkins
Professor, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

For his studies on the health effects of food that have changed how the world makes healthy dietary choices.

Gillian Hadfield
Professor, Faculty of Law and Rotman School of Management

For contributions impacting access to justice, innovative design for legal and dispute resolution systems in advanced and developing market economies, and governance for artificial intelligence.

Prof. Hadfield is also the recipient of the 2024 Carolyn Tuohy Impact on Public Policy Award.

M Murphy
Professor, Faculty of Arts & Science

For contributions that consistently move environmental justice research along a collaborative trajectory with Indigenous communities, data practices, and policy-making.

Yvonne Bombard
Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health

For her significant contributions in enacting national law against genetic discrimination, improving healthcare options for Canadians, and advancing clinical practice and genomics research.

Profiles of this year’s recipients and further information about the awards are available online and on U of T Celebrates.