Professor Stephen Hwang receives President’s Impact Award
For his work to improve the health of people experiencing homelessness and to make social justice and health equity central to medical practice, Dr. Stephen Hwang has received the President’s Impact Award.
A professor in the department of medicine and scientist in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, Hwang is a world-renowned expert. His research and advocacy has elucidated the causes and risk factors for death among homeless people, the relationship between traumatic brain injury and homelessness, and the effects of homelessness on health status.
Hwang has played a pivotal role in advancing Canadian and international scholarship and advocacy related to homelessness. His work helped inspire the creation of the 100,000 Homes Campaign, which has mobilized officials in hundreds of cities across the U.S. to house thousands of long-term and medically vulnerable homeless individuals who were at increased risk of death.
“Homelessness affects hundreds of thousands of Canadians and takes a tremendous toll on health,” Hwang said. “Our work has shown that the Housing First approach ends chronic homelessness and should be widely implemented. This award will support our ongoing research on new interventions to meet complex health needs and improve well-being and social integration among people experiencing homelessness.”
Hwang is among five leaders in medicine, law, engineering, social work and the humanities who are receiving the President's Impact Awards for their impact that stretches far beyond the University of Toronto.
“The University of Toronto is very proud of these researchers, whose work is leading to important change here at home and around the world,” said Vivek Goel, U of T’s vice-president of research and innovation and strategic initiatives. “Their work, across a diverse range of fields, is reaching beyond academia and improving life for a broad cross-section of society locally and globally.”
Winners of the President’s Impact Awards receive $10,000 per year for five years to be used toward their research, and become members of the President’s Impact Academy.
