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Dr. Abigail White

Dr. Abigail White’s latest award is the inaugural Tom Williams Award for Best Trainee Publication in Surgical Education Research for her paper, “Autonomy and Competence in Cardiac Surgery Training: A Qualitative Analysis.” The award was established through the generosity of donors to the Tom Williams Endowed Chair in Surgical Education.
Dr. White’s award-winning research is part of a broader portfolio of work in surgical simulation and education. She is currently developing a portable and adjustable cardiac surgery task trainer, designed to provide three levels of difficulty and enhance hands-on learning in surgical training. The model is being prepared for commercialization.
Her supervisor, Dr. Bin Zheng, said “I think I do not need to say too much about Abby's commitment and passion for medical education and research. We all see her spending every minute outside her busy clinical service for simulation design and validation. This award is a perfect recognition of her dedication.” 
Member of the research team, PhD Candidate, Yao Zhang, said, "Abby is an exceptionally bright and enthusiastic researcher, deeply passionate about surgical training. She is also an outstanding team player who consistently brings fresh, mind-opening ideas to the table."
Dr. White has previously received several accolades for her contributions to medical education, including the Canadian Association for Medical Education’s Rising Star Award, which recognizes learners who demonstrate exceptional commitment to the field. She has also received the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry’s 75th Anniversary Award and the Violet Kilburn Award, a graduate excellence scholarship.
She is one of six graduate students in the Surgical Simulation Research Laboratory, led by Dr. Zheng. The interdisciplinary lab integrates engineering, computing science, education, and psychology, applying cutting-edge technologies—such as artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, and digital 3D reconstruction—to surgical training.
Dr. White emphasized the importance of innovation in surgical education:
“With an ever-changing landscape of surgical practice, we need to find innovative ways to optimize our surgical training, with the center of our focus forever being the patient.” 
The Department of Surgery recognized the efforts of the Tom Williams Award for Best Trainee Publication in Surgical Education Research judging panel—Drs. Nori Bradley, Momoe Hyakutake, Caroline Jeffery, and Bin Zheng—who evaluated seven high-caliber submissions for the award. All entries were noted for their excellence and contribution to the field.