Dr. Samina Ali is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta, Research Director for Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and a pediatric emergency physician at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. Over a career spanning more than two decades, she has become an internationally recognized leader in pediatric pain research, dedicating her work to improving the care of children experiencing pain, distress, and injury in emergency settings. Her research has challenged longstanding practices, advanced safer and more effective pain management strategies, and helped improve the experiences of children and families in emergency departments across Canada and beyond.

A visionary researcher and collaborator, Dr. Ali has secured more than $25 million in research funding, published over 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and served as the first person of colour to chair Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC). She founded the PERC Pain Interest Group, has led numerous national knowledge translation initiatives, and contributed to the development of Canada’s first national Pediatric Pain Management Standard. Through her leadership with organizations such as PERC, Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), and TREKK, she has helped shape policy, research priorities, and clinical practice in pediatric emergency medicine nationwide.

Colleagues and nominators describe Dr. Ali as an exceptional mentor, collaborator, and values-driven leader. They praise her ability to build people, programs, and research networks while fostering inclusive and psychologically safe environments. Her mentorship has supported more than 50 trainees and early-career researchers, many of whom have gone on to become leaders in academic emergency medicine. Widely respected for her integrity, compassion, and commitment to equity, Dr. Ali is recognized as a transformative leader whose work has advanced pediatric emergency care, research, and education across Canada.

Featured journal articles co-authored by Dr. Ali:

• Emergency Department Prescribing and Opioid-Related Harms Among Adolescents in Alberta: 2010-2020

• A national cross-sectional survey of health literacy of caregivers attending Canadian pediatric emergency departments

• Anxiolysis for laceration repair in children: study protocol for an open-label multicenter adaptive trial (ALICE)

• Intranasal midazolam for procedural distress in children in the emergency department: a systematic review and meta-analysis

• Nitrous oxide use in Canadian pediatric emergency departments: a survey of physician’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices