ANNOUNCEMENTS
CHRIS CALDARONE APPOINTED
SURGEON-IN-CHIEF AT THE HOSPITAL
FOR SICK CHILDREN
Christopher Caldarone
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I am delighted to announce
that, following an international
search, Chris Caldarone has
been appointed as Surgeonin-
Chief at The Hospital for
Sick Children. Jim Wright has
stepped down after10 years.
Chris has been the Chair of
the Division of Cardiac Surgery
at the University of Toronto
and holds the Watson Family Chair in Cardiovascular
Sciences. He became a faculty member at SickKids
in 2003. He is recognized internationally as a clinician,
scientist, and scholar. He obtained his Bachelor
of Science from Johns Hopkins in 1984 and his M.D
from Columbia University in 1988. He did his General
Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency at New
England Deaconess/Harvard Medical School and then
spent a year at Sickkids as a cardiovascular surgery clinical
fellow. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of
Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and maintains a
translational science laboratory focused on pulmonary
vein stenosis and upstream pulmonary vasculopathology.
Please help me congratulate Chris Caldarone in his
new role as Surgeon-in-Chief at The Hospital for Sick
Children. At the same time, I should like to acknowledge
and thank Jim Wright for his tremendous stewardship of
and contributions to the Department of Surgery these
past many years.
James T. Rutka, RS McLaughlin Professor and Chair
Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
JULIAN SPEARS SELECTED AS THE INTERIM
DIVISION HEAD OF NEUROSURGERY AT
ST. MICHAEL’S HOSPITAL
Julian Spears
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Julian Spears has been selected
as the interim Division Head of
Neurosurgery at St. Michael’s
Hospital, effective January 1,
2015. We thank past Division
Head Dr. Loch Macdonald for
his excellent leadership over
the past five years, as he steps
down to increase his focus on
research and academic pursuits.
Please join me in congratulating
Julian and supporting
him in his new role.
JTR
GELAREH ZADEH APPOINTED AS WILKINS
FAMILY CHAIR IN NEUROSURGICAL BRAIN
TUMOUR RESEARCH
Gelareh Zadeh
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I am pleased to inform you that Gelareh Zadeh, Neurosurgery,
has been named the Wilkins
Family Chair in Neurosurgical
Brain Tumour Research at
UHN.
Gelareh completed her
Royal College Fellowship in
Neurosurgery and PhD at the
University of Toronto in 2006.
From 2006-2008 she was a
consultant neurosurgeon at
Queen Square, University College London, UK, as lead
neuro-oncology neurosurgeon. In 2008 she returned as
a CIHR Clinician-Scientist and neurosurgeon to the
Toronto Western Hospital and University of Toronto.
Her clinical and research focus is in neuro-oncology.
Gelareh specializes in skull base surgery, specifically in
minimally invasive endoscopic approaches to anterior
skull base and sellar/parasellar lesions. Her practice also
includes treatment of adult glioneuronal neoplasms,
meningiomas and intraventricular tumours. She has
a particular clinical and research interest in management
of brain metastases and radiosurgery. Her clinical
translational research focuses on understanding adverse
radiation effects following radiation therapy and radiosurgery
of CNS pathology. Gelareh has an active basic
science research practice focusing on radiobiology of
brain tumours, particularly the vascular response to
radiation therapy in both normal and tumour-associated
vasculature. She is a Scientist at the Labatt Brain Tumor
Research Centre and an Adjunct Scientist at the Research
Institute at The Hospital for Sick Children. Please join
me in congratulating Gelareh.
JTR
NICOLE WOODS APPOINTED DIRECTOR,
CENTRE FOR AMBULATORY CARE
EDUCATION, FACULTY OF MEDICINE AT
WOMEN’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL
Nicole Woods
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Nicole Woods was appointed
Director, Centre for
Ambulatory Care Education
(CACE), Faculty of Medicine
at Women’s College Hospital
for a five-year term commencing
February 2, 2015. Nicole
is an Assistant Professor and
former Director of Education
Evaluation in the Department
of Surgery. She is also the
Interim Director of the Wilson
Centre. As the Associate Director of CACE since 2013,
Nicole led a variety of research and education initiatives
across Women’s College Hospital, the Faculty and
TAHSN networks.
RETIREMENT OF MANUEL GOMEZ
Manuel Gomez
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At this time, I am sorry to
announce that Dr. Manuel
Gomez has decided to retire
and resign his position within
the Division of Plastic &
Reconstructive Surgery. Manuel
was the Director of Research
at St. John’s Rehab Unit and a
strong supporter of the division
since his appointment on July
1st, 2004. He plans to write his
memoirs and spend time with family and travel for leisure.
In his words,
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my most
sincere gratitude to you for your continuous support and
encouragement since I had my academic appointment on
July 1st, 2004. Also, I would like to thank all members of
the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the
Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto, for
their great support and help in this very important activity
of my academic and professional life”
We wish Manuel all the best and thank him for his tremendous
support and contributions to the division.
Christopher R. Forrest, Chair and Professor,
Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine
SHADY ASHAMALLA NAMED THE INTERIM
DIVISION HEAD, GENERAL SURGERY AT
SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE
Shady Ashamalla
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Shady Ashamalla has
become the Interim Division
Head, General Surgery at
Sunnybrook Health Sciences
Centre, after Natalie Coburn
stepped down at the beginning
of January 2015. Shady has
implemented the Colorectal
Cancer Diagnostic Assessment
Program for patients, Torso Tech for practicing surgeons,
and advocacy for colorectal cancer screening by reaching
out directly to the public.
FAREWELL TO DARINA LANDA
Jim Rutka and Darina Landa
Many of you know Darina
Landa, who has been the
Senior Development
Officer in the Department
of Surgery since 2010,
responsible for fundraising
and managing relationships
with our individual donors,
foundations, corporate
partners. During her time
in this role, we raised over
$16 million for key educational and research activities
in the Department of Surgery. New and notable initiatives
included the establishment of the AK Prakash
Foundation Fellowships in International Surgery, the creation
of the city-wide Brain Tumour Bank Network, the
development of our Department’s Boundless Promise
video, among many others.
I am pleased to share that beginning in January
2015, Darina was promoted to the role of Director
of Development for the Faculty of Medicine at the
University of Toronto. In this new role, Darina oversees
all development and fundraising activity across the entire
Faculty of Medicine and manages a large team of development
officers.
Although we are sad to lose her in the Department
of Surgery, we are excited for Darina’s new role and
her continued support of the Department of Surgery
and our vision of international leadership in improving
health through innovation and excellence in surgical
practice, research, and education.
JTR
APPOINTMENT OF SENIOR DEVELOPMENT
OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY,
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
David Grieco
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I am pleased to announce that
David Grieco has joined the
Office of Advancement in the
Faculty of Medicine on April
27th 2015. David has taken on
the role of Senior Development
Officer, responsible for the
Department of Surgery.
David is coming from the
Children’s Aid Foundation, where he has worked as a successful
fundraiser for 8 years. He brings a wide range of
skills to his new position, with experience in major gifts,
donor relations, volunteer management, and corporate
partnerships. David is passionate about advancing health
and education and is very much looking forward to advancing
the mission of the Department of Surgery at UofT.
Please join me in welcoming David!
JTR
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IN MEMORIAM
Sigmund Ein
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Dr. Sigmund H. Ein (Siggie)
passed away on January 25,
2015. Dr. Ein began his career
at SickKids on July 1, 1969 in
the Division of General Surgery
where he remained until his
retirement in 2004. During his
35 years at the University of
Toronto, he held many leadership
positions within Sick
Kids and was President of
the Canadian Association of
Paediatric Surgeons. After retirement he remained an
Honorary member of staff at SickKids and an Associate
Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Ein was all about patient care. He was devoted to
the children and their families, and his advocacy on their
behalf served as a powerful role model for several generations
of trainees and colleagues. Dr. Ein was internationally
known for promoting and documenting the natural
history and non-operative management of a variety of
paediatric surgical conditions. The respect with which he
was held by his peers led to the renaming of the annual
Simpson Lecture to the Simpson-Ein lecture.
Dr. Ein will be remembered for many things including
playing Santa at the annual Perioperative Holiday Grand
Rounds at Sick Kids, his “den” (which was an eclectic
mix of sporting memorabilia and gifts from patients that
covered every wall and the ceiling. It always drew people
in to see it when they walked by the office), and his many
“Einisms” as his fellows would call them that were heard
daily including his favorite one especially when his wife
Arlene was nearby “Happy Wife, Happy Life”.
Dr. Ein was a dedicated surgeon, teacher, mentor,
husband and father whose signature purple marker will
be remembered by everyone who was lucky enough to
have met him.
JTR
Dr. John Gerald Connolly (Surgery Alumnus) passed
away on December 12, 2014. John studied Medicine
at the University of Toronto receiving his MD in 1949.
After training in Edinburgh, London, New York City,
and Kingston, he returned to Toronto securing an
appointment at Women’s College Hospital in 1971
and subsequently became cross appointed at Princess
Margaret Hospital and the Toronto General Hospital.
John was appointed as Associate Surgeon in Chief
in the early 80’s and stepped up as interim Surgeon
in Chief during a period of turbulence at Women’s
College Hospital. Within the Division of Urology at the
University of Toronto he is remembered as a mentor and
an original thinker. Even upon retirement his curiosity
was relentless. He worked for more than a decade on a
series of innovative medical devices.
Gordon McLorie
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Dr. Gordon McLorie (Surgery
Alumnus) passed away on
Tuesday, February 3, 2015.
Dr. McLorie was a paediatric
urologist and one of the earliest
partners in Canadian urology
at Sickkids Hospital from 1982
where he remained until 2003.
Peter Allen
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Dr. Peter Allen (Surgery
Alumnus) passed away on
November 17, 2014 at the
age of 92. Dr. Allen graduated
from the University of
Toronto Medical School in
1946. He completed a fellowship
in General Surgery
in 1953 at the University of
Toronto, and a fellowship in
Thoracic Surgery at Brompton
Hospital, London, England.
He also completed a year of study in internal medicine
in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He was a Professor
in the UBC Faculty of Medicine and practiced at the Vancouver
General Hospital as a cardiac surgeon for
36 years. He performed the first open heart procedure
in British Columbia on October 29, 1957. Dr. Allen
retired from surgical practice in 1993 as an Emeritus
Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of British
Columbia Faculty of Medicine. He recently visited the
Department of Surgery in the Stewart Building and was
the subject of an article written on the Janes’ Society in
the last issue of the “Spotlight”.
Mr. Joseph Rotman passed away on Tuesday, January
27, 2015. The University of Toronto’s business school
was named after Mr. Rotman in 1997 after he pledged
more than $15-million in donations. Mr. Rotman
was a philanthropist who had a profound impact on
higher education, health care, innovation and the arts.
Mr. Rotman also helped found Toronto’s Medical and
Related Sciences (MaRS) Discovery District in 2005;
the innovation hub assists entrepreneurs in launching
businesses using medical technologies. He remained a
director on the MaRS board.
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